Another trend went viral on the world wide web! And that is none other than the “Running Man Challenge”! Have you accepted the challenge yet? Have you grooved your unique running man moves to the 90s song, My Boo by Ghost Town Djs? Whether it’s a yay or a nay, sure it has nothing to do with the running man (real) challenge. But maybe it could ease up one way or another, when you feel that sudden stabbing pain on your side, or when you feel like throwing up while running. Now, that’s the real running man challenge, right?

All right, seriously speaking, what are the common challenges that beginners face on their first attempt running? Of course, running is one of the most relatively easy sports to get involved in thus making us feel that we can be a runner anytime, anywhere we want to. As a newbie, you can not escape these not-so-fun things that we might experience before, along the way, or after running. But the fun thing would always be about the countless amazing rewards that this sports could give you.  

So before you throw your towel in the air, let’s check out these pointers:

1.    So you’re running your way downtown; maintaining your pace and stance. At about 20 miles, you’re feeling an internal intestine jarring that makes you want to stop and look for the nearest comfort room. Well, that seems to happen more often than not especially when the blood goes to your active muscles. Same principle applies when you feel sleepy after eating; blood goes to the working muscle. To avoid this from happening, make sure your last meal has been fully digested two hours before running; also a bottle of water or two will be your best friend!
2.    Ever wonder why you feel light-headed, dizzy, and nauseous after running? Then maybe you’re that kind of newbie runner who runs non-stop without any walk breaks. You are doing overexertion. When you first take up running, shoot for a walking distance first, then start inserting short running segments into that walk until you start increasing your speed and length segments. KitKat is right, “Have a break!” 
3.    No one can escape the annoying and excruciating pain brought to you by blisters! If you happened to get those because of new pair of running shoes, sure you know how it could change the day from good to bad. For some reasons, blister should be taken good care of, really. So after running, you might want to pop it with sterilized needle, sterilize the area, cover it with blister pad, and allow some recovery time before you wear your running shoes again.
4.    “I just feel like I can’t catch my breath!” Now you are having trouble breathing. Do not panic, even trained runners experience the same challenge every now and then. Most and foremost, it’s not because you have a smaller lungs than others, but difficulty in breathing during your first run means bad posture. Consider, tilting your head your head high, and shoulders back. When you feel at ease, that means your chest is open enough to provide the sufficient air needed.

These challenges are minor setbacks that you might experience as a beginner. And that’s normal and okay too! Kudos in all your future running adventures. Happy running!