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	For anyone new to running . . . look here for valuable information, tips and training programs First Steps - from Cool Running Welcome to Running - from Cool Running Setting and Reaching Goals - from American Running Association Beginners 30/30 Plan - from Run Coach Walking to Running Action Plan - from Delaware Running Club
	First Steps A patient and conservative approach to your new running routine will make your workouts easier, safer and, yes, even enjoyable. By Josh Clark Posted at CoolRunning.com Friday, 24 October, 1997 The cardinal rule of the new runner is Be Patient. Your body needs time to adapt to this new activity you're asking of it. It may be uncomfortable at first, but you'll begin to see results fairly quickly. All the same, it's important to build gradually. Newcomers should follow these three rules: * Run more slowly than you think you should. * Don't run as far as you think you should. * Run more often than you think you should. We know, we know: you're brimming with enthusiasm about your new running career. You're even surfing the Web looking for tips. You probably can't wait to start seeing the results, to start pushing your limits for maximum improvement in the minimum time. Be patient. Before you sprint out the door...> A standard precaution is that anyone over the age of 35 should have a stress test and a full medical examination before running. Request an electrocardiogram recorded before, during and after exercise. Those under 35 who have risk factors for heart disease should also be tested (this means people with high blood pressure, a history of smoking, or a family history of heart disease). You should also consult a doctor before beginning an exercise program if you meet any of the following conditions: * You have pains or pressure in the left of midchest area, left neck, shoulder or arm during or immediately after exercise. * You often feel faint or have spells of severe dizziness after mild exertion. * Your doctor has said that you have bone or joint problems, such as arthritis. The bottom line is to use common sense and be careful. You don't have to be in perfect shape to start running; that's probably the reason you've picked it up. All the same, get your doctor's go-ahead if you have any doubts about your health. Ease into running...> If you start by running too far, too fast, you'll wind up burned out at best, injured at worst. Possibly both. Take it easy, and give yourself time to learn to love to run. It doesn't happen immediately, and you'll probably experience a few aches and pains starting out. This is natural, and it will pass. It takes your body time to get used to what you're doing. Give it the time it needs. Like so many other things in life, running can be difficult and discouraging if not undertaken properly. Use the "talk test" to figure out if your pace is appropriate. You should be able to talk comfortably while running; slow it down if you're running out of breath. Don't hesitate to alternate running and walking; if you feel lousy, take a breather and walk for a while. It's not a sign of weakness, just common sense. The aim is to "train, not strain." If you are already fit from another sport, such as cycling or swimming, it is still important to go a little easier at first than you might want to. It is too easy to push yourself past what your muscles and joints can stand at first. How much is the right amount? Try our nine-week beginner program to build up to 3-mile runs. The basics of good form...> As a beginner, you don't need to get too preoccupied with the finer details of form, but here are some general pointers. Most distance runners land on their heels or midfoot and roll forward to the toe. Running up on the toes, by contrast, tends to be the form of sprinters. You'll find that if you try to run on your toes for too far that your shins will probably start hurting and your calves will get tight. Never fear, it shouldn't take much concentration for you to stick with the heelstrike, since most find it the most natural stride when running at an easy pace. Likewise, when you sprint, you'll likely find yourself up on your toes without even thinking about it. Our bodies typically handle this naturally without much conscious attention. As you run, try to keep your hands at waist level, right about where they might lightly brush your hip bones. It's not uncommon to see beginners, especially as they get tired, holding their hands way up by their chest. Trouble is, this posture tends to create tension in your arms which travels up through your shoulders. You actually get more tired holding your arms that way. Keep your hands relaxed. You might try touching your thumb and fingers lightly together, as if holding a pencil. The idea is to keep your arms and hands as relaxed and comfortable as possible while on the run. Keep your posture straight and erect. Head up, back straight, shoulders level. Check your posture once in a while. As you get tired toward the end of the run, it's common to slouch a little, which can be a minor contributor to shin splints and lower-back pain. Avoid bouncing. Too much up-and-down movement is wasted energy and can be hard on your feet and legs. Try to land softly on your feet, almost as if running on eggshells. The idea is to maintain an economy of motion, with every action dedicated to keeping you moving forward. That goes for your arms, too: no need for exaggerated arm-pumping (except for on the occasional hill). While some side-to-side arm swinging is natural, try to limit it -- there's no reason for your hands to cross your navel on the run, for example. How do I breathe?...