Advice to my new-runner self

Linking up with Marcia, Patti, and Erika for Tuesdays on the Run.

The prompt for this week's Tuesday's on the Run topic is: "If I only knew then... What advice would you give your new-runner self?"

Oh my goodness.

Let's knock out some of the glaring advice. 

• From a physical standpoint, I'd tell myself to get properly fitted for running shoes, stretch/foam roll regularly, and strength-train my hips/core like my running life depended on it (which it does). 
• From a mental standpoint, I'd tell myself to avoid the comparison game, go at my own pace, and be proud of what I CAN do as opposed to dwelling on what I CAN'T do. Admittedly, I still struggle with these suggestions to this day.

In retrospect, these all sound really obvious. So let's talk about some advice I'd give myself which feels less obvious to me.

Run slower to run faster. 

I wrote about this in more detail here. This practice has made me scratch my head several times. In training I still have to remind myself to slow down. It always feels counterintuitive to do my long/easy runs at what feels like a lollygagging pace. E.g.:

I do see the beauty in keeping the easy runs comfortable, though. It keeps my legs and mind fresher over the long term and for race day. It allows me to go longer distances and it makes the miles more enjoyable. When it's enjoyable, I'm more likely to get started and to keep going. And those are really the ultimate goals, yes?

Feeling awful during a run does not always mean that run is doomed to failure.
I'm not talking about that horrible first mile or two when I'm trying to warm up. In this instance, I'm talking about when you are mid- or late-run and things have gone sour in a big way. E.g.:

It's hard to believe that the run could do anything but just keep getting worse, right?

Amazingly, sometimes it does get better. I wish I knew why or how. It doesn't always happen. But once in a while my body surprises me and gives me a mysterious second wind.

It's really, really, REALLY hard to keep pushing when it doesn't feel good. There is definitely something to be said for knowing when you truly do need to stop, too. But running is not linear - and it's not always going to keep going downhill. The way you feel can change in both directions at any given time.

There are no "On" or "Off" switches in running. 
Both progression AND atrophy take time. Again, the time may not be linear.

I wrote here about my frustrations with training hard but seemingly not seeing much improvement. In this instance, however, let's focus on the opposite end of the spectrum.

I took several weeks off from running last winter. I was terrified of how much conditioning I'd lose.

In reality - I didn't lose nearly as much conditioning as I feared. Granted, I stayed active and was working out in other ways, which probably helped a lot. Either way, it made me feel better about the body's overall resilience and ability to adapt. Just because I didn't run for a few weeks didn't mean all was lost.

I no longer feel like I HAVE to keep running, "or else." Now I have more confidence to be flexible. A lot of self-imposed training pressure is gone and that change in mentality means everything to me.

How about you? What advice would you give to your new-runner or younger-runner self?