Tips for the New(bie) Year Runner
I attended a writing workshop over the weekend. It's always great to be in a room filled with writer friends, and Saturday was no exception!
Every time I get together with people I haven't seen in a while, I get a lot of comments about my appearance. As we've discussed (way too many times, I know!), I lost 45 pounds last year, mostly because I started running. There's a lot less of me these days!
After Saturday's event, I received a phone call from someone who wanted to know how to get started running. I am far from an expert. I started running about this time last year and went from non-runner to half marathoner in eight months. I am currently training for my first full marathon, which I hope to run in either April or May.
I thought I'd post a few tips each day, things I wish I would have known when I started out. I hope these tips are helpful to those of you wanting to start some new, healthy habits this year!
1. Think about safety! Get a ROAD ID tag! In the event something bad happens, you want to be sure to have some form of identification. I have a little tag that fits on my shoe laces. There's also this bracelet style:
2. It's okay to start small. Use a walk/run strategy. When I first started, I couldn't even run 1/10 of a mile. I would walk 1/2 way around the gym track, then run 1/2, alternating until I did a mile. Once that got easier, I would run one lap and walk one, or run one lap and walk 3/4.
3. Follow a plan. If you want a plan to follow, many people rave about the Couch to 5K program. It's a plan geared to take you from couch potato to 30 minutes of running in just 9 weeks.
More tips tomorrow!