How to Start a Running Routine

You forgot to mention the most important thing of all. Ankles. You have to have good ankles free of arthritis. And hips free of arthritis, but mostly ankles.

I'm 53 and running slightly faster now than when I was in my 20s. For me, that has only become possible by increasing my volume, lifting more weights, doing yoga regularly, and eating a much healthier diet since leaving the States. We're at sea level, which is an advantage to be sure, but I have my first sub-25 minute 5K earlier this year. I'm hoping to get sub-24 minutes within the next year. ...and the fanciest "gadget" I have for running would be velcro shoe lace clips!

I love reading the comments here. It makes me love the running community even more. Love you, all. Happy new running whatever turns your lights on year!

I agree, run for the enjoyment and the huge benefits. Don't sweat on your times. Even solitary, it is a wonderful meditative cleansing experience. Occasionally it's tough getting out the door but arriving back after a run makes it so worth it....

Ma’am you have not completed your research. There are other running programs out there which are actually more effective than C25K. Having tried C25k first, reaching week 5 and the drastic increase in running over the course of that week I stopped for concern of risking injury. Upon further research, found that most people quit C25k at exactly the same week because of its unrealistic expectations. Most who quit, never run again. Not wanting to become a statistic, desiring to improve my health and fitness level, found this “ None to Run “ program. I suggest you check it out. It’s not only doable for one whom has never run, there is a wealth of support offered from not only the trainer (Mark) and his weekly emails, training hints, but from the Facebook/Instagram groups . C25K offered none of this. I’m a proud graduate of the “None to Run “ program and have successfully run 3, 5K’s so far and continue to run on a regular basis improving my cadence and timing. Thank you for writing this article. I hope this gives some insight and options for those desiring to improve their health by running.

Just a short note to my fellow runners, if you can keep your body functioning through the stress of of this exercise you are doing amazing things for your heart and lungs. See the recent NYT on the benefits of long-term running. You'll have some physiological aspects of a person 30 years your junior when you get into your senior years. And, one small bit of advice: run for your health not for your ego. Whether or not you run a marathon matters little if you run for health and the Zen of being one with nature. I'm in my 60's now, banged up on occasion, but still going. Running has given me good health but also the ability to experience the joy of life. I'm thinking of my runs on the Fire Island National Seashore in the wilderness section. Oommm...

During my running years—all 36 of them—I believed my body would behave like a Toyota, blissfully chugging away the miles until one day in the distant future when something major would give, instantly, painlessly and fatally. Then the sanitation crew would pick up my hyper-oxygenated, Nike-shod corpse and toss it into the nearest dumpster. And that would be that. No rest home, no tedious end of life care for me. As it turns out, human bodies fall apart piecemeal, more like a Chrysler than a Toyota. What happened to me was, one day I went out for a 10-mile run and when I got home, I couldn’t walk down the stairs. I should have known this was coming. What should have clued me in was when I started winning my age group in local races. It wasn’t that I was getting any faster; rather, the competition had all died off. Little did I know that I would be next. Running magazines will tell you that running has nothing to do with the arthritis that stopped me in my tracks, but I suspect that if I’d done more cross-training and taken more time off, I might have one day attained the dumpster Nirvana mentioned above. My advice to you: run in moderation. If you’ve never run before and want to train for a 5k for 10k, I say go for it. But unless you are cultivating the semi-successful hunter gatherer look, aspiring to run an ultra marathon is probably just asking for trouble. If you abuse your knees like that, they’ll probably go away long before the rest of you does.

