How to start running: advice from Rostov athletes

In the summer in Rostov, you can run in the company of the same caring people. We put on comfortable shoes, take a bottle of water and set off to conquer the city streets.

Handball club “Rostov-Don” together with the school of correct running I love running RnD on Sundays at 9:00 invites you to the action “Sports Morning” in the Park of the Revolution. In the program: morning exercises, general physical training, running basics.

On Saturdays on the street. Pushkinskaya, near the Donskoy Public Library, members of the Run, Rostov, Run! Community gather – start at 8:00.

And on the embankment near the singing fountain, on Saturdays at 8:00 am, the activists of the Run to Joy group teach everyone the correct running technique.

The “Run after me, Rostov” group conducts regular trainings – on the beach on the left bank of the Don, at the Trud stadium. Follow the messages on social networks.

How much do you run and mileage record? In September it will be two years since I have been running. There is no sporting past. The mileage record is a 42 km marathon.

Has your weight changed during the session? I didn’t have much weight problems, so I can’t say that I lost weight thanks to running. The point is different. My figure has changed qualitatively. I have become much more flexible, slimmer, lighter, my body has ceased to be loose and, on the contrary, has become fit, posture has appeared, a healthy tan (since we are a lot in the fresh air) and generally a healthy look. And the sparkle in the eyes is also a consequence of running.

How to get yourself off the couch? I had motivation before. But support in the form of a running community appeared exactly two years ago. I think this is what played a key role. These are the guys who ran, run and will run regardless of the ups and downs of my motivation. There were a lot of reasons to stay at home or not go out to run again after a break. But there were people around me who were stronger than me, and they inspired me by their example. Therefore, my recipe: if you want to do something, look for people who have already succeeded in this. And join the running community. You will have a much better chance of succeeding.

Favorite jogging spot in town? I confess that I do not like to run along the streets in our city – there are too many cars, traffic lights. The exception is Pushkinskaya and embankment.

What kind of music do you have with you? I don’t listen to music while running. I agree with those who advise listening to yourself, your breathing, steps, your body and what is happening around. Although sometimes you can listen to an audiobook.

How much do you run and mileage record? I’ve been running for a year and a half from absolute zero. I have already run four half marathons (21,1 km): two in Moscow, Vienna and Zurich. I run an average of 8-10 km a day.

Has your weight changed during the session? The weight has not changed. The structure of the muscles has changed. The legs are much stronger, the hips and stomach are more beautiful. I look much more fit. And I definitely became more confident in myself. If I was able to run first 5 km, then 10, and then 21 km! By the way, now I can afford to eat what I would not allow without sports. For example, pasta with cream sauce, a slice of cake, or ice cream.

How to get yourself off the couch? Morning runs charge for the whole day. The most important thing for me is the path to the goal. I love charity runs. It seems that you are doing something for yourself, in fact, you are helping someone. For example, I took part in the charity run of the Natalia Vodianova Foundation.

Favorite jogging spot in town? In the mornings – Pushkinskaya and Revolution Park. I love the rowing canal when it’s not hot, and in the Aviator Park there is always shady coolness, as if you are running in a real forest.

What kind of music do you have with you? On long runs I listen to Russian songs, which I don’t do in my ordinary life. I have several playlists that I turn on according to my mood.

Have any funny stories happened while jogging? As such, there are no funny stories, most often people look after them in surprise. The most frequent remark that I hear from young people: “Is Dynamo running?” Until I came up with a cool answer to her.

How much do you run and mileage record? My running story began at a charity health run on January 1st this year. After running 5 km in cold -16, I realized that in order to run in a comfortable mode, I need preparation, and I went to study at a running school. My longest distance so far is 21 km at the Sochi half marathon.

Has your weight changed during the session? When I started running, I can’t say that I lost weight, on the contrary – I gained weight in terms of weight, but my body became elastic and toned! Before running, I weighed 55, after – 58 kg.

How to get yourself off the couch? I believe that in any undertaking the most important thing is desire and motivation, it is important to see the result and what it will give you, how it will change your life and how important these changes are, and then inspiration and perseverance will come. For some, a big motivator is an argument or a promise to an important person.

