Running Newb Part Deux

"Don't Make No Promises (Your Body Can't Keep)" - Scorpions

A few more pointers:

5. Eat right. When I first started running, I read something from a trainer. He said, "If you're on a no/low-carb diet, stop it right now!" Carbs are your fuel source - it's how you build up the glycogen your muscles need to run. Granted, you should eat whole grains and other complex carbs, lean protein, and your fruits and veggies, but don't deprive your body of its number one energy source. You've heard of carb-loading before a race for a reason.

6. Appropriate gear. The main things to start off with here are good shoes, a good sports bra, and comfortable outerwear. Your shoes should be made for running and should feel comfortable as soon as you buy them. Shoes should NEVER have to be broken in to be comfortable. (If you want to go shoeless, the new trend, do it only indoors for short distances until your feet are calloused enough to handle more.) A sports bra should restrict movement as much as possible. Gravity is doing its darndest to get us - don't give it any help. Your outerwear should be what is comfortable to you. I love my tank top with the pocket for my cell phone and my shorts with a Velcro-close pocket for my car key. Moisture-wicking materials are a major bonus, too.

7. Forgive yourself for lapses. Okay, so you missed a day...or a week...or a month of work-outs. That doesn't mean you stop for good. You circle a date on the calendar that you're getting back out there, and when that day arrives, you do the best you can. Do your best, celebrate small victories, keep trying, repeat.

8. Have fun! There are lots of ways to make running fun. Run with a friend, join a running club, sign up for your favorite charity's 5K, load your MP3 player with all your beloved up-beat tunes, form a team and train for an Urban Adventure Race, set a goal and give it your all. Whatever you do, just enjoy that you are doing something good for yourself.

I love running. I don't always like the way my legs or lungs feel while I'm running, but I love the feeling of accomplishment. I love the solitude. I love the time to think without interruptions. I hope you will come to love it, too, but if you don't, that's okay. You can still apply these tips to your favorite exercise routine, and to your life in general.

Here are two more links for you:

http://running.about.com/od/runningforbeginners/u/Beginners.htm

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

Running Newb

"I don't know what I'm doing. All I know is I don't wanna stop. All fired up, I'm gonna go till I drop." - I Don't Wanna Stop by Ozzy Osbourne

People are often surprised and amazed to find out I have run a half marathon. Heck, I'm surprised and amazed! I'm not exactly thin or in the best shape, but my goal is to get stronger and healthier doing one of the few "sports" that I really enjoy - running. With any luck, I'll be running my second half marathon in Nashville in September.

The idea of strapping on running shoes and pounding the pavement is intimidating to many, so here are the things I learned, and am still learning, in order to have success.

1. Start slow. Mix jogging with walking for as long as you need to, but push the amount of jogging a little longer each day, and try to go faster gradually. Going too hard or too fast hurts! You can get shin splints from training too hard, too fast. They are actually little micro-fractures. Don't go there.

2. Find a trail or route you like. I really don't like running in my neighborhood. Too many barking dogs, no sidewalks, lots of people sitting on their porches staring at me, people driving by yelling at me. Ugh. So I go to a park that has a 1-mile track that I can safely run. Plus it's a pretty park thanks to the city horticulturalist.

3. Hydrate. If you run less than an hour, water should be good enough. But if you run for more than an hour or if you sweat profusely, be sure to drink a sports drink to properly hydrate. I didn't get enough of that yesterday, plus it was really hot, and I ended up dehydrated and dizzy and was unable to run this morning. :(

4. Stretch. Walk for about 5 minutes, then stop (I have a bench on my trail at exactly the right spot) and take a few minutes to stretch your legs thoroughly. Then, when you're done with your run, stretch some more. You'll be so much less sore the next day. In fact, if you do it right, you won't be sore at all. Sometimes, if I feel fairly tight after getting home, I'll pop in a yoga DVD and do that to make sure I'm completely stretched and relaxed.

I'll give you some more of my own tips tomorrow. In the meantime, here are a couple of links with advice for beginners.

http://www.best-running-tips.com/beginner-running-tips.html

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/running-for-beginners.html