Running Tips For Beginners

The year was 1996. A sophomore in high school, I was trying to stay in shape for the upcoming wrestling season. That is when the cross country coach came to ask me if I wanted to join the cross country team. I decided to give it a shot. It was an experience like no other.

Trail Running Shoes:
First of all, before I joined the cross country team I did not think much about running shoes. Just wore whatever shoe I had. For cross country, trail running shoes are needed to have a good experience. Trail running shoes have knobby soles. They are also more rigid than road running shoes. Once I got into a pair of trail running shoes I could definitely feel the difference.  There was not much cushioning. The reason for this is because trail running is much softer than road running.

The Terrain:
One benefit to running on a trail is that the surface is softer. Many people will point out that running on grass or dirt trails is better on your knees. The downside is that unlike road running, trails surfaces are not always close to even or flat. Expect to always see a branch or rock where ever your foot is going to land. During my high school years I spent a lot of training in Toro Park in Salinas, Ca, and Jack’s Peak in Monterey, Ca. Jack’s Peak had some of the toughest terrains I had ever ran in. Especially going downhill I had to pretty much calculate where my foot was going to land.

The Experience:
To this day I prefer going to my local trails for some cross country running or trail running. When you are on the trail you are one with nature. It will bring some kind of peace to your mind and forget about everything for just that moment. I do a lot of road running as well, but the experience is different. There is the car noise and the traffic lights. When someone is trail running it will feel like you get away from civilization for a segment of their day.

If it would not have been for being introduced to cross country in my teen years, I would have probably never picked up on running. This is only the way I portray running. You may have a different opinion and prefer to do road running or prefer another kind of exercise.

Shin splints suck! But you probably already knew that. Unfortunately shin splints are common among runners. Today we will discuss how to prevent shin splints.

What are shin splints:

Without getting overly complicated, shin splints is the term used to describe pain in your lower leg. The pain is usually the result of too much strain on the shinbone. This type of injury is common among runners and basketball players.

Get your muscles warmed up:

Get your muscles into the groove of things before starting a workout. Don’t just jump into a workout at 100% intensity. Start with a small jog and then pause to stretch your muscle before going all out.

Don’t overtrain:

A lot of injuries can be avoided by simply listening to our bodies. Make sure you set the right expectations when setting up your running schedule. Don’t take on more than you can handle. If you start to feel fatigued slow down or call it a day. Form is crucial in running. Whatever you do, be in control of your body and don’t sacrifice form.

Take a look at your footwear:

Running in the right kind of shoes is crucial to avoiding injuries. First of all, don’t run in worn out shoes!! Once your shoes have accumulated significant wear and tear, it’s time to buy a new pair.

Speaking of buying shoes, I recommend that you go to a store that specializes in running. Unfortunately not all shoes are created equally. Don’t worry, you won’t be spending an arm and a leg on shoes. Specialty stores will help determine the right kind of shoe for your running style.

Run in flat softer surfaces:

Running on uneven surfaces puts you at increased risk of getting shin splints. The same can be said of running downhill and on hard surfaces such as roads. If possible, try and stick to softer surfaces such as dirt trails, and grass. Keep in mind that running on concrete puts a lot of strain on your legs.

Develop your muscles:

Physical activities such as running, place a lot of strain on our muscles. Taking on too much too fast can and usually results in injuries due to poor conditioning. Bottom line, don’t start with high mileage if you haven’t run in a while. Always start slow and build up from there. Since shin splints affect the lower leg, focus on developing your calf muscles. Remember that most personal trainers recommend that you perform both strength training and cardio in your workout routines. If you already strength train, don’t forget to focus on all major muscle groups.

Shin splints can be a pain to deal with. With the right precautions however, they can be avoided. They key is to be realistic with our exercise programs and to not take on more than we can handle. As always, consult with your physician before making any kind of changes to your exercise program.

Mostly anyone can get into the sport of running. It takes skill and dedication however to become good at it. Below are some tips to help those looking for tips on how to become a better runner.

Focus in on what you want:

So you want to become a better runner? In what sense? Are you attempting to increase your speed, your distance, or both? These are questions that you should be asking yourself. Once you’ve figured out what it is you want, don’t deviate from your goal. If your goal is to increase distance, then focus on distance training.
In order to see results quickly, you will need to stay focused and not get distracted.

Eat well and get plenty of rest:

Training is only half of the answer to becoming a better runner. If you are serious about improving on personal records, rest and a healthy diet are key. Running takes up a lot of energy. It’s important to be properly hydrated and nourished before and after a run. To keep your body at peak performance, watch what you eat. I suggest that you avoid highly processed foods that are a poor source of energy.

