kraut60: Congrats on your accomplishments with prior treks. Good luck for this year. I'm sending good vibes your way.

As for me, I'm still gearing up for the 5K on March 28. I'm hopeful. Nervous. But hopeful.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, buddy.

I was always kind of an odd ball, but I always thought picking running shoes was vastly over rated. Every runner would ALWAYS talk what shoes were best, but I was one to just throw on a pair and go. I really could not tell much difference in any.
What kind of shoes did the greatest distance runner of all time wear (that of course being; Abebe Bikila)?
ans: He ran barefoot! haha

For me, the funny thing about running shoes is that the more expensive ones never worked for me. The best ones for me were 30 dollar Nikes and 30 dollar Reboks -both types out of production now.

Consistent with what I've said about not allowing the running pressure to go inward toward the arch, foot, ankle, knee and hip, make sure you have real good arch supports in those shoes -even if you have to add arch supports or full-length inserts with arch supports.

you go, i think you will do just fine with all the work you have already done and the determination you have you can do it.

Steve, I have no problem buying local, but the people at Rogan's Shoes are not trained to analyze your feet and how you walk/run and recommend the proper shoes for you. When you are talking about something as important as running shoes, I would rather travel to Madison and get what is right for me.

P.S. A good source for where to run/where to shop (possible story??) would probably be Councilmember Tom Macdonald. If memory serves, he ran frosh-senior year of h.s. ...

If you're going to buy running shoes - please shop local! Rogan's Shoes 4 Life! http://rogansshoes.com/

I have never been a runner either till the beginning of this year. My daughter runs cross country and I decided it would be something for her and I to work on together. We are planning on doing our first 5K together in June. The YWCA has a Race Against Racism that we are going to do.
My biggest problem has been finding shoes that are right for me. After 3 trips to Madison to Fleet Feet for shoes, I went to Movin' Shoes (also in Madison on Park Street). Come to find out Fleet Feet had me in shoes for over-pronating and I actually under-pronate. And as an added bonus, Movin' Shoes is about 10% cheaper than Fleet Feet. I also had some issues with chaffing, but thanks to a wonderful product called "Body Glide" that is no longer an issue!
I too have found that I have trouble pacing myself outside. I like doing the treadmill because I know how fast I can do and have been working on pushing myself to go a little faster each time, but I am ready for it to be nice out so I can go outside and run!

hannah: I can ice skate, but not too well. I'm better than I used to be, but my form is still off. I tend to favor my left leg as my push-off leg while I tend to leave my right leg as my stabilizer leg. Does that make sense? LOL But someday I should try rollerblading -- even if it means falling down A LOT.

Oh boy, so many wonderful comments on this blog entry. Who knew running would spark such a great conversation? There must be a healthy contingent of GazetteXtra.com readers who enjoy running.

Anyway, here are the replies:

gazettefan: Thanks for the idea about the Kiwanis Trail. I've never even ridden my bike there, so running should be a fun way to give it a try. And thanks for the tip on stride. I'm always paranoid I'm somehow running "the wrong way."

bbrantm: Yep, you guessed it--I had to do many months of brisk walking, elliptical training and other exercise to build up my body's stamina to vigorous activity. A lot of my trouble came from being out of shape and having asthma. Once I got over the hump, working out--and soon running--were fun.

whoanellie: Thanks to your running hubby for the advice on shoes. Isn't it funny how important spending a little more on shoes can be? I just bought a pair of Nike shoes that I like a whole lot, and they work just fine for now. But if I ever take myself up on this personal challenge to keep running--perhaps in longer races someday--then I'll need to have my gait analyzed and purchase the right shoes.

ktaustin: I, too, found that what you wear, whether your dancing, lifting weights or running, makes a difference. I like a fitted T-shirt and capri-length workout pants. I find that if I wear a baggy shirt or long pants, I feel like I'm carrying too much around with me.

fschultz: Gasp! Swimming! No! Just kidding. Keep doin' what you're doin', Frank. And thanks for the encouragement.

jvl4life: I, too, find the treadmill is a great way to train myself to SLOW DOWN! Like I said, that's my biggest headache when running outside; I always start out too fast and end up quitting after a block or two.

thekid3477 and hannah: I've never tried rollerblading. Always wanted to, but never had the guts. I'm glad you guys like it, though; gives you a good excuse to get outside.

