About Me

In high school, I ran track and cross country. Many years later I decided it would be fun to start running again. I didn't know that road running is different from track and cross country!

I pulled on a pair of tennis shoes, went out the door and started running. Within five minutes, I was out of breath, my legs were hurting, my feet were hurting and I was exhausted. What went wrong?

I made the same mistakes beginning runners regularly make. My first error was starting off running too fast. When beginning running, or after not running for a while, it is essential to start slowly. Secondly, I did not realize the importance of good shoes -- my old tennis shoes were not what I needed.

This website, and the associated newsletters, are the result of many attempts at starting running. I found, through trial and error, how to get started without getting injured.

Why I run
First, I run to keep fit. Running is a great aerobic exercise. I know of no other exercise which enables me to maintain the level of fitness that I have gained through running.

Second, it helps keep my weight down. Running helps me to lose weight and also helps me maintain my weight at the level I want.

Finally, I enjoy it! At first, you may find running difficult and not enjoy it very much. However, if you persist you will find that the mere act of running can give great joy.

Setbacks
I have found that I frequently need to stop running for a while. Sometimes I have a health issue, sometimes I have an injury. Each time I come back to running, I repeat the program that I am offering to you. This program can be for beginning runners, or for runners returning after a layoff.

Staying Motivated
There will be times in a running program when you may lose motivation. What was exciting at first starts to become boring. I have found several ways to maintain my motivation and I can give you three of them here.

First, set goals. With the program I'm offering you, your goals will appear automatically. Each week you will improve, and seeing this improvement encourages you to continue running.

Wherever you live, there is likely to be a running club nearby. Once you have started running it is a good idea to join this club. You will find other runners in the club who are just starting out. Runners are good at encouraging beginners, and nobody will reject you because you are slow or just getting started.

When you can comfortably run 30 minutes or more, you are ready to think about racing. I resisted this when I started running, but a friend persuaded me to enter a 10K. She told me about the excitement that happens when you run a race with a group of other people. There is a camaraderie which stimulates you to run your best, and training for a race gives a huge lift to your motivation.

Whether or not you decide to race, whether you run a 5K or a marathon, let me wish you all the best in your new running experience. I hope that, like me, you will discover a lifetime of enjoyment and fulfillment.

Happy running!