In my initial running blog (
Running: Introduction), I mentioned that I started running. In this blog I have included some information to help new runners get started.
Getting Started
1. Introduction
2. Getting started
3. What you need
4. Equipment that might help
5. A support system
6. Expectations
7. Summary
1. Introduction
I have always been an athletic type person. However much I love watching sports, I love participating in them even more.
I hope that this admission does not cause you to stop reading because I also have advice for people who consider themselves non- or anti- athletes! I come by this advice from doing my running program simultaneously with my wife (who considers herself very much a non-athlete). In fact, my wife got us BOTH motivated to start running!
I hope to provide insight to the process from both my and my wife's perspectives along with some guidance gleaned our actual running experience, reading innumerable running books and magazines, and advice from some of friends (who we discovered were runners too).
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2. Getting started
When I first started running, I thought that all I needed to get started was some shorts & shoes (and yes, these are good things to have :) ). However, I discovered that to get started what I really needed was a plan.
Pick a plan
In September of '11, I started with a running plan called Couch to 5K (often abbreviated as C25K). Many different groups offer similar C25K programs and they are similar to each other (and there is a Facebook group by the C25K name too!). I used a plan by a website called "Cool Running". In 9 weeks, this plan takes you from a couch potato to running 3 miles.
Another C25K program accomplishes the same goals in 8 weeks. Other programs are available, some are available as apps which will tell you how much to run on any particular day.
Look over these plans, pick one, and start!
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3. What you need
Many of us begin running due to New Year’s resolution or a vague plan to get back into shape, while others start running for some specific race. Regardless of why we started running, what we need to keep running is motivation.
Find your motivation
Everyone must find his or her own motivation. It can be to lose weight, gain fitness, to run a particular distance, to complete a particular weight, spend time with someone you like, or just to get out of the house. Find a reason to run (or more generically to work out) and the act of running will become much less work and perhaps it will even become fun.
If you select a specific goal like “to run a 5K race,” then after you have achieved that goal you will find that your motivation to run will end and you will very likely stop running shortly after that. You can get past this problem by immediately setting yourself another goal like “to run a 10K race,” but you will face a similar problem after you achieve that goal.
It would be better if you could find a long-term reason to run, such as “because I feel better when I run.” However, I must be honest with you; a goal motivates me. I hope you are able to find a motivation that allows you to run (or bike or swim or whatever you wish to do) based upon long-term reasons.
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4. Things that might help
Shoes
For the workouts in the first couple of weeks of the C25K program, any gym shoe should work OK. As you progress through the program and definitely before week 5, I recommend getting shoes specifically designed for running (not cross training, gym, or any other type of shoe). I also recommend getting a named brand type of shoe (not one from Payless or other). Some brands that make good lower priced shoes include New Balance, Nike, Adidas, etc. This shoe should last you for about 6 months of running.
If you plan to continue running after that, you *may* want a more expensive / higher-end running shoe but you certainly do not need to get one - since you can replace them with shoes similar to your first ones. My favorite shoe remains the very first New Balance running shoes I bought (which are thoroughly worn out!).
You should eventually go to a dedicated running store and get your stride checked. Getting a shoe designed for your stride can reduce the chance that you will injure your joints. I waited nearly 6 months before having someone check my stride.
Clothes:
Special clothes are not a necessity for running. However, some things that I eventually got (and liked a lot) were "wicking" shirts and shorts. These clothes (also known as "tech") are made from fabrics that wick sweat away from your body and help keep you cool. You can find these shirts & shorts at sporting goods stores.
If you plan to run a lot in hot areas, I recommend that you purchase some of these. Alternatively, you could enter into a race that offers "tech" shirts as part of your entrance fee! :)
I do not feel that "tech" shirts are as comfortable for everyday use as cotton but for use while running I will not ever go back to cotton! I do not use my tech shirts for anything other than working out.
Music
I have spent quite a bit of time putting together music that motivates me to run and has a beat that matches my stride (look for this list in a future blog post!). Now I will be walking through a grocery store, hear a song on my play list, and want to go running immediately.
I have different lists for different paces (walking, slow run, and fast run).
A new thing I have been trying is listening to audio books too (I swear I started doing this before the Ryan Hall Olympic commercials!). While I do not recommend doing this when you have to think about your run, for longer runs audio books work very well.