> Many new runners are preoccupied with their breathing as they run their first few miles. We get questions about whether it's best to breathe in through the mouth or through the nose, about how quickly a runner should breathe, about the proper shape of the mouth when exhaling. Don't worry about it. As a new runner, there's no need to concern yourself with the modest performance benefits to be gained from subtle breathing patterns. You've been breathing all your life, and your body will figure out the best way to get the air it needs. Just breathe as naturally as possible and put it out of your mind. If you're running in cold weather, though, you may experience a kind of burning sensation from the cold air. Breathing through the nose can help compensate for this, as can breathing through a scarf or turtleneck. Make it a habit...> The important thing in the first few weeks is to get in the habit of exercise. Develop a training routine and make it part of your schedule. It doesn't matter where or when, but try to be consistent. Find a training partner if possible; on days when motivation is low, a commitment to meet your partner will help keep you going. If you do run with a partner it should be someone of similar fitness. Joining a club that caters to beginners can help with motivation and be a good source of advice and coaching. Back To Top Welcome to Running Congratulations on your new running program! Whether you have taken up running to lose weight, to improve fitness, to relieve stress, to compete, or just to kill time, you'll find that the benefits are many. Posted at CoolRunning.com Wednesday, 29 April, 1998 Congratulations on your new running program! Whether you have taken up running to lose weight, to improve fitness, to relieve stress, to compete, or just to kill time, you'll find that the benefits are many. No doubt you're looking for "the best way" to run, and Cool Running can point you in the right direction. Keep in mind, though, that there are few universal truths to running. Everything depends on the individual, and techniques that some runners swear by might not be right for you. Experiment, find what makes you comfortable. It's not terribly complicated: the only hard and fast rule to running is that you simply keep putting one foot ahead of the other. Why run? To feel better -- physically, mentally, emotionally. Running is among the best aerobic exercises for physical conditioning of your heart and lungs. Studies have shown the health benefits to be enormous, reducing the likelihood of everything from the common cold to cancer. Your stamina will increase. You'll lose weight; most beginners lose nearly a pound a week. Just as important, running -- like many forms of exercise -- is a great cure for stress, emotional strain, even mild depression. You'll likely find yourself with fewer headaches and more energy, patience, humor and creativity. Studies have found that healthy adults who exercise regularly are generally happier than those who don't. And running, quite simply, is convenient. You don't need any elaborate gear. No special playing field or apparatus. No need to juggle the schedules of others. Just a pair of shoes and the inclination to get out the door. Rewards of the spirit You've probably started running for the physical benefits, but you will quickly discover other, more metaphysical rewards. Yep, no kidding: Metaphysical. Health reasons may be why most start running, but it's the less tangible benefits that finally motivate us to persist, to become "runners." While running can be a social activity, it is more frequently an opportunity to spend a little time with yourself and your thoughts, a chance to develop an increased self-awareness. As you become more aware of the nuances and condition of your own body, you also discover things about your inner self. Many say they are at their most creative and lucid, even meditative, during their runs, as the worries of the day slip away. Confidence increases as you push your own limits, meeting goals and often surprising yourself by exceeding your own expectations. Running is a sport of discipline, sometimes of sacrifice, and always of self-reliance. You may surprise yourself with your capacity for all three. The personal rewards can be quite powerful. Back To Top Setting and Reaching Goals If you want the satisfaction and self-esteem of getting the best out of your training, here are recognized principles for setting goals and working to achieve them. 1. Get Specific. If you follow the well-worn advice to "do your best," are you sure you really did? But if you decide to go for a 10K PR, bench press half your bodyweight, or cut 20 points off your cholesterol count, there's no doubt when you hit the mark. Doing your best is all right, but getting specific is better. 2. Choose Difficult But Realistic Goals. If you set an easy goal, such as trying a new sport which doesn't take much effort, you'll achieve a limited sense of achievement. But say you've been fitness walking around town, and decide it's time to go and climb a mountain trail. There is nothing quite like the sense of well-being that goes with reaching the summit, seeing nothing higher around you and a vast expanse below. And later, your hamstrings will let you know you earned that feeling by paying a price. 