This New Local Video Series Will Make You Into a Runner (With Some Olympian Advice)

Living a healthy lifestyle was difficult enough pre-COVID, and the sports cancellations, fitness studio closures and gym restrictions caused by our least favourite worldwide sensation make active living even harder. While our local studios and gyms have done their best to adapt, sometimes it does feel safest to just exercise on your own.

It’s tough to get out there when there are so many perfectly good excuses—it’s cold outside, the weather’s finicky, health officials are literally telling us to stay home. But going for a run by yourself or with someone that you live with is definitely a low-risk way to get moving, and Vancouver Running Co. is ready to school all the new isolation runners in the city.

Vancouver Running Co.’s new First Flight Road Series is a 5-part video tutorial on everything beginners need to know. The first part, “Intro to Road Running,” was released last week, and “Injury Prevention” just dropped yesterday. They’re short, accessible, no-nonsense clips with solid advice (for example, the 10% rule—if you run 2 miles one week, don’t increase your mileage to more than 2.2 miles the next). They emphasize celebrating each run, regardless of how short or long. The goal is for locals to get running in order to experience the mental health benefits of the sport—we could all certainly use a head-clearing activity right now.

The next videos in the series are Shoes & Gear, Nutrition, and Running Etiquette. We can be pretty sure that the shoes and gear episode is going to highlight performance running shoe company On, who partners with the running club to produce the First Flight series. Also featured is Vancouver-based Olympian and On ambassador, Rachel Cliff. Watch them for yourself and tell me you’re not ready to lace up those cloud-like running shoes. Or at least buy a pair. Baby strides.