Ten tips to begin running on your own

Want to run on your own but don’t know how? Here are some tips from girls’ cross country coach, Danny Moon. Coach Moon, now 72, has been running since 1962 and has run 12 marathons. 

1. Shoes: Get a pair of shoes that feel good and fit your foot. They don’t have to be expensive, but they should have enough cushion and support. 

2. Start slow. Walk half a lap, jog half. Then when you’re ready, walk one lap and jog two. Keep adding on. 

3. Take rest days. Work out five days a week. Take two days off for recovery.

4. Mix in hard workouts and light workouts. Go easy after a hard workout. Do not do two hard workouts in a row.

5. Add some fast twitch movements (speed work). Speed work is short distance, rapid running. One speed work per week is really good. Speed work creates leg speed which is good for sprints and marathons.

6. Find somebody to run with or find a group to run with. 

7. Pick races that challenge you. According to how much you train, that’s how far you run. Choose races that fit your goals and race with a group. If you want to experience different parts of the US, race there.  

8. If you feel any twinges or grabs or pulls, slow down. If they are still there, slow down, stop and recover. Take a day or two and then start up and recover.

9. The main goal is to stay healthy. Stay healthy no matter what. It is OK to miss a day if you are sick or injured.

10. Appreciate the joy of running — the high of running and the freedom that it brings.