How to become a runner

READ MORE: Exercise, Fitness, How To, Running

Marathoner Brandon Seils puts together a great guide to becoming an avid runner.

I’ve always thought runners the ultimate masochists, because any time I try to get into running I wind up face down on the carpet clutching my legs wondering why anyone would ever subject themselves to that much pain voluntarily. But Brandon says to become a runner, you have to break through a wall:

For most runners, there’s a wall at the three mile mark. This goes for the most beginner runners up to and probably including the long-time marathoners. The first three miles of any run are the most difficult and painful to get through. After this point, however, it’s easy to “just keep going.” Back when I was training for the Boston Marathon, and would go out for 2+ hours on a 20 mile run, the hardest miles were the first three. It’s also these first three miles that make it difficult for running to become habit. You really have to struggle past this, in order to develop a tolerance for the sport.

The health benefits of the sport and tall tales of endorphin-induced “Runner’s High” keep me trying to get past that three mile mark using Coolrunning’s Couch to 5K program. Any new or seasoned runners out there have more advice for newbie runners? Do share.

Learning how to run [Diatribe]

 

I got myself up to 5 miles not long ago but I started experiencing knee pain so I took some time off. I’m only now starting to pick it up again. very gingerly, with 2-mile runs. So far so good. The Couch to 5-K article was really neat, but by the time I’d found it I was already at 5k, so for me it was more descriptive of what I’d done already than prescriptive of what I should do in the future. I think I’m going to take Brandon’s advice and get an expert shoe fitting.

by Scott D. Feldstein on 03/20/06 11:57 AM

Running’s great but its a much higher-impact sport than, say, swimming or cycling. Because of this, I find the following steps to be of high importance:

A) Invest in an expert shoe fitting (as mentioned) – most runner’s shops will do this for free as they help you pick out your shoe. Don’t go in with a price in mind – go in with getting the right shoe in mind. You may pay $30-40 more than you planned on, but your knees are worth it.

B) Stretch. A lot. I prefer to do a warm-up jog of a few hundred yards, then stop for a full 5 minute stretch. After my full run, I cool down with a slightly longer stretch session. Not only does this help maintain flexibility and prevent injuries, it significantly reduces muscle pain over the next few days.

C) Water. A lot. I can feel a much larger wall at 3-4 miles when I haven’t been hydrating.

D) Technique. Grab a book, join a club, maybe even get lessons. Little tricks can make all the difference in the world. Some of my favorites are breathing out on the left foot-fall, keeping the feet in a straight line, smaller arm-swings to conserve energy, etc…

by allkindsoftime on 03/20/06 12:46 PM

The “Stitch”, or that pain in your side, was the hardest obstacle to overcome. Men’s health says to exhale when your left foot hits the ground. It takes some practice, but helps me a lot.

by Jeff Welch on 03/20/06 01:37 PM

I notice a lot of talk about stretching. Saturday I ran 10 miles in the park with my wife and Sunday I ran my standard 22 mile “at pace” marathon training run (7:10/mile). Total amount of stretching – 0. I am 44 and have been running all my life, but I haven’t stretched since high school cross country. Most of my running partners stopped stretching years ago also. A quick google of stretching and running will show that the community is about evenly split, with some even saying that stretching does more harm then good. I wouldn’t go that far, but for me it is a waste of time, and I would steer clear of people who profess it to be a requirement for everyone.

by MarkMcC on 03/20/06 01:40 PM