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It may be a new year’s resolution or perhaps something that you have thought about over the years and never gotten round to pursuing but you’ve decided to have a go at running. Fantastic! Great choice if you don’t mind our saying so.
One of the great appeals of running is its sheer simplicity and accessibility. You can virtually do it anywhere. You can run from home, the office, the hotel, the caravan, round the roads, trace the perimeter of soccer/hockey pitches, along canal paths, the beach, through woods or forests and so on. It is a great way of exploring a new area or rediscovering your environment and you will be surprised once you start how little you know your immediate surroundings.
Equally appealing is the fact that other than a good pair of running shoes, there is no expensive or complicated equipment required. In our modern, frenetic lives one of the wonderful appeals of running is that it is time simply for yourself, away from work, family, partner, pressure. It is just you.
There are so many benefits to running: better physical and mental health, weight loss, tighter buttocks to name but a few but you know all that; what you really need is some help in getting started and some guidance in making the right decisions and this section of the website will give you just that.
- HealthCheck The very first step, just to reassure yourself, friends and family that you are not going completely bonkers is to make an appointment with your GP and have a medical check to ensure that there are no health issues that you are unaware of and for the vast majority there won’t be. It is wise to check out the health of your blood (haemoglobin, haematocrit, serum ferratin and white cell count). When you get the OK from the doctor, you can start to hurry slowly.
- Attitude Try to see your running from an holistic point ofview. It is there to enhance your lifestyle and need not create a further area of pressure. Although there will be times when it is hard work running can be about fun and enjoyment and need not be a chore or an act of drudgery. The key to avoiding running becoming an extra pressure is routine. Set the times and days you are going to go out and stick to them. Running can also assist the quality of your time management. But be realistic about the how often you can run and for how long; if you set yourself an unrealistic target, you will give up.
- Shoes Avoid if you can buying from multi chains. Obtain your running shoes from a specialist running store if possible (see our specialist shops directory for your local store). When buying, ask question and insist on detailed information as to why assistants are offering you the shoe they are.
- Be Safe As a woman it is important to take precautions to ensure that you walk/jog/run in safe areas at all times, preferably in well lit spaces and not on your own. Why not consider setting up a Running4women Network in your area - go to the Running4Women Club section for more information. You may be surprised how many people want to run but find that first step the most difficult to take. It may seem daunting at first to run with other women but you will find that mostly other runners are very supportive and it can be fun to run together. Once you have taken the necessary steps to ensure you are safe you can begin to run free from fear.
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