10 Tips for Beginning Runners | 10 tips to help ensure success with your new adventure into running | Running | Jogging

10 Tips for Beginning Runners

By Thad McLaurin | For Active.com

Spring is in the air and so is the pitter pat of beginning runners hitting the roads and trails across the country. Similar to the hoards of new gym goers in January excited by New Year's resolutions to become fitter, beginning runners often hit the road at the first sign of warmer weather with similar aspirations.

Many new runners head out with good intentions and admiral goals, but often find themselves overwhelmed or unenthused with the progress of their new activity. Why is that? Running is often the first choice of new fitness enthusiasts because of the low start-up costs, the fact that you can do it just about anywhere, and there are no long term dues or fees associated with running.  One sport that hasn't been hurt by the bad economy is running. Buy some shorts and a T-shirt and a good pair of running shoes and you're good to go. How hard can it be, right?

Because of the low cost and ease of access, many new runners aren't prepared mentally or physically for the new demands they're about to put on their bodies and well as the time investment needed. All good things come in time and running is definitely one of those "good things."  

Here are 10 tips to help ensure success with your new adventure into running.

1. Get Fitted

Pay a visit to your local independent running store. Often these smaller stores have more knowledgeable staff than the big box retails stores. Many provide gait analysis which reveals your foot strike pattern. Knowing this will determine whether you overpronate, underpronate or have a neutral gait which will help in selecting the best shoe for your foot type. Don't skimp on your shoes. Be prepared to pay $80 to $100 for a good pair of running shoes.

2. Get Technical

Invest a little in some technical fabric running shorts, tops, and socks. Technical fabric can be made of a variety of fibers including natural (bamboo, smartwool) and synthetic (polyester, nylon, Lyrca) materials. Avoid 100 percent cotton. It tends to retain sweat causing chaffing, irritation, and even blisters. Technical fabrics allow the moisture to rise to the surface where it can evaporate. They still get damp, but not nearly as much as 100 percent cotton.

3. Get a Group

Motivation, inspiration, accountability, and commitment increase dramatically when you're a part of a running group or at least have a running buddy. Everyone experiences times when they don't want to run, but if you know you have buddies counting on you, it can make all the difference in the world when it comes to rolling over and getting out of bed. Check with your local running store. Many provide beginning running groups or know of running coaches in the area that work with beginning runners.

4. Get a Plan

Just getting out the door and running often does not work for many people, especially if you've been sedentary or away from exercise for any period of time. Find a beginning running plan to follow. There are beginning running programs online or you can contact your local running store, running club, or running coaches in the area to inquire about beginning running plans. One of the most effective ways to begin is with a run/walk method. With my new runners, I often begin with a 1-minute run/ 5-minute walk interval. We repeat the run/walk interval five times for a great 30-minute workout. Over the next 11 weeks, we gradually increase the running and decrease the walking portions of the intervals until the group is running 30 minutes with no walking.

5. Get Acclimated

Whenever you begin new exercise your body's fitness level will actually dip a little while you acclimate to the new demands you're putting on your body. This is when most new runners give up. I've heard many a new runner say, "If I feel this tired, drained, and wiped out, what's the point in running?" Understand before you take up running that it takes your body about four to six weeks to acclimate to the new demands. Anticipating that "wiped out feeling" can actually make it less of a shock. Just know that you're going to feel the effects of your new activity. Hang in there and before you know it, you'll pull out of that dip and begin to feel stronger than before you started. Also, start slowly. Many new runners experience shin splints, pulled calf muscles, cramping quads, or sore hips from going out too fast or from doing too much too soon. Take it slow and ease into your new activity.

6. Get Fueled

Fueling your new activity is very important. Timing is key. It's a good rule of thumb to eat about 200 to 400 calories of mostly complex carbs and a little protein about 1.5 hours prior to your run. This will give your body time to digest the food and provide your body with the needed energy for your activity. Not eating or not eating enough before your run can make your run feel labored or cause your muscles to feel fatigued. Eating too soon can sometimes cause stomach issues.

