Once you've been cleared by a physician and have a good pair of running shoes, it's time to start
running!
If you are new high school running, here are a couple of things to keep in mind:
- Consistency is the key to success! The most
successful distance runners are the ones that train consistently -- running five, six, or even seven
days a week. Conversely, runners that are more erratic in their training, the ones that only run
when they feel like it, usually end up getting hurt.
- Slow down! One of the biggest mistakes new runners make is running
too fast on their training runs. It's better to feel like you can speed up towards the end of run,
rather than feeling like you are struggling to "hold on" because you started out too quick.
Remember, consistency is the key. Running too hard on your training runs won't allow your body to
properly recover for subsequent runs, which can lead to injuries, poor race performances, or
burnout.
- Focus on Time Running instead of Mileage For experienced runners,
keeping track of their weekly mileage is a great way to ensure their training is going as planned.
However, we recommend that our runners, especially our newer runners, focus on time spent running
rather than mileage. Hopefully, this will ensure that we don't do our runs too fast, and we don't
try
to do too much too soon.
- There are no Shortcuts It's no coincidence that successful distance
runners are also usually successful in other aspects of their lives. That's because runners
understand the value of teamwork, goal-setting, and perseverance. They also understand that there
are no
overnight successes -- things take time. As you begin your training for this coming season,
keep that in mind and "embrace the process". Not only will you be successful, but you will certainly
enjoy the sport so much more.
If your are just starting out as a runner, you should shoot for running 30 minutes without stopping. Be
careful because if you start out too quick, it will be difficult to make it all 30 minutes. One way to
find your "easy pace" is to start running in one direction and then at 15 minutes into your run, turn
around and head back. If you don't make it back to where you started after 30 minutes, you likely
started too fast and had to slow down. However, if after 30 minutes you end up past where you started,
you can probably start out a tad quicker next time. Of course, if you end up right where you started,
then you have found your "easy pace"!
Whether you are new or if you are an experienced runner coming back from some time off, here is one
method of building up slowly so that you are running consistently: run one day, take a day off, run two
days in a
row, take a day off, run three days in a row, take a day off, etc., and do that until you can run 6 days
in a
row.
As stated above, new runners should shoot for 30 minutes at a time and only start increasing the time
spent running once they are able to run 6 days in a row for a couple of weeks. More experienced runners
can usually run for longer, but the same rule of thumb applies -- don't increase the time spent running
until you get to where you are running at least six days a week.
Every runner is different so instead of trying to fit each runner into a single training plan, we want
to tailor our training plans for our runners. Until we are able to meet with you individually, just keep
running!