Beginning Your Running Program
Remember that the safest and most enjoyable approach to running is to build up your ability incrementally. By following the suggestions and schedules in this book, you will find that your ability as a runner increases safely and steadily.
Building a Base
Without question, the most important area one should focus on prior to beginning any running program is safely and slowly building your mileage. In anticipation of entering races longer than 10K (6.2 miles), you should eventually be running four to five days a week with minimum weekly mileage totals of 20–25 miles. At that point, longer runs and weekly mileage can be added in small increments. You should not introduce advanced running techniques, such as speed work and hill repeats, into your training schedule until you're physically ready.
Fact
“I've been running since I was in my thirties, and had never broken the barrier from a few minutes to long distance. Until Art Liberman put me on a training program—and it worked. Beginning with 12 minutes, I am now able to run 90-plus minutes nonstop.”—Margo Painter, Pensacola, FL
Going to the Next Level
Assuming you have either completed the walk/run schedule or can run 4 miles prior to picking up this book, you can use the mileage buildup schedules in Tables 5-2 and 5-3 to prepare to run a 10-mile race. If you already have some running experience and wish to enter races longer than 10 miles, such as the half-marathon (13.1 miles) and marathon, in the near future, put your current training on hold until you systematically progress though the last couple of weeks of these schedules.
Prior to your target race, include a tapering-off period of 1–2 weeks in which you reduce your mileage totals 35–40 percent. By doing so, you will be well rested and ready to perform optimally come race day. For true beginners, use the walk/run schedule in Table 5-2 to set the stage for completing your first 5K (rather than for the goal of running it competitively).
The 10 Percent Rule
Do not increase either your weekly mileage or your long-run mileage by more than 10 percent a week. Doing so greatly increases the chances of incurring an injury, thereby delaying or stopping your training altogether. Many running injuries can be attributed to runners not following this simple but extremely important premise.
▼ TABLE 5-2: MILEAGE BUILDUP SCHEDULE
▼ TABLE 5-3: ADVANCED MILEAGE BUILDUP SCHEDULE
Beginning Runner's Mistakes
Watch out for common mistakes that beginning runners often make. These include:
Focusing on speed. Try to focus on increasing your duration rather than your speed as a means of evaluating your progress.
Doing too much too soon. Increasing mileage as a result of over-enthusiasm often leads to the most common beginner running injury—Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (MTSS) (formerly called “shin splints”).
Not listening to your body. If excessively sore or fatigued, either walk or take an extra day off. Don't be a slave to your training schedule!
Using old running shoes, shoes not designed specifically for running, or shoes that are not appropriate for your biomechanical needs.
Training with the wrong people. Run with others who share your level of ability, not with those who run either much faster or much slower than you.
Trying to emulate other people's running styles. Use the proper form when you run to avoid discomfort or injury.
Giving up too soon. If you find yourself getting discouraged soon after you start a running program, be careful not to talk yourself out of it. Re-evaluate the reasons you wanted to start running. Ask yourself what happened between having those feelings and becoming discouraged. Are your expectations unrealistic? Is there something about the process that doesn't feel right? Do you recognize any mistakes listed here as contributing to your feeling discouraged?