Rest is equally as important. In order to become a better runner, the body needs to recover from training sessions. Make sure to get at least 7 hours of sleep every day. For optimum recovery, take a day or two off from running. You can focus on core exercises on your rest days or you can simply take the day off altogether. Some claim that you can run every day without the need for a rest day. While this may be true, I feel well rested muscles will give you the ability to train at 110%.

Apply changes subtly:

Most of us are impatient when it comes to most things in life including sports. We want to see the results right away. As a result, we tend to skip key steps and most of the time end up getting injured or giving up. Understand that it will take time before you see dramatic results. Do not get discouraged and most of all be careful out there.

Don’t forget to set mini goals along with a loftier goal. Achieving the mini goals will serve as motivators that will help you reach your main goal of becoming a better runner. Speaking of becoming a better runner, I recommend that you set a time frame and a specific number to your goal. Be realistic and make sure your goal is challenging but attainable. Good luck!

THE IDEAL FOOT STRIKE

Our body is an amazing specimen.  When everything is okay with us we can do extraordinary things. Unfortunately that is not always the case.  There is always some kind of imbalance or injury that we might suffer from.

The neutral foot strike is considered the perfect stride.  Meaning we are going through our gait cycle perfectly.  The ideal foot strike consists of the foot contacting the floor to begin the stride.  Immediately the foot will roll out a slightly before it rolls inward a bit. This is also known as regular pronation.  Right before your foots leaves the ground, it will slightly roll outward again.

Unfortunately not all of us can have the perfect stride.  And you can’t blame yourself for this.  You can work really hard to change your body mechanics and be able to have a neutral stride.  Personally I have a bad back and that may be the cause for me not having a neutral stride.  Having neutral pronation helps your body absorb a lot of impact while running.  It will also help prevent injury.

The majority of people with high arches are neutral strikers. Once again as mention in previous posts, everyone is different and this might not be relevant  to you.  Running shoe stores in your town as well as online use this guideline.  I you have a high arch, you will most likely have a neutral foot strike.

The shoes fitted to neutral strikers are neutral/cushioned shoes.  These running shoes offer optimal cushioning for the rear and forefoot.  It will also provide good flexibility while also providing optimal support in the mid-foot.  Still not sure what type of shoe you might need? No problem, visit the link from roadrunner sports and it might help you out even more.

http://www.roadrunnersports.com/rrs/content/popup.jsp?contentId=200092
HOW TO PREVENT INJURIES:

Persons with a neutral stride have a minimal chance getting injured. This does not mean they will not get injured.  Here are some of the things to look out for in order to try to avoid injury.  Lets say you are in the proper running shoes. Make sure to keep track of how many miles these shoes are logging in. Running shoes ideally are good for 300 to 350 miles.  Old running shoes will lose the cushioning and support your feet need.  Make sure to buy shoes if you have already logged in a lot of miles in your recent shoes.  Have two pairs to rotate them on your workouts if possible.

Doing too much too soon.  If you are a beginning runner take it nice and slow.  Don’t try to do too much right away.  In the process you will most likely avoid injuries such as shin splints, runners knee, and illiotibial band syndrome (itb).  Make sure not to increase your weekly mileage more than ten percent.  It’s okay to walk and run when you first become a runner.

One of the most important factors to having a good run is hydration.  Make sure you drink enough water throughout the day.  Sports drinks such as gatorade are also sometimes needed to recover lost sodium from your workout. Try to stay away from carbonated drinks.  Carbonated drinks will only help you become dehydrated.

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Under-pronation is not as common as over-pronation.  However, it still exists and can cause injury to runners.  Runners who under-pronate also land towards the outside of their heel when they strike.  When the foot rolls to continue to the next step it does not roll in as much as needed.  it mostly rolls towards the outside of the foot.  The most common injury for under-pronators is plantar fasciitis.  Not every one is the same but the majority of people with high arches under-pronate. The shoes recommended are neutral shoes.

If you’re beginning to run and don’t know what type of stride you have don’t worry.  Manny running shoe stores do a gait analysis test.  The step to go to a running shoe store is a must if you want to become a runner.  They have trained staff, many of which are runners themselves.  They will also most likely have running tips for beginners.  All of us at one point need tips on how to become a runner.

Like listed above the most common injury under-pronators will face is plantar fasciitis. This is a painful condition that causes sharp pain and soreness in the bottom of your foot. The plantar fascia is located on the bottom of your foot. It is  a thick band of connective tissue running from the heel to the toes. The plantar fascia helps your foot move and absorb impact. Persons that are under-pronators apply more stress on their plantar fascia than it’s supposed to withstand.  You will not develop plantar fasciitis immediately.   With time, it will cause chronic inflammation and extreme pain, eventually leading to plantar fascciitis.

