The Basics for Starting a Running Routine this Fall

By Christy Flom on August 12, 2015

New school years bring new goals, aspirations, and fresh motivation. So maybe you weren’t as active during the summer as you had hoped to be, but it’s okay because now you get to go back to college with a clean slate.

It doesn’t matter how many steps you may or may not have walked every day according to your fancy Fitbit, or how many fitness classes you did or did not attend. This fall all that matters is that it is a new opportunity to become or stay active.

Photo Credit: Ed Yourdon
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Welcome week, syllabus week, whatever each school calls the days before classes begin where everyone is moving in and going out at night — this week along with football Saturdays can kill your summer body in the blink of an eye.

In order to prevent the freshman 15 at any stage of college, staying active is key! One simple and easy way to stay healthy in the fall is by running.

Running is great because people can run outside on campus or on a treadmill inside during colder weather. Unlike lifting weights, doing certain types of cardio that require certain knowledge of different lifting forms, or circuit exercises, running is literally just putting one foot in front of the other.

For anyone new to running, there are some aspects of the exercise you should know before jumping in.

First, you do not want to just grab a pair of headphones and say you’re going to run 5 miles — you will most likely either have a heart attack or give up after mile one. Running is simple in the sense that it does not require any machinery, but it is also very difficult because it is a huge mental activity. What I mean is that whenever I run I have Dorothy from “Finding Nemo” stuck in my head the whole time saying, “just keep running,” rather than “just keep swimming.”

While a solid playlist helps detract from the endless thoughts running through my head such as “what is the point of me aimlessly running on the side of this road,” and, “I could be sleeping right now, I think it’s time to go back,” it takes time to build mental endurance along with physical endurance.

In order to do this, you must create and stick to a running routine. Here are some tips on how to start your own running routine for this coming fall.

The biggest, most important, life-changing part of a running routine is the goal that you need to personally set before you begin running in the fall. This goal should be an ending distance to work up to throughout the fall. For example, someone who really never ran in the past but wants to in college might set an end goal of running three miles a day by the time Thanksgiving or winter break rolls around.

On the other hand, that one person everyone hates because he/she runs every day should set a much higher goal like completing a half or full marathon. After setting an attainable goal, the next step is to plan out how to gradually reach the goal. This can be done in a variety of ways. One way is to run a certain length for a week and then each week slowly add on an extra half-mile. So, you would run a mile each day for one week, take a day off, and then run a mile and a half each day for the next week.

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Another way is to work up to running four to five times per week. If taking this approach, you would run a bit longer of a distance like 2-3 miles three times a week rather than one mile each day. This way the body gets a break in between intense workouts, too.

After that distance becomes “easy” — meaning the soreness that usually occurs the next day stops happening or your body sweats less during the run — it means it is time to amp up the distance or number of days you run. Those are two good ways for people who can already run a mile or so to stick with running and increase their endurance.

However, there are also different ways for people who are first time runners to work up to being able to run a straight mile without stopping. Running a mile at a good pace without taking a break is hard for everyone when they begin running either for the first time or after a long break.

If long-distance running is your goal, it is very different from sprinting or other types of cardio workouts. To begin building endurance, simply walking one mile a day will do miracles for your health.

After walking a couple of miles is a piece of cake, start alternating between walking and jogging. Set a goal of running four straight blocks and then walk for one block, and then repeat. Continue doing this each week and slowly increase the number of blocks or minutes that you jog until you can jog/run a mile!

Whether you decide to aim for a mile a day, four miles every other day, or three miles every day, it is important to continually push yourself in order to accomplish your end goal. And, do not forget to give your body a break since running or working out seven days a week can often result in unwanted injuries from overworking your body.

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