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Spring training for your running Spring is here and soon the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge® is coming to town. It is time to look for your running shoes and start getting in shape after the winter. This may not be the case for the very dedicated runners, but for many of the Corporate Challenge's participants it is pretty common that the activity level is lower in the winter months. Warmer weather, more daylight, and no more snow and icy roads makes it a lot more tempting to put on running shoes and hit the trails or the roads. And you have a race to get ready for. Co-workers are already talking about the upcoming JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge in your city and what the company's race T-shirt will look like and all the fun they will have. A lot of inspiration and motivation is in the air, but don't get carried away with your training at this point. Whether you are a novice runner or a more experienced one, you can use the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge to give you a spring or summer fitness goal. When you start running you shouldn't go too fast or for too long. If you are a beginner, you should start with a walking/jogging combination for 30 minutes the first 2-3 weeks. You have to let your body - muscles, joints, ligaments and the cardiovasular system - adapt to the stresses you put on it. I have been there/done that, as they say. After a long layoff I have not once, but several times, done the mistake by running too much and too often in the beginning and then I had to back off due to soreness and other minor aches and pains. I guess I have to learn it the hard way even after all these years of running. The most important thing when you start up after the winter is to establish a training routine. Commit yourself to three or four times a week and be patient in the beginning. You don't want to risk getting an injury or getting "burned out" before the race. Having a colleague or a friend to run with makes it easier and more fun to keep your running schedule going. If you run for fitness, and not to race over the Corporate Challenge's 3.5-mile distance, you don't need to worry about speed training or tempo runs. If you really want to test yourself on race day, don't do any form of fast running the first weeks you are back in training. Give yourself four weeks of just building some milage and then ease into some speed workouts once or twice a week. And keep in mind that speedwork isn't all-out running, it is running at your race pace or slightly faster depending on the length of the intervals you are running. If your running shoes have spent most of the winter in the closet, it might be a good idea to make a proper check to see if they will last another season. To avoid injuries, your shoes should give you good support and cushion. Don't base your decision on how they look. Looks are deceiving as they say. Enjoy the spring and your running. |