Favorite jogging spot in town? In Rostov, I like to run on the embankment, in the Aviators’ park or in the Botanical Garden, it is also good to run on Pushkinskaya, but only very early in the morning.

What kind of music do you have with you? When I run, I don’t listen to music. If I run in a company, I prefer to keep up the conversation, if I myself, then I have the opportunity to devote time to my thoughts and plans.

How much do you run and mileage record? Every day I run from 10 to … 100 km, anything can happen.

Has your weight changed during the session? The weight changed, I became heavier, since protein is heavier than fat. Weighed 48-50 kg, but now it was 51-54 kg.

How to get yourself off the couch? For me, the main incentive is the desire to be strong, healthy, enduring, slim. I don’t get myself off the couch, I just can’t live without running.

Favorite jogging spot in town? You can run everywhere, preferably where there is more greenery. Favorite places within the radius of our city are the stadium area in Quarries, the pine forest right behind the house in which we live.

What kind of music do you have with you? I don’t listen to music in training, I follow and listen to the surrounding space.

Have any funny stories happened while jogging? In winter, a yard dog ran with me in the mornings. Once, when I didn’t pay enough attention to her, she scattered and knocked me down. It hurts and it’s funny. A month and a half ago, I was running along the sidewalk along the road, and a turtle was crawling along the road, right between the cars. I had to take her with me to the nearest reservoir.

How much do you run and mileage record? I have been running for a year, recently I ran my first marathon in Kazan in 3 hours 38 minutes, this is my longest distance for today.

Has your weight changed during the session? It changed insignificantly, because before jogging, I had already lost the extra 10 kg after the birth of my third child, but now the body has acquired a fit, sporty look. Now, with a height of 171 cm, I weigh 60 kg, a year ago I weighed 63 kg.

How to get yourself off the couch? I have several recipes. The very first is to find your interest. If you are interested, then there will always be a desire. For example, I am interested in communicating among the runners, it is interesting to practice in the fresh air all year round, for this I go to the stadium. You can also find yourself a motivator who will inspire. But the most effective way, in my opinion, is to work with a coach! This is where real discipline appears, whether you like it or not, you will have to get up from the couch.

Favorite jogging spot in town? Most of the time I train in the stadium, so running in circles can get bored at times. Therefore, during long runs, I build a route and run all over the city. I also love the Aviators park, the DSTU park, and I plan to run in the Botanical Garden as well.

What kind of music do you have with you? When I want to cheer up, I listen to the radio. I also like to listen to audiobooks and educational programs. Or I don’t listen to anything at all, just the world around me.

How much do you run and mileage record? I have been running since August 2013, the maximum distance that I have conquered is 21,1 km, half marathon.

Has your weight changed during the session? Of course it has changed. I started running to lose weight. I went for the first run in the weight of 77 kg, now the weight fluctuates between 67-70 with a height of 174 cm. But it’s not even a matter of weight, but of a qualitatively different life in my body. About which I, being a completely unsportsmanlike person with a sedentary job, previously did not know anything at all. It is very pleasant to feel strong, light and resilient.

How to get yourself off the couch? I like running. In this respect, I am very fortunate. Even after my very first run, which was only 300 m and was not easy for me, I immediately felt the famous “endorphin dose” and the runner’s euphoria, the body seemed to thank me for finally taking him up with something useful. Therefore, at that stage, the question of “getting off the couch” was not at all, I ran, one might say, with rapture. And now, when the first enthusiasm is long gone, sometimes laziness overcomes or the bad weather just scares me, I’m just very scared to quit. I imagine that I have returned to my previous “pre-sports” state. I get scared and put on my sneakers.

Favorite jogging spot in town? The same ones as for walking – the embankment and Pushkinskaya. I don’t like to run in stadiums, because I don’t do any special running work – tempo or interval work, but I just run for the sake of pleasure and well-being. And walking in a circle for an hour is boring for me.

