This post is dedicated to my wonderful friend, Kim W., who is running her first marathon as I type this post. You are a miracle, Dear Friend. Love you. And if you want to be inspired, go read this post about Kim’s first half.
I am SO EXCITED because several friends have recently approached me about their running. They’re just starting out and they are filled with fantastic questions, ponderings, and yes, even a few frustrations.
If you’re new to my blog, you should know that until my late 30’s I didn’t run AT ALL. Not even in P.E. at school (always found a way to get out of it;) so no one is more surprised than I that I am now the one people come to for advice!
I will try to keep this simple (and may do one or five follow up posts) but here we go:
Buy shoes
Don’t overthink this. Go to a great running store (not just a sports store, a RUNNING store) and buy whatever the sales person recommends for your foot. If they know what they’re doing, they’ll actually watch you run. Go with the shoes that feel the most natural for you. I could write 12 blog posts about shoes and that would do nothing but leave you scratching your head. And for pete’s sake, don’t google search “best running shoes”. It’s sort of like googling “weird lump on my back.” Bound to lead to frustration and terror.
Pick a Coach
Decide who you want to follow. For me, that’s gotta be either Jeff Galloway or my friends at Another Mother Runner. Keeping it simple and sticking to one expert’s plan is helpful. You’ll be tempted to read ALL THE RUNNING THINGS. Don’t. There’s just too much information and you’ll get overwhelmed and won’t remember what you’re supposed to be doing. Plus you won’t have anytime to actually go running.
Buy Running Clothes
I am a BIG BELIEVER in cute running clothes as a motivator. I think maybe just for women, but maybe for guys, too. Let me qualify “cute” – you need a GREAT running bra, at least 3 pairs of bottoms and a few great tops.
I recommend you go to the Skirt Sports website right now and pick out your gear using my discount code JL20 to get 20% off. Spend some money here. I personally think your bottoms are a bigger deal then your top but I don’t chafe on my top so you may feel differently. You’ll want clothes that will stand up to many, many washings and feel comfortable and look great. And the girls must be properly supported.
Keep a Journal
You can do this online (through something like RunKeeper which is what I use) or using paper and a pen. Write down how far you ran each time. This will help you stay consistent. I don’t recommend worrying about pace AT ALL in the beginning because there’s really no point and you’ll just frustrate yourself if you have a dream speed and you’re no where near there. Speed will come but that’s more of an intermediate runner skill. You’re just beginning. Which leads to my next point.
Be Patient
ESPECIALLY if you’re starting in mid-life or later, your body may take a while to acclimate. Have faith – ACCLIMATE YOU WILL (#Yodavoice), but if you rush it, you’ll get hurt. And then you’ll be back on the couch. Which is bad.
You are a miracle and your body is capable of far more than you realize! If you take it slow and stick with it, you’ll find yourself being the “go to running friend” in your circles. I’m so proud of you!
Happy Running!