Adding walking is the same concept as interval training. Once you build up a stronger endurance base you can do intervals that go from face paced runs to slow jogs (instead of the walking), back to fast paced runs. Intervals actually work a lot better on an actual track; as it's much more precise.
.
The best way to build your endurance base up is with those long slow runs. And just progressively add on distance to those runs. When I use to tell people how far I ran, they'd always be impressed when I said: "I went out for a 10 mile run today". When the reality was that sort of run was much easier then a 3-5 mile run that was very fast paced.
.
As far as pace goes. It's really not to hard to get your pace down when running outdoors, after you have run for a while. When you get into races, THAT'S when pace becomes hard, because you are often trying to keep up with others, or set an unrealistic pace. The worse thing in racing is setting a pace to fast. You will just be dragging, and using all your will power to keep on going past the half way point.

i prefer rollerblades. if you run uphill you still gots to run back down. however if you blade uphill...:)

I started running back in December. I don't do very well running on the road, but I found the treadmill helps regulate my pace. As far as my breathing, I chew gum. Believe it or not, it helps me with my breathing.

I ran track and cross country in high school, back in the Dark Ages. I wish I could run again. I'm a lone wolf when it comes to exercising, and running is perfect for us loners. But, I neglected my body for too long, got fat, to the point where my knees would hurt just from running across Milwaukee Street. I've been working out on step machines, and I lost a little weight, and now I ache if I run more than half a mile on the treadmill. Yes, I've tried the glucosamine. I don't think I'll ever experience the joys of running as I did in my youth. So enjoy, Kayla, for as long as you can. Some day, I might have to take up swimming. Yuk.

Sorry I can't recommend running paths in Janesville; I live in the country and when I go running I just hit the roads at my house and start running wherever the wind takes me. I know running sites will recommend warmup/cooldown as well as stretching before and after; personally I always cut out the warmup and stretching before since it never seemed to make any difference and it cuts the time, but the stretching afterward is very important. I copied some stretches from coolrunning.com (although if you follow them precisely then you'll be stretching for 20min or so, which I don't).

In addition to shoes, clothing becomes important for longer distances, depending on how much you sweat. I never had a problem wearing regular t-shirts and sweat pants/shorts until I started exceeding about 4 miles, when I would get pretty bad rub rashes on my thighs and armpits (its a little embarrasing, but my nipples actually got sore too). I switched to basketball shorts and workout shirts (usually labeled as "whicking" material) and haven't had a problem.

Kayla: I am not a runner but my husband is. The key to it he says is the best shoes for you. He goes up to Endurance house at Greenway Station because they actually do a test on the treadmill to see how your feet function and get you shoes that go with your feet. I am a walker though and they got me shoes that I absolutly love. They are a little pricey but worth it in the end. That's where my husband gets his running shoes too. Also after you find out which ones work for you, you can order them online sometimes for less at the shoes name site. Good luck with your new endeavor!!

Yes, before you get to your distance goal, add or mix walking with the running.

Walking before and after your run are good and enjoyable ways to warm-up and cool-down.

Hey Rick. I used to run cross country in high school 13 years ago. Since graduation I haven't done much of anything until recently. My first attempt I was only able to run 1/4 mile at time. It took me about 3weeks of running everyday to get to a mile. Perhaps if she was walking vigorously everyday, she would have the stamina for a mile. Kudos to her for making an effort.

Runners start from the Y around noon weekdays. They run from there to the Kiwanis Trail near Mercy to Riverside Park on through to the north end of the park -upper road- and back. The might run too fast for a new runner.

Or just start from where the Kiwanis Trail begins near Mercy. There's a small parking lot there.

It's a very scenic route. Run with a friend.

As you stride, make sure the pressure on you feet goes from the heel then to the outside of your foot to the pads toward the front. Don't allow the pressure to go inward toward the arch. That would put undo pressure on the inside of your feet, legs, and knees.

Nina: Good luck. I've encountered strange pains in the last few weeks, too. It's amazing to me the parts of your body that can hurt sometimes...parts you didn't even know were there!

