GETTING INTO RUNNING: WHY PATIENCE WIn.

Why New Runners Need to Be Patient

Running looks simple — lace up and go — which is exactly why so many new runners get injured. The most common mistake isn't bad form or the wrong shoes; ok that’s a lie or maybe another write up regarding the most expensive shoe but for now let’s look pass that. It's doing too much, too soon. Your cardiovascular system adapts to running faster than your tendons, bones, and connective tissue do. You can feel fit enough to run further or faster well before your body's structures are ready to absorb that load, and that gap is where injuries happen. 1000’s of reps through each joint per run, it needs to be warmed up to it.

Research backs this up clearly: as many as 79% of runners pick up at least one injury in a given year, and the single biggest driver isn't weekly mileage totals — it's sudden spikes in how far any one run goes.

A study tracking over 5,200 runners across 18 months found that a 10-30% increase in your longest recent run raised injury risk by 64%, and doubling your longest run more than doubled it. The old "never increase weekly mileage by more than 10%" rule isn't actually what predicts injury — it's the size of the jump in your longest single run that matters most.

What Building Gradually Actually Gets You

•      Time for tendons, ligaments, and bone to adapt to load — these tissues remodel far slower than your heart and lungs do.

•      A durable aerobic base that lets you handle harder sessions later without breaking down.

•      Consistency — the single biggest predictor of long-term running results, and the first thing an injury takes away from you.

•      Confidence built on real evidence that your body can handle the load, not hope that it will.

Going Too Hard Also Costs You Your Immune System

It's not just injury risk. Pushing too hard, too soon — especially in a single long effort — also suppresses your immune system through what sports scientists call the "open window" effect. After a hard or unusually long run, your immune defenses drop for roughly 24-72 hours while your body redirects resources toward tissue repair instead of fighting off pathogens.

In a study of over 2,300 Los Angeles Marathon entrants, 12.9% of those who completed the race reported an infection the following week — compared to just 2.2% of registered runners who withdrew and didn't race. Separately, runners who train more than 96km a week have been shown to double their odds of upper respiratory infection compared to those running under 32km a week. The pattern is consistent: the harder and further you push before your body is ready, the more it costs you — not just in injury risk, but in getting sick.

The Takeaway

If you're new to running, resist the urge to chase distance or pace too quickly. Build time on your feet gradually, let your longest run creep up in small steps rather than big jumps, and treat consistency as the goal rather than any single standout session. The runners who last are the ones who respected the process early — not the ones who tried to fast-track it.

Coach Sunz  |  CS Performance Strength & Conditioning

This material is for general educational purposes only and is not individualised coaching advice. Undertake any training program at your own risk and consult a qualified health professional before starting.