beginning running

People often ask how I got started running. First and foremost it took desire. I wanted to run the remember the 10 in Stillwater.  And I did.

Secondly it took acceptance that I was not going to be good at it. I had to realize that I was going to be like a fish out of water. Running – this is something I have little memory of finding pleasurable except when I was very little and dashing across the front lawn barefoot to a friends on a hot summer day. In this memory I am 8. I did not need a good solid sports bra. I just needed to get there fast.

I ran on to this article today and it took me back to earlier this winter and the first steps of my adult running life. If you are not lucky enough to be close to Tulsa or are unable to attend the Runners World Tulsa’s FREE couch to 5K program I recommend that you use this as a guide for starting your own running journey.

First you need to dispel a few preconceptions.

- to be a runner you have to be skinny like a tooth pick – wrong anyone can be a runner regardless of size.
- to be a runner you need to be fast – wrong to be a runner you need to be moving
- to be a runner you need to be able to run 100% of the distance you cover – wrong as a new runner you need to be running intervals. With intervals you get to walk at a predetermined amount of time. (Many runners run intervals for most if not all of their training and that is OK)
- to be a runner you need to love running – yes and no. Yes I love how I feel after I run. I love talking about running. I love my running friends. I do not love running in the heat. I do not love waking up early in the morning on ‘my’ weekend – but I do love how I feel afterward.

Secondly you need the right tools for this task.

- Shoes. You need GOOD running shoes fitted to your foot by a specialist who watches how you move.
- If you are a woman you need a VERY GOOD sports bra, particularly if you are bigger up top. Enelle, Moving Comfort , Champion and  all make good sports bras just do some homework so you know which of each line provides the right support for you.
- Water bottle. I love my Nathan handheld water bottle. I use it daily and I like the strap for the hand (makes it much easier to hang on to while running)
- That’s it, that is all you need to get started. Believe me you can find all kinds of gizmos and whiz-bang’s that you will decide you need later but this is a starter list.

And seriously in the article they mention the gym boss. I love mine and to this day I run nearly every run with it.