Running is a great hobby and sport that is suited for just about everyone. As is true with a lot of things in life adding in a goal or a target is a great way to motivate yourself and build discipline to keep you going.
That could be setting or beating a PB in time, distance or a top speed achieved.
Read on to see what we think are 5 (very achievable) running goals for beginners to aim for and achieve this year.
Running Goals for Beginners
Run 20 minutes without Stopping
A great entry level target for beginner runners. We are only measuring time with this one. You can go as fast or slow as you like, but as long as your jogging, running – we’ll even accept a well meaning shuffle – to get there.
20 minutes is a good goal for beginners as its not quite as scary as a full 5km run, it’s enough time to put your body through a decent amount of (good) stress and you should be able to cover at least a mile in this time. …….
Run a 5km
A distance and number that just has a good sound to it in the running world. Also, the lowest denominator for entry into most organized events. Running a 5km is truly a great achievement and milestone for any beginners interested in running.
Running a 5km will require the most preparation on this list as it will take the longest time to run (unless you’re this guy – fastest runner clip) but don’t let the prep put you off. Theres nothing quite like the ‘high’ you get from achieving this running goal.
Increase your overall speed
Adding in some HIIT training into your running routine to shake your nervous system, lungs and legs into more intense sprints can have a positive effective on your overall running speed. Adding in some leg focused workouts can also help by providing some more explosive muscle power into your runs.
Remember to pace yourself (pun unavoidable) when increasing speed so that all your joints, ligaments and muscles can adjust to the change with the lowest likelihood of injury
Beat your 1mile PB
Whether you run on a treadmill or the road for this one doesn’t really matter. As long as youhave something to track your distance and time, you should be fine. This is a great one for beginners to try, because it’s something you can do, and beat, again and again.
It could be as easy as putting the treadmill speed up 0.1 more than usual and just running that mile. If you’re running on the road just going a little bit faster on that last corner of your normal route will get you quick results.
Of course, you could take this as far as you want – be warned though, this can be addictive, especially because you see the biggest improvements when you’re a beginner to fitness.
The Importance of Warming Up and Stretching for Beginner Runners
Warming up and stretching is a critical part of all exercise programs, and especially for beginner runners. One of the main reasons I have come across is that almost by definition, beginner runners haven’t had the time to hurt themselves yet.
You will understand what im talking about the first time your overworked your patella because you forgot to warm up an stretch!
There are plenty of guides on stretching and working out.
The most important take way is to do dynamic warm ups to get the blood flowing before your run. Slow down and lean into static stretches after your run (or workout) to get the most stretch out of those already limber limbs.
Final Thoughts on Goals for Beginner Runners
When starting out running it can be easy to feel overwhelmed and overshadowed by the th eamount of fit, fast people out there. They may be running next to you at your local gym or park, seeing other people at a further point than you on any journey can be disheartening.
This is why goal setting is a great way to realign your focus and just concentrate on improving yourself. This is as applicable to running as it is to most endeavours in life.
Set you target, make your plan and stick to it. The little wins along the way are what help us stay on track, help us improve and make the whole journey more enjoyable. I wish you all the best for whatever running goal you have set for yourself this year
