| GETTING STARTTED |
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How To Get Started As A Runner - By Hal Higdon Running continues to grow in popularity More and more people are taking up the sport. More people are running 5-K races. More are running marathons. An even larger number simply run for fitness and never go near a starting line, or win a race T-shirt. There are many good reasons. Running is simple and inexpensive. It's a good way to lose weight. It makes you feel good. Running is good for your health. You'll look better and have more energy if you learn to run. Certainly, more people write to my "Ask The Experts" column on America Online with questions about beginning running than about any other subject. They want to know how to start running. They want a training program. They want information about shoes and equipment. They worry about sore muscles. Every runner experiences what might be described as "Start-Up" problems. Many have "Restart" problems. Former runners (who stopped, for one reason or another) want to get back to their old running routines. They too need help. Here is how to start. Here's how to begin to become a runner. And if you've been a runner before, here's how to get back in stride. Becoming a runner How you begin depends partly on your current level of fitness. A teenager, or someone already in good shape, may have little trouble running 3 to 5 kilometers the first day. Someone unused to exercise might struggle to walk even a kilometer. Start slow. You'll have fewer problems with sore muscles, or other injuries, if you don't work too hard the first few days, or even the first few weeks or months. You'll enjoy running more if you try to do less than you're capable of accomplishing. You'll also achieve more, since the most important factor in achieving success is consistency. The best approach for beginners is to start by walking, then after you feel comfortable with that basic fitness exercise, begin to include jogging (easy running) in your routine. Jog, walk. Jog, walk. Jog, walk. Eventually, you'll be able to jog continuously, both farther and faster. How fast you progress depends on you, but don't be in a hurry to run fast or run far. The 30/30 plan Here's a simple 30/30 plan to get you going, featuring 30 minutes of exercise for the first 30 days. It is a routine similar to one that Chuck Cornett, a coach from Orange Park, Florida, uses with beginning runners.
Follow this 30/30 pattern for 30 days. If you train continuously (every day), you can complete this stage in a month. If you train only every other day, it will take you two months. Do what your body tells you. Everyone is different in their ability to adapt to exercise. When you're beginning, it is better to do too little than too much. If you continue this 30/30 routine for 30 days, you will finish the month able to cover between 1.5 and 3 kilometers walking and jogging. Your next goal is to develop an ability to run continuously for a kilo, then two kilos, then more if you want. The way to do that is to gradually increase the length of time in the middle of your workout spent jogging and decrease the number of walking breaks. Do 45/30 (45 seconds jogging, 30 seconds walking), then 60/30, then 75/30, or 60/15. Vary your routine. Work a little harder one day, then make the next an easy day. Program in occasional rest days when you do no walking and jogging, or cross-training days when you do some other exercise. Test yourself to see if you can run a half-mile continuously, then a mile. It won't happen overnight, but you should begin to see a gradual improvement in your physical fitness. If the above routine seems too difficult for you, do a little less. Nobody is looking over your shoulder when you write how much exercise you did today in your diary. Only you can judge whether you are pushing too fast or too slow, but it's best to stay on the conservative side. You too can become a runner. All you need to do is begin. Five easy pieces Here's a five-step program for improving your 5-K time. Spring is the perfect time to train for the 5-K. Training for the 5-K improves your running economy, raises your maximal aerobic capacity (max VO2) and establishes a base of speed and fitness that will help you in longer races throughout the year. Training for a 5-K can also be relatively simple, particularly if you follow the program outlined below, based on three workouts and two organizing principles. To tie everything together in a neat package, the program covers a five-week period, and all preparations are based on the number five. 1. The five-plus (5-P) workout. You can find your 5-P pace by subtracting 5 percent from your best pace in a recent 5-K. For example, if you recently ran a 22-minute 5-K (about 4:26-per-km pace), your 5-P pace would be 4:12. To complete a good 5-P workout, run two to six 800-meter repeats at your 5-P pace, with recovery jogs that take the same time as your 800s. Make sure that the distance you cover at 5-P pace during the workout doesn't exceed 10 percent of your weekly mileage, and run this workout only once a week. Training at 5-P pace will improve your leg speed for your next 5-K. 2. The five-even (5-E) workout. To conduct this workout, run 1200-meter repeats at your best recent 5-K pace, with recoveries of an equal duration. For example, if you recently ran a 5-K in 18:36 (3:45-minute pace), run each 1200 in 4:30, with 4:30 of easy jogging after each 1200. Again, make sure that your total workout distance at 5-E pace doesn't surpass 10 percent of weekly mileage. These sessions will boost your max VO2 and increase your resistance to fatigue. 3. The five-minus (5-M) workout. This time you need to add 5 percent to your best recent 5-K pace to arrive at a pace slightly slower than you raced. Then run two 10-minute repeats at this pace, with 6-minute recoveries. These 5-M sessions increase your lactate threshold, allowing you to sustain quality speeds for longer distances. 4. The five-week (5-W) plan. During the first week, do one hill workout (10 to 12 repeats on a 150- to 200-meter hill), one 5-P session and one 5-M effort. (On other days, simply run easily for your usual distance or take a day off.) During the second week, do just two quality workouts, a 5-E workout and a 5-M workout, and run easily or rest on the other days. During week three, repeat week one. During week four, do a 5-E workout and a continuous 20-minute effort at a pace about 25 seconds slower per mile than 5-E pace. At the beginning of week five, do a final 5-M workout, take a rest day, and then taper for the race. 5. The five-day (5-D) taper. Five days before your race, run five 400-meter repeats at 5-E speed, with 400-meter recovery jogs. Do four 400-meter repeats the next day, three on the third and so forth. The day before the race, you'll do only one repeat at 5-E speed. Warm up for each workout by jogging lightly for 10 minutes, and cool down in the same way. On race day, warm up easily for 10 minutes, do five 50-meter strides at 5-E pace with 45 to 60 seconds of easy jogging after each, and then go to the starting line. Jog lightly in place until the starting gun sounds, and begin the 5-K at your well-rehearsed 5-E pace. Relax and have fun with the race, running steadily until you reach the 3-km mark. Then accelerate to 5-P pace, focus on your goal and charge toward the finish. You'll be exhausted when you get there, but you may also be the proud owner of a brand-new 5-K PR. Come on, get out there and start jogging. Hope to see you on the road soon!
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