Tuesday, May 17, 2011

My newest hobby

In my attempt to lose weight once and for all, I've taken up running. It's something that I have always wanted to do and with the help of inspiring family and friends I have come pretty far. I'm not at the point where I'm going to be winning any marathons any time soon. But I can complete a 5k without problem. The thought of running 3-4 miles without stopping a few months ago looked very scary. Now I can do it a few times a week. As long as my husband and children allow me to. So if you want to give it a shot, here is some knowledge that I can pass on to you. Keep in mind that I am very new to this.
  
1. This is probably the most important tip: Invest in some good running shoes. There are all sorts of places online to buy from. Your going to want to figure out what kind of foot you have before you purchase them. This is very important because if you wear the wrong type of shoe you'll know it. Your feet will hurt and it can cause injuries. I recommend Asics. They were recommended to me by my brother in law (a seasoned runner). This is link to help you figure out your foot type http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0%2C7120%2Cs6-240-319-326-7152-0%2C00.html

2. Try to be prepared. Go to the bathroom before you start out, wear comfy clothes, have your song list ready on your ipod if you use one. If you use a Garmin watch turn it on so it finds it's satellite before start out. Bring a water bottle. If you don't want to run with one and your going to run by a convenient store put a dollar or two in your shoe.

3. Take is slow. Your not going to be able to run a 5k your first time out. It takes time for your body to get into shape. You would think that running would be a natural function for your body but it needs to be conditioned for it. I recommend training in intervals. Walk 3 minutes run 2min do this for 30min. Do that for 3-4 days for a week. Then the next week walk 3 minutes then run for 3min. Each week keep upping your minutes that you run and then as you get more comfortable decrease the amount of minutes that you walk until you get to the point where you can run steady for 30-40 min. Your body will only keep getting stronger.

4. Learn to steady your breathing. In through your nose, out through your mouth. Find a place in your mind that relaxing and stay there. I do some serious thought processing when I run. I can be an awesome outlet for a busy mom. You can use it for prayer time as well.

5. Have a goal. Start with a small one. Mine was to run a 5k. My goal now is to do a half marathon and maybe by next summer I'll be able to do a full marathon.

Good luck!!

4 comments:

  1. Awesome job! I have to find time to start running regularly.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow! You are an inspiration. I know I need to get in better shape but always seem to have an excuse. Keep up the good work!

    ReplyDelete