It's approaching that time of year again. For those preparing for full marathons in early spring, the start to your training program is entering in first week within this month. For those training for a half-marathon, you have till around the middle to end of January to start your training for a spring race. This brings us to the question I'll answer for this week. If you're a beginner to running, and you have a lofty goal of competing in one of these races, where do you start? Even if you don't want to run a marathon or half-marathon, where do you start? I figured I'd answer this today for those that are wanting to train for a race, but keep in mind that this advice applies to any new runner, no matter if you're running for leisure or running to train.
The first thing to throw out there is that you'll probably have others tell you you're crazy for running and running is hard on the joints. Let me put it to you this way, I've been a runner ever since I first joined my junior high cross country team some 10+ years ago (you didn't think I was actually going to tell you what year, did you?), and believe me, I've tried to find evidence that supports running being 
hard on the joints, but can't. ... I even found one study that said running strengthens the joints. So needless to say, there's been no study that has actually proven running to be bad on the knees, hips, ankles, etc., so when someone tells you it is, politely thank them for their ground-breaking discovery and walk away. Most likely, they have never run before, can't even imagine running, and that's their way of justifying that they aren't running with you. Even though research doesn't prove that running is hard on the joints, that doesn't mean you have nothing to worry about. You still need to take care of your body if you're going to start running.
My first suggestion is to go to a running store in your neighborhood. How do you know if they are a running store? Well, a dead giveaway is if the name of their store has the word "run" in it, but another great way to tell is if they have all these different shoe brands: New Balance, Brooks, Saucony, Asics, and Mizuno. Now, I realize that some sporting goods stores carry these brands, but what I've found is that sporting goods stores like Dick's carry some, but not all, of these shoe brands. If I've confused you even more, try the Yellow Book, and look for running stores there.
Why do I tell you to go to a running store? Well first, it is absolutely ESSENTIAL that you get a great pair of running shoes. Remember how I said that even though studies haven't proven running to be bad on your joints, you should still take care of your body? Well, this is what I mean. If you run in a crummy pair of shoes, I can almost guarantee that you'll have problems. You might get shin splints, have joint pains, have Achilles tendon problems, be extra sore after runs, etc. I can't stress how important shoes are to running because they can prevent all of these problems from developing. Realize too that a good pair of running shoes is going to cost you. Be prepared to spend around $100 or more on a good pair, but believe me, it's well worth it; I've learned from experience.
So you may be saying, "But Dan, why can't I just buy these shoes at the huge sporting goods store by the mall?" The reason I'm all for running stores is because most of the time, the people who work there are actually runners. These stores aren't staffed with high school and college kids who know nothing about running. Most running stores will have a staff that knows what shoes are best for your feet, many let you run around outside in them before you buy, and some actually look at your running posture on a treadmill to see what type of arch support the shoe needs to have. It's well worth it to go to one of these stores because they'll set you up with the shoe that is best for you, not the shoe that looks best on you.
OK, so you have your shoes, now what? The next bit of advice is to start out slow. Too many times, beginning runners think they can start within the first week and run 4 miles everyday at a pace that pushes them everyday. That's a big mistake. When I've trained beginners, I sometimes start out running with them for 10 minutes only. (With some, I've started with even 5.) That's it for the day, nothing else. As they progress, the runs would go up to 15 minutes, then 20, then 25, etc. Until they can get up to running 30 minutes without stopping, I don't worry about anything else. Once they get to this point, then I'll start them on an actual training program. So your first goal, make sure you can run 30 minutes without stopping; this will provide you with a good base to start from. Also, make sure you always take a day off from running. I know that some say you can run everyday, but I am a huge believer in giving your body a day of rest ... no running at all. This allows your body to rejuvenate itself, and it helps prevent injury and burnout.
Here's a big question, "Is walking OK?" Yes, if you need to stop and walk during your runs, do so. When I'm training for a marathon, I stop and walk. One winner of the Boston Marathon stopped something like 2 or 3 times ... one was to tie his shoe. Walking is a great way to re-energize the body. You'll be surprised at the benefits a quick walking break can give you. Especially during really long runs, if you try and push through a run when your body needs a break, sometimes your body will get to the point where it has no energy left to run at all. If you stop from time to time, though, your body can re-energize, and you'll be able to continue on with your run. Even if you're starting out and 10 minutes is too much, don't feel bad having to jog for 2 minutes, walk 2 minutes, jog 2, walk 2, etc. Remember, it's all about building a base, and you need to have a good base of being able to run continuously for 30 minutes before moving into different types of running days. Once you have a good base, then you can start to do runs that have parts to them that require a higher intensity, but until then, make sure not to run too intensely because if you do, that's when problems can occur.
Two other aspects of running to cover. Make sure to do light stretching before and a full stretching routine after your runs. Flexibility is very important for running. If your joints can move through a greater range, that means you'll be able to run more efficiently and faster. The other aspect to throw out there is resistance training. Running burns muscle, so if you can incorporate at least 2 days/week of resistance training into your program, not only will you help combat muscle from burning off, you'll also become more of a complete runner, one that has strength and endurance. Some runners aren't crazy about resistance training because they feel they work their muscles enough with running alone. I say, resistance training is a great as an addition to running.
OK, so you know to start out slow with your program before increasing the time, mileage, or intensity of your runs too much; take a day off from running each week [even cross training (biking, swimming, elliptical, etc.) for 1-2 days per week isn't that bad of an idea when starting out]; and make sure you get some good shoes.
If you want to train for a race, HalHigdon.com is a great resource; I use it for my training.
For those of you that are doubtful about being able to run a race, I want to tell you a quick story, someone I'm extremely proud of. Two winters ago, I had the great excitement of being able to train my wife for a half-marathon that was at the end of April. My wife had never done something like this, in fact, she wasn't even a runner. (She was a volleyball player through college.) She wanted to be able to run a half-marathon with me because during the last marathon I ran, she got all excited to see husbands and wives running together. We started training in the middle of January, we got her fitted for the right running shoe, and at the start of the program, 10 minutes of solid running was a stretch for her. There were days when the wind and snow would be blowing in our faces, and she would complain and want to give up, but to her credit, she kept pushing through it till she finished her 10 minutes. We
had people say it was crazy to start with such a lofty goal of a half-marathon when she had never even run a 5K, but it didn't stop her. As she progressed, she slowly started to get to the point to where she could run a solid 30 minutes without stopping, and then it got to the point where we were doing higher-intensity runs, and then to a timed 5K run/race. She worked all the way up, from the middle of January until the end of April, and then on the last weekend in April, she completed her first half-marathon, something that none of her family has ever done!
So you see, these aren't lines that I'm just feeding you. You really can accomplish these types of goals if you put your mind to it! So get out there, be smart about your program, but most importantly, don't ever give up!
Note: If you want me to answer your question, make sure to send it my way.
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