BEGINNING TO RUN: How To Get Started As A Runner

by Hal Higdon, Copyright © Hal Higdon

RUNNING CONTINUES TO GROW IN POPULARITY. More and more people are taking up the sport. More people are running 5-K races. More are running marathons. An even larger number simply run for fitness and never go near a starting line, or win a race T-shirt.

There are many good reasons. Running is simple and inexpensive. It's a good way to lose weight. It makes you feel good. Running is good for your health. You'll look better and have more energy if you learn to run.

Certainly, more people write my "Ask The Experts" column on America Online with questions about beginning running than about any other subject. They want to know how to start running. They want a training program. They want information about shoes and equipment. They worry about sore muscles.

Every runner experiences what might be described as "Start-Up" problems. Many have "Restart" problems. Former runners (who stopped, for one reason or another) want to get back to their old running routines. They too need help.

Here is how to start. Here's how to begin to become a runner. And if you've been a runner before, here's how to get back in stride.

Becoming a Runner

How you begin depends partly on your current level of fitness. A teenager, or someone already in good shape, may have little trouble running two or three miles the first day. Someone unused to exercise might struggle to walk even a mile.

Start slow. You'll have fewer problem with sore muscles, or other injuries, if you don't work too hard the first few days, or even the first few weeks or months. You'll enjoy running more if you try to do less than you're capable of accomplishing. You'll also achieve more, since the most important factor in achieving success is consistency.

The best approach for beginners is to start by walking, then after you feel comfortable with that basic fitness exercise, begin to include jogging (easy running) in your routine. Jog, walk. Jog, walk. Jog, walk. Eventually, you'll be able to jog continuously, both farther and faster. How fast you progress depends on you, but don't be in a hurry to run fast or run far.

The 30/30 Plan

Here's a simple 30/30 plan to get you going, featuring 30 minutes of exercise for the first 30 days. It is a routine similar to one that Chuck Cornett, a coach from Orange Park, Florida, uses with beginning runners.

Walk out the door and go 15 minutes in one direction, turn around, and return 15 minutes to where you started: 30 minutes total.

For the first 10 minutes of your workout, it is obligatory that you walk: No running!

For the last 5 minutes of your workout, it is obligatory that you walk: Again, no running!

During the middle 15 minutes of the workout, you are free to jog or run--as long as you do so easily and do not push yourself.

Here's how to run during those middle 15 minutes: Jog for 30 seconds, walk until you are recovered, jog 30 seconds again. Jog, walk. Jog, walk. Jog, walk.

Once comfortable jogging and walking, adapt a 30/30 pattern: jogging 30 seconds, walking 30 seconds, etc.

Follow this 30/30 pattern for 30 days. If you train continuously (every day), you can complete this stage in a month. If you train only every other day, it will take you two months. Do what your body tells you. Everyone is different in their ability to adapt to exercise. When you're beginning, it is better to do too little than too much.

If you continue this 30/30 routine for 30 days, you will finish the month able to cover between one and two miles walking and jogging. Your next goal is to develop an ability to run continuously for a mile, then two miles, then more if you want. The way to do that is to gradually increase the length of time in the middle of your workout spent jogging and decrease the number of walking breaks. Do 45/30 (45 seconds jogging, 30 seconds walking), then 60/30, then 75/30, or 60/15.

Vary your routine. Work a little harder one day, then make the next an easy day. Program in occasional rest days when you do no walking and jogging, or cross-training days when you do some other exercise. Test yourself to see if you can run a half-mile continuously, then a mile. It won't happen overnight, but you should begin to see a gradual improvement in your physical fitness.

If the above routine seems too difficult for you, do a little less. Nobody is looking over your shoulder when you write how much exercise you did today in your diary. Only you can judge whether you are pushing too fast or too slow, but it's best to err on the conservative side.

You too can become a runner. All you need to do is begin.

Posted by Editor at April 13, 2005 06:09 PM

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