I have been thinking about trying to put some of the things I have learnt since taking up running, going from not being able to run one lap of the park (2.5km) without stopping to where I am now, so this is that post. I should probably say that the below is all my own opinion, obviously I would never intentionally give any bad advice but at the same time I am not a trainer, I don’t have any qualifications etc I am just basing it on my experiences, mistakes and on bits of information that I have picked up on my way.

I actually was going to do the whole thing as a single post but the next section that I was writing is looking quite substantial so what I have decided to do is break them up into a series, each under the same category for ease of viewing.

So I want to start running….

I have mentioned in the “about” section that I started running because of signing up for the Grim 2010, this was my way of getting motivated to go out and run. Now participating in a race within 4 months of starting out may not be everyone’s cup of tea (I did have a base level of fitness to work from, not that it felt like that on the first few runs) but the premise is sound, have a goal, an objective, something you want to achieve.

This can be losing weight, raising money for charity, getting fitter or as above having a race/event. The reason I say have a goal is that from my experience, getting up on a cold wintry morning to go for a run can be tough and by having something to work towards can really give you the kick up the bum to get out there and do it.

Another way of getting motivated is joining a group of like-minded people, I would say that if you are thinking of getting out and running and are looking for other people to run with, then I would recommend joining a Parkrun. Its free, there is probably one near you and it happens every Saturday. There is no minimum ability required and it is a perfect environment to get you started.

The website is http://www.parkrun.com/home and all the information on how to join is on there, as well as a directory to find the nearest one to you.

So, you have a reason to run, not you need some running gear and this will be the topic of my next post.