Learning to Love Running: For Beginners By Caroline Levich

Learning to Love Running: for Beginners!
I'm so excited to have Caroline from "Tragic Tales & Manicured Nails" on here!
Being the little fitness nut that I am, I LOVE seeing what works for other people and hearing tips and tricks!
Happy Monday Everyone and here is the darling Caroline! -

Hello everyone! Caroline from Tragic Tales & Manicured Nails here. I am so excited to share some of my tips’n’tricks for beginners on how to learn to love running.  I’m also just excited to be on here: Who doesn’t love Karina’s sweet fam!? She is a major runner and although I’m not quite as dedicated as she is, I am also seriously obsessed with it.  I’ve learned a thing or two about how to make it something you look forward to rather than a chore.  Here are my 5 tips for beginning runners who want to learn how to love it!



1. Find your place:
I work on a TV show where 12-hour days are the norm, so sometimes sunlight doesn’t participate in my running schedule.  Because I sometimes need to run at night, I had to find a place to run where it was lit and not in a gym.  I can’t stand running on a treadmill because I’m going nowhere and always get way too caught up in the screen! I stare at one piece of the wall for like 1 minute, then look at the screen to see how far I’ve gone, then back to the wall for another minute, then back to the screen and think WHAT!  HOW HAVE I ONLY GONE .3 MILES?! THAT FELT FOREVER!! THIS THING IS BROKEN, I’M GETTING FROYO.  If the treadmill works for you, I’m jealous.
My absolute favorite place to run is the Manhattan Beach strand that runs along the ocean here in LA.  The lights are the best part because I can run at dawn and feel safe with many others running alongside me.  The view isn’t bad, either…



2. Learn your Inspiration:
Do I want to run every time I tie my laces? No way.  Do I ever regret it? No! I always feel incredible after a run, something I try to remind myself every time I don’t want to go.  Getting out there is the hardest part when you’re not obsessed with the results yet.  Keep telling yourself: I’m going to be SO happy later.  A runner’s high is like nothing else!  Once you get into a routine, the hard part will be when you have to miss a scheduled run (Sorry I can’t go to your wedding, I have a long run scheduled that day!!!!)

3. Occupy Yourself:
Sometimes, running gets boring.  You’re just hanging out with yourself for an hour and sometimes you have nothing new to think about. This may sound cheesy, but I like to day-dream.  I’ll save things I want to think about and reflect on during my run.  If I want something, I imagine running towards it.  If I had a rough day, I imagine running away from it.  I love to write, so sometimes I brainstorm about a blog post or a play that I’m writing and have to actually pull my phone out and type down ideas that I don’t want to forget (I know, what the heck!? Yes, It happens, Yes, I run into people.)  Trust me, your body will be just fine; you just need to distract your mind. Your run truly starts when you forget that you’re running.

During a half marathon that I ran in November, this girl in front of me ran the entire thing… with her boyfriend biking slowly next to her.  How cute is that!?  Although I would probably rather have someone running next to me, I thought that was the coolest way to support her.  I pretended I was changing my song and took a photo because I’m a creep.


I was on pace with her throughout so he was pretty much pumping both of us up. ^^

4. Push Through!
Everyone has that hump that they must conquer before they start enjoying the work out.  You have to be your own cheerleader to get through it.  You’re the only one holding yourself back AND the only one pushing yourself forward.  How’s that for some serious power?!
Set small, attainable goals. I tell myself, “I’ll take a quick walk break at that bush.”  Then, I arrive at the bush and pass it.  BEST. FEELING.  When I’m faced with hills, I have to keep thinking, “One step at a time.”  Before I know it, I’ve climbed Mt. Everest. (Or the slight hill to get back up to the street, same difference…)


This is Mt Everest, people ^^

5. Everyone had to START at some point.
I never wanted to start running because I felt silly that I wasn’t good enough at it, but you just have to get out there.  It doesn’t matter what you can and cannot do. Go slow. Take it one mile at a time. (Trust me, I’m the slowest runner EVER.) Whether it takes you 6 minutes or 16 minutes, you still just RAN a mile.  You’re literally a MILE away from where you started...  And guess what? There’s only one way to get back.  Lace up!

Karina Marie Powell

6 comments:

  1. Totally agree with everything about this post! Its hard to get into running, but once you do it changes your life! I like to either have music with me or an audio book, especially doing long runs!

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  2. Great tips! Listening to podcasts totally changed my running game. All of a sudden, I was checking my distance and time every five seconds and thinking about stopping because I was engrossed in what was happening.

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  3. I love everything about this! Running isn't just a physical thing. :) It's a mentally rewarding experience!

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  4. This is an awesome post with great tips - I really need to start!!! x

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  5. Love these tips! And because I do NOT have a natural passion for running, these are perfect!

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