One of my good friends, Kat, recently ran a 10K. She inspired me to take up running as a form of exercise. Instead of driving myself to the gym, attending a class and then driving back, I love that running is an immediate form of workout. You just put on your shoes, stretch and go. It’s been about a month since I’ve started and I’ve learned a few lessons that I’d thought I’d share with you today.
Oh, one more thing. After I told my sisters that I started running, they decided to give it a try, too. Carol signed us all up for a 5K at the end of November so now we’re all training for that event. A race is a good motivator.
I’ve been using some basic Asics that I bought last year but everyone is suggesting that I try going to a store like Fleet Feet to get the perfect shoe for running. Initially, I dismissed the idea but now that I’m getting shin splints I’ve come to accept that the right shoe is important.
Speaking of shin splints, it’s very real and very common. It’s basically pain caused by overuse along the shinbone, the large front bone in the lower leg. I don’t want to completely stop running but I’ve learned that I have to take it easy on myself, especially in the beginning. As this article states, “Beginning runners who are starting up a running program will often run too far or too fast before their legs are ready to sustain the distance or the speed they’re running.” Before you start running like crazy, read about shin splints and what you can do to prevent them.
Wearing the right workout clothes is important. I invested in some Lululemon leggings. They’ll run you about $100 but they’re worth it because of the high quality material and because they have pockets where you can put your keys or phone. If you can, it’s best to go to an actual store to try them on to get the right fit.
I use two apps to run. One is called Strava. It handles all your needs for tracking, recording your distance, time, speed, and so forth. The other is Couch to 5K. It’s a “coaching” type of app that eases you into running a 5K. The idea is to transform you from couch potato to runner, getting you to begin running a 5K or 3.1 miles and on a regular basis in just two months. It breaks your run up into intervals of walking and running. The soothing voice tells you when to warm up, walk, run, and cool down.
That’s it for now. I’ll let you know, next month, how the 5K goes. Now go out there and run!
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