Ready, Set, Run!

Ready, Set, Run!!!

Many people looking to get in shape, and/or lose weight often decide they’ll start running. Here are some tips on how to get going and stay going without injuring yourself.

Start slow! Seriously, if you just start running out of the gate, you are putting yourself at a very high risk for shin splints, and/or other very painful injuries that will only set you back. It’s very easy for runners to jump in too fast and over-train.

Much like boot camp, or any other exercise regiment, it is important to ease your way into the habit. I recommend starting with walking and getting used to that for a week or two. If you’re getting a bit antsy, I would do an interval walk/run. Walk for 2-3 minutes, then maybe 30-60 seconds run/jog, then back to walking for a few minutes. Interval training is a fantastic way to build endurance without injuries. Eventually you can increase the run time, and decrease the walking.

Make sure to take the time to warm up and stretch after you are done!! It’s very important you stretch those muscles after you’ve worked them.

After a few weeks, you can add in 20 minutes of running, 3 times per week. Give yourself time to recover and listen to your body, if you're getting sick or running hurts take it easy!

Once you’re able to get through a few 20 minute runs, you can increase your runs by about 10% per week. So this might be adding a few more minutes to those weekly runs. If you’re feeling pretty good, adding one shorter run to the week might be ok. Do what feels right for you!!

This is where many runners go wrong in their program - stepping up the challenge too quickly. Your body needs time to adjust to the new stress you are adding. Think of running like weights day. Each step in a run is another rep. If you're starting out with body weight for squats would it be safe to jump up to 100 pounds for your next set if you haven't done it before? Your first run will be thousands of reps and your body may feel it the next day! It's important that you gradually increase the challenge and give your body time to react.

Below you’ll find a helpful chart that has some common mistakes, injuries and corrections to help you along your way!

If you have questions about running or are working on training for a race send me your thoughts or questions. For those of you considering doing a 5k this year I'd definitely recommend giving it a try. The race atmosphere is great and there are many people that do a run/walk during the race.

 

 

 

Good luck and happy running!