As a 40 + year runner, living above the 48th parallel I would like to offer my opinion that a newbie starting a running routine in January is probably not a great idea. Its tough enough for us seasoned veterans to deal with the rain, dark, cold, snow, ice, wind (you name it). For a newbie its just all the more reason to quit and based on the lousy experience never try again. I think its far better for a newbie to spend Jan and Feb in a gym getting some base fitness and work out habits developed and begin to venture onto the roads in March and April with the goal of attempting a short fun run in May or June. As for being cheap, well my running shoes cost $130 or so a pair (when I can find them on sale) and I go through 4 pairs a year (the alternative being plantar fasciaits or crandky knees), orthotics at $400 or so a set (most runners will need them sooner or later and they need to be refitted every few years), rain gear, wind gear, camel backs etc. Oh, and you will likely need an occasional trip to the massage therapist, podiatrist, orthopedist and/or PT to fix what you have overused during training. So, IMHO, running is great exercise for the body and mind, but don't expect it to come cheap. This doesn't even include event fees which have gotten wildly out of control, especially for half and full marathons and Tri's.

I've been a runner 25 years. Running is a solitary, meditative experience. My running shoes, when I get them on sale, are $35. In the winter I break down and buy a cheap running suit from Walmart. I layer up, or down, as needed. I run in the rain, even the snow up to 3". I go through waves of intensity, like the past year I have run over 1200 miles. But there are other years I may only run a few hundred. I refuse to run along a road, unless it is so rural and vacant, the chances of getting hit by an inattentive driver are slim. Where I run matters greatly. My immersion into nature. Often my runs consist of dodging dog-walkers and the occasional pile of dog poop. Sometimes I start early, not because I have a Marine attitude, but because I know there will be few people at the park. I never have run with anyone and have no interest. Of late I run 6 miles a day. My runs are slow, 10 minute miles. My body weight is good, I am lean, although for a few years was overweight. I eat healthy, prepare most food myself, a low fat diet and little meat. I am 56, on no medication, my blood pressure is perfect, always has been. There were periods when I stopped running. To get back into it, I slowly, incrementally interjected short running stints into a long walk. And build up from there. I have never had any issues regarding my knees, ankles, cartilage, etc... perhaps I'm lucky. And now, I'm off for a run..

Great article. One additional item needed to start (for about half the population) is a sports bra. Still a cheap sport!

To words to live by: start slow.

If you wanna run a 5k don’t wait on a year (!) of training. Start by walking a couple miles, and then walking 5k. Then do it again. And again. Soon you can slowly jog parts of it. And then most of it. And then all of it. Maybe it takes you a couple months.

Beautifully well written. Thank you Jen!

A tip to those who finish last: what I tell myself in every race—I’ve already beaten everyone on the sidelines.

People think too much about every...single...little...detail... All you need are running shoes and temperature appropriate clothes. Pick a scenic route and lope along at an easy pace. Walk when you need to. Nobody knows or cares how fast you’re moving along. You set the pace. Enjoy being outside. Over time your speed and strength will increase and the soreness goes away.

Want to run?.. 2 simple rules 1. Run before you get home ... have your kit with you ... change after work .. go to the place to run.. and run Then go home .. once you are home and have not run yet.. you will find a million reasons to not run 1.a if a morning runner .. run first thing 2. Become an opportunity runner.. this means finding a new course when you have that 30 + minutes to run .. so keep your watch with you so you know how to Time your course And yes.. I run 2 to 3 times a week .. and have run weekly since the mid 90s

It would be much worse to run second last.

Best way to start a running routine is not to start one imo. I am a senior and all my friends that were running rats back in the day are suffering from all sorts of back, knee, foot injuries, operations, procedures etc. I was on the way but luckily a former GP doctor told me to forget running and take up walking/stretching/ moderate exercise. I thank her to this day that I am not a cripple. Stick to moderate exercise and if you run forego marathons, endurance races etc. The are long term damaging to your ligaments and bones.

I began a weight loss program in Oct. 2017 and it's workin' -- down 52 pounds. Now my trainer has me walk/run jogging with the goal of working up to one mile. Problem is, at age 61 my legs are so sore all the time, I can't seem to build endurance enough to run a mile. I've begun a stretching routine before all run sessions now, but I'm soliciting any suggestions from people with more experience than me. Thanks.

