Getting Started

What do you hope to get out of a running program? Do you want to lose weight? Meet people? Achieve a higher level of fitness? All of the above? Having some objectives in mind will help you lay out a proper plan and work toward your goals.

Consider joining a training program because

· Making a commitment provides you that incentive to get started and stick with it.

· It makes it easy for you by already providing your running plan.

· You get lots of helpful information and a chance to ask questions of knowledgeable people.

· You run with other people that are at your same level and can provide moral support and enjoyment.

· You’ll see yourself improve every week and be encouraged to keep it up!

Be realistic and patient. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Don’t try to do too much, too soon. It takes time to build up your conditioning. It takes time to work out the kinks. Remain positive and optimistic. Stick with it and you will see results, regardless of how far you want to take your running. Set several small, near-term, achievable goals rather than one or two long-term ones. You’ll have more “victories” that way. Give yourself little rewards for a run well-done, like that special coffee drink you crave or a new pair of running socks. Remember that every single person out there running started with just one step—the first step.

Find our own groove. Do your own thing. Decide what you want to get out of your running and enjoy working toward it. Don’t worry about what you think “everyone else” is doing. Not everyone wants to race. Not everyone wants to run a marathon. That’s OK! What’s important is that you’re out there; you’re doing something you like; and you feel good about it. Enjoy YOUR journey.

Keep it fresh. Yes, you should establish a regular running routine, but that doesn’t mean you always have to run up and down the same streets. There are lots of ways to liven up your running to avoid a rut:

• Run with friends or attend fun runs at local running stores (especially ones that involve food).
• Join a running club.
• Enter races, especially in towns that you’ve never been to before. You don't have to “race” them. Just enjoy the new scenery.
• Hop on your bike and take a warm-up ride to a new neighborhood.
• Jump in your car and head to a forest preserve or trail.

Invest wisely in your gear—especially the shoes. Shoes are your most important running investment. Each one of us runs differently and shoe manufacturers address the many variances by utilizing different technologies for different shoes. The best way to find the right shoe for you is to visit a running specialty store and work with the store’s employees to get professionally fitted. Let the person helping you know what your budget is and buy the best pair of running shoes you can afford. Remember that the best shoe for you isn’t necessarily the best looking pair or the most expensive—it’s all about fit, function and comfort.

Cross-train. Stretch. Rest. The funny thing about a running program is that, well, it’s not all about the running. Cross-training is an important part of staying healthy as is stretching and resting. Cycling, swimming, yoga, strength training, core fitness are not only excellent forms of cross-training, those activities complement your running.

With tight schedules and sometimes barely enough time for running, the thing that gets left off the morning routine is that nice cooling down, stretching period, but it’s critical to stretch after you run so make time for it. Running is no fun if you can’t do it because you’re injured.

The same principle goes for rest. Your body needs time to adjust to the new demands you’re putting on it so don’t run every day and take at least one day a week for complete rest.

Listen to your body. Chances are you’ll feel a bit tired and maybe even a bit stiff when you begin running and increasing your mileage. Learn to distinguish between stiffness and pain. If you are hurt, seek qualified assistance from someone who specializes in sports-related injuries (and we can help—participants in our training program have access to our injury prevention hotline). Don’t try to self-diagnose as often your pain isn’t necessarily localized over the point of injury origin. The moral of the story is for the cost of your copay, it’s worth not losing months of time due to nagging injury.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Like we said before, we all started somewhere and we’re all still learning new things about our bodies, nutrition, gear and running so don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you’re looking for guidance, come to us, we’re here for you. And if we don’t know the answer, we’ll put you in touch with the right person who does, like a sports medicine doctor or nutritionist or local running store employee. We are the Chicagoland running community and we have access to all the resources you need so just give us a call or send us an e-mail—we’re here because you run!

Have fun. Running is something you should enjoy doing so no matter what steps you take to get started, follow the path that will lead you to a lifetime of running happiness.