What They Don't Tell You About Running

There are some amazing life-changing benefits to becoming a regular runner! However, only a seasoned runner will know of some of the 'less' enjoyable 'baggage' that comes with the territory of running. In this article I'll explore what I mean by 'baggage', & yet why somehow it keeps us coming back for more.

As a late comer to the sport - & as someone who used to dislike running as a youngster, running has somehow taken hold of my life.

I'm not a natural runner & feel like I have to work extra hard to be at a decent level!

All the same, over the last 3 years of consistent training as a long distance ultra trail runner (if you can now call me that?), I have become obsessed with the sport!

However, after running consistently between 4-7 days per week, I have noticed a number of less desirable aspects of the sport - which I discovered only through hard experience!

This is what I call 'the unavoidable baggage of a runner'.

You won't find this 'baggage' on the motivational posters, or even in conversation with seasoned runners as a novice. Moreover, the more I think about the baggage, the more it seems I cannot find much content discussing it at all.

So what is the unavoidable baggage of a runner?

& why does this unavoidable baggage seem NOT to deter us from setting that dreaded early-morning alarm?

Who Said Running Was Free?

There's a great adage often quoted about running: 'You don't need anything but your trainers to go for a run'!

This is often a great way to motivate people to kick-start themselves into getting fit & taking up running. On the surface it is absolutely true - it is FREE to go for a run.

However, what I've learned is that transitioning from someone who 'goes for a run' to becoming a 'runner' is ANYTHING but free!

When the running bug took hold of me it wasn't long before my bank balance felt it too.

Reading articles, I quickly learned I needed some special shoes for trails. Not long afterwards - after ramping up the training volume as my obsession grew & I shifted my attention toward ultra marathons, I learned that my new trail shoes had a use-buy date!

I quickly did the math: 300-500 miles per running shoes equates to ~3-4 months of use (based on my training volume) before I replaced my new shoes. Yikes - I think I need a sponsor!!

As I slowly added more daily sessions to my weekly routine I then noticed I needed more clothes! Shorts, T-shirts, gloves, hats, socks, jackets, hoodies etc.

A friend recommended purchasing some fancy running socks to eliminate the accumulation of blisters that had taken over my feet. 'Great, socks that stop blisters - perfect, I thought'!

At £15-20 per PAIR, & a heavily stacked training week, it wasn't long before I had the most expensive sock collection in my street.

Then, the evolution of my running obsession reached a climactic point that only seasoned runners will understand - Signing up to a race - & ultramarathons are super expensive!

Once I got over the initial shock of the registration fee, it was only afterwards the real costs started mounting up. Hotels (to account for the early start/late finish), & the dreaded mandatory kit list.

Hydration vests, survival blankets, headtorches, waterproof trousers etc quickly found themselves once again in my online shopping cart to prepare for race day.

Would I change it? No way. In a strange way the investment in good gear, along with the trial & error of working out what works best for you, becomes somehow part of what it means to be a runner. For me there is a sense of joy & satisfaction in researching the different brands & items to allow for a fun day.

Do you need to spend hundreds? Not really. You can do it on a budget, but, as you ramp up your training volume you quickly realise that reliable gear is definitely worth it.

Not ANOTHER Load of Washing?

If you are anything like me, I sweat profusely. The term heavy-sweater is an understatement!

I sweat so heavily that during the spring/summer months (or for as long as mother nature allows), I don't bother wearing a t-shirt at all on my runs.

As the training volume intensifies - not to mention the regular gym-focused strength sessions scattered throughout the week, the laundry pile quickly increases!

Since transitioning to become a seasoned runner - & regular gym goer, I have never known such a mountain of soggy & smelly pile of running clothing accumulating in our washing machine.

Not to mention how your shiny box-fresh trail shoes, that lasted only until running through a giant muddy puddle, are perpetually filthy!

Additionally, as your washing pile increases, so does your relationship with the shower!

Frequent muddy legs, high volume training week's, & regular gym visits means that multiple trips to the shower becomes part & parcel of being a runner. At least we are always doubly clean!

If you want to be a seasoned runner, you better get used to the fast-speed sports setting on your washing machine, as well as plenty of shower gel to remove the thick splatters of mud from your calves.

Does Fitness Mean Painless?

Until I started running, I naïvely believed that the fitter I got, the less pain I would feel. How wrong I was!

Instead, you learn to become acquainted with the ever frequent 'niggle'!

Sometimes it is like the trusted niggle somehow moves around your body - Monday you can feel it in your ankle. Tuesday in your knee. Friday in your hip. Although the niggles often change, you can rest assured you can trust them to show up regularly to prove they still exist.

Early in my running journey I would catastrophise about my pains - watching Youtube videos & reading endless articles, to avert my perceived career-ending injuries. I need new shoes! I need special insoles! I need sports rehab!

It wasn't until I started increasing my running distance that I realised that these so called career-ending injuries were just simple niggles - that would often come & go in a single run.