A word of warning to all those toying with the idea of training for a marathon: you will need to lose all that upper body weight! Which is not a bad thing if you are actually overweight, but if your upper body is mostly muscle - as in my case, as a recreational basketball player, I need to have very strong upper body muscle - you will be carrying a lot of unnecessary weight. This will reduce your chances of successfully competing in a marathon, which requires the best possible power-to-weight ratio to make it to the end. As I have no intention of turning into a scrawny rail-thin guy for the sake of a marathon, I am not even going to bother with the idea of it. I stick to 5-to-10K runs, which are perfectly within my capabilities but without having to sacrifice decades of finely honed upper-body muscle.

I have been running for 16 years, and have tried every gadget, app, plan, tracking website that you can imagine. I am not fast for how much I run, my best 5k was 29 minutes with A LOT of training. My problems include moderate to severe asthma...and no matter how much I run and train I get beat handily by family, friends and husband who don’t train. They crank out a 7-8 minute/mile in a 5k without training. Disheartening to say the least! However! Recently I dropped the gps watch, dropped any special gear or “get fast” plan and just started running. I did this for 2 months. I enjoyed each run, even the hard and dark ones in 10 degree weather. I snuck my watch back on yesterday and ran 3.5 miles in one of my best paces ever and felt great and strong at the end. My advice: just run. Track only if it doesn’t hold you back. I personally would love to see a column on safety when running outdoors.

I just sent an email to a running friend for feedback on his routine. this is timely advice as I'm looking to get started. we bought a treadmill and put it in the most conspicuous place in our house (family room with the tv). The ifit app that came with it has routines that help motivate one to run and tracks them. I shudder to think how much it will cost after the free year is up. I've run almost everyday since we bought it ~3 weeks ago. Is it bad to have a purely treadmill running regimen? I find I push myself harder if I know I can stop or "make it home easier " if I twist an ankle.

I started C25K on May 5; a brilliant move for someone who lives in the desert, when the temperatures were already hovering above 90 degrees. I slogged through summer, repeating weeks as I felt necessary. Then fall came, the early mornings were cool, my pace picked up overnight, my endurance increased, and it was great. Our brief winter is here, and the freezing 6 am temps are hard on my lungs, so I've scaled back to the earlier weeks in the program or run without it. In December I signed one of my dogs and me up for a 1 mile Doggie Dash. We did 3 training runs and then the race, and came in with a 10:40 time (even with me slowing her down and walking a few sections). Best fun ever! We went running again yesterday. I was 52 on May 5, and decided to try running (which I hated in high school) because menopause has happened and my regular exercise routine did not stop the weight gain. I haven't lost an ounce, but what I've gained is immeasurable. (But there have been some physical changes; hello, less poofy stomach, I remember you.) Welcome to the back of the pack, newbies! There's no shame, just fellowship and the knowledge that we may be slow, but we are still faster than those sitting on the couch.

I've been running for at least 25 years. I've run my share of marathons -- and now I am just taking a break from training, to just run. Not once have I regretted going for a run, even if I had to stop to walk, felt like a slow poke, turned my ankle, or it was raining and 45 degrees. It's not a runner's high, more like a runner's content that sustains me. I just remind myself each time I think about skipping a run.

Great article! I used Couch 2 5K this past year. At some point, I realized I was psychologically and physically ahead of the App but I adhered to the pace of the program. When I finally did my 5K run in the dripping, humid July weather, coming in near the top of the class/group I was in, it felt fantastic. I am lucky to live in Lewes DE, where the terrain is flat and the views spectacular.

I don't run races but picked up running about 10 years ago as a way to destress. In the process I became addicted and even lost 10 pounds. My advice is find a nice place outside to run (a park, a trail along a river, an urban forest) and just start running. I don't run fast (although I should probably learn some interval training) and if sometimes I get tired I walk. Keep things simple. Buy a good pair of running shoes (I replace mine every 6-9 months when holes wear through the toes). Great form of exercise and my way of staying sane!

Just a reminder, lots of ways to run with races. I am lucky, I have always enjoyed basketball, because I forget the "running" part and just focus on the ball. And because I have worked at a university, there is a gym close by and a bunch of faculty/staff looking to play. The few times I have tried jogging, I found it so much harder, without the distraction and the focus of a sport.