Question:anyone have any suggestions for how to get back to running
consistenetly every day? any advice on how
to start training for a marathon?
Answer:
you don't have to start by running every day. Try to shoot
for running three days a week - easier to work your schedule around.
if you're like most runners, you'll pretty soon find yourself really
-wanting- to run those other days. :)
I'm in training for my first marathon, and I definitely haven't been
running every day, or even 5 days/week. I started my training with
3 days running, 2 days lifting, and 1 day cross-training -- did that
for a couple of months and found that it was easy to keep up b/c of
the variety. I'm no expert; I got my training ideas from Hal Higdon's
site (www.halhigdon.com).
I absolutely agree that it is most difficult to stay motivated in the long
training if I havd to train alone. I need the social support and the
"commitment" to others in a group to be at a run at a certain time and
place. I am much more likely to run even when I can find an excuse to not
run when I am with a group of friends.
My first suggestion is that you look around in your local community and find
a running group (club). In my community the local Y offers a number of
different training groups for runners. There is a beginners and
intermediate group, a group for people working towards a race series and
another group dedicated towards the loacal marathon. Two of the local
running stores offer similar running groups and training experiences. In
addition there are at least four running clubs which train at various
different levels and welcome new members. I don't consider my community
especially rich in running resources (though) I could be under estimating
Victoria. Actually, what I want to encourage, is that your community
probably has similar resources. Where I would look if I were new to your
community is in the local directories.
I think once you have found your local group that fits for your particular
level of training, then you can begin the long and slow journey of
increasing your milage (kilometers) up to the marathon.
Hope this is of some help. If no running group in your community, please
let the rec.running know and I am sure there are a number of people who will
help you with developing an individual training plan.
basically what a team does is make the training more interesting.
to get running on a consistent basis you have to somehow make it
interesting to you so you can stay motivated. after you reach
teh solid base, the motivation is that running really feels great
and fun. Up till then find a running partner, running club, listen
to a walkman (as long as you can hear cars and other people), use
a treadmill and watch tv, cross train aerobically or something to
basically get you more fit to run so that running becomes less of a
chore and more of a fun pasttime
i recently got back into it and it's a little tough, and my
motivating factor is remembering how great running felt
and i want to get up to that level again.
If running is to be a priority in your life it is best to get it out of
the way first thing in the morning. Perhaps getting up an hour or two
prior to your daily obligations to "fit in" that morning run. Of course
this means going to bed sooner to get up sooner, so not to miss out on
your required x-hours of sleep you need each day to feel rested.
I've found that if you have a predictable schedule , you should try to
run at the same time everyday. That way it becomes a routine/habit.
When in professional school I would get up at 5:30 AM each weekday
morning to run for an hour before classes. Then on the weekend ...
after a cup of coffee after waking up, no time constraints on being
anywhere fast. You just need to make it a prioriity -1 thing to do
first thing in the morning.
