5 Tips for New Runners

I wrote a guest post for the wonderful folks over at the Virginia Bloggers website yesterday, so click through here and check it out!

And you can read it below as well...please add any of your own tips for new runners to the end!:

**************************

Greetings to my fellow Virginia friends!!  My name is Katherine and I’m a 3 time marathon runner with a personal best time of 3:26.  I’ve had a fast and furious love affair with running and I am super excited to report that I just registered for my first Boston Marathon in spring 2013.  I blog about my running adventures, travels, and life in Richmond, Virginia over at Neon Blonde Runner.

The goal of my blog is to inspire others to dream big and shoot for the stars with their goals.  I just ran my first road race in 2010 and at that time I would have never dreamed about qualifying for the Boston Marathon, but you never know what you’re capable of until you try.  So that’s why I want to give each of you 5 simple tips for getting you started with running…so that you can take off, make it your own and discover what you’re capable of too.

You may recognize me from the October 2012 issue of Outside Magazine!
My photo was featured in the article that named Richmond the Best River Town in the nation.

5 Simple Tips for New Runners

1)  When you’re starting out, don’t focus on speed.  Instead, just run based on time—for example, decide that you’re going to spend 20 minutes jogging and just set out and relax.  Focus on enjoying yourself and getting a “feel” for it.  I didn’t start to pay attention to speed or pace until I’d been casually jogging for almost a year.  This will take the pressure off of it all.  This is your “me” time, your time to clear you head.  You can gradually increase the length of your runs when you feel comfortable with what you’re already doing.

Once you get into it, running can be as relaxing as a siesta on the beach

2)  Run with a buddy or a group!  You’d be surprised at how much this makes a difference.  If you know that you’re going to meet someone for a jog, it’ll be much easier to head out the door.

Running with Tappan at the Color Me Rad 5k

3)  Remember that the hardest part of running is getting out the door.  Not many people get super excited before heading out for a jog…but once you get started, the feeling is pretty darn incredible and you won’t regret it.  Schedule a time to go running ahead of time and stick with it—I prefer running before work, otherwise it just will NOT get done.

4)  Go to a running store to get fitted for a pair of shoes.  Running in the right shoes is super important and can help prevent any injuries!  Sources recommend that you replace your shoes ever 200-300 miles.

5)  Track your progress and stick with it for at least a month before you decide to stop running.  Keep a little calendar where you write down how long you ran each day.  Or you can record your progress in an online running diary, such as Daily Mile or the runner’s world training log.  If you stick with it for a month and still don’t enjoy running, then maybe running’s just not your thing…but I doubt that will be the case because you’ll notice such incredible changes in your life, both mentally and physically.

Running is simple, pure, and has added so much joy to my life.  Its benefits will seep into all other parts of your life.

So give it a try!  I am always happy to try to pull new converts along with me!  So if you live in Richmond, let me know and I’ll tell you about some great local running groups.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions:

-Instagram @NeonBlondeRunner

-twitter- NeonRunnerKat

-e-mail- NeonBlondeRunner @ gmail . com

Are you a runner and have some tips to add?  Please let me know in the comments below!