Well, it’s coming to be that time of year when people are outside taking advantage of all that great weather. There’s no better way to get some exercise than outside. Running is such a great exercise that can be done ANYWHERE!! All you need is a good pair of running shoes and you’re set. Although it can be hard on your body there are a few precautions that you can take in order to keep your body functioning as smoothly as possible. You will not be able to run a marathon overnight. Here are some helpful tips to get you started.
- Start small. Run for 10 minutes and then walk for 1 minute. Do that 2-3 times for the first 3-5 times you run.
- You may need to space out your first few runs to let your body recover. Maybe 1 run every 2-3 days. Your muscles are just getting used to the motion and impact. Stretching after a run will help decrease the pain the next day.
- When you start to feel more confident, try running a little bit longer without stopping. Try 20 minutes on 1 minute off and repeat that twice. Just think, in 20 minutes you could have runmore than 1 mile and close to 2 if you’re running around 5 miles an hour.
- Figure out a pace that works for you. At first, you’ll probably want to keep it a bit slower so that you can run longer. If you know you only have half an hour to run, then pick up your pace a bit and challenge your heart to beat a little bit harder than usual.
- Remember, the first mile or so is always the hardest. Your body is getting used to the motions and soon it will realize that you’re in it for the long haul and adjust. You’ll feel like your heart is pounding a lot harder at first and then you won’t even notice it anymore after the first couple of miles.
- Think you haven’t worked hard enough because your heart rate went back to normal so quickly? Actually, that’s a great thing! It means that your heart is becoming more fit and efficient. A fit heart also has a lower resting heart rate. This is because your heart can pump more blood through your body because it is stronger.
- When planning for a race, keep a training schedule handy so you know how much and how far to run. This is important because you do not want to work your body too hard prior to a race but at the same time, you need to be adequately prepared. At the end of this article there are some links to follow in order to help you create your own training program.
- Nutrition wise, remember that the better fuel you put in your body, the better your body will run. Keep a diet full of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean meats. And don’t forget to drink LOTS of water. If the standard amount of water to drink is 2 litres (8 cups) a day, you need to increase that amount to 3-4 litres a day when you are doing your long runs. Another thing to remember is a couple of days before the race, you should drastically decrease your fibre content so that you do not need to have a bowel movement during the race. Keep the more simple carbs high…such as white bread, white rice, white pasta, and fruit. These foods will help to make sure that your muscles have as much energy stored as possible.
- When it comes down to it, it has been said that if you can run half of the distance, your body can follow through and do the whole distance. One of the main hurdles is mind set. Go into the race with a positive outlook and you’ll achieve all of your goals!
From couch to 5km in no time! http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
Training for a 10 km run http://running.about.com/od/racetraining/a/10Kbeginner.htm
Training for a marathon http://www.marathontraining.com/marathon/metric2.html
Good luck on the training and I’ll see you out there on race day!
Keep Well…Kristy
