Training/running plan
Remember: Every great Journey begins with the first step! Lao Tze, Dao De Jing
What stops most of us from achieving our dreams – as athletes and as people – are the confines of our imagination. We can never be more than we imagine we can be. And as long as we restrict ourselves by our imaginations, we forever bind ourselves to our past and blind ourselves to our future. ( Marathon running for mortals by John Bingham and Jenny Hadfield)
Your past is only a description of where you’ve been not a prescription for where you will be.
Running is a way of life, once you become a runner, you won’t turn back, it is one of the best exercises because it can be done anytime and anywhere (almost).
There is nothing quite like the feeling of running down the West side of Manhattan New York with the Statue of Liberty on your right and the Empire State building on your left, you will develop your own favourite runs that will remain wonderful memories with you forever. Wherever you go, on holiday, or even on a working trip take your kit and trainers and go for a run and it could turn into one of the most memorable trips.
A regular programme of running will make you healthier, fitter, slimmer and happier. That’s as true at 21 as it is at 81, because it’s a sport that you can continue to enjoy throughout your life.
But let’s be honest, the first step is the hardest, and there will be times when you are pushing yourself so hard that your commitment will be tested to the limits! This is why it is important that you build up slowly, don’t do too much too soon or you will probably fail. Equally there will be times when you feel so good that you could run forever!! Especially if you train correctly!
WHY RUN?
You can reduce your risk of developing coronary heart disease by 50% if you’re physically active ( British Heart Foundation)
Reduces the risk of Breast cancer by 30% if you do 30 minutes of physical activity 3 or more times a week ( Cancer Research UK Oct 2002)
Reduces the risk of Stroke by 63% by running regularly for 20 to 40 minutes 3 to 5 times a week.
Can reduce the risk of getting Type 2 Diabetes by doing 30 minutes of exercise a day (Joslin Diabetes Centre August 2001 www.joslin.org)
30 to 40 minutes of weight bearing exercise (such as running) 3 or 4 times a week can help to prevent Osteoporosis.
Always remember: No matter who you are and whatever your starting age, you can be a good runner, it’s not about coming first, it’s not about beating the person in front, it’s about setting your own goals and achieving them for yourselves. Even if it is just doing one lap of the park, or 10 minutes on the treadmill, it is YOUR personal challenge.
THE KIT
Before you start, it is important to have the right equipment, while beginners don’t need to worry too much about expensive running clothes it is a good idea to get some specialist running clothes because it makes it more comfortable. If you are running in heavy tracksuits, it just makes it more difficult (My own personal opinion) specialist clothes have wicking built in to take the moisture away from the body so you don’t feel all sweaty. You do need to spend good money on the right trainers, it is really important to have them fitted correctly in order to avoid, at best, discomfort and at worst, injury.
HYDRATION
Make sure you keep well hydrated before, during and after your run, but don’t overdo it, take small sips throughout.
WARM UP/COOL DOWN
Warm up sessions are a personal choice, it has long been thought that warming up and stretching before a race is advisable to prevent injury but recent studies suggest that it is unnecessary and can be damaging to the muscles. It is best to save the stretches for the cool down after the race.
THE PLAN
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL CHECK BEFORE YOU START!
Unless you come from a strong (and recent) background in another physically demanding sport, don’t jump right into a running programme. Instead begin with a run/walk programme. An excellent goal for a run/walk programme is four runs per week, each one lasting 20- 30 minutes.
If you have absolutely no running background it is a good idea to get started with 8 straight days of walking first to prepare the legs.
First 4 days walk 20 minutes
Next 4 days walk 30 minutes
Recommended by Budd Coates, Health Promotion Manager at Rodale Inc
After initial break in period introduce 2 minutes of running and by that I don’t mean run as fast as you can for 2 minutes, I mean a slightly faster pace than your fast walk, and alternate with 4 minutes of walking.
Go too fast to start and your muscles will ache and you’ll be out of breath fast and not want to go it again.
Don’t think about distances/miles! Just think about minutes! It doesn’t matter how far you go!!!
Do the talk test, if you are running with a friend, aim to run at a comfortable enough pace to enable you to talk as you run, don’t go faster, comfort is more important than speed.
The following is a ten week programme which you ease into. Once you can comfortably run for 30 minutes without stopping you can start to think about 10s of miles per week. A reasonable goal would be 9 – 14 miles per week, 3 days running and 4 rest or cross training days i.e. cycling, swimming or weight training. (While these exercises use different muscle groups it will still help your cardio vascular ability)
THE PROGRAMME
Try and do on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
WEEK 1
Run 2 minutes
Walk 4 minutes
Repeat 5 times
WEEK 2
Run 3 minutes
Walk 3 minutes
Repeat 5 times
WEEK 3
Run 5 minutes
Walk 3 minutes
Repeat 4 times
WEEK 4
Run 7 minutes
Walk 3 minutes
Repeat 3 times
WEEK 5
Run 8 minutes
Walk 2 minutes
Repeat 3 times
WEEK 6
Run 9 minutes
Walk 2 minutes
Repeat twice then run 8 minutes
WEEK 7
Run 9 minutes
Walk 1 minute
Repeat 3 times
WEEK 8
Run 13 minutes
Walk 2 minutes
Repeat twice
WEEK 9
Run 14 minutes
Walk 1 minute
Repeat twice
WEEK 10
Run 30 minutes
Remember if you find any particular week too much just go back and do the previous week again, there is no rush.
WHEN AND WHERE TO RUN
If you find it hard to find time to run, I always get up 1 hour earlier, this gets it out of the way early morning before everyone else is up, if you can’t do this you need to find a time during the day that suits you and pencil it into your calendar so other plans are made around your training times.
When choosing where, you need to do what is best for you, if you live near a park then try and do laps of the park if you are on a main road then stick to the pavements, you may prefer to run on a treadmill or running track, it is all a matter of personal preference, but I would try out different locations to find what you enjoy the most.
After you have established a training routine it is a good idea to vary your running, try some hill running or interval training, where you speed up and slow down, this all helps your training and takes the boredom out of long training programmes.
REMEMBER running will make you a fitter, healthier person, if your family complain about the time you spend running, remind them that you are investing in your future which in turn is investing in their future, the fitter and healthier you are in old age the less you will need to rely on them so the better everyone’s life will be.
Running not only gives you confidence in your ability as an athlete (yes you are an athlete) but also in other areas of your life, you have learned that if you can do this you can attain other goals.
Always remember, the MIRACLE is not crossing the finishing line but having the courage to START.
A lot of the information above has been provided by various books which are mentioned in the text and below, and some personal experience, if anything is missing please contact me at the following: Angela Lewis, Craig Y Mor Acupuncture, 95 Gwscwm Road, Pembrey, Carmarthenshire, SA16 0YU craigymoracu@aol.com or 01554 833938 07966 493433
If you would like any advice on Nutrition please also contact me at the above.
SUGGESTED READING
“Marathon Running for Mortals” by John Bingham and Jenny Hadfield
“Healthy Runner’s Handbook” by Lyle J. Micheli MD with Mark Jenkins
“Running Made Easy” by Susie Whalley and Lisa Jackson in association with Zest magazine.
If you find that you really enjoy running which I’m sure you will, you might want to subscribe to Runners world magazine which you can now do online at www.runnersworld.co.uk