One of the weird benefits about running is that you become acutely aware of your body. Over time you learn to listen to your body! You learn that a niggle rarely ever means career-ender. Instead, it is usually a physiological message for you to respond.

I found, that 'what works for me' is the 5 mile sweet-spot - if my niggle still niggles beyond that point I know it requires a response. But everyone is different - it's about finding what works for you!

Increasing running volume too quickly, including too frequent hard sessions & not enough easy recovery sessions, & neglecting strength & conditioning, are more than likely causes that can be averted with a simple response.

Unfortunately however, with a consistent, regular running programme that includes trails, speed-work, & lots of hills, our friend, the trusted niggle can always be counted onto give us a gentle prod.

The seasoned runner definitely isn't painless. They simply become more tolerant of the pain!

Early To Rise, Early To Bed?

Unfortunately, like most, at this stage in my running career I have to juggle my training around a full-time job - which is unlikely to change any time soon! Not to mention being a husband & parent!

If I want to balance ultramarathon training, strength training, parenthood & work, there is only one thing for it - super early alarm clocks!

As someone who loves getting the miles in the bank before I start the day, there is nothing better in the summer months than catching that 5:30am sunrise on the trails. Feeling the satisfaction of knowing you have hit your daily mileage quota before the world is even awake!

When I see a fellow runner at that time of the morning there is usually a mutual nod of respect as we pass each other on our journey! Getting home for my first shower of the day, a quick coffee, before turning on my laptop (I work from home), I am usually pumped & ready to be productive for anything thrown my way.

This is all great, right up until late afternoon, where the perpetual shadow of tiredness suddenly takes me captive. I become enslaved by a gloomy force that somehow transforms me from my buzzing, focused attitude, to struggling to stay awake!

If a gym session precedes this, by the time I have re-fueled from my evening meal, listened to my overly excitable 5 year old tell me about her day, I am ready for bed! By 8pm I'm just about capable of reading a chapter of my book before bed-time calls.

Want to be a runner & still function in your day-to-day life? You better become friends with the ever looming shadow of tiredness, & be happy with heavy eye lids during your favourite episode on Netflix.

On another note, if you are struggling to sleep at night, regular running is the best natural remedy you can get to ensure a good night sleep.

Sunshine, Rain, & Numb Fingers!

There's nothing like the summer months when you wake up at the crack of dawn, look outside, & see a glorious day awaiting you! On these day's it seems like there's a blink of an eye between jumping out of bed & slipping on my running shoes.

From spring time onwards, once the clocks change, I don't use blinds or curtains, I rely solely on the cheerful chirping of the birds & bright sunshine as my early morning alarm clock!

Unfortunately however, it isn't long before this joyful, motivating season quickly slips from your fingers!

As an early riser, the not-so-subtle later rising of the sun becomes more & more apparent as summer draws to a gradual close.

Later sunrises bring colder mornings, & before long that time between waking & putting on your shoes becomes harder & harder - that dreaded snooze button seems more inviting!

Especially when the glorious sunshine is replaced with a dark, gloomy, rainy misery that even my dog has second thoughts about stepping into - let alone running!

The sunglasses are replaced with headtorches. My sweaty topless bare skin becomes covered with endless layers - that only ever intensify the sweatiness! & the hot summer breeze is replaced with painfully cold soggy toes & numb fingers.

Somehow however - once you have begrudgingly stared at your running shoes for what seems like ages, getting outside in the cold muddy trails can be some of the best & most rewarding sessions we ever have.

Once your fingers have warmed up - albeit slightly!, you have embraced the soggy feet, & learned to ignore the head torch digging in your forehead, there is nothing quite like finishing a blustery winter run & feeling the satisfaction of getting another session done!

The prospect of the bright, warm springtime sunshine - while a seemingly unattainable reality, is enough to motivate any seasoned runner to keep sliding their toasty warm socks - fresh off the radiator, into their slightly damp trainers for another run.

If you want to be a seasoned runner, you better become friends with the faithfully consistent British seasonal weather - warts an all!

Summary

Once you have gotten over the initial aching joints & lung-bursting breathlessness as a novice runner, running can be one of the most rewarding, meditative activities you can do.

We are literally designed to run! From an early age, once we all learned to walk we started to run! It is only as we get older & more sedentary, do we stop!

Running is becoming more & more popular, with races springing up for all shapes & sizes.

If like me, you have started to catch the bug, & want to transition from someone who 'goes for a run' to becoming a seasoned, consistent runner, this article is for you.

There is some unavoidable baggage that comes with being a regular runner!

However, it is most certainly worth it, & somehow - in some weird kind of way, the baggage is what enhances the sport & makes it even more rewarding.

Much love, Rossi

instagram: r_coulbeck

I would love to hear your thoughts & if there is any other baggage I may have missed? I'm sure there is.

Also, I love to hear your stories of how my articles are helpful. If you are new to running & would like help to become a regular - or more consistent, runner, I'd love to hear from you.