Beginner Running Tips

So I have been running for a while and it dawns on my how hard it is to become a runner / jogger and all of the advice out there isn't necessarily geared towards or applicable for someone who is just starting out.  You see I never ran before, not in high school, not in college and not for fun (didn't even think this was possible), and it is really hard to go from the couch to a 5k or even just running to stay in shape.  About the only running I did do was playing basketball in pickup games.  Needless to say I wasn't in great shape to start, in fact I was probably in the worst shape of my life, tipping the scales at over 220 lbs. and just hating the feeling.  So I decided to start running, well mostly walking at first.  I didn't look too much for tips or tricks to start running, but after I got into it I started looking a little harder.  Wouldn't you know it, there are tons of people out there offering advice to start running, but there was one little problem.  Most of these people were far removed from when they first started running, and most of them were runners when they were young.  There is a big difference between starting running at 10-12 years old, and starting in your 30's or 40's.  When you are young you don't have all the mental hurdles, someone tells you to go run 2 or 3 miles you really don't know any better and because young people are usually in better shape or at least able to push themselves to a higher level they don't know they can't do it.  Fast forward about 30 years and if someone tells you to run 2 miles an expletive may come out.  Or at least your brain will will start swearing at your body telling it that you need to stop or else you risk death.  Basically it takes a while to break down all these hurdles if you are starting later.  My favorite piece of advice is that you should run "at conversation pace" to start out. Well if you are out of shape, and you start running there may not be a "conversational pace".  It is basically 0 to struggling to breathe, right out of the gate.  So here begins my tips to go from not being able to run to hopefully running a 10 minute mile without much struggle, and how to get there by by-passing some of the mistakes I made.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, and this is not medical advice.  As always you should seek medical approval or advise or however that gets worded, before beginning any exercise routine.

1) The basics - Get a comfortable pair of shoes that can support the effort you want to put forth.  I wouldn't advise spending $200 on shoes to start, but if you can find a pair of good running shoes, that can maybe double as shoes you would just wear on a day-to-day basis where you can get some good value out of them that is best.  I wouldn't advise getting a ton of running gear to start, because then it could become cost prohibitive, or you fell like you have invested so much into it that you "have to" go do it, and running shouldn't feel that way.  It is literally the cheapest cardio exercise out there if you don't over complicate it.  I mean all you need are your feet and outside.  Some people don't even run in shoes (I wouldn't advise this, I would say you likely have a form issue if running in shoes bothers you or some type of chronic issue that maybe you shouldn't be running anyway).  As running starts to become easier I would highly recommend a device that can give heart rate feed back when you are training (more on that later).

1b) When starting to run, if you want to run for an extended period, slow down.  If you go out and think "I am going to go for it and just take off running", it likely won't go well.  You can do this and try and do it in spurts of 100 meters or 200m to start with, but you will run too fast.  If you run slow, it can feel like you aren't really "running", but if you haven't run before your heart will physically not be able to sustain the effort.  Start from walking and gradually speed up, if it becomes unsustainable slow down.  The more you can run the more it will help.

2) Start on a track.  This way if you are feeling good you can go an extra mile, or if you are hurting or the weather gets bad all the sudden, you are no further than a quarter mile from being done.  (Vin Diesel would be proud).  The only bad thing about running a route out from your house is if you get 2 or 3 miles out and you hurt yourself or cramp badly, you are 2 or 3 miles from getting home.  I would wait until you feel a little better about running, until you are more into it, before venturing out a couple miles from home base.  Vin Diesel may still be proud.  If it is convenient to go in a loop around your house, say a block or so, maybe trying doing laps at home if you don't have a track available.

3) Stay on your feet.  If you run a little and need a break, that is fine, just don't go sit down and take a break.  Walk if you can, so that you stay moving, or stop and stand if you have to.  This is called active recovery.

4) Warm up. At least a little. Sometimes for me this is a mile or so or maybe less, then do some light stretching or some dynamic stretches.

5) Learn the difference between soreness and being hurt.  Sometimes you can run through some soreness, again this will be your brain telling you to stop, not you being physically unable to run.  If there is a shooting pain in some part of your legs or body every time you step, this is more likely an injury.  If you are injured, you may only need rest to feel better, but if you have severely injured yourself you may need medical help.  If you are having pain every time you try and run or if you run and are unable to run for 2 or 3 days, you may have some form issues.  A search on youtube may help you find proper running form techniques, I would suggest filming yourself too, so that you can compare what you are doing versus what is correct.  Fixing the problem could be a bigger challenge, because you are probably running how it feels natural and you are going to have to change.  I have changed the way I run a good bit in the last 3 years and feel much more efficient even if I am not appreciably faster.  I am faster, just not super fast. yet...  I have had shin splints, sore calves, some knee pain, sometimes shoes can cause pain if you are switching between high offset shoes to low offset.  (Offset is the difference between heel height and toe height.  A quick search of your shoe can tell you what the offset is.  Going more than 3 mm down in offset did cause me issue for about 3 weeks until my body adapted to the new shoe.)

6) Ignore too much quick start advice.  Good thing I saved that for last ammirite? There is a lot, and I mean a lot of tips and tricks out there, but like I said before, it has been a long time since these people were starting out and likely they don't remember or haven't even encountered this issues that you are when first starting.  Look at my levels of running post, and try and avoid taking or trying to implement tips from people that are more than 5 levels away.  When you are just starting don't worry about cadence or pace, just stay on your feet and keep moving.

Slightly More Advanced Tips

1) Learn the difference between the aerobic and anaerobic systems.  When you are running long distance you want to try and use the aerobic system, because there is a steady flow of energy.  The anaerobic system is more quick energy and it can get depleted fairly quickly.  You also won't lose a lot of weight if you aren't in the aerobic zone, that is were fat stores are used.  Think marathoners use the aerobic system to convert the fat to energy for most of the race and use the anaerobic system for the kick at the end.  If they were running with the anaerobic system they probably wouldn't be able to get over 10 miles.

2) Monitor your heart rate while running.  Your heart rate will determine what energy system you are using.  The rule of thumb for max heart rate is 220 bpm minus your age.  So for me this is around 180...okay fine it is 179, but this is the max rate I should ever run at.  And I can tell now if I am in that range, I start to breathe really hard, and I can feel the blood racing.  To stay in that aerobic zone you want to be 70-85% of the max rate. For me this is between 125 - 152.  This is where I will be burning fat and can run for an extended period of time.  If I shoot up to 160 or higher that effort will likely be unsustainable. It maybe ok for a 5k, but anything longer I will need to whoa up.  If you heart is racing, you are going too fast, slow down to get your heart to slow down.  Once you build up the aerobic base, you can run longer and get more out of your workouts.  This is why I said get a heart rate monitor.  Usually a smart watch will give you the feedback you need.  Also the max heart rate calculation is just a rule of thumb.  That means it works for most people, but not everyone.  If it doesn't seem like it is working for you, then you may have a much higher or lower max heart rate.  You can get tested (VO2 max test) but it is costly, listen to your body.

3) Use a run tracking app.  It will help you be honest with yourself about your miles and your frequency and intensity.  Plus it makes it easier and more rewarding when you see the increase in pace or distance in your training.  I use the Under Armor Map my run app, but there are tons out there.  Samsung has one that comes on their phone, fit bit has one (but on this one I couldn't get it do the GPS without having my phone), Garmin has surprisingly sophisticated watches for tracking runs, and there is a thing called Strava.  I haven't used this but there are some neat features I have seen other people use.