How to start a run routine as a first-timer, from an expert

Mancini, known affectionately as Cini in the run club, started running during the COVID-19 pandemic, after boxing throughout his life.

“The only thing that I could do to stay in shape and keep in shape was to get out on the road, and it afforded me a level of autonomy in sport that I just didn’t feel like I had before,” he explained. “And to me, that was liberating.”

Even if you’ve never thought about becoming a runner or considered yourself a good candidate to be one, you can still start a running routine as early as tomorrow. Just take these four tips to get yourself in the right place.

1. Stop comparison

“I think the biggest pitfall when you’re starting out is comparison, absolutely comparison,” Mancini said.

When starting a running journey, especially one spurred on by friend groups or social media pressures, people may be expecting their runs to look like someone else’s.

“As a coach, what I’ve noticed is this language being used. ‘Oh, I’m too fat’ or ‘I want to be fast’ or ‘I’m too slow.’” Mancini recommends that new runners have tunnel vision about their own journeys.

“Don’t compare. It’s all relative,” he explained. “So run your pace.”

2. Set a goal

While you should avoid comparison, it’s still healthy to set a goal for the runner you want to be. If you’re a first-time runner who has never endurance-trained before, start with a run and walk routine before attempting any long distances.

“Today, we’re going to try 30 minutes on the road, and we won’t be running the entire 30 minutes,” Mancini suggested. “Can we run a minute and walk a minute? Or run a minute and walk two?”

After you feel a certain walk/run combination gets easy, change it up and run for a little longer. However, don’t move too quickly or you will tire yourself out and have to start from the beginning.

If you have experience with endurance training, set a goal for a run you think may be a challenge.

“Everything is an acclimation process. Your body needs to adapt. You need to introduce the new stimulant, and know how to kind of bring your body along appropriately,” he said. “So that would be the first goal, you know, showing up, getting on the road.”

3. Find a safe route

The Atlanta Run Club has roots in providing safety for runners. According to Mancini, the organization first started as a response to a 2018 incident where an Asian-American runner was attacked on the Atlanta Beltline.

“As a result of that, we were looking to create a space where, not only Asian American runners, but all POC runners could come and run together and feel safe.”

Before you start running, find out if there’s a route near your home that you feel comfortable running around. If there’s nowhere directly near your home, search for a local park. Try to run in places away from cars or at least with sidewalks. If that is not possible, be alert and wear bright-colored clothing.

Although listening to music can be the best part of the run, don’t wear headphones that significantly minimize your hearing.

“That was the mission at the onset of just starting the club,” Mancini continued. “Wanting to create a community where we can come and do this thing together that we all enjoy with one another, while feeling safe.”

4. Get your mind right

Running is a challenge for the body, but it also poses a huge challenge in the mind as well.

“Your body’s going to talk to you,” Mancini said. “It’s going to hurt, it’s going to say a lot of things to you, but how you respond to it and what you say back to it is going to make all the difference.”

Be kind to yourself on runs, even if you’re not meeting the goal you may have set or feeling more tired than you expected. Don’t allow the pain in your body to inflict pain on your mind. When you push through the hardest parts of starting a running journey, that’s when you get to the distances that make the whole experience worthwhile.

“This may seem a little abstract, or even existential, but it gave me a sense of freedom that I don’t need much; some shoes, some shorts, shirt and I’m on the road,” Mancini said.