How do I begin?

“I’m (fill in your age) and I want to begin running.  How do I start?”

This web site is not really aimed at beginners or folks that run for the health benefits alone.  It’s more focused on competitive running.  But the following is how I would answer that question.

1.    Visit a healthcare provider to be sure there are no serious underlying conditions before beginning.  Runners can and do die from the stresses caused by running.  It’s worth a visit to your doctor before getting started.

2.    Next visit a good running store and buy properly fitted, well cushioned shoes.  Buy a watch, shorts, singlet and socks.  All that you will need will cost less than $200.

3.    Next I’d suggest visiting a foot doctor to see if you have any alignment issues.  Since foot injuries are (unfortunately) all too common, there are surely folks in most running clubs who can suggest a doctor who has experience treating runners.  

4.    Get in your car and look for a safe running place of about 3 miles long.  Look for few vehicles.  Look for dirt or other soft surfaces if you can find it.  Look for flat surfaces.

5.    Measure the mile markers.  Even measure ¼ miles and ½ miles.

6.    Start by running and walking.  Run/ jog about 100 meters (or yards) and then walk the same distance.  Little by little increase the running distance and reduce the walking parts.  The first goal is to be able to run 3 miles without stopping.  Three miles should be in the range of 30 minutes.  Strictly for the health benefits of running, I’ve read the goal is vigorous exercise of 30 minutes most days.  Running 3 miles on most days and taking 30 minutes gets you to that first goal.

7.    Now let’s say your goal is weight loss, too.  Here I have found running 6 miles on most days or about an hour will help meet that goal.  So all you need to do is just work up to double that first goal or go around your track two times.

It’s that simple.

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Training for Your First Half Marathon
(Suggested for a young friend’s first race of that distance)


The build-up:

1.    Let’s start with the overall objective which is to log enough miles to be able to finish a 13.1 mile race without getting injured along the way.

2.    Enough miles can be quantified by being able to complete 10 miles or more on any given date prior to the race.  More is even better but 10 is the minimum goal.  If 10 mile days are not achievable a 13.1 mile race “will not be much fun.”

3.    For the first 3 weeks, build to 6 miles per day or about 30 miles per week.  Run at a pace 1 to 1 ½ minutes per mile slower than your race target.  For starter’s I’d suggest a race target of 9 minutes per mile (2 hours for the race) or conceivably 8 minutes per mile (1 ¾ hours).  Thus the training pace is in the 9 to 10 minutes per mile range.

4.    Add mileage no more than 10% per week.  If you’re tired and sore, you can run but run less.  If it hurts, don’t run.

5.    For the real build-up period which comes after reaching this 30 mile per week level, the key is to increase one day from 6 to 7 to 8 to 9 to 10 miles.  Keep the other days constant at about 6 miles.  Ideally, I like to get two days per week at these higher totals.  (For example this year I ran 12 Mondays, 8 Tuesdays and 10 Wednesdays.  That left the other four days quite easy).

6.    Measure some miles with a car so you can learn pace.  Run on dirt trails if they’re available.

7.    Be sure you have good running shoes.  I use one type for training (especially for longer runs) Mizuno Wave Riders and one for the race and faster training Mizuno Wave Precision.



Practice Race:

1.    I’d suggest one practice race of 5K, no closer than 3 weeks to the race.  The purpose is to get the pace goals firmly set in your mind.  The possibilities are available on Apple Raceberry JaM.com.  (www.raceberry.com)


Ten Days prior to the race:

1.    Run fewer days.  No long runs.

2.    Use this time to practice pace.  Use measured mile (1/4 if available) and beat 2:15, 4:30, 6:45 and 9:00 into your brain.  (This year I beat 1:55 (7:40) into my brain over and over again for 10 days.)

3.    The two days before the race, I’d suggest running each day but only 2 miles two days before and one the day before.


Race Day Pre-Race:

1.    I wake-up 3 hours 5 minutes before the race.

2.    I eat very bland pasta with tomato sauce 3 hours before the race, absolutely no later or I have stomach problems during the race.  Races of 9 miles or more require pre-race food while those 6 miles and less do not.  

3.    Drink lots of fluids (including coffee) until 2 hours before then stop.

4.    Normally, I am very regular (B. M.) every day but before races I always have to go twice with the last one maybe 30 minutes before.  Needing to find a port-a-potty during the race is no good but it does beat diarrhea flowing down the legs.

5.    I arrive one hour before so not to be rushed.  If there is transportation to a starting line, I arrive even earlier.

6.    For a 5K I warm-up running 3 miles or so, with some very good sprints.  For the ½ M I run about a quarter or half mile emphasizing some sprints.

7.    10 minutes before the race (not earlier) I drink 0.5 liter of water.  Now I’m hydrated.




What to wear?  Temperature effect.

1.    < 45 degrees F:  hat, gloves, long sleeve shirt and maybe tights.

2.    48 to 52 degrees F: ideal.  Shorts and singlet.  Sometimes I wear a throwaway shirt just not to be cold at the starting line.

3.    52 to mid 60s:  progressively becoming dangerous.

4.    70 degrees and above I consider not running.


The race:

1.    I divide the race into three parts for both pace and the stress expectation.  

2.    For pace I use a 4-5-4 miles breakdown.  The first 4 must be easy.  The next 5 are pushed but with caution.  The last 4 are pushed with whatever is left.  But my goal is for the average pace to be as close as possible.  My best races are within 1 or 2 seconds per mile for each 1/3 of the race.

3.    For stress expectation, I divide the race 6-4-3.  The key point here is you are not half way through at 6 ½ miles.  During the race, I like to think the mid point is around 8 to 9 miles.

4.    I quite strongly recommend for your first ½ M you run what are called negative splits or run the 4-5-4 breakdown progressively faster.  Let’s say a good pace target is 9:00 for the first 4 miles; 8:30 for the mid 5 miles and 8:00 for the finishing 4 miles.

5.    Be especially careful of the first mile.  At least half the runners in the field are idiots.  They will go out way too fast.  Think over and over again of a mental picture just how far 13.1 miles is ahead of you.  The finish line is absolutely not 1 mile away.  For every second you gain in the first third of a race by running too fast, you’ll lose at least 5, maybe 10 seconds late in the race.  Plus….plus the pain will be much worse.  The first few times you try a half marathon it is not possible to run the first mile too slow.  My suggested time for your first mile is 9:00 to 9:15.    Even 9:30 is not too slow.  There will always be time to pick up the pace.  To achieve this, it will seem like you’re running at way too slow a pace.  The risk of running the first mile too fast can be higher if you run “as a buddy group”.  It takes only “one idiot” to suck in everybody.     

6.    Take walking breaks (20 seconds or so) to drink water (not Gator aide) at the water stops around 3, 6 and 9 miles.  After 9 miles it doesn’t do any good unless the day is exceedingly hot.  If it’s a cold day I can sometimes get by with only one walking drink and two running ones where much doesn’t get down. If it’s hotter, I am much more careful to stay hydrated.  I’m not going to have a good time anyway, so why risk a problem.

7.    If there are significant hills you have to be careful both up and down.  It takes some experience to know what level of effort is equivalent to flat racing.  In this case +2 and -2 doesn’t equal zero.  Flat courses are always faster.