WELCOME ALL BEGINNING RUNNERS!!!
This site is here to help everyone that is beginning to run. I myself am not a natural born runner and know and understand how hard it is to get going, especially if you have know idea what to do. That is what this site is here to do. It is here to teach you the fundamentals of running and even a bit of history of the sport.
The History of Running
Running has been around for centuries upon centuries. It's a natural thing that almost any living creature does whether an animal catching food or running away or a human keeping in shape. Track and field itself was created in the ancient Olympics in 776 B.C. when a cook from the city of Elis, won a stadium race 600 feet long. This was the only known event for the first 13 Olympic festivals. The marathon itself was not introduced until about 1896 in Athens. Its name was derived from the city where it began named Marathon (a city about 42 kilometers north of Athens). Track and field itself has only been in the U.S. since the 1860s. The NCAA did not introduce championship races until 1921. The sport is now regulated in the U.S. by the Athletics Congress. Cross-country, another popular running sport, was created in England and was known has "hare and hounds" or "the paper chase". The first formal cross-country race was held in 1837 at a Rugby school. The NCAA finally had its first championship race in 1938. Though many people run both cross-country and track (long distance) they are still two different sports. Cross-country is held in the fall and is run in wide-open areas such as around fields, whereas track is held in the spring and ran on an oval track. Running, whether track or cross-country, has always been an enjoyable sport and is still becoming more popular to society. Famous People and Events in the History of Running
There are many famous people in the world of running. For instance, the most famous is Steve Prefontaine. He is probably, by far, the most commonly known runner of all time. He is better known as "Pre". He's known for being one of the greatest American runners of his time. During his short career he once held all the records for every event from 2000 meters to 10,000 meters. Pre lived a short life and died in a car accident at the young age of 24 years old. Another widely known runner was Roger Bannister. He was the man who created the first record for a sub-four minute mile. Bannister was almost beat to the record by a man from Australia but quickly found a race to enter and trained his hardest ever and got the record. This was such a great even that there was actually a movie created called Four Minute Mile. The movie is one of the best ever. Another movie created was called Chariots of Fire. The music used in the movie is famous. Almost anyone would recognize the music without ever seeing the movie because it is used so often in commercials. The movie itself is about three young, British college students taking part in the 1924 summer Olympics in Paris. Their running careers are threatened by that of a young Scotsman who "runs for the glory of God%u2026by refusing to run when his race is scheduled on Sunday" (movietome.com). There are also many books on the famous in running. For example, there is a book about Emil Zatopek. Zatopek became famous when he won the 5,000 meters, the 10,000 meters and the marathon at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki. There are so many famous runners in the world of competitive running and it is so interesting to hear their great stories or even see them in a movie. Getting Started
It's hard to get started running. One has to find motivation. Once the motivation is found then it's just a matter of getting what one needs and knowing what to do. First off, you have to have the right shoes and clothing. All of this can be found at most any of the sports stores such as Dick's Sporting Goods and Finish Line. Check to see if there is any specialty running stores in the area because the people there are likely to be more helpful and know exactly what they are doing because they are experienced specifically in that area. The next step is just getting out the door and going. Make sure to have stretched and warmed up before hand so to not get injured. When starting the run, just ease into it. If a person goes out too fast he or she can get injured or tire out too quickly. These are just some basic ideas to get started. Also, when running, nutrition plays a big role. One must start eating differently in order to keep healthy, fit, and energized. Running takes up a lot of energy and the wrong foods can slow a person down and drain you out. Running Technique and Form
Technique includes everything from breathing to form. Many people think that when running, breathing is easy. That isn't always true. Many people actually don't breathe correctly. They breathe completely through their mouths or noses and not a combination of both. The correct form of breathing is to breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. This helps to make sure that the breathing does not become too heavy. Also when running, form is key. Running with bad form can cause the runner to slow down, get injured, and breathe heavier, and plain just makes him or her look like a rookie. The basics of formthat are easy to remember is to do the following:
1) Don't lean. Keep the head up and shoulders back.
2) Don't flail around. This is what makes someone look like a rookie and somebody could get hurt (an elbow to the ribs by accident). Hold the elbows at a 90 degree angle and movie them straight back and forth.
3) Pick the knees up. By doing this, the runner will be moving farther and faster and not dragging his or her feet.
4) Move the arms. By moving the arms, it helps to control breathing and actually makes one run faster. As the arms move, the legs will follow. The faster the arms move, the faster the legs move.
When, Where, and With Who???
When is the best time to run? This depends on the person. Some prefer early morning jogs and some prefer running after work to relieve stress. Others run during lunch breaks at work in order to fit it into a busy schedule. When to run basically depends on the type of person who is running and what he or she prefers. Most races are run in the morning while it is still cool out. If someone is planning on racing, mornings are probably best in order to get used to the atmosphere of running bright and early. As a side note, races are good to get into. They help to keep one on track and find out where he or she is at in his or her training. They are also great places to meet new people at and find running buddies. Also, joining a running club is a good way to meet new friends and have a good time running with other people. The Plan>>>Running Schedules and Workouts
How to train? What is the best way? That also depends on the person. Some prefer to do all long runs everyday. Others prefer to mix it up a bit. For instance, my high school cross-country likes to mix it up, which I find to actually benefit us because of the many different exercises that we do. We would have long runs on Mondays, sprints on Tuesdays and Thursdays, medium runs on Wednesdays, short runs (but not sprints) on Fridays, and hill training on Saturdays. All of these different types of running benefit in many ways. They train the body for endurance, speed, and climbing. I find many people to enjoy these types of workouts because of the training and it breaks up the monotony of just long distance running. But again, the workouts depend on the person and also what the person is able to achieve personally. List of Links to Helpful Sites
These sites should help anyone get started running and also teach them about the sports history and present.
