Each spring, numerous people start their running routine to shape up before the summer season. However, it seems that every beginner does 5 common mistakes at the start, so this article’s aim is to help you avoid them!

Improper diet

Your body is like a car that needs tone fueled in order to run properly. Therefore, you need to think about a proper diet and a lot of water. For instance, an hour before you go running, you should consume a small portion of fats, carbohydrates and proteins.

You could eat a slice of whole wheat bread with almond or peanut butter spread.

2 hours before you go0 running, you can eat some food that is rich in fats, protein, carbohydrates, like eggs a slice of wheat toast and bacon.

Yet, if you plan to go on a longer run, you can take some energy gels or some fruit snacks that are a natural and organic alternative. These snacks will provide the needed amount of sugar, but will also keep your stomach calm at the same time.

Wrong shoes

Improper shoes may lead to numerous unexpected issues, like hip pain, shoulder pain, ankle pain and the like. This means that your shoes, if not suitable, may represent a silent danger in your running practice.

Hence, it is really important to choose proper shoes for running. Always consider the gait and the areas that are subjected to most pressure while running. In this way, your running procedure will be eased and significantly improved.

Starting too fast

New runners always do two mistakes: they are going too fast, which leads to exhaustion. At the end, the person is too tired and may even want to give up this habit.

Therefore, you should pace yourself, and work on your aim gradually and slowly. Hence, start at a moderate pace, and gradually raise the speed. In this way, you would also build your stamina.

Heel Striking

Heel striking is, in fact, landing on the heel fist (over striding) which may lead to injury, like shin splints. Therefore, you need to try and land mid-sole. Your may need to shorten up the stride a bit, but you may prevent major complications, and your running habit will provide only benefits for your body.

Unrealistic goals

One really harmful thing you can do to yourself is to set an unrealistic goal and expect more than you can achieve at the beginning. For instance, instead of competing against other more experienced runners, aim at running a mile, and gradually increase the route.

This is because you need to build stamina and strength to reach your goal, and over time, you will be becoming better in running and this will also enhance your goals.

Source/Reference: thescienceofeating.com
Other included sources linked in The Science of Eating’s article: news.health.com -- Original Article Source