All Things Gwen

Years ago, my cousin Peter ran his first marathon. I thought he was insane. Then he did a few more …

I’ll never forget the first time he encouraged me to run. I was intimidated next to such an experienced athlete! (He’s a breakdancer, played rugby, did jiu-jitsu, everything.) But that was the first time I really ran – other than 15 minutes here and there in college. He was living in La Jolla, CA at the time, I think it was 2004. Anyway, picture this …

It’s before 9 am on a beautiful California morning. It felt like a cool summer day, although it was April. On the boardwalk, there were hooded sweatshirts with “Lifeguard” on them. Flimsy cover-ups. Boogie boards. It was like the Jersey shore – only way better. The air was different …

I didn’t know what to expect, but Peter was a great coach. He said – let’s run for five minutes then walk. You can do it! So he led, and I followed … I did it … and I was never the same!*

A month later, I signed up for my first 5K race!

Here I am at my first 5K. I begged Dan to come with me - and I finished in 31 minutes!

Now I’m “Peter” to my friends. I encourage them to run, and to sign up for a race with me. Many have – and they’ve been motivated ever since. It’s like I “lit a fire” for them – much like my cousin did for me! Running is not so bad, really! (And this is from the girl who NEVER ran in gym class – but is aiming for the 10-mile Broad Street Run in 2010!)

And, although I don’t get to run as much as I would like to, I always think about that serene morning in California. I run and enjoy the air, the scenery and the time to myself. I call it “zen” running.

For you …

Below are quick tips for beginner runners. These aren’t techniques – I will write about my “zen” running later … and I’ll do another post about how to run your first 5K.

1. Don’t be afraid. Be like Nike – JUST DO IT!

2. Start small. Jog/walk in a way that’s a little more challenging than your normal routine. Depending on your fitness level, walk for 20 minutes staight five days a week. Or, like my “first” running experience, run a little, walk a little and repeat.

3. Set a short-term goal. For example, plan to jog a mile and a half without stopping, or interval jog and walk for twenty minutes. Evenutally, you’ll be interval running a 5K race!

4. Find a friend. Bring them with you. Moral support is key!

5. Set a long-term goal. Finishing a 5K without stopping is a good one! Plus, you’ll probably get a free event tee-shirt to commemorate your finish!

6. Revise your goals. What’s next? Another race? One of my goals this summer was to run one 5K  every month. That helped me stick with jogging!

Hope this helps. Trust me, if I can run a 10K, you can do ANYTHING!!! I hope I lit the fire underneath you.

More running tips and stories coming soon!

Rachel kisses her husband!

My cousin, Dee Dee jogs with her big bro. Rachel holds an encouraging sign for her husband.

*PS – You never know much you can influence someone in a positive way!