The Next Step

The next step to being a good runner is to have a good plan.  When people think of running they think that just going out and doing it is what your supposed to do.  And that is how a lot of people get injured.  A good training plan can keep you from getting injured which in turn can keep you running.  If you keep running then you can stay fit and keep losing weight, if that is your goal. 

There are a lot of training guides that tell you how to run.   The basics are to not go to hard to fast.  If you are just beginning then you should really start off with a walk/jog routine before you try to run a half-marathon.  Also if you are just starting out things may seem to go to slow for you and what you don't want to do is skip steps.

There is a rule that you shouldn't add more than 10% to your mileage per week and this is a great rule to live by.  Even experienced runners try to stay within 10%.  However once you start running 30, 40, and 50 miles or more per week then that 10% is actually quite a bit.  But for beginners 10% on a regular 5k training plan is not that much and it may be discouraging to see that you aren't adding mileage that fast.  But again just stick with the training plan and eventually the mileage will add up.

One final thought on the training plan is the rest days that should be scheduled in.  The rest days a very important for your body.  Although you might not feel tired or sore your body needs those days to recover from running.  Even with the best form running is still tough on your body because of all the muscles involved with it.  Take those rest days to evaluate how you feel and to review your training plan for the upcoming week.  

Here are a couple of good training plans to try:
5K training plan for beginners: click here
Half marathon training for beginners: click here
Marathon training guide: click here