Quite a few people have been asking about my running and how to get started, so below I have written a blog containing beginning tips, these are just my thoughts and feelings about running, my personal opinion not a professional one. It is actually a massive compliment that people have noted my achievement, and appreciate my weight loss and healthy new life style and if I can motivate anyone else to adopt a healthier happier life by writing about my experiences and passing on what I have learnt then all the hard work that got me here has been worth it.
Please note I still am learning, still have weight to lose, still seeking to get healthier, setting new targets,and pushing my body my journey has not finished in fact I feel as if it has only just started, so for those of you who are just starting out, learning to redo what we used to do so naturally as children, welcome and feel safe in the knowledge that we are all trying to achieve the same thing and I hope you learn to love running as much if not more than I do and that running brings you the health benefits both mentally and physically that is has bought me.
TRAINERS
Top of the list, should be a new pair of trainers. Get your gait (posh runner’s chat for the way in which you run) checked at a specialist shop, they will put you on a treadmill and film you running. Then recommend a really expensive pair of trainers!
Jokes aside it’s worth doing, the right pair of trainers can stop you from picking up an injury. Pounding the pavement is not kind to your legs so it’s worth investing in a good pair.
You will probably have one of three running style, Neutral, underpronater or overpronater this website explains it all a lot better than I can http://www.runnersworld.ltd.uk/pronation.htm
RUNNING MADE EASY
A fantastic book available on Play and Amazon, http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1843404346/?tag=googhydr-21&hvadid=3176978253&ref=pd_sl_7bb2ha6zym_e
http://www.play.com/Books/Books/4-/3509753/Zest-Running-Made-Easy/Product.html
It is a great book for beginners and beyond with wonderful stories from female runners, will inspire anyone, and a great plan to get you from running to walking.
START SLOW
At first you should start very slowly, don’t go out and go crazy, leave the fast running to Usain Bolt. If your running with someone you should be able to talk easily and not be out of breathe.
At first you should start very slowly, don’t go out and go crazy, leave the fast running to Usian Bolt, if your running with someone you should be able to talk easily and not be out of breathe.
Many of us start too fast, burn out, huffing and puffing like a steam train, within ten minutes, and give up as they think running is way to hard. Slow and steady is the way to go.
Speed will come later once you’ve built up your stamina. Even if people are walking faster than you, don’t worry you will get faster once you build up you stamina. Remember in the end the tortoise beat the hare!
HAVE FAITH
If you’re consistent, you will see improvement. I was surprised at the quick improvements I made when I started running again, how much following a programme really helped. The first part of a run can feel terrible, sometimes It can take 10-15 minutes or so for me to start feeling good, so just give it time if you don’t feel to great at the start of a run, it will get better.
BE CONSISTENT
Try to run often, consistency is the key to becoming healthier and fitter, and also to weight loss if that is what you are trying to do. Running is great for weight loss as it is one of the best calorie burners, but for those of you not looking to lose weight, but to get fit, you could not of picked a better sport.
A friend of mine who is very slim took up running and the increase in appetite caused her to put on a little weight, it was not fat but muscle and she is very happy with her new slightly fuller, stronger shape.
MAKE RUNNING PART OF YOUR LIFE.
Make a commitment to running, promise yourself your going to run a number of times a week, if you can’t find the time make it, I run to the bank put a cheque in and run back home, run to the mechanic to pick up the car. Run home from a school I’m teaching at. Sometimes running first thing in the morning can be great, you get it out of the way and it’s done. If you really want to do it, you’ll find the time.
BE SAFE
If you do not feel safe to run alone, (we don’t all live in nice quiet leafy suburbs), convince a friend to join you or join a running club.
If you wear headphones, keep the volume low, or do not wear them at all.
Watch out for dogs they love things that run.
Watch out for dog mess!
Take a phone out with you, try not to use it unless you have to, for safety reasons.
Take a pound coin with you, you never know when it might come in handy.
Think carefully about where your running, no lonely places,
Try not to put yourself in danger.
Be aware of your surrounding,
Watch out for cars, bikes motorcycles and even people, basically anything that moves and even things that don’t, broken pavements, potholes e.t.c.
Bring along your oyster card, especially when you first start that way if anything happens or you get tired you can jump on the bus home.
READ UP ON RUNNING
Whilst training for the marathon I devoured everything I could on running, books, website, magazines
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/
Runners world was my bible, you can go on the above link and subscribe or use the website. The magazine is full of tips information, product reviews, and so forth.
HEALTHY EATING.
For those of you who wish to lose weight, combining running with a low calorie diet is the best way to do it. Make sure you eat enough of the right things to support your running, things that are healthy and will fill you up.
Even if you are not looking to lose weight a healthy filling diet will aid your running.
I've lost a stone and a half in-between October and April, my weight loss slowed down in the last few months before the marathon, but that was because I found I needed to eat more to fuel the amount of miles I was running, but I never gained weight and still lost inches. In retrospect it was not a great amount of weight but I out on so much muscle and toned up so well, that I lost a lot of fat, and I actually look a lot slimmer than the scales would suggest.
Running does make you hungry so it can cause you to munch, which can be counterproductive, but if you stick to law fat options like fruit, veg, salad, home made soups, raisins, nuts, pasta, porridge, you should be fine.
Saying that the extra running can give you that little bit of buffer, just don’t go mad and you’ll be fine.
I love food, which is why I put on weight in the first place, yamming without exercise recipe for disaster. Running allows me to eat without putting on weight and to be honest what you may find, as you get fitter, you no longer want to eat crap.
I still have more weight to lose, but I am now confident with the running and a low calorie diet I will continue to lose.
Clothing sites
Below are three great sites for running clothes, very reasonably priced, I have bought quite a bit of gear from them, I love a bargain and all three sites have some cheap but good quality gear.
http://www.startfitness.co.uk/
You don’t need to spend loads, but if you think your ready to commit yourself, then why not treat yourself to a couple of nice pieces of running clothes to make yourself, feel and look good.
Running tights are great, you may not feel confident enough to wear them in the beginning, but if your brave enough buy a pair, they will make you feel like and look like a runner and they feel as if they are a second skin.
If you live in an area where wearing skin tight gear may bring out the wrong type of attention, then put on anything you feel comfortable in, save the running tights for the running club or a race.
CHALLENGE YOUR SELF TO A RACE
It will give you a goal to work towards and help to keep you motivated. If I was not training for the marathon and the fear of not being ready was not at the forefront of my mind, I can assure you I would not of been running through the streets of West London during one of the coldest winters in almost 20 years, I would have been tucked up in my bed, or chilling on the sofa. The marathon kept me going, kept me focused and forced me out of the house, on the coldest, rainiest of days.
WEBSITES
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/news/article.asp?UAN=815
GOOD LUCK AND HAPPY RUNNING.
well done sis...this info was very useful and its great to see how fit and well u look.
ReplyDeletenow its my turn!!! i hate runnin...but i do like walkin...and so if i focus on the goal ahead and like u said start slow i may enjoy it & b able to do it properly within a month or two!!
Hey sis,
ReplyDeletethanks for passing through, you'll be fine, walking is the first stage of running, you will be able to do it, well done for taking that first step.