Today is the day
"If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far ... no membership card to get. You just run." -- John Bingham
- Start out small. Don’t take on too much mileage or too fast too soon because more than likely that will lead to injuries.
- Schedule in runs & make exercise a priority. Too many times, I hear, “I don’t know how you find the time?” or “I don’t have the time.” Honestly, in the beginning, I didn’t think I had the time either. It wasn’t easy finding that time either. I seriously had to write it on the calendar on the days I was going to exercise. Now I just know I’m going to do some type of exercise each day.
- Listen to your body. Your body will tell me if it’s tired and needs a rest day. Recovery is just as important to the training as the running part is.
- Shoes. Visit your local running store and get fitted. In Maine, we have Maine Running Company and met many knowledgable folks there who know shoes. Some places may even have a guarantee with the shoes. I know Maine Running Company has a 21 day no questions asked guarantee.
- Run with a buddy. Last year, Stacy and I started running together on the weekends. Then we invited Jill and Jess to run with us. The four of us ran together 1 day/week all winter long through snow, ice, and sub-zero temps. I am honest when I say I would not survived a Maine winter running outside if it weren’t for these girls. We must have a good thing going right now because Kim and Carrie have joined us as well.
- Log your runs. Seeing the miles pile up is motivational. There are many methods to choose such as writing your daily mileage on a calendar, in a journal, or you can head online to track your runs. There are many online programs to choose from. I have played around with a few of them and have settled on logyourrun.com. Check them out, play with a couple at a time and make your decision. Use what works for you. I love to measure my weekly, monthly and yearly mileage and compare each month or year to each other.
- Start NOW! What are you waiting for? Don’t put it off or you’ll never start.
I love your tips!
ReplyDeleteLong runs are extremely motivational, I can't wait to start training again so that I can log runs that are above 4 miles at a time.
This is awesome, great tips! I have to agree that I used to have a hard time finding time to workout and now I do it every day without thinking twice :-)
ReplyDeleteWonderful tips! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteGreat tips! And I agree about logging your miles. It is really good motivation. And it's so nice that you have good friends to run with. It makes a big difference. My partner is currently 8 months pregnant and isn't doing much in the running department. I can't wait till she's back!
ReplyDeleteGreat tips! I have told beginning runners the exact same things - especially #s 1, 4, and 6!! Too often I see beginners sign up for a long race (half or full marathon) and after 4 weeks or so, they are injured and wondering why they can't maintain the mileage the training plan says they should be doing.
ReplyDeleteI still log my miles - it is extremely motivating and it holds me accountable!!
Great tips! I think #1 is especially key. I've heard a lot of people say they tried running and got hurt so they can't do it. Turns out they tried to run something like 5 miles a day, every day, right from the start...
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