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highplainsgirl · 07-19-2009, 12:07 AM

Here are a few things I learned when I began running. Some have been said already, but they are worth repeating:

Getting the right shoes is really important. Go to a specialty running store and have someone look at your feet and your stride and help you find a good shoe and the right size--my running shoes are 1.5 sizes up from my dress shoe size.

I had problems with shin splints when I first began running. A friend I work with (a professor in the health and human performance department at my university) suggested stretching my calves really well after running. I was stretching them, but I added some additional calf stretching, and the problem went away pretty quickly. I also stop and do a gentle stretch of each calf after my warm up and before I begin my run.

If you do run on grass or dirt (I run on concrete mostly, asphalt when I can), be sure it is level, or you can injure yourself worse than running on the street. And it IS harder to run outdoors than indoors, but I also enjoy it more. For one, my dog can run with me, and I enjoy seeing the differences in seasons and times of day outdoors. Plus, it's free.

I can sympathize with beginning pains! When I first began running, I was surprised at how the smaller muscles in my feet and ankles had to adjust to the exercise, since I was already walking 4 miles a day. Now I love it.

I've gotten a lot of good information from Runner's World, too. Check out their website: http://www.runnersworld.com . And good luck

!

07-19-2009, 12:07 AM	#8 (permalink)
highplainsgirl Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Kansas Posts: 7	Good shoes and stretching Here are a few things I learned when I began running. Some have been said already, but they are worth repeating: Getting the right shoes is really important. Go to a specialty running store and have someone look at your feet and your stride and help you find a good shoe and the right size--my running shoes are 1.5 sizes up from my dress shoe size. I had problems with shin splints when I first began running. A friend I work with (a professor in the health and human performance department at my university) suggested stretching my calves really well after running. I was stretching them, but I added some additional calf stretching, and the problem went away pretty quickly. I also stop and do a gentle stretch of each calf after my warm up and before I begin my run. If you do run on grass or dirt (I run on concrete mostly, asphalt when I can), be sure it is level, or you can injure yourself worse than running on the street. And it IS harder to run outdoors than indoors, but I also enjoy it more. For one, my dog can run with me, and I enjoy seeing the differences in seasons and times of day outdoors. Plus, it's free. I can sympathize with beginning pains! When I first began running, I was surprised at how the smaller muscles in my feet and ankles had to adjust to the exercise, since I was already walking 4 miles a day. Now I love it. I've gotten a lot of good information from Runner's World, too. Check out their website: http://www.runnersworld.com . And good luck !