One of the biggest challenges when starting to run is…..well…..starting!
It’s like a writer and a blank piece of paper or an artist with a blank canvas, getting started can be a daunting prospect to say the least.
Over the next few months I will help you work towards the goal of participating in the inaugral Portarlington Run on September 26th 2010.
A great place to start is our training page which has a simple schedule for you to follow in the months before the race.
Let me know if you have any specific questions or comments by posting a comment on this page or by contacting me directly at info@www.runportarlington.com or on this site’s contact page.
I am interested in participating in the Portarlington 10k in September but I have never run before! I have participated in the the minim marathon before but only as a walker.
I have recently lost 4 stone with another stone on its way off so I was wondering about getting advice on how to start training to be able to run or have I left it too late?
At the moment I walk 5km in about 45 minutes but I have not attempted to run.
Thanks
Sandra
Hi Sandra
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you.
Congratulations on your successful weight loss – it sounds as if you are well on the road to well being. Walking 5km in 45 mins is a good pace and from that starting point a target to jog the Portarlington 10k is achievable. There are 85 days days left which is almost three months.
If you are local to Portarlington a great way to get started is to join the Portarlington 10k Meet & Train. This seris of training events is specifically designed to help people begin running, walking etc. There are 20 one hour sessions hosted by a professional coach and there will be lifestyle talks from dieticians, physiotherapists etc.
The sessions commence on 19 July but there is a registration evening and launch event on Monday 12 July at 7.30pm in Portarlington Community Centre – Olympian and Tullamore Harrier Pauline Curley will speak and tell her story of how she began to run.
The cost of the Meet & Train is only €50 and that includes your entry fee to the Portarlington 10k plus a free T-Shirt.
If this is not possible then the important thing about starting to jog is to start slowly – if you are a regular walker you can add a little bit of jogging into your walk – try walk 5 mins jog 2 min, walk 5min jog 2min. Over time you can build the jogging element and gradually squeeze out the walking element. After five weeks you might walk 5 mins, jog 10 mins, walk 5 mins jog 10mins – in this way you quickly get to a point where 30mins of your 45 mins is jogging. After that you can reduce your walking period. Jog 10 min, walk 4 min etc.
Best of luck with the training and do consider joining the Meet & Train as it is a fun way to get started and will offer lots of support, advice and encouragement.
Portarlington 10k