Beginner Runner

Most people think massages are just about relaxation, but runners of all levels, especially new runners will reap great benefits from a deep tissue or sports massage. Even if you can only afford one massage a year, get it, really. It's worth it. Even one good sports massage, a deep tissue massage, will go a long way toward making you more comfortable, improving your form, and preventing injury. Do it!

If that's not possible, you still have options. I explain the benefits and options of massages for beginner runners.

Benefits of Massage for Runners by Susan Paul, MS, Runners' World, December, 2013

How to Use "The Stick" on the Calf Area

How to Use a foam roller

Guide to How to Use a Foam Roller by Sports Medicine Institute, printable pdf

Mojo for Running.

Most beginner runners assume that training at a higher intensity is a good thing; it must be, right? Wrong. Training at the appropriate intensity is one of the main keys to success, but if you are a new runner, you may find it hard to control intensity because, for you, any running is intense. In this podcast I explain the optimal training intensity for beginners and how to achieve that intensity. Training at that intensity will result in a variety of payoffs, not the least of which is a much improved running experience during the first few months.

Mojo for Running.

The beginning, the very beginning of your running career is the perfect time to learn correct form, and cadence is a huge part of that! With cadence mastered, all the rest of your running, for years to come, will be easier and more efficient. And most important of all, you'll be much, much less likely to suffer the typical running injuries that tend to plague and discourage beginner runners.

You know how the 'best time' to learn a language is when you are a child? Well, similarly, the best time to learn proper cadence is when you are just running 15 or 20 steps at a time. Learn how and why in this podcast.

Mojo for Running.

We've all heard of people-watching. Let me introduce you to runner-watching. It's less entertaining but much more useful. Even the most untrained eye will, with a little coaching from me, be able to spot good running form. In this episode I'll give you some tips on analyzing the form of established runners, helping you better understand good form, making it easier for you to practice it, yourself, facilitating your own running success.

Mojo for Running.

An integral but often overlooked element of running form is foot strike. Whether beginner or advanced, any runner should take care to be sure to utilize an efficient and stable foot plant and it makes perfect sense for new runners to work on this from the very beginning, from day one, rather than try to break bad habits later on.

Mojo for Running.

Learn the correct running form and succeed that much faster. In this episode, I discuss how to lean, ever so slightly, forward, to take advantage of gravity.

Plus, I discuss how to make sure you're landing with your foot under your center of gravity. Correct running form will lessen the likelihood of injury, make your running more comfortable, and conserve energy.

Mojo for Running.

Improving your running form will mean avoiding injury and running more comfortably, two worthwhile pursuits for any runner, and there is no better time to master it than at the very beginning of your running career when you're only running a few steps at a time. In this podcast, I explain correct running form in the first of four episodes on this topic.

Mojo for Running.

One of the most common concerns among beginner runners is that they struggle to breathe, often saying, "I can never seem to catch my breath" or "I feel like I'm breathing through a straw." For many runners, it's just a matter of learning how to breathe. Many, many people are still following the advice of an ill informed physical education coach from high school years. We've come a long way since then. Breathing while running is a huge issue for some runners. This episode will help.

Mojo for Running.

I've learned that new runners – even the newest runners – will progress more comfortably and with fewer injuries when they apply proven running training principles that veteran runners use to guide their training. The difference is that they must be modified to be appropriate for beginner runners. In this podcast I explain one of the hard easy principle, and how to apply it. This one simple concept could be the difference between succeeding in becoming a runner and joining the "I tried to run" crowd.

Mojo for Running.

I explain exactly what is included in the Mojo for Running Coaching Program, what the weekly schedules include, and how they break down into a gradual progression from mostly walking to running, then from being able to run to being able to run 3.1 miles, a 5k. The program gradually moves complete non-runners from walking to running while putting great focus on conditioning. From there, the next few weeks take the beginner runner to a 5k. Then there are schedules for the runner to polish that 5k a bit before moving on to their first 10k. Then, there are schedules that move the runner on to a 10k and eventually on to a half marathon.

So, you can progress seamlessly from one set of schedules to the next until you're ready for a half marathon.

It's all explained in this podcast in much greater detail.

Mojo for Running.