brand new runner! any tips?

sapphicgoth

my friends love running, my girlfriend loves running, and i - a person who until now has gotten all my exercise from my manual labor job and is terrified of cardio - have decided to finally give it a try. i'm gonna strike out tomorrow morning for a half hour and see how it goes.

i've looked up beginner articles about form and appropriate intervals, etc, but i'm wondering about advice from the community - what did you wish you knew when you started running? any tips or advice that you never see covered in articles?

nutmegoreo

Get decent shoes and don't do too much too fast. Sidelined by injuries from pushing too hard a couple times.

natruallycurious

I see it covered in articles, but I didn't follow it like I should have. Stretch! Good shoes and proper/adequate stretching can help prevent a lot of injuries. For intervals, I personally started with a couch to 5k app, and that worked really well for me!

marikaCL

Decent shoes are a must.

Find a good beginners program, a couch to 5k one is a good start and take it slow.

Definitely remember to stretch, it's the one thing I forget to do but is worth it.

Also don't give up, it will a come in time

AquabearGO

Maybe check out From Fat To Finish Line- good beginner program that shows you through intervals how to get to running a mile nonstop. After that you can check out Couch25k. SPEND THE DOUGH AND GET GOOD RUNNING SHOES. GO TO A RUNNING STORE, NOT SPORTING GOODS STORE.

jhewy

Run/walk to start, couch to 5k are great programs to start with, if you're going to start running seriously i.e. longer runs/mileage etc, then get your gait checked out, proper running shoes are imperative to avoid injury. Nice easy pace to start with, if you can't hold a conversation whilst running you're going too fast. Oh...and enjoy!

sapphicgoth

thanks for all the tips so far, guys! since shoes keep coming up - what brands/styles have you all had success with? right now i just have a pair of nikes that i've always had laying around (i don't even remember if they're specifically running shoes, i got them years ago)

vmsolko

Buy new shoes for sure. I started with a pair I had lying around and paid for it dearly. Got new specific running shoes and couldn't believe the difference. I like my Brooks.

I second the stretching. I am horrible about stretching, but I ALWAYS do before running or I pay for it during the run and after.

c25k was the best way for me to start. It takes the guesswork out and challenges you in an appropriate way. I wouldn't have made the leap to running 20 minutes straight on my own, but since the app told me to, I did it and found it was doable.

bordeauxred

Terrain-appropriate shoes that fit properly. Also find a sane running program where you build a good base. Be patient. No need to go from couch-to-marathon in a month! Happy running!

mabearof6

AquabearGO wrote: »

Maybe check out From Fat To Finish Line- good beginner program that shows you through intervals how to get to running a mile nonstop. After that you can check out Couch25k. SPEND THE DOUGH AND GET GOOD RUNNING SHOES. GO TO A RUNNING STORE, NOT SPORTING GOODS STORE.

Go to a running store. Don't go in with a certain pair of shoes in mind. Let them properly fit you. They should size you and help determine your gait. They usually have a treadmill or a place for you to run also. Take your time trying them all on. Good shoes make a HUGE difference. If you stick with running next time you get shoes dont just automatically buy a new pair of what you already have. Running shoes are constantly redesigned.......sometimes changes can affect the fit and feel of a shoe.

Start slow....dont over do it

jjpptt2

At this point, I wouldn't worry about much. You don't need any special gear at this point in the process (unless you want it). Expect it to be harder than you think and/or have to go slower than you want. Try to find a groove where your stride and your breathing are kind of in sync... that should help you find a pace/rhythm you can sustain.

sapphicgoth

so, with this advice i downloaded a c25k app and just finished my first 30 min run and WOW, i can't believe the difference it makes. the last few times i've tried (and quickly given up) running, i didn't bother looking anything up or asking for advice - i thought, "it's running! it can't get any more straightforward than that!" and then i didn't understand why i was miserable. i didn't know about the "if you can't talk, you're going too fast" rule, and i always tried to run nonstop right from the beginning instead of doing intervals, and so of course i hated it! but today i feel energized, warmed up, and proud of myself.

i was surprised to find that my ankles feeling sore was making me want to take a break before getting out of breath did - part of it is probably that i forgot to stretch before i went out (oops), but there's a running store not too far from me that i'll check out tomorrow! i think in addition to preventing injury, shelling out on some shoes might also be an additional prod to force me to stick with it.

pwhitechurch

Great advice from all. For me, a good running shoe is everything.

dewd2

sapphicgoth wrote: »

so, with this advice i downloaded a c25k app and just finished my first 30 min run and WOW, i can't believe the difference it makes. the last few times i've tried (and quickly given up) running, i didn't bother looking anything up or asking for advice - i thought, "it's running! it can't get any more straightforward than that!" and then i didn't understand why i was miserable. i didn't know about the "if you can't talk, you're going too fast" rule, and i always tried to run nonstop right from the beginning instead of doing intervals, and so of course i hated it! but today i feel energized, warmed up, and proud of myself.

i was surprised to find that my ankles feeling sore was making me want to take a break before getting out of breath did - part of it is probably that i forgot to stretch before i went out (oops), but there's a running store not too far from me that i'll check out tomorrow! i think in addition to preventing injury, shelling out on some shoes might also be an additional prod to force me to stick with it.

Great job! This running thing can be addictive.

Your ankles are sore probably because of your shoes. Stretching before you run is generally a bad idea. Stretching after you run is OK but not the 'fix all' that it gets credit for. For the record, I rarely stretch after a run (I do warm up before if I'm going to run hard). I do yoga and other stretching and strengthening exercises on off days.

Definitely get shoes and don't worry about brands. Get the ones that feel best from the choices the sales folks give you at the store.

Good luck.

JetJaguar

Sounds like you're off to a good start.

A tip I wish I was better at following when I first started is to remember to be disciplined about sticking to a beginners program and build up your mileage slowly. You see, the cardiovascular system improves much faster than your joints and tendons can keep up, and it's very easy to injure yourself by doing too much, too soon because you'll feel capable of doing more than your legs are really ready for.