running: my experiences
(Background: A friend of mine has just started running, and a friend of hers asked about it, and I got pointed at. Eep! :) So here goes.)
So you're thinking of starting to run? Good for you! You should; it's fun. I totally have this love/hate relationship with running. Before I go, I am totally in Don't Wanna land. Afterwards, I feel great. :)
My running biography: I started a year ago. I am slow(TM) and okay with that: I have yet to break a 10-minute pace; I have yet to do 5 miles in a single run. But a year ago, running 4.5 miles at a 12-minute pace was totally and completely inconceivable, and I can basically do that whenever I want to now. Yarr! :)
To get started, you need a few things:
* The Program: I used this version of Couch Potato to 5K. http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml You'll see "couch (potato) to 5K" abbreviated as C25K, which is not C-25K, even though it looks like it is. ;) Not quite that ambitious, no.
* Shoes! You want new running shoes. Don't skimp on shoes. You wouldn't go on a big road trip on underinflated tires. You wouldn't go swimming wearing whatever you're wearing right now. Or I hope not. :)
If you're in Boston and have the money, I highly recommend Marathon Sports. New shoes there will run you $100 (ouch!). Can you get okay shoes at Target? Probably. You get what you pay for: me, I didn't want to get injured. Not to mention that, by damn, if I paid $100 for running shoes, you betcha I'm gonna stick with it. :) The great thing is, after that $100, it's free for the next two years. (Well, I got running shorts and some wicking shirts, but those will last forever.)
* Friends! You want a support group. It may be one other person, it may be all your friends on livejournal, it may be some subset of that. Running should be fun, and part of that fun is celebrating. Really, doing the next day of C25K is worth celebrating. Your non-running friends may not get it, but hoo boy will your running friends understand. We've been there, and yeah, we think it's worth celebrating. :)
And then you start. :)
Some surprises:
* In the beginning, you'll spend more time doing warm-up stretching and warm-down stretching than actually running/walking. 15 mins warmup, 20-25 mins on the treadmill or track or whatever, 15 mins warmdown. It may feel weird, but both warmup and warmdown are super duper important. DO NOT SKIP THIS.
* If you have the discipline, doing 5 -- just five! -- minutes of stretching in the morning and evening will make things a lot easier. Especially on days you don't go running, like the day after you go on a run.
* There's a wall you'll hit in C25K. When it is is different for everyone. What I mean by a wall is that the program says "do X" and your body says "No. Not happening." You're hitting your wall: just repeat last week. That's not only okay, that's expected. All over C25K, it says "feel free to repeat a day if that's what you need" and they are not kidding. Don't beat yourself up; instead, celebrate that you hit your wall. I'm not saying that just to be all cheery and sunny; I'm saying that because, once you get past that wall, it becomes a lot easier. :)
* Believe in the program. Near the end, it looks like it ramps up crazy fast. And yet, it works. It's pretty awesome. :)
If you're wondering if this program will work for you, the answer is Yes. Talk to people and you'll think you're in a Monty Python skit: "Oh no, I was in WAY worse shape than you when _I_ started!"
Some people sign up for a 5K race in a few months as a target. That pressure doesn't work for me, but it does for others. What worked for me: put up a blank calendar on my office door and update it the day after running. "Week 2, Day 1. Not bad." or "Week 4, Day 3: oww! Woof!". It was a silent reminder to me in the morning as I walked in; it got some of my more outgoing co-workers to be supportive. It's a cheap trick, but one that worked.
So do whatever works for you. :) Me, I run a few 5Ks a year, just to have something to work towards. Races are a lot of fun (and normally, I hate stuff like this). And if you're looking for a buddy to run a 5K with and you're in Boston, let me know and I'll try to make it. :)
So you're thinking of starting to run? Good for you! You should; it's fun. I totally have this love/hate relationship with running. Before I go, I am totally in Don't Wanna land. Afterwards, I feel great. :)
My running biography: I started a year ago. I am slow(TM) and okay with that: I have yet to break a 10-minute pace; I have yet to do 5 miles in a single run. But a year ago, running 4.5 miles at a 12-minute pace was totally and completely inconceivable, and I can basically do that whenever I want to now. Yarr! :)
To get started, you need a few things:
* The Program: I used this version of Couch Potato to 5K. http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml You'll see "couch (potato) to 5K" abbreviated as C25K, which is not C-25K, even though it looks like it is. ;) Not quite that ambitious, no.
* Shoes! You want new running shoes. Don't skimp on shoes. You wouldn't go on a big road trip on underinflated tires. You wouldn't go swimming wearing whatever you're wearing right now. Or I hope not. :)
If you're in Boston and have the money, I highly recommend Marathon Sports. New shoes there will run you $100 (ouch!). Can you get okay shoes at Target? Probably. You get what you pay for: me, I didn't want to get injured. Not to mention that, by damn, if I paid $100 for running shoes, you betcha I'm gonna stick with it. :) The great thing is, after that $100, it's free for the next two years. (Well, I got running shorts and some wicking shirts, but those will last forever.)
* Friends! You want a support group. It may be one other person, it may be all your friends on livejournal, it may be some subset of that. Running should be fun, and part of that fun is celebrating. Really, doing the next day of C25K is worth celebrating. Your non-running friends may not get it, but hoo boy will your running friends understand. We've been there, and yeah, we think it's worth celebrating. :)
And then you start. :)
Some surprises:
* In the beginning, you'll spend more time doing warm-up stretching and warm-down stretching than actually running/walking. 15 mins warmup, 20-25 mins on the treadmill or track or whatever, 15 mins warmdown. It may feel weird, but both warmup and warmdown are super duper important. DO NOT SKIP THIS.
* If you have the discipline, doing 5 -- just five! -- minutes of stretching in the morning and evening will make things a lot easier. Especially on days you don't go running, like the day after you go on a run.
* There's a wall you'll hit in C25K. When it is is different for everyone. What I mean by a wall is that the program says "do X" and your body says "No. Not happening." You're hitting your wall: just repeat last week. That's not only okay, that's expected. All over C25K, it says "feel free to repeat a day if that's what you need" and they are not kidding. Don't beat yourself up; instead, celebrate that you hit your wall. I'm not saying that just to be all cheery and sunny; I'm saying that because, once you get past that wall, it becomes a lot easier. :)
* Believe in the program. Near the end, it looks like it ramps up crazy fast. And yet, it works. It's pretty awesome. :)
If you're wondering if this program will work for you, the answer is Yes. Talk to people and you'll think you're in a Monty Python skit: "Oh no, I was in WAY worse shape than you when _I_ started!"
Some people sign up for a 5K race in a few months as a target. That pressure doesn't work for me, but it does for others. What worked for me: put up a blank calendar on my office door and update it the day after running. "Week 2, Day 1. Not bad." or "Week 4, Day 3: oww! Woof!". It was a silent reminder to me in the morning as I walked in; it got some of my more outgoing co-workers to be supportive. It's a cheap trick, but one that worked.
So do whatever works for you. :) Me, I run a few 5Ks a year, just to have something to work towards. Races are a lot of fun (and normally, I hate stuff like this). And if you're looking for a buddy to run a 5K with and you're in Boston, let me know and I'll try to make it. :)