3. Have Long Term And Short Term Goals. And it's more effective to link them. Going from 10Ks to a marathon is a worthy goal, but if you tackle the training program in one piece it's very tough and you increase your injury risk. If you spread it out over two or three seasons, and progress through 15K, 10 mile, 20K, half-marathon, and 20 mile races, you'll greatly increase your chances of achieving your marathon goal unhurt, and have set five new standards on the way. 4. Set Performance Goals. To play on a soccer team that aims to win a local league championship is a fine goal. Success will be more likely if each player trains and practices to improve running endurance by 10%, improve 40 yard dash by a whisker, improve agility and balance with dribbling drills, head the ball toward a fixed target to improve accuracy in passing and shooting, and so on. 5. Write Down Goals. You wouldn't build a house without a blueprint. You shouldn't build toward a goal without a written plan. A long term goal and the short term steps written down are like a map and compass to make sure you don't get lost on the way to your goal. 6. Develop Goal Achievement Strategies. If you'd like to chip a couple of minutes off your 10K time, you're less likely to achieve this if you just go out and blast six mile runs, compared to a balanced strategy. Take a slow long run every couple of weeks until you can handle 12 miles, then endurance is not an issue in your 10Ks. Build leg strength by hill running, going hard or bounding up hill and recovering down hill, or begin resistance intervals on a bike, standing on the pedals. Tempo runs for a couple of miles will get you used to the feel of goal race pace. Go to the track and run 400 and 200 meter intervals for speed. 7. Consider Your Personality. You need to have some feel for matching your goal with your personality. If you are a low achiever trying to move up a notch, avoid trying to match the goal of a friend who is already a high achiever, or you'll set yourself up for failure. If you're a social animal, you'll achieve more in a team environment. 8. Develop Commitment. You won't achieve your goal without commitment. This means you have to work conscientiously over a sustained period, and not become sidetracked every now and then. You must track progress at regular intervals, such as weekly. 9. Develop Goal Support. Going it alone is the rockiest route to your goal. If you are on a team you'll provide mutual support. Friends can support each other in pursuit of goals, and while this is easier for common goals, it also works for separate goals. Family support can be vital. The people you live with may not be a part of your goal, but you need them to be enthusiastic about your goal and provide caring feedback as you progress from step to step. 10. Develop Evaluation. You need continuous feedback and evaluation of how you're doing. You may not always progress steadily toward your goal. You may get sick or injured from time to time, or go on a business trip that upsets your program. You must evaluate and make adjustments. You need not change the goal, but you may need to change the route. (Principles of goal setting taken from "Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology," by Robert Weinberg, Ph.D., and Daniel Gould, Ph.D., Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL, 1995, pp. 529, $49.) Copyright, The American Running Association. Back To Top Beginners 30/30 Plan Beginners - take note Here's a simple 30/30 plan to get you going, featuring 30 minutes of exercise for the first 30 days. It is a routine to use with beginning runners. Walk out the door and go 15 minutes in one direction, turn around, and return 15 minutes to where you started: 30 minutes total. For the first 10 minutes of your workout, it is obligatory that you walk: No running! For the last 5 minutes of your workout, it is obligatory that you walk: Again, no running! During the middle 15 minutes of the workout, you are free to jog or run--as long as you do so easily and do not push yourself. Here's how to run during those middle 15 minutes: Jog for 30 seconds, walk until you are recovered, jog 30 seconds again. Jog, walk. Jog, walk. Jog, walk. Once comfortable jogging and walking, adapt a 30/30 pattern: jogging 30 seconds, walking 30 seconds, etc. Follow this 30/30 pattern for 30 days. If you train continuously (every day), you can complete this stage in a month. If you train only every other day, it will take you two months. Do what your body tells you. Everyone is different in their ability to adapt to exercise. When you're beginning, it is better to do too little than too much. If you continue this 30/30 routine for 30 days, you will finish the month able to cover between one and two miles walking and jogging. You are now ready to progress to the next stage of your training as a beginning runner. Back To Top Walking to Running Action Plan Important elements: 1) Shoes, shoes, shoes--- Get the right ones and you will prevent injuries and progress steadily. Get the wrong ones and get hurt. Go online to roadrunnersports.com and use their shoe program to find the right shoes or better yet, go to a real running store to buy your first pair of shoes with an expert who knows shoes and feet. Locally the Delaware Running Company does a very good job and has experienced runners who work well with runners of all abilities. 2) Fuel, fuel, fuel--- As you go longer, your nutritional requirements change. Running mileage burns lots of calories (up to 100 per mile) and will require adding to what you eat. You are burning calories and raising your metabolism. Preparing for running means being hydrating and fueled up. You’ll learn as you go, but there are good books and people around to help you when you get to the stage that you are running long enough to need more fuel. Just remember in the back of your head that fluid and fuel are important to completing the training. 3) Stretching and strengthening---- there are specific stretches and exercises to ward off issues you know will arise from “problem areas.” The easiest and simplest are to get exercise bands (like thicker green rubber bands) and do walking lunges and side movements. 4) Avoiding, typical injuries. Often people will say that they can’t run because they have back knees or a bad back. More likely, their stomach muscles and quadriceps aren’t strong enough to support their back and knees when they run. As you develop as a runner, increase mileage or pace slowly to allow these key muscle groups to develop strength and endurance. Don’t push past these limits even on days when running feels easy. Slow and steady development will have you racing in no time. Have fun and go at it. You can do it. Back To Top