Runners

068 RUNNERSWORLD.CO.UK JULY 2018TIPS FOR BEGINNERS FROMAN EASYGOING COACH``````BY JEFF GALLOWAYTRAININGWork up to a mileSpend your irst weekof activity walking everyother day, increasing toa one-mile walk. Next,introduce your bodyto running – walk for aquarter of a mile, theninsert a ive-second joginto each minute. If youbegin huing and puing,walk for a few minutesbefore reintroducing shortrun segments. Repeatevery other day, adjustingrun/walk times as needed,until you can comfortablyrun most of a mile.JUST ADD A MILEGo a little further (or faster)to reap big rewardsA MILE CAN BE more than just 5,280 feet. For newrunners, completing that irst mile is a majorachievement. More seasoned runners indthat logging an extra mile or two per weekbuilds stamina better than any other technique. Andadding a mile’s worth of faster running to your weeklyroutine can help you run more eiciently. Here’s how toget started and keep going....Then to 30 minutesIf you run for 30 minutesevery other day you willreach 150 minutes ofactivity each week (theminimum recommendedby health experts). Focuson increasing the distanceof one run each week(with shorter runs onother days). Add a quarterof a mile each week,increasing walk breaks asneeded. Once the longerrun feels comfortable,expand one short run ata time, until 30-minuteruns are the norm.``````...Then add alonger runThe best way to make30-minute runs feel easy(or at least ‘easier’) is toadd a weekly longer run.Start by adding half a mileto a weekend run everyother week. Again,remember to slow down- the walk breaks thathelp you catch yourbreath can also help youavoid the aches andniggles that can surfacewhen you add mileage....Then run alittle fasterSpeedwork can help yourun more smoothly at allpaces, but the greaterimpact forces pose aninjury risk. Don’t sprint –instead, speed up byincreasing your cadence.Try this: on a rolling route,let the power of gravitypull you downhill, thenglide up the uphill for afew metres. Walk up a bitmore, turn around andrun the other way, usingmomentum to run furtherback up. Start with tworepeats and work up tofour and then six.``````YOU ASKED MEJef answersyour questions## HOW DO I APPROACH## MY FIRST RACE?When in doubt, slow down.Liberal walk breaks arethe ‘shock absorbers’ thatallow many beginners toreach a 5K in ive weeksand a 10K in 10 weeks.Plenty of 5K and 10Kraces are walker-friendly- choose one that is.HOW DO I FITLONG RUNS INTOMY BUSY DAYS?Get up early (beforefamily members rise)and get it done. It helpsto set out clothes andplan a route the nightbefore. To avoid usingbad weather as an excuseto not run, use a tread-mill (at home or at thegym) as a fallback option.``````SAY WHAT?Running jargon,translated## MAGIC MILEDo my ‘magic mile’ timetrial every two or threeweeks to measure yourprogress: following aneasy ive- to 10-minutewarm-up, run a mileharder than usual (but notall out), then inish yourrun at any pace desired.As the months go by, tryto beat your previous bestmile by slightly increasingyour pace each time.``````ILLUSTRATION: ZOHAR LAZAR