Advice:
1. Take your rest days!
Anyone starting any new plan needs to keep a couple of more things in mind:
The text that accompanies the Cool Running C25K specifically states that you should "Take your rest days!" Too many people either wish to accelerate the training schedule, consider themselves tough enough to run through the pain, or think they owe penance for missing an earlier running day.
I cannot agree enough with Cool Running: regardless of any other consideration, take your rest days. Anytime you put an unaccustomed strain upon your body you need to give it a chance to recuperate. Later in the program, you will notice your body recovers faster and faster and you might fudge a bit but especially in the first 2/3 of the program, if the plan says "rest" then you should not run!
2. Start at the Beginning
Regardless of how in shape you consider yourself, if you have not been running recently then you should start at the beginning of the program. From my own experience, I can say that the first couple of weeks of the program left me feeling energized and looking forward to the next run. I *could* have run more but if I had, I might have begun hating the running. By doing less than I was able, I began to feel excited to do my next runs!
3. Allow for setbacks.
Everyone has a set back at some point in their fitness program. Do not worry about it.
Although I did not have any setbacks during the C25K program, I had several setbacks later in my running (at different times I had knee problems and a kidney stone). Furthermore, you might find that one or more days or weeks of the C25K program were particularly tough (week 6 was very tough for me), if that happens you should consider redoing that particular day or week. By allowing yourself to take more than 9 weeks to complete the plan, you take a tremendous amount of (potentially negative) pressure off yourself.
Even if you repeat a work(s) out (which will delay your C25K graduation), each run accomplishes something. Never consider any work out a failure.
4. Allow for life.
Life happens. If something prevents you from running, that does not make you a bad person - it just means you are a person!
If you must stop running for a while, then a method I used to get back into it was to restart C25K at week 1, day 1; then evaluate how I felt. If I felt the workout was easy, then for my next run I skipped to week 2. I kept skipping forward like this until the workout felt like it was the right level of difficulty and then resumed following the running plan.
5. Give yourself a break.
Some people use any excuse to beat themselves up. If they could not run as long as the program calls for, they get mad at themselves. If life interferes with their run, they get mad at themselves.
This is completely the wrong attitude. You are beginning an entirely new thing in your life. You are not only training your body, you also have to learn how to fit this new activity into your life. Every time you are able to complete a work out of any length or distance - you should be extremely pleased with yourself. It is another victory - another win.
This is the attitude I use for my training. I do not always get to run when and as much as I plan, but anytime I am able to complete any running I am very happy.
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5. A support system
As you start (or resume!) this phase of your life, understand that it will not always be easy. Some days you will not want to run (but many days you will :) ). One thing you can do to help get over these humps is to build a support system.
Find a running buddy
For me this was easy, my wife convinced me to start running! Even when I was away from home on business travel, I dutifully reported all of my running activity to my running buddy. This person becomes your confidant too. You can share highs & lows, complaints, and even spend time running with them. On days when you do not want to go but you have a running date, you are far more likely to go anyway.
Join a running club/friends
It turns out many people I already knew had been runners before I became a runner. Tap these friends for advice. Ask them to share their experiences. Share your experiences with them. These people will guide you on many things, from things like when to stop and when to push through the pain to things like which running races/foods/etc. do they enjoy.
Read some books
This is certainly not a necessity and people who do not want to read do not need to do this. However, when I start a new activity I like to learn as much about it as I can. Well I cannot learn all there is to know about running by just going out and running, so I read books too. It gives me ideas about things to try and helps me figure out how much I should be running.
Read some message boards / like a Facebook running group
I personally have joined two running groups (US Air Force Marathon & Couch to 5K) on Facebook. Use these for inspiration and reporting progress. I found that by reporting my progress for each run helped motivate me to go out and do the run! These provide a sense of belonging as well as inspiration.
Record your progress
Over and above reporting the progress on the message boards, I have found that recording my progress has been a huge motivation.
Over the last 2 years in the February / March time frame, I have joined the "Iditawalk" in which you try to work out for more than 1049 minutes over 60 days. If you complete the event, you get a nice little pin.
Around the same time of year, I joined a (free) program to train for the Indianapolis "Mini" Marathon (a half Marathon). I did not intend to run this race but I wanted some of the training tips provided and it gave me another mechanism to record my progress. I found that I had run over 200 miles during 12-week training time!