What kind of music do you have with you? I don’t listen to music while jogging. I listen to my body, pulse, breathing. I think about something important to myself.

Have any funny stories happened while jogging? Once a young man tried to get to know me. I ran, drenched in sweat, a whole circle through the park of the Revolution – I took a step, then I caught up. Then he apologized and retreated.

How much do you run and mileage record? I run for endurance – it can be 8-10 km a day or more, but if there is no mood at all, it can end with just a “turtle” walk in the fresh air.

Has your weight changed during the session? Of course it has changed. Running is mine. Gyms or fitness are boring to me. I lost 13 kg from the initial weight, before training I had a weight of 63 kg. It was not even very difficult if you have a goal.

How to get yourself off the couch? My story began 4 years ago, when I was offered to go to Asia on a modeling contract, but I was obese. As I remember now: March, the stadium is cleared of snow, and I am winding circles on the track. At the first weighing in Shanghai, the scales showed a figure of 50 kg. This was my little victory.

Favorite jogging spot in town? Lokomotiv Stadium”.

What kind of music do you have with you? I am a musical beggar. I constantly ask my friends to throw off the music. In my playlist you can find disco, alternative, and even ethnic music.

Have any funny stories happened while jogging? When I was running in a park in China, I noticed a chain of local people parodying me. There, jogging in the parks is not accepted.

How much do you run and mileage record? I’ve been running for 15 years now, I’m a sprinter. My distances are 60, 100, 200 meters.

How to get yourself off the couch? Everyone has their own goal. Someone wants to become a world champion, and someone wants to feel their first start. My goals are periodically adjusted, added, but I try to bring any to the end.

Favorite jogging spot in town? DSTU track and field arena, a lot of time was spent there. I love this place. In addition to its functionality, it charges with a sporty spirit. There you can meet the champions of Russia and Europe. It is very honorable to study in the same room with people from whom you can take an example.

What kind of music do you have with you? By mood. I listen to music only on cross-country races, the rest of the time – the voice of the coach.

How much do you run and mileage record? I have been practicing since 2013, I started after the birth of my daughter. Time has become less, it is more difficult to leave home, and in running you can get a lot of different emotions with interest. I started running from 2-3 km, now my longest run is 59 km.

Has your weight changed during the session? I’ve always tried to keep track of my weight, but running is much easier. You can not go on diets, but you cannot forget about proper and balanced nutrition.

How to get yourself off the couch? I have no universal recipe for this. Running is a piece of freedom, freedom to be yourself. A certain philosophy, I really like to explore my capabilities, push the limits and push the limits. Every time you go for a run, you feel a little bit like a hero, become a little bit better, isn’t that enough?

Favorite jogging spot in town? I love to run in parks and groves. His favorite place is probably the Botanical Garden, in second place is the Schepkinsky Forest.

What kind of music do you have with you? I gave up music after the first year of running. She distracts, does not allow you to focus on your feelings, listen to the sounds of nature, or chat with friends, not to mention work at the stadium.

Have any funny stories happened while jogging? While in the memory of the funny, these are the eyes of a crayfish saleswoman, to whom I flew out on a hot day from the grove near the “Mercury”, holding out an empty bottle and asking for water.

How much do you run and mileage record? I have been running purposefully and regularly, with taste, since about February 2015, when I started preparing for my first race – Run Asics Krasnodar. I have been doing chaotic runs from 1 to 8 km since about 2013. I completed my maximum distance quite recently – 28 km at the race near Lake Elton.

Has your weight changed during the session? The question of weight has never been in front of me, I have been weighing stably for five years, regardless of the load.

How to get yourself off the couch? With my pace of life, there is not much time left for lying on the couch, but in general, the thought of jogging kicks in the ass and kicks out into the street in almost any weather. Moreover, now, preparing for the marathon, a sense of duty to oneself does not allow to lie quietly on the couch.

Favorite jogging spot in town? In Rostov, the favorite place for jogging is the Trud stadium. Returning to the city, with a warm feeling I go there and see the familiar lined paths, and there is a feeling that time has stopped.

