Exercise

Running Tips For People Who Are Starting Out

December 13, 2010
By Dewi Williams

I find running to be an excellent form of exercise. It’s so easy! Want to go running? Put your shoes on, a pair of shorts, a running top, and you’re off! What could be easier than that!? You don’t need to drive to the gym, you don’t need to check your equipment first, no tyres to pump up. If you decide you want to go running, you can be doing it five minutes later.

But, despite all this, it can be very difficult to start running if you’re new to it all. The best way to start is with a friend. Find somebody else that is new to running, and make an agreement with them to go running one evening in the week after work. Pick a day, pick a time, and agree to go running at that time every week. Set that agreement in stone, so that there is no discussion. It doesn’t matter if it’s wet or cold, you have an agreement to go running, don’t think about it, just do it.

How far you run is up to you. If it’s not something you want to take too seriously, 3 or 4 miles is probably ideal.

If the thought of running 3 miles right now intimidates you, then there are two things you can do. The first is to build up to it. Run one mile at the first attempt. If that is still too far, then just ran half a mile. The important thing is to start somewhere. Once you have a starting point, you can build on it. Place the emphasis on running at all, rather than the distance.

The other way to ease yourself in to running on a regular basis is the run/walk programme. This is fairly self-explanatory really, you spend some of your time running, and some of it walking.

The key is to give it structure. Start out by running for 5 minutes, followed by walking for 2 minutes. Is that too much running? Then start out by running for only 2 minutes, followed by walking for 2 minutes. Whatever ratio you choose, make sure you follow it. Be strict on yourself and follow it to the letter. Repeat this cycle of running and walking until you get through the distance.

Again, the emphasis is on running at all. Once you are out running, for any length of time, you can build on it. Once you feel comfortable with that, change the ratio so that you are spending more of your time running. You might do this as follows,

Week 1: Run for 5 minutes, walk for 2 minutes.
Week 2: Run for 6 minutes, walk for 2 minutes.
Week 3: Run for 6 minutes, walk for 1 minutes.
Week 4: Run for 7 minutes, walk for 1 minutes.

By building on your initial run/walk program in this way, it won’t take you long until you feel confident to run the whole distance. One of the keys to successful running is confidence. Running is tough, probably as tough as it looks, I’m not going to lie to you! But, your body is tougher. Have the confidence in your own physical and mental strength. They key is to start, you can then build on it.

I’ve been running for many years, and I can’t imagine life without it now. My website is at www.firstmarathon.co.uk, I have plenty of tips there for people just starting out running, in particular, aimed with the marathon distance in mind.

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