In fact, you may not ever need to look over your training records; just the act of writing them down seems to help motivate me - as if it is not real unless I write it down.
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6. Expectations
Perhaps the most famous racing distance is the Marathon (26.2 miles). The legend of the Marathon is: a Greek messenger was sent from a battlefield back to Athens to announce victory over the Persians. This messenger had not trained for running this distance and after completing his mission, he collapsed and died.
Let us not "follow in his footsteps!" :)
Here is what I did:
It took me about 9 - 10 weeks to complete my couch to 5K training plan. After that, I ran for a couple of more weeks and then took a break for 2 weeks due to a persistently sore knee.
When I restarted running, I considered what I wanted my next goal to be. I compared the 10K training programs (12-week program) with the half Marathon programs (a 16-week program). I found that the starting requirements were about the same, so I elected to jump straight to half Marathon training. At the same time, I also realized that my running ability did NOT meet the requirements to start half Marathon training.
Therefore, I spent about 4 weeks building my running program to "bridge" in between my capabilities at the end of the C25K program and the requirements to begin the half Marathon training.
After completing about 6 weeks (out of the 16-week program) half Marathon program, I discovered that I had a (painful!) kidney stone that required an operation to remove. I essentially quit running for 5 weeks due to pain. When I restarted, I was only able to *walk* about 1 mile! It took me more than 4 more weeks to get back to the level of fitness I had before the kidney stone.
I completed my first half Marathon in training about 9 weeks later.
Since then, I have jumped into full Marathon training (a 19-week program). I equated the completion of the half Marathon training program as roughly equivalent to week 5 of the full Marathon program.
Now after about 48 weeks of training, I just finished week 9 (an 18 mile run) of the full Marathon training plan. In about 10 more weeks (if I have no more setbacks), I could be ready for my first Marathon.
Here is what my wife did:
Over the same period, my wife had endoscopic abdominal surgery and various other issues and setbacks. She (non-athlete that she is) has built up to completing 11 miles for her long runs.
Since August of '11 she and I have run at least 1 race of 5K (3.1 miles) or more in every month. This includes a quarter Marathon winter trail run in January. For me this was the most fun event of all!
What you can expect:
Intimidation
Some of the program will intimidate you (many people fear week 5 of the C25K program). However, after they complete the 20 minute run in week 5, many people also find that it was not nearly as hard as they anticipated it. Heck, I am still intimidated every time I attempt a new distance! Trust the program,
*usually* your fears are worse than the work out will be.
Surprise
Some parts of the program that you fear will be far easier than you expect! Sometimes parts of the plan you expect to be easy will be harder than you expect! These surprises are OK. Our bodies do not always react the same way.
Feeling tired & achy
Especially in the beginning, after running days you will feel tired and achy. This is a good thing. However, if you are feeling too tired and achy, it is OK to take an extra rest day.
Feeling surprisingly good
After some runs, you will feel far better than you expect. This is good! It means your body is learning to recuperate faster. Also running can release endorphins and give you that "runner's high" that you hear about.
Over time, you will find that your body recovers more rapidly after a run. You may eventually get to the point that you can run every day without ill affects but at least through the end of the C25K program you should plan on not running more that 3 times in a week.
Excitement
As you accomplish each run and see yourself progressing through the program, you will get more and more excited. Near the end of the program, you will find that when you skip a running day, you will get irritated even if you do not know why. When you complete the program, you will want to shout about it to anyone who will listen!
And by the way,
*I* want to hear your story!
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7. Summary
Some people run to achieve some goal (to complete a race or distance, for fitness, or other reasons) and some run for pleasure. If you only run to achieve a goal, then when you reach that goal you are unlikely to keep running (or doing any other fitness program). The key to making any sort of fitness program a permanent part of your life is to make it a part of your life that you enjoy. Put another way, "the journey is at least as important as the destination."
All of the tips above revolve around making it easier to achieve your goals, making the journey more enjoyable, or making the journey less painful. Anything that you find that helps you in these areas will help you achieve your running goals.
One final thought:
Once you start your first work out, you have become a "runner!" Every time you complete a run, you have done more than most other people!
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Proceed to the next Running blog
Running: Music.
Return to the previous
Running: Introduction blog.
