How to Start Running – Your Ultimate Guide

How to Start Running – For Beginners

The Beginners Corner section of Strength Running will show you how to start running so you can lace up and finally start seeing results. This area is designed to be an all-inclusive resource to teach you the ropes when you start running.

There are a lot of questions you may have about running – from learning the proper form, the right gear to use, and how often you can run when you first start. Strength Running can answer all of your questions and help guide you to distance running success. There are four sections below to get you started and this page will continually be updated, so check back often.

The goal of Strength Running is to help runners get faster and prevent injuries along the way by training smarter. It sounds simple but it’s a complex formula to design the best training. A page devoted to beginners sounded like a great place to start!

If you’re looking for a complete introductory guide to running (including workouts and example videos), check out the Rebel Running Guide – a book I co-authored with Steve Kamb of Nerd Fitness.

Beginner Basics – Tutorials to Help You Start Running

This section of articles cover many topics that will teach you how to start running. From general fitness basics, running form, and how to recover properly from your training – you’ll learn it all here.

• Laying the Fitness Foundation: How to Skip the Intro Training Plan for Beginners
• How to Prevent Over-Training and Running Fatigue (Or, How to Feel Great Every Day)
• 12 Running Lessons from Over 12 Years of Training
• How to Run Like Chris Solinsky: Improve Your Form to Prevent Injuries
• Running Recovery Extreme: How to Bounce Back from Hard Training Quickly
• Small Wins = Huge Improvements: How to Run Faster Over the Long-Term
• 7 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started Running

Increasing Endurance – Going Longer, Faster

The biggest limiter of performance in a beginning runner is a lack of endurance. Fortunately, there are strategies that you can implement to help you develop more aerobic endurance when you start running (and not all of them involve running more).

• Forget the 10% Rule: How to Increase Mileage Safely
• Triathlon Training and Running: How to Use Tri’s to Dominate Your Running Performance
• How to Go From a 17:00 Minute 5k Runner to a 2:25 Marathoner: Lessons from an All-American
• How to Improve Running Endurance (By Not Running) – For Beginner Runners

Workout Ideas – New Workouts, More Fitness

As a new runner who is just learning how to start running, what types of workouts should you do? There are nearly countless variations you can try – tempo workouts, intervals, strides, fartleks, and sprints. Here are some ideas (especially the 52 Workouts article!).

• Three Marathon Workouts to Turbo Charge Your Marathon Training
• Becoming an Aerobic Powerhouse: Tempo + Hills Combination Workout
• Hill Running 101: How to Take Your Running to New Heights
• 52 Workouts, 52 Weeks, One Faster Runner

Get Strong, Prevent Injuries

Injuries happen all the time to runners, most of them from overuse. Most can be prevented with the right training design, attitude, and strengthening exercises. The goal for you as a beginner is to make sure your body is strong enough to handle the added stress of running. By not trying to run through pain and using the right combination of strength exercise, you’ll be far ahead of the rest of runners who consistently get hurt.

• Elite Core and Dynamic Warm-ups: A Comprehensive Guide
• Strength Exercises for Runners: Level up Your Running with the Rebel Fitness Guide
• The ITB Rehab Routine – Video Demonstration
• Developing Running Coordination and Athleticism (Or, Preventing One-Dimensional Fitness)

Running Gear – Only Use What You Need

I’m a proponent of using as little gear as possible to focus on the sheer enjoyment of running. When you’re learning how to start running, it’s best to avoid the Garmin GPS watches and other technology that can distract you more than help you become a better runner. Aside from a Road ID, I rarely bring anything else with me when I run.

• How to Use a Heart Rate Monitor – A Definitive Guide
• The Spectrum of Minimalist Running Shoes
• Unconventional Running Gifts, Offbeat Training Resources, and Personalized Food
• Running Gear You Need – And Gear That You Don’t
• The Runner’s Library – 17 Running and Training Book Gift Ideas

These five categories include many of the basics to help you start running. If you have any questions, please email support@strengthrunning.com and I’ll put up a new article to further explain anything you’d like. Every runner needs to start somewhere, so use this comprehensive resource to become a better runner.

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