Thinking about starting to run? It can be easier than you think to work up from being a couch potato to running a 5K, says running coach Matt Young.
Young teaches Genesis 5K, a nine-week program during which beginner runners learn to run 5 kilometers, or 3.1 miles, which is a common distance for charity races and other runs. He said people often are startled at what they're able to achieve.
"Every time, they're surprised," he said. "They amaze themselves that they can do it. They think it's going to be painful and none of that ever happens. It's all in the approach."
Young's course begins with short intervals of running and walking. Participants gradually increase the time they run. By the fifth week, participants are running 20 minutes at a time, he said.
He said there are two myths that people believe when they start in his program: that he wants them to run hard, and "no pain, no gain."
Too much pain puts stress on the body, he said. It's better to run at a comfortable pace.
"Find a pace you can hold and run easy," he said. "If you have problems, run easier."
Most of the participants in his program are women, and their ages range from about 22 to 72. The women typically have been taking care of everyone else and wake up one day and wonder what happened to taking care of themselves, he said.
This year, an 80-year-old man who had never run before took part in the program.
Like with any exercise, running has physical benefits, he said. Runners will notice that they look better and are healthier. He equates running to medicine.
"If you have something that bothers you, so many times it's because we lead sedentary lifestyles and we carry too much weight," Young said. "That's just bad news for you."
Young said sometimes people find after they start running and eating better that medications they've needed for years to control high blood pressure and other ailments are no longer needed.
Young encourages people to change the way they think about food. Think about food as a fuel, and not as an indulgence, he said. Changes don't happen overnight, he concedes. Little changes like cutting out soda and eating more fruit and vegetables are good places to start, he said.
"Start with at least five fruits and vegetables a day, that's absolutely possible but you have to be deliberate about it," he said.
This year, 400 runners will have started his program. Of those, he said, 80 percent to 85 percent will make it to the final test of the program: participating in a 5K race.
But of those who make it to race day, 100 percent of them cross the finish line, he said: "When you who make it to the starting line, you make it to the finish line."
Reach Lori Kersey at lori.kersey@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1240 or follow @LoriKerseyWV on Twitter.