Digestion usually stops or slows dramatically when you run, so if you eat just before running, then all the food will just sit there. It will go nowhere and do little to provide you with little energy. What works best for your pre-run snack will vary from runner to runner, but some foods to try include yogurt with granola, an English muffin with peanut butter, or half a peanut butter sandwich and a banana. Post-run refueling is important too. Eating a 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein within 30 to 45 minutes after a run is optimal timing to provide your tired muscles with the fuel they need to rebuild quickly. Lowfat chocolate milk actually has the 4:1 ratio.

7. Get Hydrated

Being well-hydrated is just as important as being well fueled. Be sure to drink about 20 oz. of water about two hours prior to running. This will give it time to pass through your system and be voided before your run. During your run, drinking water is fine. Once you're running more than 45 to 60 minutes, you'll need to switch to a sports drink to help replace vital electrolytes which are minerals (sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus) that play a major role in helping to maintain proper water balance in your body. Electrolytes can be lost though your perspiration. Sports drinks such as Gatorade contain these important minerals.

8. Get Warmed-Up

Before you head out on your run, be sure to warm-up your muscles with a dynamic stretch. A five-minute walk is a great way to do this. This will help decrease the chance of your muscles feeling tight during your run. Save the traditional stretch-and-hold stretches for after your run.

9. Get In Tune With Your Body

Listen to your body. If you're feeling something other than regular workout-related muscle soreness, don't run. Running through the pain is never a good idea. If you're experiencing pain along your shin, hip, IT Band or any area of the body that's beyond normal muscle soreness, ice it, elevate it, and use your normal choice of anti-inflammatory medication and rest. When you no longer feel any pain, ease back into your running. If the pain persists, don't let it linger. Go see your doctor.

10. Get Rest

Rest is just as important as your workout. Rest allows your body time to rebuild and recover. When you run or do any type of exercise, you actually create little micro tears in the muscle tissue. Your body then rushes in to rebuild and repair the tears. This is the normal muscle-building process that makes you stronger. However, if you don't take the proper rest, your body may not have time to fully repair before your next run causing you to feel sore, tired, and sluggish. When you first start your beginning running program, it's a good idea to have at least one day of rest in between runs.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

THAD MCLAURIN

Certified running and fitness coach Thad McLaurin hosts and writes the popular RunnerDude's Blog and is the owner of RunnerDude's Fitness in Greensboro, North Carolina. He has a BA in Education from UNC-Chapel Hill, and his credentials include personal trainer certifications from NPTI and ACSM, as well as running coach certifications from RRCA and USA-Track & Field. Thad's greatest reward is helping others live healthy, active lifestyles. From general fitness to marathon training, Thad can help you reach your fitness and running goals.

Courtesy of

http://www.active.com/running/articles/10-tips-for-beginning-runners

Rock Your Run: 8 Beginner Running Tips | Stick to your training plans and take on more miles with these tips from readers who've successfully crossed the finish line | Marianne Magno

Rock Your Run: 8 Beginner Running Tips

Stick to your training plans and take on more miles with these tips from readers who've successfully crossed the finish line.

By Marianne Magno

The Importance of Cross-Training

"A runner needs to cross train to keep their body in balance," says Leanne Kemp, who has run two marathons and several other distance races. "I discovered my love for hiking when we moved to southern Utah. My running has improved greatly because I hike. Hiking allows your body to take a break from the pounding, and build up strength and endurance. I get the same high when I get to the top of a mountain as I do when I get to the end of a race."

Push Through It

"My husband is an elite runner and when we were first dating, I had a weepy moment complaining about my weight," says Megan McGown. "He said, 'Change into your sports bra, we're going running.' That day changed my life. At just five minutes in, I was whining about my legs, my side, everything. He told me to just go one more minute. We ran 20 minutes that day. And so it began. I am now a runner! I learned that it wasn't pain that I was feeling; it was just being out of my comfort zone. That little bit of discomfort was nothing compared to the joy and sense of accomplishment that I felt when I finished my 20 minutes." Since then Megan has run a half-marathon and several 5Ks.

