Forums >Running 101>New runner, a lot of general questions.
Hi Will,
Welcome aboard. You are making a solid choice for your health and fitness and I have the following thoughts for you:
1 - Start slow and easy. You need to get your body to acclimate to the physical stress of running and this is not something that happens overnight. I have coached a few runners who were just getting started and they had good results with a plan that mixed intervals of running and walking to build a baseline of fitness. Google 'Couch to 5K' to find such a program.
2 - Beware too much too soon. Building running fitness takes time and trying to rush things can lead to injury and burnout. In the beginning, you should make sure that you take rest days to allow your body to recover from the stress of the previous workout. As you become more fit, you may be able to run more days per week but you should not force it initially.
3 - Get a good pair of shoes. Go to a local running store staffed by actual runners (not a big box store). They will have you run on a treadmill and fit you with shoes that are appropriate for your gait.
4 - Ignore your running pace. Many runners get overly focused on the pace of their runs. You should just focus on running easy for now and let your fitness develop. What is easy? It is the pace that you can run and still converse in brief sentences.
5 - Stay involved on this site. There are many experienced runners here that have taught me much about running.
Good luck
Jon
Rebuilding my aerobic base....racing next year.....nothing to see here....move along now.
That's some quality advice from Jon. I've been running regularly for about 4 months now so I'm quite new myself. Here's what I can offer based on mistakes I made.
One mistake I made when starting was overdoing it. By doing too many miles every week I wound up hurting my hip and it took me about a month to figure out the source of the problem. I wasted a load of time by ruling out every possible cause but the obvious one: I was running too damn much! I think it's pretty safe to say that if early on something is hurting, it's probably because you're running too much.
That's a long way of saying listen to Jon's advice: "Beware too much too soon" lol
Oh and also I had issues with getting good shoes. I wasted a load of time trying different shoes from Zappos. Finally I went to a local running store, 15 mins I walked out of the place with the absolute perfect shoes. Some places might be $5-10 more than online/box store but it's a very small price to pay for the right shoes for you. The right pair of shoes will drastically reduce your likelihood of injury.
Start off by running really slow and just trying to run for as long as you can. Once you can run for about half an hour without stopping, then maybe mix things up here and there by running a quick two miles or something. I might be wrong, but it seems logical to me that running a longer duration of time to start will me more effective at training for distance and building endurance. It took me a while to not be frustrated by running a really slow pace, but I now find it way more satisfying to hit a distance milestone at a slow pace than get winded early by pushing myself to run faster than usual.
Baby bean!
Okay, I'm no expert but I like this idea. I run by feel. Run when I can, walk when I need. Some days are hard, others are easy. So I run how my body can handle it. So my advice, look into either a program like couch to 5k (which is gradual and a smooth transition into running) or listen to your body. Try to aim for 3 days a week for now. But don't push yourself ridiculously hard, especially in the beginning. Go out there and run when you can and walk when you need to. Before long, you will be running more than you thought you could. Don't go out there expecting to run 5 miles right away. You might only be able to run .25 miles. Aim for 2-3 miles but include walking. I like the PP remarks. Listen to them. But remember that running can stay with you for life if you allow it to be fun. Don't make it stressful. Start slow and go. Remember that it's okay to stop. Forget what your friends or classmates can do. Focus on you. Good luck!
Goals:Finish C25K
I'm slower than a herd of turtles stampeding through peanut butter, but I run.
To begin with you loose fat in the kitchen not on the track, 2 miles running won't cover that hand full of chips you ate when you got home. Next learn how to walk before you run. Once you can walk 5 or 6 miles without feeling tired start adding in some slow running. You have youth on your side but getting your body use to walking makes running a little easier if you've been a couch lump most of your life.
So, I'm kind of assuming an nonathletic background?
Run/walk where it's fun, not where it's a chore.
Get a solid pair of shoes like people have said, (yes the price tag is worth it) find a trail/park, and go as slow or as fast as you want, take walk breaks, and just get used to being outside in a place that's interesting. Most people I know who didn't stick with it just got bored because they were running on a track/treadmill.
Running (and cycling) are special sports in that you're not confined to a field or court, so take advantage of that,
Know thyself.