I have seen numerous times when something good can rise out of disaster. My running journey during the past three years is testament to this.

Running has always been a passion for me. I call it my savior and my best friend because it has kept me sane, healthy, and allowed be to build a community of wonderful people. Whenever life became too heavy, I headed out the door for a run. I was known at the gym as the runner girl and if you knew me you knew how much I loved to run.

All of that changed unexpectedly on a trip my daughter had arranged to Santa Rosa beach as a retreat for a group of young mothers. They were going to have an instructor give them a yoga class on the beach. I told my daughter I was going for a quick run then I would walk the beach while they took the class. The run felt great, but I only had time for two miles. As I pulled in near our house, a woman stopped me to ask for directions. As I explained I wasn’t from the area I noticed I couldn’t get my breath. My chest felt tight. After the lady left, I thought I was going to pass out so I sat down and then my heart started beating so fast I could see my chest moving. I will shorten the story to tell you I ended up in the hospital with my first afib attack(irregular heartbeat). The doctor gave me a beta blocker and told me I would see a decrease in energy. When I asked him what he meant, he said, “If you normally run ten miles, you will only want to run 5) I had no idea how much of an energy shift it would be. I didn’t feel like running.

After that, I tore my meniscus and started PT where I was told I could not run for at least 6 weeks. If you are an athlete of any kind you know that your first thought is all my hard work is going out the window. Since then when something derails my training I tell myself I will just come back stronger, but the problem for two years was I didn’t have the energy.

The final piece of the perfect storm was when I saw the pudge around my middle growing from lack of exercise. I finally went to my cardiologist and started taking a different medication which increased my energy, I listened to my family doctor who said you have to do cardio to lose the pudge. If you don’t run, do the other cardio machines. That’s when I decided it was time to start a completely different program and I am seeing positive results already. Here is what I do.

Strength training

I have always seen the benefits of strength training to protect my body and build strength, but it is even more important as we age. I used to have good upper body strength but in the past three years I have lost a lot, so I am working hard to rebuild my strength. My goal is by the end of this year; I want to be able to do a pull up. Set some goals for yourself to boost your motivation but keep them attainable. I need to strengthen my knees, so I do lots of leg extensions, lunges, and squats.

Cardio

One day I go to the gym to do strength training, and I do 20 minutes on the stair machine, and 30 minutes on the elliptical. I will increase the time and the level slightly as I become stronger.

The next day I run/walk between 3-10 miles at an easy pace.

Both days I will ride my bike and swim, and both these activities are easy.

I used to run every day, and I did not do a good job cross training, but I can already see a change in my knees after three weeks. I did the stair stepper regularly before an ultra with killer hills and that training made a difference in my performance. I know stepping up is good for knee strength.

Nutrition

I eat a variety of food and make sure to eat lots of protein, carbs, vegetables, fruits and cut back on sugar.

Rest

I’m hyper, so rest is hard for me but I’m getting better. I curl up on the couch with a good book or watch a movie. Rest and recovery are important.

I hope these ideas help you. The key is to be consistent with any program you choose.

Adjusting your training where you are

I coached high school cross-country for years and have been an avid runner since my twenties. A good running program depends on where you are as a runner because in spite of the belief that running is just putting one foot in front of the other, much more is required to do well at a sport that is vital to so many. I would love to guide you through a few ideas that might help you depending on where you are on your running journey.

The first thing you should do is identify why you want to run. On rainy, cold mornings when you don’t want to leave your warm cocoon of blankets, or you are struggling with motivation, it helps to hold your why close, and your why does not have to be similar to anyone else’s reason. You can use running to eliminate stress, lose weight, prove how strong you are, work on mental and physical health, or do anything else that works for you.

If you are new to running, here are a few suggestions.

• Start slowly. Don’t expect to get in shape in a day. You will end up sore and discouraged if you do too much too soon. During the first week, run a minute, walk a minute and keep doing that for 15 minutes. Increase it each day by 5 minutes. During the second week, run for two minutes, walk for one. A good rule is to not increase your weekly mileage any more than 10%.
• When you start to run, focus on relaxing and dropping your shoulders. Many new runners scrunch their shoulders resulting in shoulder cramps.
• Practice breathing in and out. New runners tend to hold their breath, so focus on your breathing.
• Hold your hands as if you are carrying an egg. Don’t tighten your fist.
• Keep your head up looking 10 feet ahead.
• Keep your knees slightly bent and relaxed.

If you are struggling with motivation, tell yourself you will start and workout for ten minutes and if you still don’t want to do it you can stop, but I have a feeling you will keep going.

Use a few tricks to help yourself become stronger. Instead of thinking you have to run for a mile, run to a certain spot without stopping and keep increasing the distance.

Keep a growth mentality and know that you will see progress if you keep working on becoming stronger. Be consistent with your workouts but also take at least one rest day to recover. Make some goals like doing a 5k race in two months.

As you become a stronger runner find some new ways to challenge yourself. Run some hills, do some sprints, join a running club so that you also have a new community to support your goals.

Learn how to protect your body with strength training and cross training. Doing a variety of different exercises will strengthen your body and help prevent injury.

Understand the power that your mind plays in your performance. Practice positive self-talk when your run feels hard.

There is basic equipment that will support your running adventure. Find a foam roller to roll out sore muscles. A good pair of shoes is helpful. A gentil massager is also good for your muscles.

If you start to race there are a few tricks you can use.

• When the course turns, cut the corner tight to shave seconds off your time.
• Don’t start off too fast. Work on a comfortable pace.
• Find someone to be your rabbit. Don’t let that person out of your sight and do your best to pass that person. Keep picking new people.

