A Runner's Manual For Beginners

Editor's note: The author has been a runner for over 25 years, has run 5 marathons, and has basically run enough miles to circle the globe.

This article is for those of you who have been living a sedentary life, and want to get active. Maybe you are a couch potato and are worried about your health as you get older; maybe you work in an office and want to be more active. If you have been contemplating taking up running, or jogging, to get in shape, this article is for you.

There is an old saying “you have to walk before you can run”. This is very true for folks who want to start running for exercise; your first two weeks should be nothing but walking. You don’t need to walk with your arms flailing about like a power walker gone amok; you just need to walk with a purpose. Tighten your butt and your stomach muscles, and walk for one or two miles at a pace that pushes you, but doesn’t overexert you. Your leg muscles will experience some soreness the next day, but it should not be so bad as to keep you from wanting to walk again in a day or two.

After at least two weeks of walking, your legs should now be ready to handle light jogging. Start by jogging slowly over the same one or two mile course you have been walking the last couple of weeks. You should not be concerned with your speed or how fast you can run the course; the idea is to get cardiovascular exercise, not to try out for the Olympics. Try to find a pace that you can maintain for the whole course without stopping or over exerting yourself. You will notice that your speed will quickly increase over time as your body adjusts.

Now some tips that all runners should know and follow:

1) Do NOT run or jog on concrete surfaces, or sidewalks. Running is a high impact exercise, which means that every time your foot hits the ground it sends a jolt up your foot, leg, and hip. Concrete is very hard and has no give to it; it is preferable to run on asphalt. I always get weird looks from people when I tell them this, but it is true. If you take a hammer and strike concrete what happens? It will chip or shatter. If you hit asphalt with a hammer what happens? It goes “thunk”. That is because asphalt is much softer than concrete, especially on warm days. If you insist on running on concrete you may be looking at having a knee or hip replacement in a few years.

2) Run only with running shoes, not cross trainers. You don’t need one hundred dollar Air Nikes, but you should have a light weight running shoe. This will save you from developing very painful shin splints. When your shoes wear out replace them, or you will have the same problem.

3) If you run along the side of a road ALWAYS run facing traffic.

4) If you run at night always wear a reflective shirt or vest. Most running shoes have reflective strips on them, but that is not always enough to guarantee visibility.

5) Keep plenty of liniment handy. It will take months for your legs to get used to the pounding, and a good liniment (I prefer Flex-All 454) is invaluable.

6) Some runners like to stretch before running, but I never stretch. Most people do not know how to properly stretch, and will hurt themselves more by stretching than not. I prefer to have a half mile warm up walk before my run to get blood circulating and to loosen up joints and tendons. I also recommend a half mile cool down walk after my run to bring the heart rate back to normal in a gradual way. Locating your running course about a half mile from your home will help you accomplish both of these walks.

7) Bring a water bottle with you. I normally do not drink while running unless I am going long distances, but it sure is nice to have on your cool down walk home. I recommend that you throw a bottle of water in the freezer the night before, and stash it before your run, you will have ice cold water for your cool down walk.

8) Do not over exert yourself. If for any reason your heart rate is too high, or you become winded, start walking until your heart rate comes down to where you feel comfortable to run again.
Running is great exercise, and is also a lot of fun. Bring a radio with you or an i-pod if you wish, it can help you keep a pace and help take your mind off the exertion.

Have fun, and get in shape!

Battling the Blues

Many people these days are struggling with depression in one form or another. This depression is often compounded in the winter time when there is less sunshine. Many people seek relief using prescription anti-depressants; and others seek it with alcohol, and other recreational drugs.

Most people who are taking antidepressants, and recreational drugs do not need to medicate themselves to feel better. Most people can find a way out of depression through natural means. We will discuss a few of these methods in a minute, but first, what is depression?

Most doctors believe that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. While this is true in some cases such as manic-depressives, and psychotics, who need medication; most depressives can be helped without antidepressants. Antidepressants tend to suppress the emotions which makes most users feel like robots that are incapable of feeling; they seldom help as intended, and leave the user feeling empty as well as depressed. These drugs are also responsible for violent outbreaks, and suicides.

If you are one of these folks, put down your Prozac and try some of these remedies.

Cut back on your sugar intake. We all know what sugar does to children; well adults are no different. Sugar provides a lift for a short time but also induces a mood crash after it burns off.

Find ways to externalize your thoughts. Many people suffering from depression spend too much time thinking about themselves. This is the breeding ground for all sorts of negative thoughts and feelings such as worry, feelings of inferiority, and stress. The cure for this is to find things to do to get you to think of something besides yourself. This could be a hobby, volunteer work, painting, writing, or any number of things. The important thing is to find something that you really like to do, and go do it.

Get some exercise. This really ties in with externalizing your thoughts, but also provides other benefits such as producing endorphin, and other mood lifting chemicals in the brain. You don't have to be a workout warrior to get the benefits. Go for a walk, or light jog every other day, that will do wonders for your over all feeling of well being.

If you live in a northern climate take extra vitamin D during the winter time. In the winter very few people get the amount of vitamin D they need. Less sun means less vitamin D production in your body, so you need to account for this. In the winter people should be taking 2,000 - 5,000 iu's of vitamin D daily. If you have a job where you get very little sun you should also be taking vitamin D supplements daily.

