Good morning. I’m pretty determined to make this a great day; yesterday was kind of meh.
Nothing particularly nasty happened yesterday – I was just in a funk. You know, the kind of funks that are remedied by standing in your kitchen, in your pajamas, at 11:45 PM, and eating sorbet straight from the pint. 
Onwards and upwards!
One way to remedy a bad mood: make a breakfast that is tasty but doesn’t create a dish explosion in your kitchen. A clean kitchen = a happy Caitlin.
Just Rice Chex, almonds, strawberries, vanilla soy milk. Such a good combo.
Reader Q&A: Getting Started with Running
Jillian e-mailed me to ask, “I have been motivated to start running. I would like to experience exercise in a way I never have. To give you a little background, I grew up riding horses and dancing. I was always in incredible shape because of my hobbies, which meant I never ever exercised or got the drive to do specifically ‘workout.’ Fast forward 5 years later, I’ve graduated college, have a boring sedentary job, and have gained 20 pounds. I know that running could be my escape – it could give me a hobby that I could enjoy doing, yet also gets me into shape. However, I can’t run. My training ‘routine’ for the past few weeks has been working up to running 1 mile straight. I have a loop in the neighborhood where I live near the University which is exactly 1 mile. There are a ton of hills, so it’s taking me a while to get up to running the whole thing. I’m at about 3/4 running, 1/4 walking. So, here’s my question. Am I going about this in a good way? Do you have any suggestions for someone like me?â€
I wanted to answer Jillian’s question on the blog because, I suspect, after this baby comes out, I will be in a very similar position to her – starting from running ground zero, building my cardiovascular base, and carrying an extra few pounds that I’d like to shed. Hopefully, I’ll be able to take my own advice in a few months time!
So – here are my suggestions (and I would love to hear your thoughts, too):
-
If Jillian is at the point where she can run 3/4 a mile without stopping ON HILLS, she’s doing really great! That is definitely not a small accomplishment, and she shouldn’t minimize it. In a world where people run 5Ks or 10Ks and even marathons, 3/4 a mile seems like chump change, but it’s really not. It’s a great starting point.
-
I’m a firm believer in a walk/run program. For a free online plan, check out Couch to 5K; there are some similarly designed plans in the Healthy Tipping Point book. A lot of new runners get the idea in their head that taking walking breaks “doesn’t count†as running. People can feel free to debate this, but I really feel that it’s perfectly okay to take walking breaks (look, we’re not in the Olympics). At many running speeds, you’ll actually end up faster overall if you take regular walking breaks.
-
I’ve found that it’s better to take regular breaks (at certain time intervals or distance intervals) instead of taking them when you’re dying and really need it. If you’re dying, you’re already maxed out. Try running for 2 minutes, walking for 1 minute (just an example) and repeating.
-
The reason the walk/run concept works is that it allows you to build endurance and distance. Jillian may currently max out at 1 mile only because she uses up most of her energy trying to run-run-run the first 3/4 mile. If she used a walk/run method instead, she might be able to cover 1.5 or 2 miles.
-
My mode of attack for getting back into running shape will be to walk/run three or four times a week. Over the course of many weeks (i.e. six to eight), I’ll transition to running more and walking less. Eventually, you may find that you don’t need to take walking breaks at all if you’re running a shorter distance.
-
And lastly, my #1 recommendation for someone who is trying to create a running habit is this… Sign up for a 5K! It may seem crazy if you can’t run a mile to sign up for a 3.1 mile race, but choose one that is 8 – 10 weeks out, follow a training plan, and I promise that you will be able to walk/run to the finish line. Having a ‘deadline’ is extremely motivational and fun, especially if you can get a friend to train or run the race with you.
For more posts about running and racing:
-
How to Handle 5 Running Gross-Outs: Blisters, Chafing, Pooping, and More
What’s your #1 tip for someone who is looking to get into running? How did you become a runner?
I simply became a runner because it was the fastest way to burn calories in the shortest amount of time. A few months after casual running I saw a flyer for a 5k, signed up, and was hooked. I moved up to a half within that year, and that’s the disance I’ve stayed at. I think, though, new runners need to make sure they’re cross training and not throwing all their eggs in the running basket- I made that mistake and started getting seriously burned out a few months ago.