Beginner Runner

I got to thinking that beginner runners really need to listen to these podcasts in order, at least the first few, but unfortunately, often people only listen to the most recent. For that reason, I decided to combine the most critical and basic information from the first 35 episodes into what I'm calling my 10-Day Become a Runner Class. Listen to one a day or binge listen to all ten. Either way, you'll get ten concise episodes to provide a foundation for becoming a runner.

• not a runner but want to be one
• unfit or only somewhat fit
• or older
• or overweight

My coaching is different from the usual beginner runner program; it's much more gradual, which I think is the kind of program that's in much more demand, because after working with beginner runners for a dozen years, I know that success, for virtually every one, hinges on progressing gradually, at an appropriate pace for that person. Too many people go at it with too much intensity and try to do too much too soon. The result is usually injury, discouragement, and ultimately, failure.

In my class, the emphasis is entirely on success, on you becoming a lifelong runner. I believe you shouldn't be in a hurry to build endurance, to be able to run a mile, non-stop. The emphasis should be on building fitness at a healthy, controlled rate, a rate that keeps you healthy, confident, and happy

We're after optimal health. If that's your goal, you're in the right place.

This 10-day series is for people at the very beginning of their running career, people just building up to their first running mile. I'm super excited to have the role of motivator to help you take your first running steps, and hopefully, to assure that you have the confidence to make the commitment to become a runner in 2017.

In this first class, I explain how to do it the right way, the most effective way to become a runner.

Follow me on Instagram @mojoforrunning and @runtampa

Check out The Human Race, a Documentary here. This documentary will leave you feeling empowered, feeling like you can most certainly become a runner. The film features masters runners over 50, and the message is that any age is the right age to run, that you will be healthier, and you can extend middle age and good health for the rest of your life.

Mojo for Running

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No matter who you are or what your situation, there will be times when, try as you might, the end of the day rolls around, and it starts to look like you won't have time to get in your workout. Has that happened to you?

It's a sad feeling, not terrible, but it's not the way you want to end your day. It's just one reason why running early in the morning makes sense, if you can swing it, because then, if something interferes, you still have options. Maybe it means you go out and run on your lunch hour or maybe on your afternoon coffee break or, hopefully, you have some flexibility in your afternoon time, but all that is really beside the point of this podcast. This episode provides you with a safety net for those days when, no matter what, no matter the reason, you just weren't able to get out and run.

In such cases, the Best Alternative Training (BAT) for runners provide mental reasurance because you know a BAT workout will prevent any loss in fitness. BAT workouts are your running training safety net.

Now, what does this have to do with Halloween? Nothing, except that when I was about to record this episode, I got to thinking that bats and Halloween go together; I've always called them BAT workouts, which stands for best alternative training, but it was just a coincidence that I recorded this episode the week before Halloween.

By alternative training I mean alternative to actually going outside to do your planned workout. This BAT workout will keep your fitness from sliding backwards. Even if your schedule – and your daily life – results in you only having time to run on two weekdays, if you do this workout on the other days, you'll be fine. You can still continue to improve your running fitness with just those two running workouts and your two weekend workouts. So, these BAT workouts can be critical.

Two great things about this workout:

1. It's completely customizable. Once you understand the structure, you can swap out exercises or change the time frames.
2. It can be a complement to your running. Feel free to add in one or two BAT workouts per week. BAT workouts don't have to be just alternatives for days when you don't have time to run.

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Mojo for Running.

Of all the great pleasures of running, time spent with other runners is one of the greatest. You can't have too many running friends, and running with them makes every mile a whole new and different experience. You'll make friends for life, and during all those miles, you'll discuss every comceivable topic, solve the world's probems and each others. You'll run more because you want to hang out with your friends, and a bad run will always become a much better run when you have friends by your side.

While belonging to a running group is helpful to experienced runners, it's exponentially more beneficial to new runners, beginner runners who need motivation and support, but beginner runners often feel intimidated, worrying that they won't be welcome, won't be able to keep up, or won't be able to run far enough, all valid concerns.

In this podcast, I address questions submitted by the beginner runners in my Mojo for Running Coaching Program regarding those exact concerns and many more. I hope that after giving this podcast a listen, you'll feel like you're ready to find a club and become involved.

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Mojo for Running.

Newer runners tend to be too hard on themselves, often pushing too hard, running too much or at a level too intense for their current state of fitness. If you're feeling tired, this could be the reason – or at least part of it.

Any time you feel extra tired, more tired than normal, you need to step back and analyze the situation. You need to figure out why you're feeling tired and take the appropriate steps right away. If you don't, you may miss several weeks of running, and we don't want that. This episode of the Beginner Runner Village Podcast will help you figure out why you're feeling tired and make the correct and very necessary adjustments.

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Mojo for Running.

Running, every day, requires a constant stream of motivation, but then, when the mercury starts to rise, that gets much harder. It's super easy to make the choice to do something else, anything else, any other activity, as long as it can be performed in the air conditioning.

If you have a treadmill, then you're good, but most new runners don't have a treadmill.

Well, obviously, that's going to move you farther away from your running goals, unless you have a treadmill; so, in this episode, I give you strategies for coping with the heat, the tips that I've discovered make the hot weather considerably more tolerable. Running in hot weather will always be a challenge, but these strategies will help you train through the hottest months for running.

Learning how to run in the heat will be one of the most important lessons you'll learn in your running journey.

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Mojo for Running.

Hopefully, anyone starting a running program, any beginner runner, is mostly walking for the first several weeks. Additionally, anyone just starting to run, hopefully, is walking a lot to build up cardio endurance and to strengthen their bodies to get ready to run, but this brings up the question, "How fast should I walk?"

People listening to my podcast know that I talk a lot about running cadence; so, it's not surprising that beginner runners often ask me about walking cadence. Well, there are three different instances during the course of a week when any beginner runnner will be walking. In this episode, we look at each occasion for walking, and I explain the goal, and, therefore, the desired walking pace.

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Mojo for Running.

I want all beginner runners to have an excellent experience at their first 5k race, but with so many 5k races out there, how do you decide which one is right for you?

No worries! I'm here for you! You're right, there are many options, and I imagine, because you are new to running, you may not know what to consider. Well, you can relax. In this Beginner Runner Village podcast, I'll explain the differences between various 5k race – what to look for and what questions to ask – in the hope that it will help you choose a race that will be both enjoyable and rewarding.

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Mojo for Running.

Whether your main goal is better health, weight loss, having more energy, or making new friends, your overarching motivation may be simply 'wanting more,' wanting to become a runner to move your life toward something richer, and I'm not talking about things or money, but experiences and better yet, shared experiences with others on the same healthy journey. In this episode, I look at what beginner runners can have, what running provides, a highlight of the things you can have if you stick with it, if you stay the course. This is the motivation for running.

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Mojo for Running.