How do you start Running from a point of zero?
This was a question I got from someone I work with last week.
They were at that point in their lives where they were frustrated with their health and knew they wanted to start getting more fit. They wanted to start running. They used to run when they were younger, but it had been a long time.
They were starting from scratch.
There are a lot of questions, things we take for granted. How do you start? Where? When? How much?
There is also fear when you’re starting from scratch. How do I stick with it? How do I keep from getting injured? How do I keep from looking stupid? How to I know I’m not doing the wrong thing?
Let’s look at these questions and see if we can shed some light on them.
Where do you start? When? How much?
Here’s what I would recommend.
Find a place that you can call your own. A safe place. Whether that is the local high school track, the road around your neighborhood, the treadmill at the gym or a treadmill in your own house.
Where is that place that you will go to do your running and walking? Find that place and make it familiar. Make it your own. Make it easy to get to, easy to start.
When? Find a time that works for you. Set yourself up for success. Find a time where it doesn’t feel like a chore. Find a time where this activity feels like a reward.
Mornings are the time when you have the energy and the focus to get it done. If you can build your exercise into your morning routine that creates a high probability that life won’t get in the way.
But if getting up early feels like a chore and makes you miserable don’t do it. IT shouldn’t be punishment.
Some people find lunch a great time to go because it breaks up the day.
Others, like myself, like afternoons or evenings.
If you’re not sure try different timings and see what works.
Remember, though that if you are doing this new exercise routine, you’re not doing something else. Try to not make it feel like a sacrifice. Build a routine. Make it a reward. Look forward to it.
A note on age. Age makes a difference but shouldn’t stop you. If you are younger than 40 you will recover and build strength very quickly and see faster improvement. Between 40 and 45 your body is still very strong and capable but you want to consider giving yourself more time to recover. If you’re over 50 you definitely need to give your body a day or two off between efforts to recover.
What this means is that instead of every day, go to every other day. Plan rest days into your week where you don’t run at all. This also give you the opportunity to do some stretching and strengthening on the days you’re not running. The older you get the more you need to stretch and strengthen.
How to get started?
If you are just beginning you are best suited by starting with a run/walk cadence. Set an amount of time, let’s say 20 minutes, every other day. Start by walking to warm up then run 30 seconds and walk 30 seconds.
Do this for a week or so and then try increasing the running time. Maybe walk 30 seconds and run 60 seconds. You might find a spot that feels right, and you can stay there, with that cadence.
If you feel good you can increase the length of the exercise or the length of the running intervals. Make it a game. Set yourself some goals in terms of distance and time and slowly work up to them.
Don’t do too much too fast. Ramp up slowly. Pay attention to how you feel. If you have pain back off.
Many people use the Jeff Galloway Run/Walk training method. You can buy one of Jeff’s books or look at his content and advice online.
What about shoes?
It’s a perfectly reasonable question, but one I like to avoid because shoes are quite specific to the individual. The right shoes for you might not be the right shoes for me.
Since you are just starting out you really have an opportunity to make choices that people who have been running for a long time find harder.
One quick tip for you is to ascertain whether you have high arches or low arches. This will rule out a lot of shoes if you have one or the other.
The next choice you can make as a beginner is whether you want to start as a minimalist shoe runner. There is a whole category of shoes that mimic the natural shape of the foot. These shoes are known as zero drop because there is no elevation to the heel. The shoes are flat.
The advantage to these shoes is that they encourage the natural mechanics of a good running form.
My point here is that if you’re starting from scratch, you have an opportunity to start minimalist, and this could help your running going forward. It takes a few months to get use to these types of shoes, so you have to be patient.
Alternatively, when you are just starting out, you can look for simple shoes. Avoid anything corrective or complicated. Look for a simple, neutral, cushion shoe. That will get you started until you figure out what you need.
As you get into a program you’ll start to notice what feels right and what doesn’t. There is no silver bullet when it comes to shoes. You will have to experiment with different options within a theme to find what works for you.
If a shoe is giving you trouble, don’t be afraid to change.
What about good running form?
Running is a very simple and human activity. But, that being said, there are efficient ways to run and not-so-efficient ways. As you are just getting started, you have an opportunity to learn good form from the start, so you don’t have to re-engineer it later.
Good form is running upright, hips forward, center of gravity over where your foot hits the ground, landing on the forward-flat part of the foot. This is called the forefoot. Not the toes. The part of the foot that is like the palm of your hand. If you land there it allows your natural shock absorption to work.
Don’t reach the foot out in front of you and land on the heel or back part of the foot. You want your feet to be fast and light. If you count the number of times your foot hits the ground it should be 170 per minute or higher.
Keep your hands high and loose. Don’t rotate your body or swing your arms. Try to have a quiet body.
The reason this is important to burn in early is that it will keep you from getting injuries.
Do I need to do stretching and strengthening?
If you’re just getting started it may be too much to ask to also take on a stretching and strengthening routine. But, if you keep it simple you can get outsized benefit from very little extra effort.
Have a simple set of 2-3 exercises and stretches you do as part of your running routine. Let’s say a few pushups and a few leg lifts. A simple stretching routine that hits the major muscle groups. Do the exercises before and the stretching after and you’re probably only adding 5 minutes to your workout.
I hesitate to talk about this at all because as soon as you start loading stuff into your plan the more complicated it gets and the more likely you’ll not do it.
Let me leave it at this: Stretching is good. Strength is good. But get the walking and running in and establish that routine before complicating things. Set yourself up to win.
What are some beginner injuries?
If you are just starting up there are muscles and connective tissue that you haven’t stressed for many years. You need to give that time to respond and get stronger. Muscles will respond quickly, in a couple weeks. Tendons and ligaments take longer to get used to what you’re doing. They can take a few weeks to months.
Listening to your body. If you find you have an odd pain, pay attention to it. Don’t be afraid to take a day off. Don’t’ be afraid to do less. Take the long view. You want to generate a consistent habit for your lifetime and listening to your body will help you avoid chronic problems.
Each new pain is an opportunity to learn something new about your body. These early injuries will lead you to new stretches and other things that increase your skills. Work with the aches and pains to learn about yourself.
Find your tribe?
Finally, you need support. Start casting around for people who are on the same journey as you. There are plenty of beginners out there. Find them. Trade notes. Share successes. Being part of something bigger will help you stay with it.
I leave it at that.
Go ahead and get started. Enjoy the gift that is running and the incredible positivity and all the doors it will open for you.