How I did it: i actually went down to the running room and signed up for a 10K class. They take you from start to finish and give advice on nutrition, injury, extreme weather running et. Unfortunately half way through i did get injured. it was bad enough that i had to stop going to the class. I really wanted to complete a race so once my injury healed i started running on my own. i still went to the running room occasionally since they have free open runs every week. That kept me motivated. i also started going to the gym and doing some strength training once a week. that helped me prevent getting injured again. i asked the advice of a trainer so i was doing exercises that would benefit my running. then i went online and found a local 10K race and signed up! its great to have an actual date on the calendar that you are working towards. i enjoyed the run so much that i have decided i want to do a half marathon in the spring!! for anyone who is thinking about it, its a great goal to have and even better to complete. you will feel great after! 

Lessons & tips: slow and steady is the best policy. find a running club or organization or just a running buddy to keep you motivated. make sure you get good shoes!! i had some serious trouble with my feet and it turned out to be all shoe related. once i got new ones that were right for my feet the problems went away. 

Resources: The running room website is awesome. they have tons of info and links to events all over the country. 

Nov 12, 2008, 03:38PM PST | 0 comments | 1 cheer