5 Things I Wish I Had Known When I Started

5:

This is one that blew my mind at first. The people who go running don’t run the whole time??? 

4: 

Just because a pair/style/brand of running shoes works for you one year, it doesn’t mean that it will the next.  I figured this out with expensive consequences in Year 2 when the ASICS I had loved previously were now too narrow for my feet in the new year’s model. There’s no substitute for an in-store fitting!

3:

Your local massage therapist may be able to take your Flex Spending Account as payment! I discovered that Massage Envy does this and bought myself a membership. Self-care is so important and I care for myself by running. Massage makes it all better.

2:

You don’t have to have a lot of fancy gear to run, but the right things can sure help a lot! I love my Garmin Vivoactive HR. It’s discounted now because Garmin has come out with a newer model, but I’ve had mine for over a year now and it’s still working awesomely well. It tracks daily activities as well as many different sports, even swimming if you’re into that sort of thing. In my opinion, a good running watch is way better than relying on phone apps like Runkeeper or MapMyRun. Of course, I also run without music. 

1:

Never run without proper lighting at night, so others can see you. Tragically, our running club lost a member last year when she was hit by a vehicle and killed. There’s no such thing as being too lit up on the road! Safety First.