Beginning Running 101:  Tips and Guidelines*                 PDF Version

• A properly fitted pair of good running shoes is your best investment!
• Find and stick with your own comfortable pace.
• Breathe smoothly and naturally; avoid harsh, punctuated breaths.
• Don’t let lack of time keep you from getting a workout in!  Even a 10 or 15-minute run/walk workout will do your body and mind good, boosting your energy and enhancing your fitness, one step at a time!
• Stop immediately if you feel any shortness of breath or pain.
• Stay loose; relax your neck and shoulders, and even your facial muscles.
• Observe good posture; stand tall, watch straight ahead, with a light contraction of your abdominal muscles.
• Intervals can be measured – for example, a “1:2/2:3” cycles, in which you run one minute, walk two minutes, then run for two minutes and walk for three minutes – or they can be loosely defined – for example, periodically running from a particular tree to the end of the block.
• When going up a hill, take shorter, slightly faster steps, watch the top the hill to keep your chest open for maximum breathing efficiency, and visualize a cord in the center of your chest, pulling you up the hill.
• When running downhill, don’t let momentum cause you to lose control; instead, let your natural pace resume, gradually lengthening your strides from when you ran uphill.
• Stretching early into the workout can be helpful, but it’s best to concentrated mostly on dynamic stretches here, saving the slower, longer-held stretches for the end of the run.
• Stay hydrated; be sure to drink water before your run, and sip a few ounces every 10-20 minutes.  Drink plenty of water afterward to replenish lost fluids.
• Generally, sports drinks are not necessary for workouts lasting less than 90 minutes.
• Dress appropriately for the weather; wear gloves and ear protection on chillier days, and dress in layers for cold weather runs.  Be aware that you’ll heat up substantially during the run, but are likely to cool off during the walking portion.
• Muscles that tend to tighten up with running are hips, hamstrings, calf muscles and hip flexors, so stretches should especially address these muscles.
• Don’t worry about being “too slow” a runner.  Slow versus whom?  The fact that you’re running at all puts you in an elite percentile in this country, given that most people can’t (or don’t) do so at all!
• Races are a great way to challenge and improve yourself.  Always give yourself plenty of time – more time than you think you need – to train for one.
• When running outside, always be aware of your surroundings.  My recommendation:  don’t wear a headset when running outside.  Too distracing!
• If possible, vary your running surface.  Blacktop and crushed gravel are among the friendlier surfaces, whereas concrete is particularly harsh on the joints.

 *As always, check with your physician before beginning this or any exercise program.

  Stretches that are helpful to runners and walkers:

Sample Running/Walking Workouts Using Evamarie’s “1-2-3” Interval Cycle

• 1 cycle = 1 minute running, 2 minutes walking, then 2 minutes running, 3 minutes walking
• 1 full cycle = 8 minutes