Running

Answering your most frequently asked questions about running

April 17, 2023

HI! I’m Molly.

Here to encourage you on your own bold pursuit of intentional living as I live out my own. I’m passionate about running, spending time doing what I love and cheering others on to approach running with joy.

I get sent a lot of repeat questions about running in my direct messages, so I thought putting all of them in one spot would be helpful!

I wanted a more permanent spot for these more frequently asked questions and I thought a blog post was a good place to put them! If there's anything else you are curious about, you can also message me on Instagram!

Q: What watch do you wear? 

A: I think people get confused because I have two different watches haha! I bought my Garmin Forerunner 245 music at the end of 2021 and sometime in 2022, Coros sent me their Pace 2. So, I have both watches and frequently run with both! Whichever one I see first that is charged and ready to go is the one I wear because they’re pretty similar. I wrote a comparison of them here. I do wear the Coros for ultramarathons, though, because the battery life is much better. The two watches are both amazing and great purchases though; you cannot go wrong with either!

Q: What shoes do you recommend? 

A: I share what I am wearing and training in on Instagram, however, I don’t recommend shoes because we are all different and what works for me might not work for you. I recommend you go to a running store to get fitted by someone who can help you find the best shoe for you! 

Q: How do I stop comparing myself to other runners who are faster than me? 

A: I started enjoying running a lot more when I started caring a lot less about my times. To be quite honest, I could genuinely care less about everyone else out there running. I am excited for everyone who is training, hitting their goal times, training for a PR, etc., but it has nothing to do with me…so I don’t let it affect me. I promise no one else is thinking about the pace you are running at, so why are YOU letting it take away from some of the joy it brings you? Don’t give energy to something that doesn’t matter. Focus on enjoying yourself and your time out there. Also, remember to celebrate the ones who are faster than you! When you’re cheering everyone on instead of envying them, there’s less room for comparison. 

Q: How and when did you start running?

A: I started running in college! I was a soccer player up until college and would run around one mile as exercise as a freshman in college. That winter, my brother ran his first marathon and I was so inspired by seeing everyone out there chasing their goals. My dad, sister and I decided to sign up for one (the Cowtown Marathon, which is in my hometown of Fort Worth) and I fell in love with running through the training process! I've run almost one marathon every year (except for pandemic years) since my first one in 2014!

Q: How do I get faster? 

A: Running hills, doing speed workouts and consistent strength training are all great ways to get faster. Make sure you are also running 80% of your runs at your easy pace and getting enough sleep + fuel. You’ll be well on your way to getting faster! 

Q: Favorite race?

A: So hard to pick!! I think my favorite is the Golden Gate Trail Classic, where I ran the 50k. The course was beautiful, it was my first ultra and everything about the day went so so well. It was SO much fun and I genuinely loved every second of that race!  

Q: How do I not chafe when I wear shorts? 

A: I would be lost without this anti-chafe balm

Q: How do I not get injured? 

A: I stay away from answering most injury-related questions because I am not qualified to answer those. However, in general, strength training and adequate rest + fuel goes a long way in preventing injuries! And always recommend seeing a physical therapist if you can when an injury starts to pop up. 

Q: Tips to start running?

A: Yay! So exciting!! I’d encourage you to start slow - probably slower than you think. Stay consistent and don’t expect to see/experience results right away. Run for time at the beginning (for example: 5 minutes without stopping, then work your way up to10 minutes without stopping, etc.) vs. mileage...slowly build from there (slow is the theme here haha!). And remember not to compare yourself or times to other runners. Stay focused on you and your journey! It is more fun that way! 

Q: What are your favorite shorts that don’t ride up? 

A: All my favorites are linked in my “gear” highlights on IG, just fyi! :) I save everything I love that I link there, too. But time and time again, I keep coming back to these!

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