Jogging Advice

Hi Jaime,
Congrats on stopping smoking, that's great! The most important thing for cold weather running is to make sure your base layer (first layer against your skin) is a wicking material. It will keep you warm and dry. After that you can layer. Make sure you wear a hat and gloves. Most sports stores sell specialty running gear, but it can get pretty expensive. I'd suggest looking at TJ Maxx or Marshall's first. I've had a lot of luck there. You may not find "this season's" styles, but you'll save a ton of money! Since you're just starting with jogging, go slow. Start with a walk/jog workout. Walk to warm up then switch back and forth. Make sure you jog just enough to exert yourself but not so much that you're overdoing it. Each time do just a bit more. For example, if you jog for a 1 minute interval of jogging the walk for a minute, do this for a few mornings. If that gets too easy then increase the time of your jogging intervals so that you challenge yourself. You could wear a watch to time your intervals or you could use music and jog the length of a song then walk a minute. Eventually you'll increase your jog times and be able to jog consistently without walking. Just have fun and see what your body can do. Change it up to adjust to what feels good to you. Make sure you don't over do it, although when starting out it's normal to be a little sore. Challenge yourself and you'll be surprised what your body is capable of! Good luck and enjoy! My runs are my sanity!
One more note...if you're so inclined you could set a goal for yourself to keep you motivated. Look at Coolrunning.com and find a 5K (3.1 miles) race in the future that you could work towards. I always find that having a goal keeps me on track!

Congrats on quitting!

The other advice re/ good shoes, wicking gear, reflectives and taking it easy at first are all spot on.

How about finding a friend to go with? There were more than a few mornings that I didn't want to go (weather, tired, sick munchkin overnight) but having someone else to pair up with really helps!

Good luck and happy trotting!

First of all Good for You! Quitting is hard but sooooo good! Now, as for starting with jogging, first of all, get yourself a really good pair of sneakers for shock absorption and support of your feet. Under Armor work wear works really good for staying warm while you're out there but not getting sweaty. It wicks away moisture and helps to keep you warm. You wear it under your clothes. You need something on your head, and your hands as well. Start slow and easy as your body is not used to the exertion. One of the best fitness methods is interval training. You start out walking then run for a while then go back to walking. It burns more calories in general and gives you a chance to work up to more running. Good luck!

J.,

Good for you for quitting! I did it almost 15 years ago after 10 years of heavy smoking and I know it is one of the hardest things I ever did. As for running...I am not a runner (swimmer, spinner, walker...but no runner!) But my advise to you is to join a healthclub. I am a member at the Merrimack YMCA and they provide 2 hours of free childcare while I work out. My kids love going and I get some "me" time to take care of myself. Due to injuries I am currently not able to do my daily routine and I miss it!! The problem with running outside in the winter is the cold...it fluctuates and is harder for you to stay in a routine. At the gym you have no excuses.

Good luck!

H. Z. (SAHM 5, 4, and 17 month old boys)

Hi J.- Great for you! Congrats on quitting. I've been a casual jogger for quite a few years now. I'm 8 mo. preggo with baby no. 2 (no. 1 is 18 mo. old) so I haven't done a ton of jogging lately. I did, however, jog early into my second trimester as often as I could. I gradually slowed down as I progressed in my pregnancy. After I stopped jogging (because it became too uncomfortable) I started doing more uphill and brisk walking...now I'm pretty much down to the brisk walking...so my advice is to do what you can where you are at.

One thing that helped when I got back into it after my first daughter was born was just to set a time (say 20 min or so) and just go out on short, flat routes. Then I gradually increased my time. I would also mix it up with workouts on the elliptical at the gym and will often put the treadmill on an incline and walk.

One thing that helps me is good music! Take your ipod or headphones and find some good music that gets you going! I tend to like techno like stuff when I'm running, or music w/ a good beat! Good luck!

Hi J.-

I would suggest you start by run/walking. Warm up for 5 minutes, then run for 3 (or 4 or whatever you can handle) and alternate to build up stamina. Bring a stopwatch-if nothing else, the distraction helps take your mind off the cold!

Best of luck!

Good for you for quitting smoking! It's great for you, for your family, and for your budget! Exercise is great to help you fill those times when you really want a smoke.

My husband is a discilplined jogger, and he goes for distance rather than speed/time. My son is a varsity cross country and track runner with numerous high school records. I'm a treadmill walker. So we know a lot about running in our house!

Definitely get very good shoes - go to a running store like PR Running in Westboro. A good store will watch you walk or run (they'll either put you on a treadmill or watch you run up and down the sidewalk) to look at your stride, degree of pronation, etc. Then they will put you in a good shoe designed for your foot and the type of running you do. I am not sure that the mall sports stores have people who really know what they're doing. I know that most serious runners, including kids on the high school teams, tend to buy from real running experts.

I'm no champ, but I went for a $90 pair of shoes (which is the low end!) so I would get the right support and not have any pain or injuries that would cause me to quit. Then I wear really cheap clothes to make up for it! It sounds expensive, but just look at your former cigarette bill, and figure that you spent $90 for a certain period of time, but your shoes will last a lot longer than that! Also, good running stores will check your shoes for you as you go along and let you know if there is still support in them, or whether you need to get new ones. It's not based on time, more on mileage. My son actually changes shoes after a certain number of miles, just like oil changes in the car.

Then I would get an underneath layer of wicking material for your first shirt and leggings. YOu don't want the sweat to stay against your skin - you'll get wet and cold. Under Armor makes some, but so do other manufacturers. You can try Target as well as running stores and even camping stores. REI often has garage sales and you can get great deals - if stuff has a stain or a few hanging threads, who cares? No one will see you! Then wear a few layers on top of that, with a hat and gloves and something wind-proof. Be sure you can move easily. Be sure you have something reflective. If you are going to be running in the dark, get a headlight - my husband got one at WalMart for about $15 in the camping section. It helps him spot potholes, leaves and ice patches, and that is really important.

Don't worry too much about how much you are doing - just make it a pace you can stick with, and it's fine to mix up jogging and walking. You might wear a pedometer - they are cheap. Wear it all day and count your steps doing other things, like chasing the kids around. You'll be surprised at how much you move. If you add a little each weak, you'll see your body tone up and you will feel great and energized.

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