Hello,
I am new to running, and I don’t know how to run. I am looking for a running buddy or a group to start with. I go to Cornell. Tips?
Good for you for getting started, @Lydia_Michael!
If you’ve never run before, the important thing is to start slow so your body can adapt to the stresses of running—the impact of each footstrike, the effort of pushing off from the ground, etc. The entire point of training is adaptation to stress, no matter what level you’re at—only the type and amount of stress changes.
The best way to get started is with a run/walk program. For instance, go for a walk for 20 minutes. At some point in the middle, jog for a minute, then finish up with more walking. Repeat it the next day. Assuming everything feels OK, on the third day, try jogging for 1 minute twice, separated by at least 5 minutes of walking. Then you’d continue to increase both the overall walking time and the number of jogging reps, until you’re at 10. At that point, you’d start making some of the jogging reps 2 minutes, and work up until you can do 10 of them. Along the way, things will probably hurt a little, and it’s fine to take a day off and pick it up the next day.
FLRC doesn’t currently have a run/walk group or program, but if you wanted some structure, you could come to our Tuesday night workouts, currently at Stewart Park but moving up to the Cornell Arboretum in mid-August. I’d be happy to help you figure out a run/walk program that you could do while others run the workout, and you could join the group for the warmup exercises before and the strength and mobility exercises afterward, which are good habits to build. If you wanted company, you could invite a friend or we could mention that a run/walk program would be going on simultaneously to see if that would encourage others.
The other utility to hanging out with runners is that people will be happy to answer questions about footwear, injuries, training, and more.
Thank you SO much, is Barton Hall a good place to run? I’m looking forward to Tues because I struggle with my breathing and form, so excited to learn from you all.
Barton Hall is great when it’s cold and wet out, and we have our Tuesday night workouts in there from November through May. But in warmer weather, it’s likely to be pretty uncomfortable in there.
Breathing is one of those things that improves with your conditioning—it’s not something that usually needs much training. Form is important, but most people will fall into a form that makes sense for their bodies naturally, so most of the coaching there focuses on avoiding certain actions that consume more energy or make running unnecessarily harder. (For instance, it’s best to swing your arms straight forward and back, rather than waste energy by swinging them across your midline.)