Deciding to take up running can be as daunting as it is exciting and healthy. While it is true that all you really need to get started is a good pair of running shoes and your neighborhood park or sidewalk, seeing that long road stretched out before you can be overwhelming without a plan of attack. Having a few basic exercises in your head will help make those first runs more enjoyable.
Intervals
Unless you have an unusually natural gift for distance running, you will want to ease into mileage and time spent on the run through intervals. There are many books written on interval training, but most of the plans boil down to working up to running for 30 minutes by breaking down 5-minute segments into walking and jogging.
Jenny Hadfield, a running expert and co-author of "Running For Mortals," says of interval training, "It is a very enjoyable way to train and the most successful plan for most runners." For a plan similar to hers, start with a 5-minute walk to warm up, then try jogging for 2 minutes and walking for 3 minutes. Each week, as you get stronger, increase the jogging and decrease the walking time.
Mini-Goals
Simply looking ahead to the end point of your run can be discouraging when you have only just left the starting point and you are losing motivation because you are tired, achy or just in a bad mood. Instead of looking to the end, break your run down into smaller visual goals. Decide you can make it to the end of the block or to the broken parking meter outside the grocery store. Reward yourself for each mini-goal achievement with a sip of sports drink or a 1-minute walk break.
Countdowns
Encountering hills and starting hill training as a beginner takes a great deal of focus and determination. Countdowns are very helpful to get you up the hill and can be used in two ways. The easiest is to simply count every time you exhale as you go up the hill. This will focus your breathing and put you in a zone where you are just putting one foot in front of the other.
The other way to is to actually count down from 20. After every number, add a visualization or word of encouragement to yourself: Think "20 ... I can do this. 19 ... Energy." If this sounds strange, remember that when you are running, every positive thought helps get you to your goal, and that all of these exercises can be done silently in your head. If you get to 1 before you reach the top of the hill, start from 20 again.