Make It Fun

"I realized the importance of finding the fun in running when I was first training for the marathon," says Connie Reyes. "After a few tough long runs, I realized that unless I find ways to make it more enjoyable, I'm not going to reach my goal. Some of the things that helped that were finding a friend to run with, packing my iPod with upbeat songs, and rewarding myself with little things like a new running tee or Muscle Milk after reaching a new distance goal."

Stick to the Plan

"When I was training for my first 10K, I realized that if I missed even one of my short weekday runs, the longer run on the weekend was a challenge," says Faith Critti, who's training for a half-marathon and duathlon." Since then, I have stuck to the plan religiously -- and if for some reason I have to miss a run and it's out of my control, I do my best to fit it in at some other point that week."

The Importance of Rest

"I used to run and work out all the time but that never gave my body time to recover," says marathoner and triathlete Christine Yu. "My legs would always feel heavy and I would wonder why my IT band ached or my knee hurt or my race times would plateau. As I've gotten older, I recognize the importance of proper rest that your muscles need to get stronger. The result has been less injury and frankly, more enjoyable running."

Switch Sides

"I was training to run my second half-marathon and when my left hip started bothering me," says runner Stacy Ling. "I couldn't figure out why. When I told my marathon-runner and personal trainer friend, she asked what side of the road I run on. Like most people, I follow the rules of the road and always run against traffic. She told me I needed to switch sides more because running on the same side of the road all the time forces you to run in the same position, working the same muscles from the same angles, every time you run. I started alternating which side of the road I ran on, being very careful. The pain in my IT band subsided and disappeared after about a month and has not bothered me since."

Go Over the Hill

"I was never able to completely run up a hill without having to walk," says runner Donna Choate. "I switched up the incline on the treadmill and found a hilly route outdoors. Now I can run up an entire hill and I even increased my pace, going from a 10-minute mile to an 8- to 9-minute mile!"

Change Things Up

"Running is my favorite cardio exercise, but if I don't change up how I run, my body will reach a plateau and I won't see any positive changes," says runner and personal trainer Loren Maine. "Aside from running 5 to 10 miles a week, I do sprints 1 to 2 days a week to challenge my body and help my training."

Courtesy of

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/running/tips/beginner-running-tips/#page=1

The Difference Between Running and Jogging | What’s the difference between Running and Jogging? | Running | Jogging | Exercise

The Difference Between Running and Jogging

What’s the difference between Running and Jogging?

It seems “Jogging” was originally intended to be a subset of running; a less strenuous, less serious form of running. It was running for the non-competitive masses.

I asked my friend Rich on our long run this morning and he immediately replied “8-minute miles”.  I was expecting a more thoughtful, if not philosophical response.  I asked him why 8-minute miles?  He said, “Because that’s what the Garmin defaults are!”  It turns out when you get your new Garmin GPS device it will have the transition from run to jog at an 8-minute mile.

When I first got this question I thought to myself “Don’t touch it! There’s no way you can answer this without making someone mad…”  Then I asked some friends and fellow runners this question.  I was surprised by the quick answers I got.  It turns out most runners have, at least in their own minds, a solid opinion of what delineates ‘jogging’ from ‘running’.

We all know what running is, right?  I mean the physical act of running, regardless of pace, form or effort is easy to differentiate from walking, sitting, swimming, crawling or laying on your back in a Hawaiian shirt in a hammock.  The term itself isn’t controversial.

However when you ask a runner if they are going ‘jogging’ be prepared to get a scandalized dirty look.  “We’re not jogging!” They protest.  “We’re Runners!” It’s as if you’ve accused them of not being worthy.

I looked up the etymology of ‘Jogging’.  As a word it is a gift of the British from the mid-seventeenth century that had none of the emotional overtones.  It simply meant to perambulate in some form or other.  Saying “I went for my morning jog” was just a tad more whimsical way of saying ‘walk’ or ‘brisk walk’.   Those whacky Brits.