- Getting Started the Right Way
- This site is great for those who like step-by-step process. This site provides a step-by-step guide to getting a good start on running. For instance, it provides links to help find the right shoes and clothes. It helps with starting goals and getting over the pain that comes with being out of shape.
- The Couch-to-5K Running Plan
- This site is a complete running schedule to help beginning runners get up of the couch and running 3 miles in just 2 months.
- The 5 P's of Running Form
- This site breaks down the way to a correct running stride through the 5 P's: preparation, propulsion, push off, pull through, and percussion. each comes with a great description and drills to go along.
- Warm Up and Cool Down
- This sit offers ways to warm up and cool down and what the benefits are to each. It also offers associated sites and links where even more information can be found.
- Middle Distance Running Technique
- This site offers descriptions to the best running form and a training program that will help to accomplish the goal of a near perfect form.
- Steve Prefontaine: High School Days
- This site offers background into one of the most famous running legends known today: Steve Prefontaine. This site goes into the history of Pre's early years in running as a high schooler.
- First Steps
- This site is really good to use to help out those first few steps down the road. It offers basic information on form and breathing and advice on how to start off.
- Nutrition for runners
- This site gives insight to what is good for a runner to eat and drink and when to do so. It helps by giving advice as to what is good to eat to keep energized and healthy.
- First Steps from Runner's World Magazine
- This site is one of the best to use. It is one of the most renowned runners magazines in the world. This specific article helps to get people started and out running. It helps to keep people interested in running and motivated.
- The Perfect Form
- This site goes into great detail of how to achieve near perfect form. It gives good descriptions on what to do with your body from head to toe.
- Breathing
- This article gives some insight on the best way to breathe. Many new runners do not know the correct way of breathing while running and must be taught. Yes, one must be taught how to breathe while running.
- Stretching
- This article gives a few good stretches to do before and after running. It also tells when the best times are to stretch.
- Running 101
- This article helps beginning runners to get started. It helps with everything from buying the right shoes through the end of training. It even has a ten week training schedule.
- When to Run
- This is a short article with tips of when to run. they also give tips for certain parts of the day if you already know when you want to run.
- Race Etiquette
- This article helps people to get ready to race. It gives helpful hints to what to do months in advance of a race all the way up to during the race.
- Running Clubs
- This article gives advice about how to find people to run with. "While running works well as a solitary sport, there are times when it's fun to run with others. One way to find other runners is to join a running club". This is a quote from Hal Higdon, the writer who wrote this article for Runner's World Magazine.
- Running Past-Books & Magazines
- This site offers many different books and magazines on running. Many of the books are about the history of different races and the runners themselves. For instance, Emil Zatopek, one of the most famous runners, and Roger Bannister, the man who ran the first sub-four minute mile.
- The History of Cross-country
- This site gives background into the beginning of the sport of running. It starts back in Old England through NCAA cross-country. It also explains a few of the rules such as how scoring is kept.
- The Origins and Facts of Track and Field
- This site offers background information on one of the most famous running sports, that is, track and field. It begins back in the ancient Olympic games in 776 B.C. all the way through the beginning of the NCAA Championships.
- Chariots of Fire-Movie
- This site gives a synopsis of the movie Chariots of Fire. the movie is basically about some of the greatest running spectacles ever.
- Four Minute Mile-Movie
- This site is about one of the greatest races in history. the race was the first where someone ran a sub-four minute mile. this event was later made into one of the best movies ever: Four Minute Mile. The man that ran this race was Roger Bannister. the site gives a description of the event from Bannister himself and also from Marc Bloom, the man that wrote the story for the movie.
- Steve Prefontaine: From the Beginning
- This is a Wikipedia site that tells about Pre's short, but great, lived life. It tells about where he came from, how he started, and even events after his death at the young age of 24.
Running Photos
These are just some random photos of people out enjoying a good run in many different settings and a couple of the most famous runner ever: Steve Prefontaine.
Memorial to Steve Prefontaine
Steve Prefontaine t-shirt
Beach runner
track meet
High School cross-country meet
Chicago Marathon
Indianapolis 500 Mini-marathon
2006 Indianapolis 500 festival mini-marathon
Audio muted at due to copyright. Will never buy another CD again. Video blog of Steve, John, Jason, and Adam at the 2006 Indianapolis 500 festival mini-marathon (half-marathon)
Runtime: 5:27
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First sub-four minute mile in Wisconsin
Wisconsin 4 minute mile broken
May 6th, 2006: Matt Tegenkamp (Nike) and Chris Solinsky (University of Wisconsin) run the first sub four-minute miles in the state of Wisconsin's history at the UW Twilight Invitational. (sorry the video kinda sucks - if I had known I was the only one recording it I would have gone up to the announcer's booth...)
Runtime: 6:58
24841 views
10 Comments:
A race in Central Park, NYC
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Reader Feedback
I hope my site was helpful to anyone who is taking up the great sport of running. Let me know what you thought so I can make changes if needed. Thanks everyone.
Lensmaster
Lensmaster
Matt wrote
Great lens. I have just started running myself and hopefully the links you've posted will come in useful. I have started a blog to track and share my progress with other beginners. http://beginningrunning.wordpress.com
Posted June 05, 2009
MikeRhodes wrote...
This site was great. I am attempting to create my first lenses. I thought running would be a great topic since I have been running for 20 years. I need a lot of work on my lens after viewing yours.
Great Job!! You have a passion for running, and teaching others to run.
Thanks,
Mike Rhodes
Posted November 14, 2008
by knobert
Hey everyone!! My name is Kristin and I'm here to help anyone that wants to start running, to get up and GO!!! Whether in high school, college, or out... (more)
