Blake Beckcom | Fitness

What does it take to be a runner? Short shorts, bright socks, $100 shoes, a GPS watch and personalized playlists? Maybe a dog, water bottles attached to your hips and joining a running gang that meets before sunrise to get mileage in? Well, in reality, being a runner only means putting one foot in front of the other, again and again, until the next thing you know you’ve put together enough continuous steps to run one mile, then two, three and four. It really is that simple.

If you are new to running and not sure where to start, follow these 10 simple steps to make running fun, enjoyable and part of your regular fitness routine.

One, two, lace up your shoes

One of the great things about running is the equipment you need: just a good pair of running shoes. While there are many different brightly colored pairs of shoes to pick from and running-shoe philosophies to adopt, it’s important to not obsess over picking the best shoe. When you are just getting started, visit your local running store for a stride assessment. Your community’s running shoe experts can be a great resource for helping get you into a good starter shoe. As you progress in your run lengths and mileage, you may choose to switch up your shoes or try a new style. The good news is that a pair of shoes only lasts a couple hundred miles anyway, giving you the opportunity to shop around until you find the perfect shoe for you.

Three, four, get yourself out the door

If you are feeling overwhelmed about incorporating running into your workout routine, the first step is to walk out the door and head down your street for a run around your neighborhood. It’s important to remember that you don’t have to run a marathon to be a runner. New runners make the mistake of heading out for a run that is too far, too intense and too much for their bodies. Warm up your body before heading out on a run and build up your mileage in gradual stages. Run your first mile; next time, maybe add one more, but don’t add two or three miles all at once. Take your time building up and enjoy the journey of wherever your running route may take you.
Don’t try to just go out there and run, run, run. It’s important to find a schedule where you start out at a comfortable level then slowly increase your mileage. If your muscles aren’t used to the trauma of running, you risk injuring yourself by doing too much initially.

Five, six, pick a routine that sticks

Just because your co-worker or neighbor runs marathons and seems to be running every single day doesn’t mean it’s a good idea for you to hit the pavement every day, too. In fact, solely focusing on running and not including cross training into your workout routine may end up causing more harm than good.

Follow a routine that alternates a consistent running schedule with resistance training exercises to not only help you run stronger but also to minimize pains, strains and injuries. Any type of strength building exercises such as squat or lunge movements can help runners get better control of their legs and build a stronger base; however, you might consider staying away from any type of jumping due to the movement’s increased stress on the knees.

If you supplement running with resistance training, you will build muscle and strength that can help improve your running results. With simple exercises like resistance band abduction and adduction, wall sits and body weight squats, strengthening of the knees can be accomplished, which substantially reduces the risk of injury. The runners you see who have the best results are those who cross train.

Seven, eight, stretch your muscles straight

Long, lean muscles are a runner’s best friend. When you get caught up with squeezing in extra mileage and cross training exercises into your workout routine, though, maintaining your muscles’ length, flexibility and longevity can quickly fall to the wayside.

Prior to a run, you can warm up your muscles with dynamic moving stretches such as walking quad stretches, leg cradles and straight-leg toe touch marches. After a run, static stretches such as runner’s lunge, bird dog and stationary calf stretches are good for cooling down your body and preparing your muscles for the next run.

To help reduce the risk of some of the most common running injuries — plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendon strains — focus on stretching all of your leg muscles to not only increase flexibility, but also to reduce joint pressure. By setting aside a few minutes out of your day to stretch your legs’ main muscle groups — glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps and calf muscles — you will set yourself up for being a consistent runner for a longer period of time.

Nine, ten, grab your friends and do it again

After you have been running for a while, the monotony of clicking off mile after mile can quickly lead to a plateau both mentally and physically. To keep running interesting and fun, mix up your routine by adding a little variety into your routes. Trail running can take you to new, undiscovered territory, a beach run on sand or hilly terrain in the mountains can offer new challenges both mentally and physically, and grabbing a buddy to chat the miles away can be a welcome change to running solo. Pick whatever works for you to keep running enjoyable and rewarding.

If you are getting into fitness for the first time, focus on getting into a routine of doing something you enjoy. Getting yourself in to a habit first is the most important thing to establishing a healthy lifestyle. If you don’t enjoy it, you won’t keep doing it. The key is one workout, one meal at a time. It is a marathon, not a sprint.

—Blake Beckcom dirige Fitness Together Mission Hills con su esposa Gwen. Contáctelos en fitnessjuntos.com/missionhills.