Jogging presumably acquired some of its less-favorable overtones when Bill Bowerman went ‘jogging’ in New Zealand with Arthur Lydiard and subsequently wrote the book titled, yes you guessed it, “Jogging” in 1966 proposing this recreational form of running as the solution to many social ills and  health problems.

It would seem that during the first running boom of the 1970’s ‘jogging’ was just a way to describe running for your health with no particular competitive inclination.  I think this is where jogging starts to get painted with a negative patina.  It came to be seen as a slower, lower effort, non-competitive version of running.

It seems “Jogging” was originally intended to be a subset of running; a less strenuous, less serious form of running. It was running for the non-competitive masses.

Dr. George Sheehan is famously quoted as saying that the difference between runners and joggers is a race number. The thought being that as soon as it becomes a competition – you are running.  This is one of the most common responses I got when I polled my virtual running friends with this very same question.

Curious man that I am I spent the weekend asking every runner I met if they could describe the difference in the terms.

I asked my friend Rich on our long run this morning and he immediately replied “8-minute miles”.  I was expecting a more thoughtful, if not philosophical response.  I asked him why 8-minute miles?  He said, “Because that’s what the Garmin defaults are!”  It turns out when you get your new Garmin GPS device it will have the transition from run to jog at an 8-minute mile.

Of course, that’s just an arbitrary number set by some Product Tech.  Not all responses to my question were that definitive but many framed the difference as one of pace, effort or distance.  People seem to sense that running is ‘more’ and jogging is ‘less’ in some way but they are hard pressed to come up with a quantification.  The border between running and jogging is apparently amorphous and mostly self defined.

One interesting wrinkle I got on the ‘effort’ argument was ‘conversational’ pace.  Meaning that if you can still hold a conversation while you’re running, then you’re jogging!  I guess that would put an end to my long runs because they would now be long jogs.

When pressed, most people will cite ‘intent’ or ‘purpose’ as the difference.  I tend to fall into that group.   This cadre believes that the difference between running and jogging is not speed or distance.  For this group running requires a more focused purpose, perhaps the existence of goals, maybe the following of a plan.  This faction believes that the runner is not just aimlessly moving about, but is working, to the best of their ability and resources to achieve something.

I think my favorite response was ‘Sweat Pants’.  Meaning if you’re out in your Chuck Taylor’s and sweats, chances are you’re a jogger.  Another great observation made was that whenever the news talks about it, as in “Miley Cyrus was seen jogging” or “Jogger attacked in the Park”, they never say ‘running’, they always say ‘jogging’.  Therefore, if you’re not on the six o’clock news, then you’re a runner.

Why are we so offended when someone asks us if we have been ‘jogging’?  Why the personal affront?  Because, when you call me a jogger you lessen the value of what I’m out there doing.  You take away from the personal sacrifice, the miles and the pain I’ve invested in my sport.  I’m not winning any races, but I’ve worked hard my whole life, as a runner, to walk the talk.

We see what we do as clearly different than the casual and occasional jaunt around the neighborhood in sweat pants.  Is there a point where a jogger becomes a runner? Is it the point where recreation gives way to focus?  Is it the point where we start to care?  Is the very fact that we are offended by being called a ‘jogger’ proof in itself that we have made the transition?

Running, is not about speed, time or miles.  Running is not in our legs.  Running is in our hearts and our heads.  Running is what we bring to the sport, what we sacrifice and what we burn on our alters of shoes and shorts and race bibs.

The truth? The truth is that a runner is that person that defines themselves as a runner because as soon as they do that, they have made the transition from jogging to running.

Either way, you’ll see me out there…

Chris Russell lives and trains in suburban Massachusetts with his family and Border collie Buddy.  Chris is the author of “The Mid-Packer’s Lament”, and “The Mid-Packer’s Guide to the Galaxy”, short stories on running, racing, and the human comedy of the mid-pack.  Chris writes the Runnerati Blog at www.runnerati.com.  Chris’ Podcast, RunRunLive is available on iTunes and at www.runrunlive.com. Chris also writes for CoolRunning.com (Active.com) and is a member of the Squannacook River Runners and the Goon Squad.