My first attempt at running, or should I say, slow jog, barely lasted 1/4 mile! I am not nor have I ever been overweight by any stretch, and I work out on the elliptical or walking uphill a couple of times a week...and I still thought I was going to die after that 1/4 mile. I bought what I thought were good running shoes but I have also struggled with shin splints - and for some strange reason - a very sore right hip! I wish you all the best with your efforts to run...you just might inspire me to try again this year :)

kburton0519: Good luck with your attempt, too! Don't get discouraged. Just keep trying. I've learned that a little positive thinking goes a long way.

kiowamohican: Thanks for the great advice! My biggest problem with trying to run, especially outdoors, has been pacing. I always start out too fast, and I'm quickly worn out enough that I can't continue. As my boyfriend says, it's better to run slower for longer than it is to run faster for shorter.
And yes, I was overweight for many years before I started working at the Gazette, when that picture was taken. Thanks (I think) for the compliment.

rickwantsmoney: This isn't my first attempt. I've been working out regularly for just under two years, and it's taken me that long to get to this point. Yes, I was quite out of shape. Before I went on a diet and joined a gym, I couldn't do much of anything exercise-related without wanting to quit almost immediately. Don't think I did it overnight.

BTW: I hope that was a joke when you said that you were over weight? Unless you doctored the picture you have of yourself on here, you look far from being over weight to me.

I use to do quite a bit of running, but kind of gave it up for bicycling, and other sports.
.
Best advice I could give is to just work your way up as you have been doing with distance. Once you build that endurance "base" you want to mix up your running. Have days where you do long slow runs. Days where you do shorter, but faster paced runs. Days where you do intervals (1/4 real fast pace. 1/4 mile slow rest pace. 1/4 fast, ext). And days where you jsut do "fun" runs where you run whatever you feel like.
.
You also want to push yourself, but you should not push to hard. That was always the problem I had when running in races. One real extreme example I remember was when I ran a 1 mile race in Rockford, that is all downhill. That's a huge race run every summer that draws thousands of people. I was all jacked up to go, and when I reached the 1st quarter poll I was up near the lead in a time of 55 seconds! Right then I knew I was done, as I was on pace for under 4 minutes (I had never even broken 5 minutes for a mile). I was all but dead at the half way point, but did manage to finish in a 5:13 time. Not all to shabby, but I was COOKED. that was the the most brutal race I had ever run, WAY harder then any 5 or 10K race. Distance is really not that big of a deal once you build up that "base" of endurance. You can build your way up to run 5-10k rather easily. If your goal is to run a marathon, that takes a lot more time and conditioning. I was never a runner in high school, and it only took me a few months of training to be able to run 5-10k. You will really surprise yourself how quick you build your endurance up. The best part of running is when you get that endorphin "rush" . It often comes once you build up your endurance level, and just settle into a comfortable striding groove. When you get that feeling, it feels if you can run forever!
BEST OF LUCK!!

It is really ironic that this blog was posted. I am attempting to do the same thing as Kayla. Mine, however, is not going as well as hers. I am having the problem of getting shin splints as well as getting my breathing right so I do not get side aches. Let me know if anyone has any suggestions for me as well. Good luck Kayla and keep it up!

Your "overweightness" and asthma must not be a problem at ALL if you could run a mile on your first attempt. I have neither of those problems and could only make it about a tenth of a mile on my first try. So I REALLY don't think you were THAT out-of-shape. Would love to hear from others to see how far THEY could go on THEIR first attempt. I bet it's not close to a mile, especially if they have never run before.

Not sure if it's good for running, but I really love walking and biking the bike trail that runs behind my apartment. I start downtown along the river and follow it past the batting cages on Jackson Street to Rotary Gardens. Then you can enjoy the gardens and Palmer Park a little bit before heading back, or keep going and wind up at the Youth Sports Complex.

Mapmyrun.com is great! It allows you to create your own path to follow (or you can follow a run that someone else created.) It'll provide distance & approximate calories burned, among other things. Also, then you're running in a fairly familiar territory, which to me is important. Also, if you're looking for local 5Ks (or any race for that matter), you can register on active.com and I usually search the Madison area.

Another really important aspect is shoes - I reccomend getting fitted for a pair at a running store. I go to Fleet Feet in Madison. They will watch how you run & help you find the best shoe for your foot & stride.