Open the spiritual channels to your higher self. Man is a spiritual being living in a physical body. If the ego becomes too distant from the spiritual self, depression is often the result. Try to take a few minutes each day to open yourself to spirit. This can be done in any number of ways such as meditation, contemplation, and prayer. I personally like to take a few moments to sing the HU during the course of the day, and before bed. HU is the secret and powerful name of God which makes a marvelous mantra to reconnect with spirit. Just fill yourself with love by thinking about someone you love, and sing HU (pronounced Hugh).

As I said there are many ways to open yourself to spirit, you just need to find the best one for you.

If you are suffering from the blues, or a clinical depressive, you will find that many of these techniques will help and improve your quality of life.

A Runner's Manual For Beginners

This article is for those of you who have been living a sedentary life, and want to get active. Maybe you are a couch potato and are worried about your health as you get older; maybe you work in an office and want to be more active. If you have been contemplating taking up running, or jogging, to get in shape, this article is for you.

There is an old saying “you have to walk before you can run”. This is very true for folks who want to start running for exercise; your first two weeks should be nothing but walking. You don’t need to walk with your arms flailing about like a power walker gone amok; you just need to walk with a purpose. Tighten your butt and your stomach muscles, and walk for one or two miles at a pace that pushes you, but doesn't over exert you. Your leg muscles will experience some soreness the next day, but it should not be so bad as to keep you from wanting to walk again in a day or two.

After at least two weeks of walking, your legs should now be ready to handle light jogging. Start by jogging slowly over the same one or two mile course you have been walking the last couple of weeks. You should not be concerned with your speed or how fast you can run the course; the idea is to get cardiovascular exercise, not to try out for the Olympics. Try to find a pace that you can maintain for the whole course without stopping or over exerting yourself. You will notice that your speed will quickly increase over time as your body adjusts.

Now some tips that all runners should know and follow:

1) Do NOT run or jog on concrete surfaces, or sidewalks. Running is a high impact exercise, which means that every time your foot hits the ground it sends a jolt up your foot, leg, and hip. Concrete is very hard and has no give to it; it is preferable to run on asphalt. I always get weird looks from people when I tell them this, but it is true. If you take a hammer and strike concrete what happens? It will chip or shatter. If you hit asphalt with a hammer what happens? It goes “thunk”. That is because asphalt is much softer than concrete, especially on warm days. If you insist on running on concrete you may be looking at having a knee or hip replacement in a few years.

2) Run only with running shoes, not cross trainers. You don’t need one hundred dollar Air Nikes, but you should have a light weight running shoe. This will save you from developing very painful shin splints. When your shoes wear out replace them, or you will have the same problem.

3) If you run along the side of a road ALWAYS run facing traffic.

4) If you run at night always wear a reflective shirt or vest. Most running shoes have reflective strips on them, but that is not always enough to guarantee visibility.

5) Keep plenty of liniment handy. It will take months for your legs to get used to the pounding, and a good liniment (I prefer Flex-All 454) is invaluable.

6) Some runners like to stretch before running, but I never stretch. Most people do not know how to properly stretch, and will hurt themselves more by stretching than not. I prefer to have a half mile warm up walk before my run to get blood circulating and to loosen up joints and tendons. I also recommend a half mile cool down walk after my run to bring the heart rate back to normal in a gradual way. Locating your running course about a half mile from your home will help you accomplish both of these walks.

7) Bring a water bottle with you. I normally do not drink while running unless I am going long distances, but it sure is nice to have on your cool down walk home. I recommend that you throw a bottle of water in the freezer the night before, and stash it before your run, you will have ice cold water for your cool down walk.

8) Do not over exert yourself. If for any reason your heart rate is too high, or you become winded, start walking until your heart rate comes down to where you feel comfortable to run again.

Running is great exercise, and is also a lot of fun. Bring a radio with you or an i-pod if you wish, it can help you keep a pace and help take your mind off the exertion.

Have fun, and get in shape!

Author's note: The author (me) has been running for more than 23 years, running enough miles to circle the earth, and has completed five marathons.

Don't Think Twice, That's Alright

There's an old saying, "If you don't use it, you lose it". If that's true, the average American brain must be in a state of atrophy. Most of us are seldom called upon to use our cerebral cortex anymore. Network TV shows, commercials, our schools, our jobs, etc. have all been "dumbed down" to the point where mental acuity is no longer necessary. No one even performs simple math anymore without the use of a calculator. Think about it, when was the last time you performed multiplication, or division on a piece of paper without a calculator?

I admit, I am as guilty as the next person; I like modern conveniences. My posts would not be the same if I did not have a spell checker to fall back on. The point I'm trying to make is that, we are now conditioned not to think, because we aren't often called upon to do so. The problem with this conditioning, is that society is quickly becoming a herd mentality. Reasoning, and creativity, are becoming things of the past. That's a big problem if mankind is to grow and prosper.

Part of this problem, is everyone's need to be entertained all the time. Whether its an i-pod, TV, computer, or cell phone, everyone is preoccupied with something. Seldom do people read in order to learn something. Novels are very popular, but, nonfiction, history, and science books seldom make the NY Times best seller lists.

I am all for entertainment; we all need to relax and get away once in a while. However, just like you need to exercise your body to keep it in proper working order; you also should have a mental exercise regimen. I like to do the NY Times crossword to keep sharp. I also will mix in informational reading, along with my favorite fiction writers.

Our children need to be taught to balance video games, and TV, with school work, and informational reading. Getting them in the habit of reading the newspaper everyday is a good start. Teach them, "if you don't use it, you lose it".