Like listed above, under-pronators will need to wear neutral shoes.  Personally Whenever I look up running shoes, either online or at a store, they mostly have neutral shoes.  Cushioned shoes, or neutral shoes,  provide elevated shock absorption and minimal medial (arch side) support. These running shoes are best for runners who are mild pronators or under-pronators.  Neutral shoes have a curved form also known as a “last”.  The “last” refers both to the shape of a shoe and also the form, or mold, around which a shoe is constructed. The curved “last” is designed for underpronators with rigid, high arches. The curved shape promotes inward motion which under-pronators lack.

Not everyone likes to run in the same type of environment.  Find what works for you.  Personally trail running and road running are what I prefer.  There’s many options to choose from when it comes to running.  Like mentioned above, there is trail running and road running.  But one can also choose to run at the track or treadmill or simply just go to the local park and do their running there.

DISTANCE TRAINING

If your focus is distance training, it might be better to choose to do some road running or trail running.  It will be pretty hard if the goal is to run about five miles and one is stuck running twenty laps around the track. Depending on how big your local park is, it might not also be very fun running around the park.  Although,  there are parks that have dirt trails and paved trails long enough for you to do a long run without going in circles.  Be aware that many times if you are running on a paved trail, it will most likely be a bike trail and it has to be shared with cyclists. Also, I recommend wearing the right type of shoe.  If you decide to do some trail running, choose to wear a trail running shoe.  The same for road running, choose a road running shoe.

SPEED WORKOUTS

While speed workouts can be done on the trail and on the road, it’s probably better to do them on the track.  The track is flat and will definitely help you achieve  that goal you want to get to.  The longest distance i would do on a track for a speed workout is probably one mile.   Again, choose the correct shoe.  Preferably a light training shoe.  There are some people that might even use some track spikes for their workouts.  Personally I never got used to wearing spikes.  Even for track races where most likely everyone is wearing track spikes to get the fastest time possible.  I opted to run my mile and two mile events in a light training shoe.

BENEFITS TO TRAIL RUNNING

Like mentioned above, I prefer trail or road running.  The one big advantage to running on a trail, is the scenery is always changing.  You are not stuck running around in circles. Or, running in place while stuck on the treadmill at home.  If you are a nature lover, trail running might be for you.  Time will go faster when enjoying the view on your run.  The fresh clean air will also feel good while running on the trail as opposed to running in the city.

Once again, everyone is different and will prefer to run in different environments.  Choose what you will enjoy.

Many people expect you to start working out hard so you can get a good workout.  Make sure you start at your own pace.  If you want to do this for the long haul, increase your speed and distance slowly.  The problem with many beginning runners is that they want to start working out very intense right away.  This will cause them to become discouraged once they realize how hard the workout actually is.  This might cause them to  not want to continue their workout schedule.  So remember start at your own pace and listen to your body.

Run For Time Not Distance

If you are just starting to run try running for a short amount of time and see how it feels.  One example I can give is when I first decided to get back in shape back in 2005.  It was implemented in my mind that I can run a mile in at least six minutes.  With about six years of inactivity, I still thought I could do it.  I went to a local track and decided to go for a one mile timed run.  To my disappointment it took me about ten minutes to run that mile.  I was feeling pain everywhere.  My legs were cramping up, my lungs were out of oxygen, and I felt like i was going to pass out.  Instead of going out there to run one mile, I should have focused on just running for about three to five minutes and work my way up from there.  Don’t worry how far you can run in a certain amount of time.  Just focus on jogging for a certain amount of time.  Walk if you have to.  Speed and distance will eventually come to you naturally.

Running/Workout Schedule

Like mentioned above, start at a slow pace.  Follow a running schedule.  Go online and search for training schedules.  Beginning runners will benefit a lot from following a workout schedule.  The good thing about a running schedule for beginners is that it will start with very simple runs.  People who are beginning to run and follow their schedule are more likely to grow to enjoy running.

Be Patient

The only person you are competing with is yourself.  Don’t worry on how much this other person has improved.  Don’t get frustrated if results are not noticeable right away.  It  takes time and patience to get to our ultimate goal.  The ultimate goal should be to be a healthier person.  If you increase distance and speed slowly, it will be most likely that you can run injury free.

The majority of runners over pronate. Over pronators tend to land on the outer edge of the heel and the foot rolls inwards causing the inner forefoot to take a lot of pressure. This puts a very excessive amount of stress on the inside of the foot when the foot is preparing take off the ground for the next step. At the beginning the runner will most likely feel no affect from over pronation.  But with time it causes certain muscles to work more than others. This causes for people to get inflammation in the hips, shins and ankles.  Shoes recommended for over-pronators are stability shoes.

