Newbie Runner Gets Running

[Adam Hunter]

Hello everyone. My name is Adam and I am a newbie runner.

First of all, what makes me want to run?
Last summer the company I worked for was entering the Race for Business (a work related version of the Race for Life). I volunteered to enter alongside a couple of work colleagues, one of which was a seasoned runner and triathlon fanatic.

After a few evenings of light training the big day came around and I stood at the start alongside said triathlon loving colleague who felt that now was the time to mock my poor form and lack of fitness.

During the conversation I mentioned how I used to run cross country for my school, nearly a decade ago. Suddenly he looked slightly worried and the race started.

After a 5 minute wait for the queue of runners to get over the bridge (dreadful place to start, although it didn't help that we were way up the back), I was off, darting through the slower runners until I found a comfortable place with more space further up the field.

My colleagues were far behind and I finished the 5K run in 28 minutes, coming in a minute slower than our MD who had been on a strict fitness regime...and had the benefit of being right at the front on the starting line (and so didn't have to wait 5 minutes for other runners to clear the bridge).

Running through the wind, torrential rain, then sprinting the last hundred yards gave me a real buzz and I've been longing to do it again.

I was then nicknamed 'Sonic' at work for having spikey hair and running fast...until I experienced horrific shooting pains through my calves for the next week, because I had been running in a cheap pair of old Nike trainers with virtually zero cushioning.

So why no running until now?
"Life gets in the way" as they say, or at least Del Amitri does in one of their songs. Having spent a few months changing jobs, getting on the property ladder and now slogging through a tremendous amount of DIY, there has been little time for running.

Or perhaps this shows how much of a running newbie I am, because I haven't MADE TIME for running.

Either way, now is the time to make a change, make an effort and pursue my goals. And it needs to start with a Wet Foot Test and a pair of proper running shoes. From what I can see, Asics and Saucony are the two big names in running shoes, so once I've figured out what my pronation must be, I'll buy a cheap pair and get training.

Of course, an recommendations for a new starter like myself will be greatly appreciated.

Is running all I will do?
I'd like to take up swimming and cycling as well so I can do a full blown triathlon, but that will come in time. First I'm going to become a runner and take things from there.

[PB Triathlon Editor]

Hi Adam

Great first blog post. My advice would be absolutely make sure you go to a serious running shop and have a full gait analysis - getting the right pair of shoes will not only help your form but also aid recovery and reduce the likelihood of injury.

The other thing I'd advise is join a running club (plenty of similar/like minded people to learn from and be motivated by) and build up mileage/intensity slowly....ref triathlon, just to give you some context - back in the early 90's I saw the Nice tri on channel 4 and thought WOW. I did my first 400m swim/10k run within 3 months and built upto Ironman in 18 months!

There's plenty of running training tips here that may be of interest...

Keep us posted on your progress,

Best wishes
PB Tri Ed.