Top 3 Mistakes New Runners Make

You are committed to sticking to your new running regime which is wonderful. Problem is that most people will only stick to a routine for a few weeks before throwing in the towel. They will site that it was “too tough” or “it hurt” as one of the many reasons they gave up. Well, there are ways to be among the minority of women who start a training program and stick with it. Avoid the top three mistakes made by new female runners and you can increase your odds of completing that 5k in the next few months.

1. Too much too soon.

Now is not the time to prove something to yourself or anyone else. Even if you were a track star in high school or college, you have to begin with where you are and not where you left off. There’s a variety of beginning running schedules available online. Look for one that begins with a walk/run routine then builds to a straight 30 minute run over the course of six weeks.

2. Wrong shoes.

You cannot run in walking shoes or even cross trainers and expect to avoid injury. These kinds of shoes are not going to provide the much needed support for the feet and knees that you need to minimize the risk of injury. Do some research online at a few of the popular brand websites.

You’ll start to notice that there are certain things that all running shoes have in common. Once you have that list then purchase the shoe that offers at least the minimum support needed. An extra $30 for a highly regarded running shoe is a fraction of the cost you’d incur to deal with an injury.

3. No support.

While the support of a running partner would be great, I will argue that the support of a running bra will have a greater impact. There are a variety of styles, colors, and textures available so take your time and pick a few that really appeal to you. The most important thing to remember is that you cannot wear your regular bra during a running workout. Yes, some women actually do this. Our regular bras were clearly designed to provide a different type of support.

Since you are serious about your running routine you should get the most out of each workout. One way to do this is with a Polar heart rate monitor or Garmin 305. They are essentially mini personal trainers that provide a variety of feedback regardless of the type of fitness activity. Some even allow you to run against a virtual partner. A little man (or woman) appears on your wrist heart rate monitor screen with an icon noting how far ahead or behind you are of your virtual running buddy. Too cool.