Running Tips
I would like to share some of the things that have helped me along the way as a runner. I would like to stress that these are things I have noticed have worked for ME. If you are wanting to start a running program, make sure you talk to your doctor first to make sure it’s the right thing for you.
1. Start slow. I know it’s tempting to go all out and you think if you push hard enough you get in shape faster and get better lung capacity quicker. What will really happen is you’ll get frustrated and end up hating it. Then you’ll quit. So even if all you can handle is running for 2 minutes then you have to stop and walk, that’s okay! Don’t compare yourself to any other runners you see. You have to listen to YOUR body.
I recently watched a guy over at the track that I run around as I head back to the house. He was killing himself running - it looked miserable. Then he would stop, and I’m pretty sure, throw up. My best guess is that he’s going to end up hating running so much after doing that a few times that he’ll quit.
2. Sweating more doesn’t mean you are losing weight. It means you are getting dehydrated. So wearing a lot of clothes to try and “sweat it out” is pointless.
3. Really think about your posture as your running. I constantly am reminding myself to put my shoulders back, relax my hands, etc. Try not to lean forward, as if you are about to cross a finish line. There’s a lady I see a couple of times a week while I’m on my run. The first time I thought she must have been close to the end of her run and that’s why it looked like she was close to collapse. But I’ve seen her all along the path now at different times - and she always looks that way. It really doesn’t look safe.
4. If a running partner would help keep you going, then find one! I personally don’t want to either keep up with someone or have them slow me down. But for some, it really helps.
5. Breathing….some say you should have a pattern of breathing through your nose, exhaling through your mouth. I have tried different methods. The only thing I’m able to do is breath through my mouth. You have to find what works for you in this department. Trying to breath a certain way totally would throw me off. In the end, I just breath how it naturally feels right.
6. There are a lot of great tools out there to help motivate and keep track of your workout. And if you are just starting out, keeping track of your progress and seeing how you’re doing may really, really help. I personally use:
This is the Nike Sensor kit that is used with an Apple Ipod Nano. It will track your progress, calories, burned, along with a whole host of others features. You can upload all your info to Nike and be part of the Nike forums to keep you motivated.
7. I never have a set day I take off. I plan on running my 4 miles every day and that way when something comes up and I can’t I’m not feeling guilty that I didn’t run. I used to have a certain day of the week that I would take off, but something always came up and my whole schedule would get messed up.
8. The days you feel there is no way you can run are the days you absolutely need to get out there and do it! For me running can be a mental game. If I told you that after 3 years of running I now love it so much that I get up every day and just can’t wait to run I’d be lying. There are days when it feels great and yes, I can’t wait to get out there. But there are a lot of days that it’s the last thing I feel like doing. Those are the days I feel the best about running once I’d done it.
9. Finally, I think the most important thing to do BEFORE starting a running routine is to go get fitted for the proper running shoes. And I’m not talking about going to the sporting goods store chain. I mean go to a REAL running store. There they can evaluate your run. You get on a treadmill, they will tape you, then look back at your run. I was having terrible foot problems and found out it was the shoes I was wearing. I had a terrible roll out. Once I got the right shoe, problem solved.
