The Roeseler's went on a walk tonight before dinner and it was lovely. The weather was gorgeous and the boys provided ample entertainment. Jack was feeling especially social tonight and in addition to trying to say "dog" every time we passed one on the trail, he also started saying "Hi" to people as we passed. He is normally a little more reserved with human folk, so this was a nice surprise and super cute. Nick was a speed demon on his scooter and it was fun watching him zoom down the hills. Apparently he is faster than I think, because almost every one who passes by tells us how fast he's going. Although, maybe this is just to entertain him? In any case, it's been great watching him build up his courage on the scooter this summer. He was so timid earlier this year and was unsure of his balance, but now that he is comfortable with his balance and braking abilities, he keeps looking for bigger and better hills to zoom down.
A friend shared the below link from the American Heart Association about "How to Start Running" and I thought I'd share it with you. I think all of the tips shared below are accurate and I have also added my own tips.
https://www.goredforwomen.org/live-healthy/heart-healthy-exercises/how-to-start-running-get-into-shape/
- Get medical clearance: do as I say not as I do. I admit, I did not get medical clearance from my doctor before I started running and in hindsight, based on my starting weight, I probably should have.
- Choose the right shoe: Yes, yes, yes. This is super important! A pair of shoes can make or break your running goals in a heartbeat. I highly recommend visiting your local running store to get a proper fitting. Most stores will analyze your gait and tell you things about your feet that you probably never knew before (pronation, for example), which will help you purchase the right shoe for your foot type. This helps you avoid injuries and get the most out of your runs.
- Know proper running form: I took a running form clinic earlier this summer at a local running store and it was great! I honestly should have considered good running form well before this point, but it never crossed my mind. You can look into similar running form classes at your local running store or simply do a Google search, as there is plenty of information on the web, too. Admittedly, I'm still a work in progress when it comes to good running form, but I'm certainly aware of it every time I run and am trying to improve. It can be overwhelming at times to try to remember all of the components of good running form, but one of the things my instructor told me in class is to focus on one area at a time. Say you head out for a run one day, choose to focus only on your cadence that day and then the next time you run, focus on your foot strike.
- Start at a slow pace: Absolutely. Slow and steady wins the race! If you need to, do as I did and start with a walking/running program that incorporates intervals of walking and running where the walking intervals gradually decrease as the running intervals increase. A fast pace will come with time, but you need to build up to that. I'm still running at a slow pace, but it's ok. I'm building up my endurance and my muscles so that someday, I can shave time off my pace.
- Set small goals: This might be another case of do as I say, not as I do. Sometimes, I wonder if I'm being too aggressive with my goals, but I also live for a challenge. So, do what you have to do. If setting big goals pushes you and works best for you, go for it. Or, if setting smaller goals leading up to a larger goal works for you, then so be it.
What other tips would you share with new runners?
So to anyone who is considering starting to run, I say:
"Just start. The only thing you'll regret is not starting sooner!"
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