Running
From Fitness Wiki
Running is perhaps the greatest fitness activity for you. It improves the fitness of your entire body, improves your cardiovascular system, improves your endurance, strengthens your skeletal system, reduces stress and calms your mind. Running is the most natural fitness activity, requires no equipment, and can be done anywhere. People have been running since there were people.
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[edit] Running is Good for You
There are countless scientific studies that show running is good for you, runners are significantly healthier and live longer than the average person, and even more than all other societal groups.
[edit] Running is Fun
If you are looking to get into shape, running is probably the best activity. Most people who are out of shape generally hate running, which is interesting, because most runners absolutely love running. There must be a reason for the disconnect, perhaps running really sucks when your out of shape, as it can be tough on your body if it is not something your used to. Running definitely produces endorphins (self-manufactured morphine), this may be in part why runners love running so much, perhaps you need to be at a certain level of fitness to be able to run hard enough to produce the endorphins. So, if your just starting out and have not developed a love for running yet, keep at it.
Where you run is also very important. Most people who hate running, run on a tread mill (yuck), or a track (boring). Runners normally run on trails, or scenic paths, or roads in the country side. If you want to love running, run somewhere you love.
[edit] Types of Runners
There are several different types of runners:
- Joggers
- Middle distance runners
- Sprinters
- Cross country runners
- 10km runners
- Marathoners
- Ultra Marathoners
[edit] Workouts
- Long run - A long moderate run, good for improving endurance, normally run once a week.
- Easy run - Nice easy run, enjoy the scenery.
- Time trial - Warm up, then run a set distance at race pace, time yourself.
- Intervals - Alternate between sprinting and jogging or walking, set distance (100s, 200s, 400s, 800s, or 1500s).
- Pyramids - Intervals that increase in distance than decrease (i.e. 100, 200, 400, 800, 400, 200, 100).
- Hills - Run up the hill, easy down.
- Stairs - Run up the stairs, easy down. (can also do stair intervals, either in number of flights, or number of steps each stride).
- Fartlek - Similar to interval running, but with no set distances or sets, "speed play".
- Fobar - Run one direction at race pace until you drop, then get up and run/jog/crawl home.
- A's, B's and C's - A = Kick your butt, B = Knee to chest, C = long stride.
[edit] Racing
Entering a race is a great way to keep yourself motivated during training, give yourself a sense of accomplishment, meet other runners, and find out how fast you can run. The most important thing about entering a race is just don't train for the race and stop running after you finish it, the race is life, never stop running.
[edit] Links
- Running Room - A running store and a running club all in one.
- Running on Wikipedia
- Runner's World - Magazine and great running resource.
- Running Mania - Canadian running online community.
- Nike Store - Complete Nike shoe selection, customize your own pair of shoes.
[edit] Video
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