With the fall marathon season quickly approaching, we have been approached by several people looking to get into distance running. One of the first questions we always get is, “Do you have any tips?”

Of course! We love sharing the lessons that we have learned along the way. We always invite new runners to come out with us for a run, but the usual reaction is “What pace do you run?” We always get a kick out of this. We know everyone has a different reason for starting to run, but why limit yourself with a predetermined pace? You’re a beginner, you should focus on building your endurance first…speed will come later.

There is nothing riskier than to come out blaring “I am going to run my first marathon this year…in 3:30.” Now what happens? Maybe you luckily chose an easy target for you, but maybe this goal is unobtainable this year. You get disappointed in your training runs, you get injured, you miss your goal time, or worse…you give up on running.

Our advice on your early training, work on mileage. When you go out for a run, do it at a speed in which you can maintain a conversation. Don’t be afraid to walk. You should focus on building a solid mileage base. Once you build up significant weekly mileage, you will start to find your pace. This should be your baseline.