Start Out Walking

This weeks blog post is about a question that I was asked this past week.  Please keep in mind that I am not a coach or a doctor and I am not giving any kind of coaching or medical advice.  I am only sharing my personal experiences and nothing more.  The question posed to me was, "How do you start running?"

Anyone that has went back to the very beginning of this blog knows how I got started and how far I've come from the very beginning.  I always answer the question the same way: "Start out by walking."  I started out walking and just worked my way up from there.  My main goal was to lose weight but I soon found that I enjoyed going for that walk too.  When I first started, I could hardly make it a mile.  My legs would hurt bad because they didn't normally have to do that much work.  After a while, I began to put some running into my walks.  The runs don't have to be long.  Some people try 10-15 seconds.  I think I just ran until I couldn't breathe and then walked until I caught my breathe again.  It was hard but looking back, it has all been worth it.

As you probably know, there are tons of resources on the Internet that will help you get started and give you all kinds of advice.  I remember the first piece of advice I got from Amy when I started.  "Don't skimp on shoes.  It's the most important thing you will buy."  I have taken her advice and am on my fourth pair of shoes.  My "go to" place for advice is one of the locals and then online I go to Runner's World.  Here is a great article from the site about getting started.  Just click here.

I had a really good running week again this week except for my Thursday afternoon run.  I went out and I just wasn't feeling it and ended up with just 4.25 miles.  I covered 15 miles Saturday on Highway 350 and the ridge road.  Sunday morning I got up and Jamie and I went out for a nice 4.25 mile run.  I ended up with 23.5 miles for the week.  Also, I have covered as many miles this year already as I did all year last year.

Jan-Dec 2011  550 miles
Jan-Sep 2012  553 miles

That's going to do me for this week.  Hope you all have a great week and I'll will see you again next week.