When people ask me what I've been up to lately I really want to answer, "Working and running." These are the two tasks that fill up the vast majority of my week.
I want to preface this post by saying this. There is absolutely nothing special about me. I am overweight for my height and have ZERO athletic inclinations. I mean ZERO. I have never been an athlete. If I can do it, anyone can do it. Now with that in mind, here's my story.
I started running earlier this summer. My husband trained for a half marathon so that inspired me to start running. I have attempted to start a running program many many times in the past and I never made it very far. Now that I have been running for a few months, I know why I failed those prior times. A few times prior I had no plan at all. I went to the gym said I was going to run and after warming up I ran for 2-3 minutes and stopped. I did that for a while and never really pushed myself so I didn't progress. Other times I had a plan. I attempted to use Cool Running's Couch to 5k plan before. Every single time I read the plan and thought to myself that I could run more than a minute so I would start the program on week 3 or 4 and I failed every time.
This time I decided to use the Couch to 5k Program again and my husband gave me the best advice. "Trust the program." I did. I struggled each week to finish but every time I moved my running time up I found that I could do it.
After finishing Couch to 5k I found two options for me that built off of Couch to 5k. There is Bridge to 10k (available for download on itunes) and Ease to 10k (also available on itunes). I can't find either program online so I bought Bridge to 10k on iTunes. It doubles your mileage and takes you to a 10k in 6 weeks. This program has been a lot harder for me. The running times are so much longer but yet again I am amazed at what I can do. I am currently on week 4 and running the increments of 18 minutes separated by 1 minute walking segments (that just serve to piss me off).
I am absolutely amazed at what these programs have done for me and what running has done for my health in general. Also I feel such a sense of personal accomplishment. I highly recommend these programs to anyone wanting to get in better shape.
Lots of people ask how I started running so here are my tips for beginning runners:
USE A PLAN (see above). Couch to 5k is fabulous.
DISTRACT YOURSELF. I struggle most with the mental aspect of running. It's boring. Really boring. I totally envy those that can zone out but I cannot. Find out what will distract you while you run. It's critical that you don't look at the clock or you will feel every second. I use my iPod and recently I started loading episodes of my favorites shows onto my iPhone and watching those while I run.
GOOD SHOES. Shoes are a critical part of running. I can't recommend a brand but I do recommend going to a store that specializes in running. We have a great store called Fleet Feet in Greenville, SC. They can see what issues you have and find shoes that help. Also, they can help with size and fit.
HYDRATION. I struggled with this a lot as a new runner. Hydration is NOT about drinking a lot of water while you run. Hydration is an all day affair. You need to make sure you hydrate before a run. Drinking an excessive amount while you run will just make you feel bad and make you have to go the bathroom. Drink water before you run and stay hydrated in general.
So that's my running 101. These are tips that I found to work for me but you might find you have different preferences. Find what works for you and you will see amazing results.