Stepping Things Up With Running

My weight loss has hit a stand-still. I have about 7 pounds left to lose, and it's been that way for a while. I have known that I need to start running to kick-start the remaining weight loss, but I haven't made an effort until yesterday. The past few days I had been feeling in the jogging mood, so yesterday I bit the bullet. I was proud of myself for going, because I am not at all in running shape. It was definitely rough. While I do the elliptical almost daily, running recruits a whole other set of muscles. My abs are more sore from running than they are from my ab workouts! Not to mention that my whole body is sore. But it feels good. It feels like I'm really taking action. Plus, if I'm going to be a personal trainer, I have got to be in top shape. What would it say to my (future) clients if I wasn't trying just as hard as they were? Not only that, it is a good example to my son (and my busy husband, too).

In case you are interested in getting into (or back into) running, here's what I'm doing:

First, don't put too much pressure on yourself. Your body will be freaking out when you first start, so your lungs will probably be screaming for oxygen. Therefore, you probably won't be able to jog the whole time, or for very long. I personally started off with half run, half walk. If I felt lightheaded then I transitioned to a FAST walk. You have to somewhat keep up the pace.

Set short and long term goals. My short-term goal was to jog to a certain landmark before I let myself walk. Next time I will choose a landmark that is further away. Choose a route ahead of time and stick to it. Try to time yourself. I probably should figure out my distance, but I just make sure I'm out for about half an hour.

The good thing about sticking to the same route and timing yourself is that you'll know when you improve. If you begin to finish your route more quickly, you can extend the route, or just run the same one again. Remember to keep challenging yourself. And if you get bored with your route, change it.

Keep your goals realistic. Don't run five miles your first time. You'll burn out and want to give up. And please, wear headphones. If you don't have a walkman or mp3 player, borrow one or check out Craig's List. Running is so boring without music. And research proves that you'll go longer and harder when listening to music. Just keep the sound low enough so that you can hear what's going on around you.

So, what do you think? Is running in your future? Is there anyone in your life that you feel you should be an example of fitness to?