Today, I helped my sister begin running. She has a goal to run a 5 kilometer race on July, 27th, 2013. This means she has approximately two months to prepare for this race. She is by no means a runner and has probably run a combined total of 10 kilometers in her entire life. So we are starting right from the beginning. I am sure there are others out here in her position, people who want to try running but don’t know where to start. Your first run is the first step towards becoming a runner. Join Katie and me on our journey of learning how to run 5km over the next two months.
This story will be posted approximately once a week. This will be a how-to guide for beginners. I have designed her running program based on my knowledge and experience as well as some tools on the internet. Here is our plan for Week 1:
| Workout 1- 20 minutes of a jog/walk | Workout 2- 20 minutes of a jog/walk | Workout 3- 20 minutes of a jog/walk |
| 5 minute brisk walk warm up. Then 1-2 minutes of jogging and then 1.5-2 minutes walking. Continue this for the total 20 minutes. | 5 minute brisk walk warm up. Then 1-2 minutes running and 1.5-2 minutes walking. Continue this for the total 20 minutes. | 5 minute brisk walk warm up. Then 1-2 minutes running and 1.5-2 minutes walking. Continue this for the total 20 minutes. |
Therefore, today our goal was to jog/walk 20 minutes. Katie hasn’t run before I decided to start her with intervals. We started with a slow walk for the first few minutes then jogged for 2 minutes then walked for another 2 minutes and continued this process until we reached 21 minutes. At 21 minutes we had ran/walked the combined total of 1.35 Miles. This was a great first step towards Katie’s goal of running 5 kilometers. I am very proud of her for finishing her first run. However, she did looked like she wanted to kill me the entire run while I was chit-chatting beside her. She mentioned that running is hard to breathe and she had cramps. This is normal! Running will get easier and easier as you continue to do it! Your breathing will also become easier as you run. Breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth can make it easier during the run as well.
Good luck Katie as well as anyone else that has decided to join us on this wild adventure.
References:
Clark, J. (n.d.). The couch-to-5km running plan. Retrieved from http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
Image Source: http://www.sxc.hu/
Running in the summer can feel impossible when it is blistering hot outside. Running expert, Jeff Galloway outlined some bad news about summer running; when running in hot weather you are going to feel worse and run slower. Your body will try to cool down your core which means there will be less blood and oxygen delivered to the power source that moves you forward. Additionally, he mentions that working too hard on a hot day can put a runner at risk of a very serious condition called heat disease. Scary stuff!