New to Running?

What do you do when someone asks you for advice on how to begin running, how to turn themselves into a runner, when you yourself feel completely inadequate and ill-prepared to provide an answer?

Well, if you're like me you look at that email in your inbox every day for weeks and contemplate what to say, never quite finding the right words to use, or the right advice to give.

After thinking this over for so long I've finally decided rather than reply directly to the person who asked me for this advice, I would blog about it in case anyone else out there is interested in the same info or would like to offer other suggestions or comments.

OK, so let me preface all this by saying I don't consider myself a runner yet. I'm not sure what criteria I'll use to determine when or if I get there, but right now I don't feel I'm 'there' yet. I read something a while back, nothing official, just some specualtion and ramblings, where someone made a distinction between running and jogging by using a 10 minute mile pace. If you are faster than a 10 minute mile you're running, slower than that and you're jogging. So I would fall into the jogger category as it takes me about 10 minutes to do one mile. Hence, I don't consider myself a runner.

Anyway, how did I begin learning to jog? I set my mind to it. That was the first step.

After I'd made my mind up that I wanted to embark on this new form of activity I hopped on the treadmill with a goal to jog for 5 minutes and then walk for 5 minutes, alternating until I'd been on the treadmill 30 minutes. This is how I began, but I'm used to daily exercise so I thought this starting level would be alright for me. Someone who isn't used to daily activity would need to start out at lower intervals and for less total time. But for simplicity in this post I'll just cover what I did and assume that anyone reading this will know to adjust their needs based on what they know to be true for themselves.

I hopped on the treadmill three days/week. That first week was at 5 minute intervals. The next week was 10 minutes of jogging/5 minutes walking. The third week was 15 minutes jogging/5 min walking. The fourth week was 20 minutes of jogging and a 5 minute walk to cooldown. The next week was 25 minutes of jogging and the 5 minute cooldown walk. Then a week of 30 minutes of jogging with a 5 minute cooldown. Then I think I might have changed the pattern so I went back to a 20 minute jog/5 min walk/another 20 min jog, so my time on the treadmill increased.

Basically, I just kept gradually adding on the time spent jogging until I could go at a solid stretch for quite awhile.

And I was pretty happy with how I was doing.

Until I tried to jog outside with a friend.

I'd worked up to jogging about 5 or 6 miles straight on the treadmill, but when I went outside to jog on the track this past February I only made it 1/4 of a mile. Talk about shock!!!!

I got some advice from a running pro I know (love ya, James!) who told me that running outside takes more effort because you are propelling yourself forward whereas on the treadmill you're letting a machine work for you. So from that moment on I abandoned the treadmill.

I'd also developed issues with my feet which required some time away from jogging so the break was both welcome and cursed.

When I got back into jogging I headed straight for the track and used the same technique as I had on the treadmill to train myself to jog outside. Only this time I didn't use time as my milestone to dictate when I moved onto another level. I used mileage.

I started with a goal to run 1 mile and then walk however many more my training plan needed me to. Then the next time I hit the track my goal was to run just a little more than I had the last time, whether that be 1/4 mile longer, 1/2 mile, or more. Each time I tried for a little further and was thrilled with whatever I got because it showed improvement.

And step by step I'm getting there. And so can you.

Lessons I've learned along the way, music can motivate you tremendously so use it if you need it. Also, for me, the first 1/2 mile is a bear ALWAYS! I have come to accept that the first mile will be evil and my legs will revolt against what I'm asking them to do for about 1/2 mile until they finally ease into it and meet the demands I'm putting on them. But that first 1/2 mile is always ugly for me. If I can bear with it, though, it does get better. And lastly, I've learned that not every jog will be good. Some days my legs feel heavier, some days I feel I'm floating. Some days my breathing is more controlled, some days the breathing isn't right and the side stitches creep up on me. It's always different. Don't expect perfection. Just go.

If anyone would like to offer their thoughts or comments or advice, please feel free to write what you know in the comment section. Love to hear from ya!