Common Injuries:

The same as for under-pronators one of the most common injuries for over-pronators is plantar fasciitis.  Some of the symptoms that occur that might be warnings that you are going to become injured are, arch pain and knee pain.  Some people have experienced shin splints from overpronation.  Personally I have experienced shin splints when ever I start running again after taking a long break from running.  I.T. band syndrome (ilotibial band) is also another common injury for the overpronator.  Like mentioned above I have gotten shin splints and fortunately they go away.  But unfortunately I have also suffered from I.T. band syndrome.  Most people with this injury feel pain on the lateral side of the knee.  Outside of the knee to be exact.  You may also feel the pain at the hip.  It is recommended for you to go to therapy if you want to recover correctly from this injury.

Help Avoid Injury:

Like mentioned above, over pronators need to wear stability shoes.  This might be different for some, but the majority of people with normal or neutral arches will most likely over pronate. If you get into the right shoe it will help you avoid injury.  Get your gait analysis at a local running shoes store.  The workers there are most likely avid runners and will help you a lot in choosing the right shoe for you.  Make sure you warm up before you start running.  One problem that many people deal with is that they don’t like to warm up or stretch before a workout.  Cool down and stretch after each run.  The cool down part of your work out is just as important as any part of your work out.  Listen to your body. If for some reason you start to feel pain that you have not felt before, it’s okay to stop or slow down your intensity.

Has anybody tried the new brooks adrenaline 12.  I just purchased the adrenaline 11 at a local running shoe store but they don’t have the newer models yet i guess. But if you are interested http://www.zappos.com/ has them already.  Well do to the fact that I have an i.t. band issue i can only run about half a mile or so. I tried out the adrenaline gts 11 a couple days ago and was able to run a whole mile before my knee started feeling all tight. I’s used to running in lighter and more flexible shoes so the shoes felt kind of heavy and bulky. It took me a little bit to get used to them while i was running that mile.  I could tell that they had stability and they felt very cushioned.  A plus should be i was able to run a whole mile right now.  I had been stuck at half a mile with my other shoes. For whoever is interested, the link below is for the new adrenaline gts 12. A review from the experts at runners world.
http://www.runnersworld.com/shoe/brooks-adrenaline-gts-12-mens

The number one step anybody should take before deciding to take up any kind of sport is to consult  doctor.

Running Journal:
Get yourself a running journal. with this journal you will be able to keep track of what you have done from beginning to end.  You will be surprised of the improvements you will make if you stick with running. Also write in how you felt in your run. What you think you did right and wrong and what you plan to do on your next run.

Running Shoes:
Visit your local running store and get a gait analysis.  This will help  a lot in getting the proper running shoe. A gait analysis is free so don’t be hesitant to get one.

Clothes:
Get athletic clothes that feels comfortable to you.  Once again local running stores have clothes that you may want to try and see how you feel.

Warm up and stretch:
Before you start your run make sure to warm up and stretch. Make sure the muscles are loose and warm before any run.

Run For Time not Distance:
When many people start running they want to go out there and run a certain amount of miles.  Don’t make miles the priority.  Focus on running for a certain amount of minutes.  If you can only run for five minutes, that is perfect. Start at five minutes and build your way up from there.

Running posture:
It’s important to keep an good posture while running.  First of all relax your body while running. Don’t slouch your back will thank you.  The strides you take will also help you out.  If you take too long of a stride you can put a lot of pressure on your hamstrings. Many people will try to recommend to land on  your forefoot.  The thing is that it is hard to change someones gait.  That’s is why I recommended to get a gait analysis to get the proper shoes to how you land when you run. Keep your arms relaxed. Bend the arms at the elbow and a little bit on the shoulder. Pump your arms as if swinging a hammer.  The faster you swing your arms your legs will react and move faster as well.  Try to keep your breathing as relaxed as possible.  Personally i breathe through my nose and exhale through my mouth. There’s people that inhale through their mouth and do just fine. I recommend breathing in through your nose.  A technique that can be used especially when you get tired is breath in once and exhale twice.

Cool Down and Stretch:
Many people take cooling down and stretching for granted.  It is very important to cool down and stretch after any run to help prevent injury.

Running schedule:
If you decide you like running and want to keep doing it.  You may even want to train for a 5k or other distance races.  Make sure to follow a training schedule.  You may visit the Runners World website and you can find training schedules there.

If anything hurts while running stop what you’re doing.  Many people like to tough it out, but this can only harm you instead of help you.  Be safe and i hope you enjoy running as much as i do.