What kind of music do you have with you? I don’t have music for jogging, I listen to what I like, mostly Placebo, often podcasts.

Have any funny stories happened while jogging? Going to Elton, most of all I was worried about snakes, I am afraid of them in panic, but at 23 km, getting out with curses along a steep slope from the second beam, I realized that at that moment I was afraid of snakes least of all, and, in general, they were not the worst thing about this race.

How much do you run and mileage record? For the first time I went for a run as part of the “Run on January 1” campaign. Before that, I did not run at all, I was suffocating after a couple of minutes and believed that running was not mine. There were unexpectedly many people. I ran slowly, taking a step, others did the same, and it comforted me: I am not the very last sucker. On May 22, my first official 5 km race took place in Krasnodar. Now I run 6 km in training. For me, this is a huge victory over myself, and I am proud of it. I’m getting ready for the half marathon in Moscow.

Has your weight changed during the session? I didn’t have it, except for a couple of kg. But I know people who have been helped by running to lose 15-20 kg. Of course, in combination with proper nutrition, because the waist is not done in the gym, but in the kitchen. If you eat with a surplus of calories, then even if you die in training, you will not lose weight.

How to get yourself off the couch? In fact, I am a very lazy person. My advice is to find people who live and breathe sports and train with them. There are several running clubs in Rostov, and they are always glad to new participants. Believe me, a little sports magic will surely happen to you – you will learn to enjoy not lying on the couch, but from training.

Favorite jogging spot in town? Pushkinskaya in the morning. I also love Trud stadium.

What kind of music do you have with you? I usually listen to audiobooks or just run without headphones, enjoying nature.

Have any funny stories happened while jogging? Recently, a crow attacked my bright green hair tie. I run, I hear – a croaking is very close behind me, and someone is grabbing my hair! I got scared, quickly took off the rubber band, and the bird sat on a tree and began to croak offendedly at me.

How much do you run and mileage record? I run a couple of times a week and don’t make accurate calculations, but as soon as there are fewer other sports in my life (choreography, swimming, yoga, cycling), then running appears. I don’t set records, for me the main thing is feeling alive and energetic, cardio load and warming up the body in the process. 10 km is the maximum, as a rule.

Has your weight changed during the session? Weight has not changed for many years, 55 kg.

How to get yourself off the couch? Training should bring joy and pleasure either from the result when you feel fullness of life, yourself alive and energetic, or from a process that includes interesting routes, exercises, pleasant company, so that the desire to train next time does not disappear. This feeling of taking care of myself, of my body, and this is what motivates me.

Favorite jogging spot in town? For jogging I choose Ostrovsky Park, Aviators Park, the embankment and Pushkinskaya.

What kind of music do you have with you? Music corresponds to my inner state and profession. I choose online players and, since I am a psychologist, every time I go out for a run, I listen to myself. And then I select well-known compositions in my head and turn it on. My running favorites: Vivaldi’s Winter, Coldplay – A Sky Full of Stars, Zaz – Port Coton, Moby – Extreme Ways, DJ Fresh & Adam F – Believer.

Have any funny stories happened while jogging? It amuses me how children react, moreover, completely unfamiliar. What phrases do they say: “How does my aunt run”, “I will grow up and will be like this too?” And they are watching very closely. It’s so great to feel that I’m on the same wavelength with the children.

How much do you run and mileage record? Since November 2014, the maximum distance is 10 km.

Has your weight changed during the session? The weight has gone a little at the very beginning, now it is normal, taking into account my height. To think that you can lose weight from just running is a delusion, it is more important to eat right. But with the right diet, slow jogging for at least 40 minutes will help you lose those extra pounds. If you are not preparing for a competition, then you should not run too fast. Watch your heart rate, it should not exceed 120 beats per minute.

How to get yourself off the couch? For myself, I came up with the following formula: to find running partners, to be charged with motivation at sports competitions, to motivate myself with some kind of awards or gifts. A great way to want to run is to look at the pros and “advanced amateurs”. To do this, you can participate in competitions at a short distance. Well, gifts can be new beautiful clothes for running, or a trip to a sports event in another city or even a country. My dream is Dublin.

