Most of us who have been doing this for awhile occasionally get asked by non-runners how to be a runner. We’ve all seen articles in runners’ magazines or other health-type publications on how to start. Mostly they get overly complicated – heart rate, shoe types, proper clothing, blah, blah, blah. Then, there are all those programs promising even beginners to run a marathon.
But it’s only running. Anybody caught in the middle of a crosswalk when the light changes, knows how to run. As a serious runner you very quickly learned to pace yourself to sustain any distance, but those how-to articles get into technical stuff that probably scares many beginners into forgetting the whole thing. So, here’s a No-Frills Beginner’s Program lifted from my very first column in 1999:
The simplest advice I can offer a new runner is 30 MINUTES. Don’t spend big bucks on equipment; just make sure you have some basic running shoes that are comfortable and light. Start by jogging slowly (no sprinting) until you start to run out of gas; walk until you can breathe easily again, run some more, then walk again, then run again until your 30 minutes are up. Don’t kill yourself! Day after tomorrow do it again. Pretty soon you’ll be running more than walking, and eventually you’ll be able to run for the entire 30 minutes. Once you can run non-stop for 30 minutes, consider yourself an official runner. You can now enter some races (but not marathons).
Sign up for that first 5K race (3.1 miles) which you should be able to finish in about 30 minutes. That’s just the beginning. Now you can check out the high-tech running shoes, clothing and other runners’ stuff. Keep entering races since they provide incentive for training and improvement. After racing on a fairly regular basis, most people see big gains in fitness, weight loss and speed. Join a running club, and keep running year ’round. You’ll be physically fit, lose weight, and get your exercise by simply stepping out of your front door to run. No need for a health club with boring exercise machines. And no need to feel guilty about using your home exercise equipment as a high-tech clothes rack. That’s what it’s for.
Running can be pretty addictive. But that addiction can lead to overdoing it, and many runners tell stories about having done too much, too soon. It’s a matter of patience and gradual improvement. Save that first marathon until you have a few years’ experience at shorter distances.
Attending a recent alumni gathering (Doane College) the college rep, knowing of my long running interest, told of a younger graduate, living on Chicago’s Near North Side who “ran” last fall’s Chicago Marathon, struggling in the heat. I asked two questions: Was it his first race? And, has he kept running? The answers were yes and no, respectively. Not much of a role model. We’re encouraging a lifestyle, not checking one item off a list.
Finally, The Race That’s Good for Life 5K is here in Oak Park on April 19. It was named one of the three top races of 2008 by Chicago Area Runners Association. So, mark your calendars.
Paul Oppenheim is a member of the Oak Park Runners Club.