When you are injured, don’t keep going. Have the attitude that you need to run another day, so rest and recover. It’s a great time to cross train.

There will be times on your journey when you think you have to hang up your sneakers, but instead of quitting, adjust. Find a different way to train.

I was running a race in a state park when I passed two girls coming towards me. They must have seen my race bib because one of them said to her friend, “We should sign up for a race.” The friend replied in a panicked voice, “I’m not ready!”

I hear “I’m not ready.” In other forms too. Friends will tell me, “I want to run a 5k with you, but then when I suggest a date that friend is always busy. Another form of “I’m not ready.” comes in excuses. I hear things like, “I don’t exercise because my joints hurt, or I’m too busy.”

All of the forms of “I’m not ready.” Makes me sad because I know what a difference any form of movement can make in your life. Although running is the exercise that has been healing to me, you can choose any form of movement you want to reap the benefits. “I’m not ready.” translates to “I’m scared, or “I don’t want to step out of my comfort zone.” However, moving consistently instead of being sedentary can change your life. Here are a few things an exercise program can do for you.

Improve your physical health

When you move more you will notice your joints don’t ache as much as they did when you sat a lot, you may lose weight because you are burning more calories, and your body will be more toned. You can improve your immune system with better health, and exercise will help you to alleviate stress which will also help you sleep better.

Improve your mental health

I know when I run my mood is better. I can find some peace from problems. When you are doing something good for yourself it makes you feel better about yourself. When you work out you gain more confidence.

Boost your social life

If you start signing up for fitness events like races, or you go to the gym you will begin to meet more people. Your circle of friends will continue to grow, and hopefully, those friends will help to keep you active.

I know many people might not be completely ready to do something new, but it only takes doing it once for it not to be new anymore. The first time I went to an ultra-marathon, (Anything over 26.2 miles) I didn’t know anyone, and I was pretty sure that I had no business being there. The people at the race all looked like seasoned runners who probably ran 100 miles on an off week. They were talking about races they had done that all had scary names like Blood Rock, Snakebite Canyon, and Death Toll Run. I was sure any minute they would discover there was an imposter among them.

As the day wore on, I felt completely welcomed by some very nice people who were at very different fitness levels, and there was no judgment about that. I met one man whose name was Cornbread, so I told my husband I needed an ultra-running name. (I’m still working on that.) The ultra distance is now my favorite distance, but if I had not stepped out of my comfort zone I would never have experienced them. Sometimes you have to just leap.

So, what if you are ready? What do you do? First, find out what form of exercise would you enjoy, and what would you do consistently. Start slowly with whatever you want to do, and checking with your doctor is always a good idea. Find a recreational center or a gym and see what are your options. If you want to walk or run a race you can go to www.runusa.com or www.active.com, or if you want to join me, go to www.ultrasignup.com. You can walk an entire ultra if you want.

Are you ready? I hope so because it could be life-changing.

Runners are rebels and rule breakers, and what works for one person might not work for someone else, so I offer this list knowing that some runners will agree with some and not others. I would love to hear what you would add to the list of what not to do as a runner.

Don’t scrimp on shoes.

I have seen runners running in all kinds of footwear, and I know everyone has different preferences, but a good pair of shoes can make a difference in keeping your feet safe. Shoes that are too small can cause black toe. Shoes that are too big can produce blisters, and shoes that don’t provide enough cushioning or support can lead to other injuries. There is usually someone knowledgeable at a local sports store who can help find the shoe that is good for you.

Don’t increase mileage too fast.

Trying to do too much too soon can cause an injury from overuse, and too much stress on the body can lower the immune system and make a runner more susceptible to illness. Runners should increase their mileage gradually and allow the body to adapt.

Don’t run in the dark without reflective clothing.

Drivers are distracted enough by everything around them and in the car. Don’t expect them to see a dark figure running on the side of the road. Runners shouldn’t let themselves be distracted either. Running at night might be a good time to run without music.

Don’t run alone at night.

There is always safety in numbers and running with friends will cut down on the risk of crime. It also ensures if you are injured someone will be there to help you.

Don’t think of a day off as a bad thing.

Everyone needs rest; a rest day can be vital to any training program. A day off from running is an opportunity to cross-train, but you also need a true rest day sometimes.

Don’t eat unusual or hard-to-digest food before a race.

Everyone’s system is different. I cannot eat chili the night before unless I want to be miserable during the entire race. It’s a better idea to stick to food that the stomach will manage easily.

Don’t run the same distance and the same route every day.

You can train your body to do almost anything, but if you do the same routine every day you might not see the same results that you will see if you do a combination of speed, strength, distance, and easy runs. It also makes your training more interesting.

Don’t skip the warm-up.

The warm-up can consist of what works for you. I do a nice easy slow run when I first start out to warm up all my muscles and work out the kinks. Adopt a routine that works; but, in any case, do not start running hard without warming up the muscles.

Don’t ignore an injury.

It is very hard for a passionate runner not to run, and often runners will try to ignore a small injury. The problem is that a small injury can become a serious injury-one that will take a person away from running much longer than if the small injury had been taken care of in the first place.

Don’t just run.

I remember when the soccer coach walked over to me before cross-country practice and said, “You have such an easy job. All you have to do is tell them to run.” I smiled and said, “Well, it’s a little more complicated than that.” The truth is if I thought I could get away with it I would choose only to run, but I know I will be a better runner if I strength train and cross-train.