Running Advice from a Non-Runner

Running is in... ask anyone! Everyone runs... except maybe for me. I'm definitely a newbie when it comes to this fitness craze. I've heard of marathon runners and ultra-marathon runners and it's all very inspiring until I get out of the door and can't seem to get around the block... jk. 

But seriously, this post is for those of you (and me) who want to run, who want to be more fit, but who find it difficult to get started. 

When I first decided I wanted to run a few years ago, I found loads of advice online and from friends who are runners, but it all seemed a bit mad to me, to be honest. 

All of a sudden, running had to be something I did everyday, in all weathers, and I had to have all the latest gear, which, by the way, costs a lot of money. I didn't even have an ipod arm-band back then! 

So here are some running tips for neophytes: 

1. If you find treadmills difficult to run on because of the boredom factor, (like me) count things... anything, as you're going along. It does help... and turn your music up super loud and dance while you're treadmilling it up :) (arm movements, etc) 
2. If you run on a track find it difficult to run in circles (because, like me, you lose count of how many times you've gone around), count on your fingers as you go along. It totally helps! 
3. If you have bad knees (mine aren't the greatest), try running on grass... the pavement is VERY hard on your knees and running is high impact... so go gingerly on them. You can also have running shoe specialists look at your stride and get you amazing shoes (but it's expensive). 
4. If you get bored, zig-zag through trees, run around benches, intermittently do sets of jumping jacks in your run (it keeps the heart rate up!) and sprint at squirrels, do cartwheels, or anything else that gets you out of the monotonous running motion. 
5. I love running to music, but my ipod armband broke, so I scotch-tape it to my upper arm... #don'tjudgeme
6. In the running world, people can be VERY competitive... push yourself, if you want, but don't over-do it. I run for fun, to be fit, and my runs tend to be sporadic, fairly short, and at medium-speeds... I prefer dance and zumba for cardio, personally... 
7. I run in light clothes that are fairly tight... loose clothes tend to not work for running. 
8. Try to smile while running... depending on my music, I sometimes sing and laugh too... I once heard a comedian say no one who's running looks happy "If I see someone running who's happy, I'll run after them."