It's a Marathon, Not a Sprint

There’s a running joke that the first week of the year is the local gym’s busiest. “New year new me,” as they say. Along with all the commitments to listen better, to read more, to spend less, or to stop smoking—“I’m getting healthy this year,” is a notorious favorite. 

Runner and restaurateur Patrick Fellows has long advocated this ambition throughout his city of Baton Rouge through Freshjunkie, a collective of ventures encompassing his salad and wrap restaurant, as well as his race production company. By encouraging long-term healthy, habits with an emphasis on positivity and—yes—enjoyment, Fellows hopes to encourage sustainable lifestyles that make it far beyond January. 

So before everyone jumps on the January 1 treadmill, Fellows wants to clear up some common misconceptions on diet and exercise—myths that can serve as deterrents or discouragements along the path to a healthier life. 

Myth No. 1: Running is bad for your knees.

So many people say, “I’d run but...my knees.”  

Of course, overuse and knee injuries do occur. And yes, if you’re just starting to run or are starting back for the first time in a while, you may get sore. 

This is because you went from not running to running. Your hips and calves may also be sore, but we don’t need to scope you just yet. Rest a day for every day you run, and don’t increase your weekly mileage by more than 10% week over week. Be smart about where your fitness is. Listen to your body, and your body will deliver. 

Myth No. 2: If I start running, I’ll finally lose the weight. 

You can’t ever out-exercise a bad diet. Believe me. I’ve tried. A solid thirty-forty minute run burns 400 calories. This isn’t much in the whole scheme of things. A burger is 500. If you’re scoring at home, that’s 100 more than you burned. I’m not saying you can’t eat a little more and enjoy things, but eating balanced meals, combined with a consistent exercise regime, will be your key to successful weight loss. 

Myth No. 3: I’m not built for exercising. 

There’s a notion that you have to be whippet thin and genetically gifted to be an athlete. It’s simply not true. I’ve been passed by large, small, and every size in between. Training is more about doing something every day (or whatever you’ve decided is the time you can allot) and doing the work. Consistency and deciding this is something you want to do trumps DNA every time. 

Read more of Fellows’ thoughts and advice on cultivating a healthy lifestyle at patrickfellows.com.