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Beginners, A Basic Guide to Starting Out.
Stage 1- Before You Run
There are a couple of things to consider before you start putting one foot in front of the other. Running puts a lot of stress on your body and some preparation now will help to keep you injury free.
Trainers: There is one piece of equipment essential to running and that is your trainers. The correct style of trainers will help you to run in the most efficient style for your foot type. This in turn reduces the stresses on other parts of the body and reduces the risk of sports related injury. The best way to determine the right trainers is to visit a specialist running store where they can analyse your 'gait'. Essentially this means they look at how you move and will then suggest the correct type of trainer. Shops very rarely charge for this advice, but would hope that you purchase at least your first pair of trainers from them.
For women: There is one other item; a properly fitted sports bra. Whatever your shape a sports bra will help ensure your comfort and avoid long term damage and stretching. As with the trainers it is worth getting yourself sized properly as the fit is essential to offering proper support.
That is about all you need to get started. In time you will probably purchase sport specific clothing and there are no end of technical gadgets available, but all that can wait until you have some miles under your belt. The first thing to do is get out there and have a go.
Stage 2 - The First Steps.
Many people make the mistake of going for their first run. It may be you already have a level of core fitness due to doing other forms of sport or returning to running after a sabatical. If this is the case feel free to move on to Stage 3. However, if you have not done much exercise in the past few years then this can be quite a shock to the body. As a result, having run as fast as they can for a few yards people can return home convinced that running is not for them.
The majority of new runners are starting from a low fitness base and it is important that the body has time to adapt. A good way of doing this is by starting off run/walking.
To run/walk you start by setting a goal time frame, let us say 20 minutes:
Week one you walk (briskly) for 4 minutes and run (gently) for 1 minute. Repeated four times and you have reached your 20 minute goal. Try this three or four times in a week, whichever you are comfortable with.
Week two you walk for 3 minutes and run for 2 minutes. Repeated four times and you have reached your 20 minute goal. Try this three or four times in a week, whichever you are comfortable with.
Week three you walk for 2 minutes and run for 3 minutes. Repeated four times and you have reached your 20 minute goal. Try this three or four times in a week, whichever you are comfortable with.
Week four you walk for 1 minute and run for 4 minutes. Repeated four times and you have reached your 20 minute goal. Try this three or four times in a week, whichever you are comfortable with.
Week five you run for the full twenty minutes. Try this three or four times in a week, whichever you are comfortable with. Now you are a runner!
If at the end of any week you are not confident that you are ready to move on don't be afraid to repeat the week you have just done. Remember everyone is different and by progressing at your own pace you will minimise the risk of injury.
Stage 3 - Building Up Mileage.
One of the biggest mistakes a new runner can make is to get carried away. Once you can run continuously there is a natural temptation to run more often and further than ever before.
What you have to remember is that whilst you might have the desire, your body will still be adjusting to the increase in exercise and it is at this time that you are most at risk of suffering an overuse injury.
My suggestion would be to start by increasing the distance of just one of your weekly runs and even shortening other runs so your overall mileage stays similar. Once you can comfortably repeat a schedule over a number of weeks then you can increase the distance or frequency again. Always in small stages.
It is also worth looking at other non-impact forms of exercise such as swimming or cycling. This will assist you in improving your core fitness and improve your ability to run, whilst allowing adequate recovery time between runs.
Another way of increasing your motivation is to join a club. Find a local running club and you will find a network of people who will get you running when maybe you don't want too.
Don't forget to keep us posted on your progress. Reading about your small steps helps encourage other people to have a go.
NB: This beginners guide is for information only. It does not constitute professional advice. Please consult your doctor before undertaking any exercise in excess of your current level of activity. If you think there is anything that wants adding to this guide please send me a PM.
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0 - 14 Miles in 6 months, 2 hours, 13 minutes and 58 seconds.
Start weight: 18 st 4.. Current weight: 14 st 11.. Current Goal: Duchy Marathon, 8th March 2009
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