Beginners Guide To Running

It's pretty well accepted that running, especially distance running, has one of the highest injury rates of any sport. I would challenge you to find a runner who isn't hurt, or down, at least once a year. Stress fractures, tendonitis, hamstring issues and knee troubles are all commonplace among so many runners. I'm not suggesting that all of these are due to improper form but I can confidently assure you that the prevalence of these problems will be substantially reduced with attention to proper running form and lots of practice.

There are many facets to a good stride, but we will only look at three.

1) A quick cadence. A runner's cadence is the number of steps they take in a minute. Speeding up your cadence will force many other aspects of your stride into place. Shoot for 160-180 steps per minute. This has no relation to speed, you can run fast or slow with the same cadence. Try to keep your stride length short and your feet under your center of gravity. Don't reach out too far with your lead foot.

2) A forefoot strike. Forefoot running refers to landing or impacting with the front or middle of you foot. I would lay odds on the fact that it's completely opposite of what you're doing now, which is probably striking with your heel. We were not designed to run by landing on our heel, however, we are forced to because of the design of most of today's running shoes. You can look into getting a minimalist shoe, or just pay careful attention to how you foot lands. It takes some practice and often months of adjustments but once developed it will happen quite naturally.

3) Proper posture. A locked core and a slight lean forward. This will help you take advantage of your body's natural shock absorbing system. To speed up, maintain the same cadence and lean a little more forward. To slow down, just lean back.

Here's another great link to a site on Forefoot Running:
Forefoot Running

Running gear can get expensive. The good news is you don't need to run out and plop down a pile of cash on the best stuff on the market. You probably have sufficient shoes already and an off brand dry fit tee shirt from a big box store will do just fine.
The most important thing to remember is stay away from cotton and support your bouncy parts. For the men this means getting running shorts with the underwear built in and for women a good sports bra.

During longer runs make sure you head is covered by a hat and you have other sun safeguards in place. Optional gear includes a GPS watch to track pace, distance, and speed, an MP3 player, a hydration pack, and a heart rate monitor.

Here is a great link to review some of the best rated running shoes on the market.

Best Rated Running Shoes

Diet

You can't ignore diet and expect to simply run yourself into shape. So many new runners will gain weight when starting a new program because they use running to excuse overeating. Here are the most important things to remember in regards to diet while starting a training program: For more on Running For Weight Loss

1) You don't need to carb load. You're not at those distances yet so leave the Gatorade, energy gels, and pasta behind until your running 10+ miles.
2) You burn about 100 calories per mile so don't pack it back on with pizza and beer and tell yourself you deserve it.
3) Eat lots of lean meat, fruit, and vegetables. You can't engineer food better than mother nature so keep it simple.

Recovery

Give yourself enough time between workouts so that you're not going into the next one sore. Ice is much better for pains than heat, just use it immediately after noticing pain. Ice works best when it's applied quickly.

Epsom salt is another wonderful and inexpensive product. Soak a small towel in a solution of two cups Epsom and one gallon hot water and apply it the sore area and wrap it with an ace bandage.

Stretching is also vital. Stretch when your muscles are warm, after a run, and do it for about 10 minutes or so. This will help you bounce back for your next run quickly.

Running is fantastic and will treat your body well if you let it.

It's hard to lay out the specifics of a training program because even beginners will have much different starting points and varying degrees of ease with their running. When you can comfortably run for 20 or 30 minutes without stopping it will be time to look into increasing the frequency that you train. Push yourself to a moderately uncomfortable point without going too far. You don't want to wind up injured in your first month.

Here is a sample Running For Beginners program for someone who can't run for longer than 10 minutes at a time:

1. Week 1: Walk for 5 minutes. Jog slowly for 2 minute, and then walk for 2 minutes. Repeat this interval for 3 times, or until you become uncomfortable. Walk for 5 minutes to cool down.
2. Week 2: Walk for 5 minutes. Jog slowly for 2 minutes, and then walk for 2 minutes. Repeat this interval for 4 times, or until you become uncomfortable. Walk for 5 minutes to cool down.
3. Week 3: Walk for 10 minutes. Jog slowly for 4 minutes, and then walk for 2 minutes. Repeat this interval 4 times, or until you become uncomfortable. Walk for 5 minutes to cool down.

You can do the above workouts once, or up to three times, a week depending on your comfort level. Add to the running portions and subtract from the walking until you can comfortably run for twenty minutes without stopping. Then, look into your first 5K race. This will give you a serious shot of motivation and keep you coming back for more running.

Running with a dog provides for one of the best partners a runner could ask for. They don't complain about the heat or wind and, in most circumstances, can outlast a beginning runner. I added this extra bit to this module because so many new runners use a dog as a running companion. Here are three things to look out for:
1) Watch the pads of their feet. The pavement can get hot and is always abrasive, especially if their not used to it. Dogs can't talk so you have to be on the lookout for signs of injury.
2) Plenty of water. They cool themselves through their mouths so water is double important for them.
3) Start slow. Just like people, dogs need time to build up to running so start slow and add miles in moderation.