Global Running Day, celebrated this year on June 4, is the perfect occasion to lace up your sneakers and embrace the power of movement. Whether you are a seasoned runner or just starting out, this global event invites everyone to get moving and celebrate the joy of running.
To help you get inspired, we caught up with Apple Fitness+ Run Trainers Cory Wharton-Malcolm and Emily Fayette, who shared their expert tips on how to make the most of your run, whether your goal is to improve your pace or simply enjoying an outdoor workout. Read on for their insights and practical advice to take your running to the next level.
Global Running Day is all about celebrating movement and motivation. For someone who’s just starting out, what’s the most important mindset to bring to that first run?
Cory: A positive attitude! I try and bring fun and joy into most of the things I do in life, and I find that really helps with running. Also, it helps to understand that running is a new skill — something you might not be amazing at straight away. It might take patience. Enjoy the journey.
Emily: The biggest hurdle is often just getting started. Start simple and stay consistent. Go out there and have fun, and plan a running schedule you can stick to. Consistency builds confidence!
What are some common mistakes new runners make—and how can they avoid them from the start?
Emily: Often people go out too hard, too fast, too long. Fitness+ offers a huge variety of options to help with your running training — you can start with the 10-minute Treadmill workouts and build up from there, or get into a Collection like Run Your First 5K to help you ease into running.
Cory: Make a plan to keep yourself motivated and accountable. In Fitness+, you can create a Custom Plan, based on the workouts and meditations you want to do, with reminders to keep you on track. Choose the days and durations you want to work out, and your favorite workout types and music, and it does the rest. All you have to do is follow the plan and put in the work!
Apple Fitness+ offers a range of guided runs. How do you approach designing these workouts to motivate users of all fitness levels?
Emily: We create workouts that allow everyone to feel welcome to the party! Our ultimate goal is for anyone to be able to join in, have fun, and feel successful yet challenged by the end.
Cory: Each workout is designed to help users become a more consistent and better runner, whether you’re a pro or just starting out. Our running workouts – both Time to Run and Treadmill workouts – are based on time not distance, as everyone’s pace will be different. This means you can make any workout work for you. And whether you’ve been running for a long time or you’re new to it, we can all benefit from getting little reminders about form and pace.
For runners looking to level up—whether it’s improving pace, distance, or consistency—what strategies do you recommend to avoid burnout or injury?
Emily: Learn to listen to your body and make adjustments as needed. Embrace speed and hill work, start strength training, and be sure to warm up and cool down for every run. Fitness+ has great options for all three — our Treadmill workouts incorporate speed work and/or hills to help you level up and push further; add strength training into your routine with the 3 Perfect Weeks of Strength program; and prepare for and recover from every run with the Yoga for Every Runner program. You can also build a Custom Plan for both body and mind, with workouts and meditations.
Cory: Stick to a plan, be patient, and take advantage of the metrics and data available to you. Apple Watch is the perfect partner for that. I always refer to Training Load in the Activity app — it allows you to compare the intensity and duration of your workouts over the last 7 days to what you’ve done over the previous 28 days, and helps you understand the strain on your body. This allows you to make more informed decisions about how and when to adjust your workouts. Don’t be afraid to change the plan. Some days you might need to dial back the intensity or your distance, or even take a rest.
Running is as mental as it is physical. How do you help people push through the tough moments, especially on days when motivation is low?
Emily: Allow yourself to have the feeling — acknowledge it and then reframe it. I allow myself to say “I don’t want to do this” and then reframe it to “I get to do this!” Sometimes running can be a very lonely journey, so I love that Fitness+ makes every workout more motivating with the trainer team who coach you through. Doing a workout with “friends” makes it fun and helps you push yourself even further.
Cory: In every Fitness+ workout, the trainers are there with you, and we believe in you. We’re there to push you even when the workout gets tough. When I’m planning a workout, I start out by asking myself what I would need in a challenging moment, and try to do everything in my power to help people believe in themselves in those moments, and to also make it fun of course.
Do you each have a go-to pre-run ritual or playlist that helps you get in the zone? And how can our readers build one that works for them?
Cory: I listen to a few tracks to get me pumped up, either grime or drum and bass. I have my go-to Stack of Fitness+ workouts saved in the app — 10min Yoga, 5min Core, 10min Strength — to fire everything up. And then off I go.
Emily: I blast happy, feel-good music throughout my house every morning to get the whole family pumped up for a great day! Most days, my pre-run activity includes dancing around my kitchen while making breakfast for my kids.