Email me at cyktrussell at Gmail dot com

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http://www.runrunlive.com/the-difference-between-running-and-jogging

Running tips for beginners | Running | Jogging | Exercise

Running tips for beginners

Running is free, you can do it anywhere, and it burns more calories than any other mainstream exercise.

Regular running can reduce your risk of chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke. It can also boost your mood and keep your weight under control.

It’s not surprising that running is the latest fitness craze, with Gordon Ramsay, Nigella Lawson and Katie Price among the celebrities who love it.

This guide is designed to make running a safe and enjoyable experience for beginners, and to provide you with tips on how to stay motivated.

Before you start

If you feel out of shape, or you're recovering from injury or worried about an existing condition, see your GP before you start running.

If you’ve not been active for a while, you may want to build your fitness levels gently with our guide to walking for health before you move on to running.

Running requires very little equipment, but a good pair of running shoes that suit your foot type will reduce the risk of injury.

There are many types of trainers on the market, so get advice from a specialist running retailer who will assess your foot and find the right shoe for you.

The shoes’ shock absorbers weaken over time, increasing your risk of injury. It’s advisable to replace running shoes every 300 miles (482km).

Plan your runs. Work out when and where (the exact route and time) you're going to run and put it in your diary. That way, it won’t slip your mind.

Starting out

To avoid injury and enjoy the experience, it’s essential to ease yourself into running slowly and increase your pace and distance gradually over several outings.

Start each run with a gentle warm-up of at least five minutes. This can include quick walking, marching on the spot, knee lifts, side stepping and climbing stairs.

Start walking for an amount of time that feels comfortable (anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes).

Once you can walk for 30 minutes easily, include some running intervals of one to two minutes into your walking at a speed that feels comfortable.

As time goes on, make the running intervals longer, until you're running for 30 minutes continuously.

Run with your arms and shoulders relaxed, and elbows bent. Keep an upright posture and a smooth running stride, striking the ground with the middle of your foot. For more information on good running technique, read How to run correctly.

Give yourself a few minutes to cool down (to bring your heartbeat back to normal) after each run by walking followed by gently stretching your leg muscles. Try our post-run stretch routine.

Regular running for beginners means getting out at least twice a week. Your running will improve as your body adapts to the consistent training stimulus.

It’s better to run twice a week, every week, than to run half a dozen times one week and then do no running for the next three weeks.

We have produced a series of podcasts to help absolute beginners get into running. Our Couch to 5K programme is designed to get just about anyone off the couch and running 5km in nine weeks.

Staying motivated

Improve your running

If you're looking to improve your running, why not try the NHS Choices 5K+ running podcasts. Each podcast in the series provides a structured run with running music and coaching to develop your running technique, speed and stamina.

Set yourself a goal

Whatever your level, setting goals is important for staying focused and motivated. Make your goals realistic to avoid becoming demoralised. Training for a race, such as a 5K, or a charity run is a good way to keep going. For more information on running events and training for a run, go to runbritain or parkrun.

Run with a friend

It really helps to have someone about the same level of ability as you to run with. You’ll encourage each other when you’re not so keen to run. You'll feel you don't want to let your running partner down, and this will help motivate you. Find a running partner on realbuzz or Jogging buddy.

Keep a diary

Keep a diary of your runs. Note down each run, including your route, distance, time, weather conditions and how you felt. That way, whenever your motivation is flagging, you can look back and be encouraged by how much you’ve improved. Check out Real Buzz’s running blogs.

Mix it up

Keep your running interesting by adding variety. Running the same route over and over again can become boring. Vary your distances and routes. Use Real Buzz’s route planner to find, record and share your favourite running routes.

Join a club

A running club is the perfect way to commit to running regularly. Most clubs have running groups for different levels, including beginners. Clubs are also a great way to find running partners to run with outside of club sessions. Find a running club near you with UK Athletics' club search.

Page last reviewed: 30/06/2012

Next review due: 30/06/2014

Courtesy of

Your health, your choices

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/getting-started-guides/Pages/getting-started-running.aspx