Redeemed Health and Fitness: Tips to Get you Running

Running is one of the most basic forms of exercise, yet it carries with it a whole plethora of misconceptions. Being ranked in the high-impact category, it often gets tossed aside as simply not do-able. I’m no expert, but I wanted to offer a few tips for those of you who are interested but have always been too intimidated.

Get a good pair of running shoes that are suited to you! This cannot be stressed enough. If you just toss on any old pair of sneakers and take off running, you are very likely to find yourself in pain before you get too far. If you are able, go to a store where the employees have been trained to fit you according to your specific gait. A good shoe will get you off to a great start. A bad one will have you sidelined almost before you really get started.
Ease in. Don’t lace up those new shoes, strap on your iPod and expect to sail through 10 miles before heading home to hit the shower. It doesn’t work that way. At least not for us normal people. Give yourself time to ease in to this new adventure. Short, slow runs are better than a long, fast run that kills your joints and has you hobbling around for days afterward, especially when you're just getting started.
Don’t expect to love it right away. I think so many of us jump into running expecting it to become an instant passion. It’s easy to romanticize the experience and picture yourself running like a gazelle down the road toward super-fitness. The reality is you may look and sound more like an exhausted elephant (no reference to weight here, this is just what I felt like when I started!) staggering to a slow death. And that’s before you hit your first hill! Give yourself time. Be patient. Be realistic. The elephant will give way to the gazelle if you are determined and keep at it slow and steady!
Give yourself rest days. I, personally, am following a half-marathon training program just to give me some guidance. According to this plan, I only run 4 times a week and all of them have a day off in between except one. Those days off give my joints time to recover and my legs a chance to rest. I do fit in cross-training types of exercises on the days I’m not running. This way I’m not over-exerting myself but exercising all parts of my body in a given week.
Stay hydrated. This really should be at the very top. When you run, you will sweat. That’s a good thing, but those fluids need to be replaced with fresh, clean water. And lots of it. You are less likely to cramp during your run when you’re well hydrated. You are also less prone to muscle soreness when you’re supplying your body with ample water.
Run with a partner when possible. It is not only safer, it’s more fun! I drag my son (okay, okay it’s really more like he’s dragging me!!) or my husband and sometimes even my neighbor. Running with somebody tends to make the time go by faster. It also encourages you to push through hills at a (slow) run that you might otherwise tend to walk.
Speaking of walking, don’t be afraid of it. There is no shame in alternating running with walking. The first two weeks after I got started, I did a walking warm-up followed by alternating 3 minutes of running with two minutes of walking. Then I started making goals for myself. For example, I’d tell myself I’d run to the end of a certain road and then walk until a certain driveway where I’d begin running again. I finally got to where I could run the whole time, even the hills! I’m not gonna win any medals for my amazing speed, but I’m running!
Mix up your route. I get bored running the same exact path every time. My husband went with me for a drive and measured out different distances using varying routes. This keeps me from getting bored, but it also throws off anybody who may be looking for a pattern to my running (aka the bad guys!).
Keep your perspective. I think it’s really important to remember why you are doing something. For me, I certainly wanted to lose the baby weight I’d being clinging to since the birth of my twins. But even more than that, I wanted to feel better. I don’t mind admitting that I’d prefer to look good for my husband. But I also know it doesn’t take much for him to think I look good! It’s key for me to remember that I am doing this for my health, not in an attempt to gain attention for my slowly evolving trimmer figure.