I’m sitting in my dining room drinking coffee and up a whole hour earlier because I WAS going to go for a four mile run this morning but my left calf is not cooperating so I find myself with some time on my hands. I’ve been wanting to write a post about those of you who are BRAND NEW to running for awhile and with an hour to spare seemed like as good a time as any:).

When I went out for my VERY FIRST RUN EVER, I had been a walker, a step aerobics junky (yes, leg warmers an all;), a ballet dancer (for 10 years), and a very recreational swimmer, but NEVER a runner. I was about 15 pounds over my ideal weight, anxious, depressed and unhealthy.

I’ve talked before about my struggle with depression (here’s that post) and this was the first day of my plan to get my heart beating fast for 30 minutes every day for 2 weeks and see if it helped. (read that post to find out if it did – I guess since I’m still doing it, though, it’s sort of a spoiler so I’ll go ahead and tell you, yes, it did).

Here are five things I wish I had known when I set out to do that first run:

1. You’re going to feel like you’re dying. (insert disclaimer that I’m assuming you’ve seen your doc for a physical before you start this crazy thing . . because we want to make sure you’re not actually going to die:). When you haven’t had your heart rate up in a long time you’re sure it’s a terrible idea and your body will be screaming at you to stop. This is perfectly normal. Just start slow and relax. Your body knows what it’s doing. (and it’s not a terrible idea to strap on a heart rate monitor and figure out your max heart rate before you head out so you’ll know FOR SURE you’re not pushing too hard. Especially if you’ve been really inactive up until this point. You can find out your target heart rate using a whole bunch of online calculators Here’s one that works well.
2. You may get REALLY red in the face, especially if you’re really fair skinned and/or if it’s warm outside. The first few times I went out, I came back looking like I had a horrible sun burn. My body wasn’t adjusted to the new activity and this was, again, it’s way of saying “this is a terrible idea.” (are you sensing a theme?)
3. It’s going to be slow going at first. The number one thing I ask when people tell me they either hate to run or they can’t run, is how fast are you trying to go? When I first started, my running a mile was only slightly faster than my walking a mile. Seriously, if you think you’re going slow but it’s still hard, slow down more. And I absolutely recommend Jeff Galloway’s run/walk method if you are just starting out. Or you can do like my friend Heather when she first started and do the very technical “Run Between the Mailboxes” which also works. (basically run to a mailbox, walk to the next mailbox, repeat. This may not work if you live in a neighborhood with very small lots . . .)
4. You’ll be a little sore. That doesn’t mean you’re hurt. Things will tighten up and be achy for awhile at first. A good rule of thumb is if your pain changes your running form, stop. If it doesn’t, take a walk break and see if it straightens out and try again. And expect to wake up achy especially if you’re starting out and you’re over 35 (like I was).
5. You are not competing against anyone but yourself. This is for YOU. Do not worry about what other runners think, how well your best friend runs, if you’re doing it “right” or if you’re wearing the right clothes. There’s plenty of time for worrying about those things later and even than not a good idea. I don’t run to win races or to prove anything to anybody – I run for ME because it’s how I stay centered, balanced and healthy.

You are not too heavy to run, you are not too old to run, you are not to weak to run, you are not to non-athletic to run. I just read about the world-record holder for the marathon in the 90 year and up age group. And he didn’t start running until he fought colo-rectal cancer WHEN HE WAS 70. So if he can do it, you can do it. Maybe today is the day you start. It took me three months to run a mile without stopping and with all the finish lines I’ve crossed and all the bling hanging up on my wall, that’s still the moment I’m most proud of.

Next time I’ll talk about some great books for new runners and the best places to buy your running gear but it’s not time for you to worry about all that yet. Today you just need to get out there and thank God for a body that moves, legs that work, and the resolve to take care of yourself. Because this is the only body you have in this life, and you have a responsibility to God, to your family, and to yourself to take care of it!

Happy Running!

Jen