Thinking about running...

**KMonte85** · 07-22-2010 01:00 PM

So I've been tossing around the idea of starting to run for fitness. I do a cardio class 3x's a week (Zumba twice and one bootcamp) and strength training 2 or 3x's a week (weight lighting, lighter weights high repetition), plus the occational recreational hike/walk/bike a few nights a week...

I think running might really help me ramp up my fitness.. BUT I'm such a newbie to the idea I don't even know where to start (besides just getting my booty outside and putting one foot in front of the other). My last running experience was a 10 minute mile a month ago.. so yeah. Before that my running consisted of playing tag on the playground, so I need some help getting started!

Do any runners here have any tips for how to start out? I need help with everything - like run/walk intervals, posture, breathing, time/distance for beginners all the way to what products I should have (best shoes, do I need a watch?). Any help would be greatly appreciated! I've gone to sites like runners world, but its a little overwhelming for someone like me!

Ideally I'l like to run my first 10k in October when they have one near my hometown... Is that pushing it??

**sourpuss** · 07-23-2010 07:13 AM

10k is totally doable. Any race is doable really, you just do what you can. But you have plenty of time to get ready for a 10 k.
A watch would actually be a good idea. Just a cheapy one, or use the stopwatch function on an ipod or phone.

For the first week-10 days, just get out there and run a little bit every day, just to get used to it. Go for 15 minutes or so. Again, just do what you can while pushing yourself a little bit. Goals always help me. So I'll set a time or a distance for myself and just focus on doing that. So say you want to run 2 miles, make that your goal and do not go home until you've done two miles. Or 20 minutes. Something like that. Sounds like you have decent fitness so you can push yourself harder than someone who's never worked out and starting from scratch.

You can pick of decent running shoes just about anywhere. What I do is go to the fancy running shoe store and have them help me fit the perfect shoe for what I'm doing....then go get either online, or at a cheaper store. (bad, I know. But times are tough) You will spend about $80-$100 on good shoes but they will last you quite awhile. But don't cheap out on shoes, you'll regret it later.

Posture, the key is to stay relaxed. Be conscious of letting your hands dangle. I used to get side stitches all the time and then I realized that I was running super tense with my fists clinched. Pretend you're holding a potato chip between your thumb and forefinger and you can't break it the whole run.

Runner's world has a great tool on their homepage that will spit out a training program for your race. It will let you choose how hard you want to train and everything.

**KMonte85** · 07-23-2010 09:55 AM

Thanks sp (I was hoping you'd respond!

)

The trainer I do bootcamp with gave me this to start out with when I asked her... Does this seem ok to you? It seems like a lot to me, but she said she thought I was perfectly capable. Maybe I'll just have to try and find out

5 Minute Warm-Up
30 seconds fast / 60 second recovery (4 times)
45 seconds fast / 60 second recovery (3 times)
60 seconds fast / 60 second recovery (2 times)
30 seconds fast / 60 second recovery (4 times)
5 Minute Cool-Down

I think I might try it once I get the right shoes... right now I have Nike Air Trail Running shoes.. but since I'll probably be on the pavement I think I might go to a running shoe store close by and see what they think, they have the equipment there to test my arch and my gate and how I land and blah blah so they should be able to tell me what I need!

**sourpuss** · 07-23-2010 04:15 PM

You're more than capable for that. That's roughly a 30 minute workout and almost half of it is warm up, cool down and recovery. So you're only really pushing yourself for a total of 15 minutes. Keep that in mind, because you can really push hard because it's a short amount of time and it's not all at once either. It's actually a good place to start, and it will make you faster for your 10k.Your warm up can just be some jumping jacks, skipping and dynamic stretching.

Your trail shoes will work for now. I only have trail shoes and have run numerous road races in them, I'm just to cheap to buy two different pairs of shoes. But once you get into running several times a week then you should definitely get a good pair from the running store. And be sure to get them a few weeks before your race, so they are good and comfortable before.

**KMonte85** · 07-26-2010 07:25 AM

Thanks sp!

**Shadow38** · 07-27-2010 09:56 AM

My suggestion is to first go to a reputable running shoe store and be fitted for shoes. When you have good shoes, you can do the Couch to 5k plan (a 9 week plan to go from nothing to running a 5k) and then graduate to either the One Hour Runner plan or one of Hal Higdon's beginner plans for the 10k. He also has beginning running plans on his site. I've known many people who have had success with the Couch to 5k program.

**KMonte85** · 07-27-2010 10:21 AM

Couch to 5k, huh? I've never heard of it! I'll have to look into that! Hopefully a simple google search will get me to the right direction... I'm not really "couching it" at the moment, I do work out 6x's a week doing a mixture of aerobics, endurance strength training, and calestetics.. but running has never been my forte so I'll take all the help I can get!

There is a specialty running shoe store in my area that I plan to go to - it was on my list of things to do last weekend, but I didn't make it. I think I'm going to go there, get their opinion on which shoe is best for me, and then buy it elsewhere since I've heard from a few different runners that their prices are sky high for shoes that can be bought pretty much anywhere for cheaper.