8/18/16

If you’re thinking about becoming a runner, STOP! Before you lace up and hit the road, or track or treadmill, here are my top tips for new runners. These are things I’ve picked up along the way that turned an aversion to exercise into a love of running.

Use a program!

I used the C25K program. It’s an app for your mobile device that takes you through an eight week program to get you running 3.2 miles.

C25K (couch to 5K) will gradually build up to running by giving you walk/run intervals until you can run that first 3.2 miles. It’s a small commitment, with only three workouts a week and you’ll be shocked at how fast you’re logging those miles.

I like this program because it’s gradual. So many people who decide to start running set themselves up for failure by doing too much too soon and they either burn out or get injured. Don’t let that happen to you!

Sign up for a race!

Don’t let fear of commitment get in your way.

By signing up for a race you’re committing to it, you now have something to work towards. There’s an end game to all those workouts.

If you have something to work towards, it gives you that extra incentive to stick with it. Just think about how proud you’ll feel when you cross that finish line. How awesome will it be to wear that race shirt as a reminder of your hard work.

Another great app for training is the Nike+ Run Club. You can chose the distance of your race (and a few other variables) and they will create a program you can follow.

Get a proper shoe fitting!

The fastest way to fail is to get injured. If you get shinsplints two weeks into your journey into running, you’re not really going to want to stick with it.

Any reputable running store will be more than happy to give you a free fitting. They should also be able to work within your budget. Just let them know what you are willing to spend on a pair of running shoes and they can (probably) find you a pair that will work with your body mechanics AND your budget.

I will say that you get what you pay for and there is a big difference between an $80 shoe and a $120. Getting cheap running shoes is not always the economical way to go when you have to replace those shoes sooner.

My top tips for new runners will help you begin your journey to become a runner.

Do you have any questions about running I can answer for you in a future post? Reach out and let me know how I can help you love running as much as I do.

I do NOT recommend not running for weeks and weeks and then stepping up to the starting line of a half marathon.

While I don’t recommend it, that’s exactly what I did.

I signed up for the race (to be my third running of it) back in December, not only because I enjoy the race and have been doing it since it’s first year, but also as inspiration to get out and run more regularly. I’d fallen into a funk and I knew that running would help me out of it, I just needed to get out there.

Well, that funk was bigger than I thought because I only ended up running the first handful workouts from my training program. 32 of 400 training miles, that’s it! I just didn’t want to, that was it. Sure I made up excises about time but they were only half truths.

As race time grew closer I knew that there was no way I’d be running my usual speed so I decided that I’d run with Bill. He’s a couple minutes slower per mile than me so surely I could keep pace with him for 13 miles. I actually was excited at the prospect of running together with him and not worrying about that ever important PR. I’m enough of a realist to know that you don’t PR a half marathon without training and if I couldn’t PR I’d just have fun with it.

I smiled as I ran through the streets of Philadelphia, taking in the sights around me and letting my mind wander to other things. I sang along with my music. I chatted with Bill. Things were going great.

Until they weren’t.

Around mile nine my body started to give out. By mile ten I was sunk. I stopped to walk and it didn’t take long before Bill noticed I wasn’t right behind him and he came back to push me along. There I was, sobbing in pain, “running” down MLK Jr. Drive. I’m sure the cops we passed were wondering if they needed to intervene.

The next three miles were spent in agony, some of the worst pain I’ve had in my life and I’ve seen some pain. I walked, I ran, I cried, I walked some more. My right hip and knee were on fire. I think at one point my IT band tried to escape my body entirely. I altered my stride. I tried to favor the left but I was questioning if I would finish. In fact, had it not been for Bill I probably wouldn’t have finished at all.

Finally, mile thirteen, only a tenth of a mile to go. I blasted my music so I couldn’t hear anything else and turned on the afterburners. I hauled ass up that last hill and across the finish line. Looking back it probably wasn’t nice to leave Bill in my dust after he had helped me make it through, but the competitor in me had to finish strong. I was going to be hurting anyway so go big or go home, right?

See the pain and elation all over my face.

The stats:

My official time: 2 hours 32 minutes 52 seconds (11:40 pace). That’s something like 50 minutes slower than last year’s time but I’m only a little disappointed. When I take my lack of training into account I’m actually quite proud I finished at all.

How do I feel?

For the Thursday after the race, pretty damn good. I was a stiff the last few days and pretty sore but now just the injuries are bothering me. Yep, the injuries. It’s not like I thought I’d escape not training for 13.1 miles without a scratch.

My right IT band is not feeling to great and because of the issues I had with my right side, I was a little too hard on my left and now my left foot/ankle is bothering me. I’m not worried about the IT band, I’ll get that back to normal before long but after all I went through with my right ankle, I’m a little concerned about this pain on the left. For now I will rest, ice, elevate and use the electro-stim machine.

So there you have it. Do NOT attempt a half marathon without doing some training first.

Always earned, never given!

I run for the bling!