This article was published on August 12th, 2013

Photo credit: Jay Minter

Being a runner doesn’t mean you have to be training for a half or full marathon. You may choose to start running because you want to lead a healthier lifestyle, to loose weight, have a friend who runs, or want to train for an upcoming race. Whatever your reason for deciding to start running, you’ve make a great choice. Here are some common tips for new runners, just like you, to help you get out and enjoy the experience:

1. First and foremost, go to the Running Room and get new shoes. No, you can’t run in the shoes you’ve been wearing to the gym for the last two years or had in the closet since high school. The folks over the Running Room will assess your body and movements, called a gait analysis, to help determine the right shoes for you.
2. Start off slow. Don’t try to run a full 10k on your first run. It’ll lead to injuries and a lot of sore muscles. Download a 10k training program and stick to it. A good training program has three types of runs to build a solid foundation of running. Each type is done once a week:
   1. Strength training (hill repeats)
   2. Speed work (fast runs at a short distance)
   3. Endurance (slow runs for a long distance).
3. It’s important to pay attention to nutrition and hydration. Before a run have a banana and yogurt. It’ll help fuel your run. Afterwards have a protein shake and a bagel to help your body recover. Always take water with you and have a sip of water every 10 minutes of running.
4. When out for a run, don’t expect to run the entire time. Even experienced runners don’t run non-stop on long runs or races. Start off by running for 3 minutes and walking for 1 (called a 3-and-1 or 3:1), then move to a 5:1, and eventually get to a 10:1. It will take time to get there, so be patient.
5. Enjoy doing something you love. Running outdoors is amazing because you get to see new parts of your neighbourhood that you might never have seen before and you can get lots of fresh air and feel good about it. If you find at any time your body hurts, it’s because you’re either running too far or too fast too quickly and not easing into your training, you aren’t running with good form, or you haven’t followed step 1 and got proper running shoes on.

If you are just getting into running, or even thinking about it, and you have questions, leave your questions and comments on this blog post.