Born to Run!

It's still hard for me to believe that I ran a half marathon! I was always one of those people who was amazed by those who could 'go for a run' but knew my reality was there was no way I could ever even run one mile! One day I was searching around on the Weight Watchers message boards and found people talking about a training program called Couch to 5K that used interval training over 9 weeks to help you ease into running and by the end you'll be ready for a 5k (3.1 miles.) I continued to research and look into other programs when I settled on the Podrunner mixes... their 5K training program is called First Day to 5K and you can download the training programs to your ipod/iphone/mp3 player. The Podrunner intervals are also available for download on iTunes. The way the program works is by warming up with a 5 minute walk then start you running for small periods of time say 60 seconds then walking for 2 minutes and that pattern is repeated 10 times followed by a 5 minute cool down. At this point you don't want to worry about the distance you are running... you are training your muscles and breathing. As the weeks go by the running portions get longer and the walking portions get shorter. The music in the program is a soft kind of techno which I thought would really bother me but it really helps you to zone out to listen to music you're not familiar with and the BPS (beats per second) are designed to help you increase your speed as you go. So how do you know when to run and walk? The Podrunner program uses a chime to alert you when to run so you don't have to keep track. If you feel like the program is progressing too quickly for you it is recommended that you repeat a week so you feel more comfortable.

I never thought I'd say this but running is addictive. After I finished the program and felt comfortable running 3 miles I wanted to go farther. Getting my miles done in a certain time has never been a goal for me... my sense of accomplishment has always come from the number of miles I put in. My sweet spot for a long run on Saturday mornings was always 6 miles. That's a crazy number, I know! But once you get your breathing down and feel comfortable running it's all about you. It helped me during a very difficult time to just zone out and have me time to think. One of the great things about Podrunner is once you're off the training program they offer workout music that goes by BPS which helps you keep a steady pace and helps to increase your speed.

I've been off the running wagon for quite a while and am back on a training program for a 5K... always good to have a goal! I ran my half marathon in 2008 and my goal is to finish another one before the end of the year... which won't be easy to do during football season! The program I am using this time is called Personal Running Trainer and if you think 3 miles too big for you to start with they have a 4 week training program for 1 mile and go up to training for a full marathon. I don't have any real reason from switching from the Podrunner training other than I've listened to them so many times I wanted something a little different.

Here are a few tips that I've learned:

• Good running shoes are key! Go to a running store and have them help you pick them out... don't be surprised if you need up to a size larger in your running shoe. While they can be a little costly they will help prevent injury in the long run!
• I am partial to socks that wick away sweat and keep your feet from getting too hot!
• I love my Nike+! The Nike+ is a sensor that works with your ipod, iphone or separate wristband to keep track of your time, distance and on the iphone the path you've taken with GPS! I don't have Nike shoes so I put my sensor in a Switcheasy Runaway that holds on to the laces.
• Get into a routine! I prefer to run first thing in the morning to get it out of the way... I usually go Monday, Wednesday, Friday for training and Saturday for my long runs. If I wait until later in the day I'll find a ton of excuses why not to run.
• Find a track club in your area! They usually have running groups scheduled throughout the week that you can join in on. Feeling responsible for meeting someone always helps keep me on track... also meeting people in the running community will give you a good resource for tips and advice. Track club websites are also great places to find out about upcoming races in your area.
• Let’s face it... thighs rub together. I’ve tried shorts and they just don’t cut it for me. I wear the Nike dry-fit Capri pants, period.
• Runners World is not only a great magazine but the website is a geat resource for beginners! Tons of articles on how to begin, avoid injuries, diet, gear!