Favorite jogging spot in town? Pushkinskaya street. Sometimes I run in the Druzhba park on the North. Most of my training takes place at Trud stadium. The Dynamo and Arsenal stadiums are good for running, and the DSTU track and field arena in winter. In the Botanical Garden of SFedU, they usually prepare for marathon and supermarathon distances.

What kind of music do you have with you? Most often these are Scorpions if you want to run fast, or the rhythms of the Angolan kizomba for leisurely jogging. As a professional translator, I often listen to podcasts or audiobooks in English.

Have any funny stories happened while jogging?

I don’t remember any funny stories, I can only say that jogging is always a joy to me. Early in the morning before work, they help to wake up and cheer up without coffee, and in the evening – relieve stress and fatigue. I often watch beautiful sunsets over the city.

How much do you run and mileage record? I have been running for 4 years, this winter I ran 2 full marathons – that’s 42,2 km.

Has your weight changed during the session? The weight has not changed.

How to get yourself off the couch? Set a goal. I started running to prepare for a mountain hike, a year ago, running goals appeared – to run a half marathon, a marathon. Aims and is lifted off the couch. It also helps you view your friends’ workouts in the fitness app’s feed – if your friends have already run, you don’t want to lag behind them.

Favorite jogging spot in town? I have two favorite places for jogging: the Botanical Garden and the pine grove next to the Mercury shopping center.

What kind of music do you have with you? I don’t listen to music while running, it can set the wrong pace, and it’s more pleasant for me to hear the birds singing and my breathing.

Have any funny stories happened while jogging? There are no special stories, but thanks to my passion for running, I made many new friends in different cities and additional motivation for traveling – I took part in races in Malaga (Spain), St. Petersburg, Sochi, Yerevan.

How much do you run and mileage record? I’ve been running since I was 17, but intermittently. Since I train in the evenings, I didn’t set myself the goal of running more than 10 km.

Has your weight changed during the session? Yes, the extra couple of kilograms are gone. And you also need to eat right. Here are three points that I have taken out for myself: to cut the sweets heavily; greatly reduce flour; do not eat at night and 3-4 hours before bedtime.

How to get yourself off the couch? You just need to want. It seems to me that without desire and the result will not be the same. You have to understand why you need running. Sometimes I just run for fun, because I just love.

Favorite jogging spot in town? It depends on what the goal is. If for the sake of losing weight, then the stadium is rubber coated. And if for the soul, then a park, a grove, an embankment. The air is so soft in the evening, and even more pleasant in the morning.

What kind of music do you have with you? I tried running with music. Yes, time flies faster, but sometimes the earpiece interferes with the player, and it’s harder to run to the rhythm of the music. I just love to listen to the city.

Have any funny stories happened while jogging? There was a case recently with a girlfriend. She came to the stadium to run. She overtakes one peasant, and he calls out to her. It turned out to be a grandfather from our work, who is already 81 years old! That was a shock. It turns out that he runs every day. And now she is also waiting for a girlfriend.

How much do you run and mileage record? I’ve been running for a year. The record is 6 km.

Has your weight changed during the session? The weight has changed: from 74 kg to 67 kg. Don’t forget about proper nutrition. I have it all boiled or baked, without salt and spices. Meat – breast, veal, vegetables and cereals.

How to get yourself off the couch? You watch an inspiring video where slender girls go in for sports, and then on their belly. And go ahead!

Favorite jogging spot in town? Embankment and stadium.

What kind of music do you have with you? I love to run under DnB – it is fun, fervent and the pace is right.

The voting for the most charming sportswoman who loves running is over.

The three winners with the most real votes receive diplomas and prizes from Woman’s Day:

Leila Rzayeva, Olga Korolevich and Maria Kharitonova.

Congratulations to the winners!

Prizes – invitations to the cinema for two persons – can be collected at st. M. Gorky, 130, 8th floor from 20 July. Details by phone 303-30-45.