Montville, Ready, Set, Get Started!

As long as I’m writing about running, it will always be in my best interest to get as many people out on the road in short-shorts as possible.

For those of you who aren’t running yet but think that they’d like to give it a try, I’d like to encourage you and offer a couple of tips. If you’re motivated to learn more about training, there are reams of information in books and on the internet, but I hope this will help get you on your way to a healthy and happy obsession. 

Start Small

I’ll leave “small” up to your interpretation, but let’s say 2- to 4-mile runs, three to six times a week. If thinking about distance freaks you out, do it by time. See how far you can get in 25 minutes.

Starting off, it makes sense if you want to mix it up with walking. You could even try something like 10 minutes of walking, followed by 10 minutes on the run.

As in human relationships, sometimes the long-distance running relationship needs some spontaneity to keep things interesting. Say you’re coming back from an easy jog and you still feel like you’ve got the energy for another loop around the block. Go for it. Taking on an unexpected challenge can be a great pleasure—not the least because you weren’t stressing out about it beforehand.

Oh yeah, don’t try and be a hero and bust out a 10-mile run on your first day. Maybe you can do it, but adding on miles suddenly is a surefire way to injury—and then you ain’t running nowhere.  Better to gradually increase and simmer down if you feel injury coming on.

Block Time

Seeing as most people have some kind of schedule to their lives, it makes sense that running should fit into the routine. Usually this means morning or afternoon. Some people do both. The point is to have made enough of a commitment that you won’t feel like backing out of a run, and you will have made time in advance. An early-morning run can be quite refreshing and cuts the chances that you’ll blow it off after a long day at work.

Don’t Spend a Zillion Dollars on Running Gear

Running gear is an intimidating subject, partly because whatever science there is about footware is muddled in the murk of pseudoscience and relentless advertising. The fact that different things seem to work for different people, makes me hesitate to make any broad generalizations. What I can tell you is that I’ve run in $50 shoes and in $100 shoes and don’t see a helluva difference.

Other runners, many better than I, will swear by expensive barefoot running shoes and other high-priced brands. Then again, the high price tag just might make people give the shoes credit for a breakthrough when it was really hard training that did it.

While I’m not a foot expert, I think for starting out it makes sense not to break the bank on top of the line stuff, however fun it is to own it. Training is far more important than gear, anyway. If you go the miles, you will be able to run further. If you work on speed, you will run faster.

Seek Nature

Starting out a run the other day, I found that for whatever reason, I simply wasn’t feeling into it. I forced myself to refocus and to open my ears to all the different birds that were chirping beside the road. Even though I wasn’t on the most scenic route, just listening to the sounds of nature had a pleasant and calming effect. I don’t run with an MP3 player, partly because it’s not so great from a safety standpoint, but mostly because of little details like these, and being able to tune into the meditative rhythms of footfalls and breathing.

Running in scenic places like the shore of the Thames River in Montville or Bluff Point in Groton adds a whole other level of enjoyment to the experience. Pretty much anywhere around here can’t be further than 2 miles from trails or  pretty roads. An added benefit of running is that you can afford to pay more attention to the scenery than when you fly by it in your car.

Compete

You don’t have to sign up for races to get motivated to run, but man does it help—especially when you’ve got someone you want to beat. When you’re training at the track and need that extra energy for the last quarter mile repeat, picture your rival’s face, crumpled in defeat, while you charge ahead to glory. Works better than Gatorade.

I listed a couple of worthy upcoming events in a previous column. In order to be a good son, I might also add that on Fridays in May through June, my dad is going to be organizing the Jogger Joe Fun Runs at Groton Long Point. Drop by at 6 p.m. for the one and a half mile warm-up; stick around for the 3-mile race. Runners of all abilities show up and entry is free. In short, it’s the perfect distance for first-timers and a good test for experienced runners that want to put on some speed.

Have Someone To Run With

I do a fair amount of running just by my lonesome. For the most part, I still manage to enjoy the experience, but I will say that I have far more good runs when I’ve got someone else. Races will motivate you with a long-term goal, a next door runner calls you up at seven in the morning to ask why the hell you’re still in bed and not out there. Kids and spouses shouldn’t be spared either. Before I joined a cross-country team, I went for runs with my dad and next-door neighbor.

A good conversation with a fellow runner will make the miles fly by like nothing. At the same time, being competitive with a training partner will give you a reason to push yourself when you do repeats at the track or race up hills.