Roberts' Rules of Running
Just go for that run.
I wasn’t a consistent runner when I started a run club.
Years later now, it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done and a great example of a phrase that people preach all the time: “start before you’re ready.”
Run club started out because we needed to build community here in Christiansburg. Camaraderie and connection just didn’t exist for those of us moving into town, drawn in by decent housing prices and the promise of an “up-and-coming” town.
Fast-forward over five years now and it’s plain to see that we’ve built something pretty special as a community. Running is the amazing glue that holds it all together.
Thanks mostly in part to run club and my own stubborn commitment to consistency, I’m a runner now! I put down decent miles each week, race very little, and sing the merits of our regional running community to anyone who will listen. Literal olympians share our local greenways with people lacing up shoes for the first time. That’s magical.
I run for the community aspect and the day-to-day vibes. Today, I wanted to write down some of my “rules” for running: think of them more as guidelines that I’ve learned along the way.
I’m not an authority on running. I’ve learned a thing or two about community, though.
I didn’t run in high school or college. I’ve never really posted any notable times, won a race, or done anything too daring in the sport. Take this as a fun list and, please, listen to the many voices in the running world that are better than me.
Even though I’m not an expert on running, I care deeply about building communities. These “rules” mostly serve me for that side: the fun, mindful, best-sport-I’ve-ever-done part of running that have made this last half decade fly by.
I love running and I hope you’ll enjoy this little glimpse into the sport with me.
Here they are! Roberts’ Rules of Running:
There’s no “right” way to run. You’re doing it right!
Runs around the block when you have 10 minutes, track days, ultras, walks, they’re all good and they all count!
Don’t get caught up in worrying about if you’re running the right way or not. Especially when you’re starting out, lace up your shoes and head out. Go slower than you think you need to and just get used to the movement. Don’t push too hard or you’ll get hurt, especially in the beginning.
Walking is part of it.
Brendan Leonard puts this into great perspective in his book, “I Hate Running and You Can Too: How to Get Started, Keep Going, and Make Sense of an Irrational Passion” available here.
You should read his book. But this one is easy: don’t worry about walking. If you want to, walk! We do lots of runs, especially when it’s just me and Kristy, where we walk a lot. When you’re racing or trying to put up a great time, you want to try and walk instead of stopping. But walking can be really helpful, even when you’re pushing hard.
Taking this one step further, I love our run club walks. Every Monday, we meet up and walk through neighborhood streets, no running involved. Even if you never want to take that faster stride and become a “runner”, you can reap the same benefits of fitness and community by walking. It’s awesome.
You don’t have to race.
I’m really just not enamored with racing. I enjoy spectating races and love when I can cheer on friends. I love keeping up with competitive athletes and seeing them push boundaries.
But I don’t run to race. They don’t motivate me—knowing that I have a race scheduled is almost demotivating for me. Wake up early, start exactly when somebody with a starting gun tells you…it’s just not me. I probably do a handful a year.
You don’t have to race.
Everything else counts too.
Life happens. Right now, we have a lovely puppy who can’t run until he’s a year old in August. We’re running a lot less and walking him a lot more. I also sold my car and started biking, which has propelled me from a dozen or so biking miles per week to around 40.
Everything else matters. Don’t beat yourself up when you enter a season of life where you’re running less. Or the flip: don’t worry if others think you’re crazy if now’s the time to up those miles and dream big.
Eat food and bring water.
Seriously, bring snacks!! Morgan Corl, the person I co-founded run club with, taught me that. It’s more fun and you’ll feel better during and after your run. Candy is great run fuel too.
And another: bring water! There is no penalty for having a water bottle in your hand or wearing a vest. You’ll learn over time when you don’t need to bring water and it will feel like a no-brainer. If you’re ever in-doubt, just grab a water bottle.
Related: bring $20 and toilet paper with you running. You’re welcome.
Runs can be unserious.
Do not run every run with training and goals in mind. Just go run. Run with your dog. Run with your friends when they’ve had a bad day. But just go run.
If you get into this thing, you’re going to spend an incredible amount of hours doing this. Like, part-time job number of hours. Find a way to make it fun.
Remember to wave.
This goes for biking, hiking, and most anything done on a road or trail: WAVE! A simple acknowledgement that requires nothing from you builds community and lets that other person understand that they belong.
Fast friends make you faster.
Don’t be scared to run with people who you know are faster than you. I am, at my absolute best, middle of the pack. Your faster friends will teach you the ropes, explain the intricacies, and naturally make you faster over time.
And one note on “faster”: it’s a weird goal. You don’t need to get any faster than you are today. But over time and with consistency, it will happen on its own. I love when I feel fast on a run. It’s of those rare, amazing moments in this sport.
You should probably go for that run.
We all make excuses to not go for a run. There are many times you shouldn’t: if you’re too injured, sick, in a place where it isn’t safe, or in general whenever pushing your body to run would make other things worse.
But if we’re being honest with ourselves, a lot of the time we just don’t want to go. In those moments, you should go for that run.
A lot of times, we’ll get done with a run club run and somebody will say, “thanks for this. I wouldn’t have run if you guys weren’t there with me.” When you choose to go for a run, you might be helping somebody else too. Just go for it.
I hope you enjoyed these! They’ll be fun to look back on in a few more years and see what’s changed. I’m planning to do one of these for biking as well, so stay tuned and subscribe if you aren’t already!
Love my C’burg Run Club, thanks Jonathan and Morgan!!