29. Running For The Rest Of Us

Today I discovered that I'm extremely out of shape. A goal of mine for 2011 is to run more. This was only the second time I've gone out for a jog since the ball dropped in Times Square so my lack of an exquisite physique wasn't surprising. What is surprising to me is that it's not my muscles that are hurting - it's my heart and lungs! Having avoided any consistent form of cardiovascular exercise for a year has taken a toll on my stamina. So while thus far I've been mostly focused on improving my mind, it's become apparent that it's worth taking some opportunities to get healthier. Gift 29 - tips for getting back into running.

Five years ago I was training for a 10k and ran over 5 miles every morning. Four years ago I was in the best shape of my life and was able to do 100 push-ups without stopping. Three years ago I started preferring my bed to my sneakers. Since then I've been on a yo-yo health routine bouncing between a fit 180lbs all the way up to 240. What I've learned in the last 5 years is that running is probably the best exercise anyone can do to get in shape. It burns more calories than most exercises (weight loss). More importantly it conditions your heart and lungs (aerobics). The problem is that for those of us who've not exercised in a while, the aerobic aspect of running prevents us from being able to do much. So what to do?

Before getting into any technique, it's important to note that accountability and encouragement are key. If possible, find others to run with. Track your progress and share it with others. Just make sure you're not being arrogant about it. I use FriendFit.com - a tool that you can use to track your progress, calories burned, courses run, just about anything. Best of all you can connect it to your Facebook or Twitter account and post your progress with just a click, hopefully garnering some of that elusive encouragement.

Now... technique. Experts recommend beginners use a timed alternating walk/run pattern. Personally I find this hard to do and usually run as far as I can, then slow to a walk. However it should be noted that today I found myself out of breath with my head pounding as my heart attempted to violently escape it's prison of ribs. Not fun. So instead, here's a solid eight week plan I found:

• Week one: Walk for 6 minutes, then jog at an easy pace for 1 minute. Repeat 3 times. Aim for three sessions with that same sequence for week one.
• Week two: Walk for 5 minutes, then jog for 2 minutes. Repeat 3 times. Aim to do three sessions in week two.
• Week three: Walk for 3 minutes, then jog for 4 minutes. Repeat 4 times. Aim for four sessions in week three.
• Week four: Walk for 2 minutes, then jog for 5 minutes. Repeat 4 times. Shoot for four of those sessions in week four.
• Week five: Walk for 2 minutes, then jog for 8 minutes. Repeat 3 times. Do four of those sessions in week five.
• Week six: Walk for 2 minutes, then jog for 9 minutes. Repeat 3 times. Try to do four sessions for week six.
• Week seven: Walk for 1 minute, then jog for 11 minutes. Repeat 3 times. Do four sessions this week.
• Week eight: Congratulations on making it to week eight! For your first run this week, try walking for 5 minutes to begin and end the workout, and run for 20 minutes in between. By the end of the week, try to run for 30 minutes without stopping.

This may seem like a slow start. That's okay. It's better to ease into this rather than hurt yourself or get discouraged and quit. But there's more to running than just this. It's easy to develop poor habits while exercising that in the long run will do more harm than good. This is what good running form looks like:

• Look Ahead - Your eyes should be focused on the ground about 10 to 20 feet ahead of you. Don't stare at your feet. Not only is this proper running form, but it's also a safer way to run because you can see what's coming. 
• Land Midfoot - Don't be a toe runner or a heel-striker. If you land on your toes, your calves will get tight or fatigue quickly and you may develop shin pain. Landing on your heels means you have overstrided and you're braking, which wastes energy and may cause injury. Try to land on the middle of your foot, and then roll through to the front of your toes. 
• Keep Hands at Your Waist - Try to keep your hands at waist level, right about where they might lightly brush your hip. Your arms should be at a 90 degree angle. Some beginners have a tendency to hold their hands way up by their chest, especially as they get tired. Ironically, you may actually get more tired by holding your arms that way and you'll start to feel tightness and tension in your shoulders and neck.
• Relax Your Hands - As you run, keep your arms and hands as relaxed as possible. You can gently cup your hands, as if you are holding an egg and you don't want to break it. Don't clench your fists because it can lead to tightness in the arms, shoulders, and neck.
• Check Your Posture - Keep your posture straight and erect. Your head should be up, your back straight, and shoulders level. Keep your shoulders under your ears and maintain a neutral pelvis. Make sure you're not leaning forward or back at your waist, which some runners do as they get fatigued. Check your posture once in a while. When you're tired at the end of your run, it's common to slump over a little, which can lead to neck, shoulder, and lower-back pain. When you feel yourself slouching, poke your chest out.
• Relax Your Shoulders, Too - Your shoulders should be relaxed and square or facing forward, not hunched over. Rounding the shoulders too far forward tends to tighten the chest and restrict breathing.
• Rotate Arms from the Shoulder - Your arms should swing back and forth from your shoulder joint, not your elbow joint.
• Don't Bounce - Try to keep your stride low to the ground and focus on quick stride turnover. Too much up-and-down movement is wasted energy and can be hard on your lower body. The higher you lift yourself off the ground, the greater the shock you have to absorb when landing and the faster your legs will fatigue.
• Keep Arms at Your Side - Avoid side-to-side arm swinging. If your arms cross over your chest, you're more likely to slouch, which means you're not breathing efficiently. Imagine a vertical line splitting your body in half -- your hands should not cross it. 

In addition, there are also some common sense things that people don't necessarily think about:

My current running location - helps me look forward to it.

• Make sure you have good shoes. If your feet constantly hurt you'll never want to run.
• Drink plenty of water before you run. Dehydration will stop you in your tracks. Don't wait until right before your run to drink water. Your body won't be able to absorb what you need fast enough and you'll violate the next point.
• Use the restroom before you run. The last thing you want is a rumbling down south when you're half a mile away from anyway to relieve it.
• Figure out whether you prefer to run outdoors or on a treadmill. Enjoying it makes all the difference.
• When picking music pay attention to the tempo. You'll naturally fall into step with it. This is important because do don't want to be frantically changing pace every song. Trust me, I know.

That's about all that I have. What tips do you have that I may have missed?

http://friendfit.com/