Consistency is king when you are starting out, it is vitally important to ensure that your body becomes used to the thrashing, and becomes almost immune to it.  One of the best periods in my running career to date was when I was just getting back running after almost 2 years side-lined with injury.  What many people don’t realise is just how slow that process was. I began with a simple 4 minute slow run on a football pitch in UCD and increased by only a single minute each day in order to ensure my body was adjusting to the strain of running. Running is an incredibly tough sport when you are just beginning. It can cause huge strain on ligaments, muscles and bones, especially if they have been underutilised for many years. That is why I have always focused a huge amount of energy on consistence, training hard when my body allows but taking the necessary rest at the same time.