Starting a Running Routine: 5 Tips

During my successful Vampire Bite Blog Hop, I ran across a blog advertising The Healthy Writers Club. I went to the club (blog), and I discovered it's a weekly blog hop hosted by the beautiful YA sci-fi and fantasy author Shallee McArthur. 

One of my goals at Precious Monsters is to insert a few personal details about me. This is one way to do it.

Shallee writes, "As writers, we hear a lot about the 'butt in chair' tactic, which is great for our manuscripts, but not so great for the actual butt in the chair." She's right.

If there's one thing I don't want to be, it's a fat writer. Yes, I wrote the word FAT. I try not to use this word at Facebook, for example, because some people freak out at the use of the word. However, this is my blog, and I won't be pressured to be "politically correct" at my blog.

I'm a naturally thin person. It is NOT normal for me to have thunder thighs or love handles or a potbelly. Therefore, I'm not going to be politically correct and say I'm okay with thunder thighs, love handles and a potbelly. (If you are . . . well, that's you. You're not me.) And that's why I eat a healthy diet and exercise - to keep my body in shape.

In October 2010, I had the first of two surgeries on my feet. I gained weight and got out of shape during the recovery. I couldn't run or any other cardio for at least a year. But now that's over. My body isn't where I want it to be yet, but it's getting there.

Shallee's healthy writers club is perfect for me. Fridays used to be Zombie Fridays, but I'd rather blog about how I stay fit at 50.

It's true, sitting in a chair is how writers get their work done. But sitting in a chair all day is an occupational hazard, as well.

I'm not about to quit my job as a writer. I love it. I love writing articles; I love writing fiction, and I love blogging. It's a job I dreamed about, and now it's a reality. I quit my day job years ago and never looked back.  However, I won't do it fat. If I had the choice to be working at a job I love and be fat or working at a job I hate and be thin, I'd choose the latter. Fat is NOT for me.

There are many things I do to stay healthy and thin. I'll be blogging about them every Friday until Blogging from A to Z starts in April.

My schedule for The Healthy Writers Club:

2/15 - Running

2/22 - Pole Dancing

3/1 - Pilates

3/8 - Yoga

3/15 - Weight Lifting

So today, I'll talk about running.

Run at the same time every day

It works best for me when I run at the same time every day. For me, it's in the morning after I've written a few articles for Examiner, usually around 10:30 a.m. or so. I write some articles.  Then I run 3.5 miles. Then I return home, shower and eat breakfast. This works well for me, and I do it five days a week.

I run outside unless there is snow and ice on the ground or the temperatures are super cold. When that happens, I run on the treadmill at the health club, or I get on the elliptical or the bicycle. In other words, I get my cardio in other ways if I can't run outside.

Run with music

Unless I'm running with my husband, something I do a lot, I run with music. For me, it's music on my playlist on my iPhone or it's listening to Pandora on my iPhone. (I love Pandora.) Music helps to make my run even more fun.

However, you need to be careful. When you run outside, you have to be mindful of the drivers out there, especially when you're listening to music. Don't assume they will follow the rules of the road. Many of them don't.

They say it's better to run on asphalt than concrete, because asphalt is softer. However, I prefer running on the concrete sidewalk than the asphalt street. I wear good running shoes, and that helps. I believe it's  riskier to run on the street. However, even though I run on the sidewalk, I ALWAYS pay attention to traffic when I'm crossing the street. Drivers drive too fast; they're on their cell phones; they don't pay attention - and that means you can get hit. You don't want to get hit.

Record your running on a calendar or fitness-tracking application

I use RunKeeper, a fitness-tracking application, to record my exercise routines, including my running. You can have it set up to update through your device, or you can go to the site and manually update. Keeping track of my activity through RunKeeper keeps me on target.

Don't worry about speed

Unless you're training for a race, it doesn't matter how fast you run - just run. Don't be intimidated by the runner who seems to run as fast as a Roger Banister. Remember, you're running for life. You're running for your health. This isn't a competition. This is about you.

Start with a reasonable goal

I used to run 3 or 4 miles, no problem, before surgery.  After I had foot surgery, on both feet, when I returned to running I ran like a 100-year-old woman. For months, I had been sitting in a chair in recovery.  My feet and legs grew completely out of shape.  It took me a long time to get back into the swing of things.

I started running about a half mile, then a mile, then two miles. Now I run around 3.5 miles comfortably. I'll probably increase it in the future. But my goal is to stay in shape, not increase my miles. The amount of time I've carved out to run works well for me for my 3.5 miles.

Try these tips and stick to them. Stay consistent, and you can get your running on track. A regular running regime is important to your overall fitness!