District Running Collective’s Matt Green Shares 5 Ways to Get Started Running Now
5 Ways to get started running — if you don't like running
Run with a group. Come out for a Wednesday run. We got all levels.
If you can’t run with a group, find one or two people to run with together, whether it's around a track, or in a park, or a trail.
Use running as a mode of transportation. If I have somewhere to go, or if I have some errands that I want to run or if it's a shop that I want to go look at or even to the grocery store, I’ll run from my house or from the location to that place. [I] do whatever I need to do, buy whatever I need to buy. If I have a backpack on or if I need to catch an Uber or get back home, I’ll do that. Also, I can run straight to something and not worry about having to get back, knowing I can ride an Uber, ride a bike or get back someway like that.
Start just by running a block or two. Get out, run a block, walk a block. Take your time getting into running. Don’t worry about “oh, I have to run so fast for so long.” Run a block, walk a block, run a block, walk a block, that way you can start building up running at your own pace, so that it’s more comfortable.
Give yourself grace. It can be hard to get out there, but the hardest part is really just putting on some running shoes, getting dressed to go outside and once you're out there you realize it's a lot easier than you think.
We know — running isn’t your favorite thing to do, but have you tried calling a friend to join you on that trek around the track? A study published in 2020 by the fitness-tracking app Strava found that half of the 25,000 runners surveyed either hate running or barely tolerate it. Just 8% love it. The report, however, did conclude that many runners engage in the exercise — despite their ill feelings towards it — “to be healthy, connect with others, create a routine, and feel a sense of control over their lives.”
Matt Green helped found the D.C. based District Running Collective nearly eight years ago. What started as an unconventional way to celebrate his birthday turned into a healthy lifestyle movement with hundreds of participants in his hometown. Over the years, Green and his crew turned the District Running Collective into a full-fledged business with sponsorships from Under Armour and Vita Coco and a partnership with the D.C. Mayor’s office. Green has heard from plenty of people who want to be healthier and connect with others, but can’t seem to get started running. Here’s the DRC captain’s advice below:
