Stretch Before Run

Running: you gotta crawl before you walk.

Many people ask me "how do I start running?" - good question and the answer is not the obvious, "just put your runners on and go". Running, in general, takes time; running without injury, takes patience. Quite often, people have a misconception that you can start running  zero to10km the first time you start running. No. I often quote the saying "you gotta crawl before you walk" when I talk to people about how I started running.

My best advice to begin with is to join a running club or enlist in an expert. Personal Trainers are great and I endorse them, however most of them don't have a specialty in running. By comparison, a running coach can tailor a program specifically for you specializing in improving your overall performance and is relatively inexpensive. As a rule of thumb though, start off by walking. Walk as often as you can and perhaps after a couple of weeks, try mixing it up by incorporating running. Again,  speaking to an expert like a PT or Running Coach is important, as they will tailor a specific program to suit your level of fitness.

I cant stress enough to people that running is not something that you can just start straight away. If you do your homework, enlist in some sound advice, buy good quality runners that suit your feet and also invest in quality time to get it right, you will definitely be on the right track.

On a side note - I can't emphasize enough about the importance of stretching. I wasn't doing enough of it last year and as a result, I got injured. STRETCH!! STRETCH!! STRETCH!!!  So,before you do any running, you have to stretch. If you stretch regularly, you reduce your chances of getting  an injury. Stretch your quads/calves/thigh/back. Again, speak to your trainer or coach about some of the specific stretching exercises. I use the attached as a guideline. It works well for me and I stretch not just before I run but also after I run.

By speaking to the right people - the experts, you will be able to enjoy your running and  more importantly, without injury.

Credits to http://marathongurl.blogspot.com/