Why run?

Running as an exercise can strengthen the limbs, develop the lungs, exercise the will and promote the circulation of the blood. Running is well adapted to both young and middle-aged persons. Sedentary persons may find great benefit in it after the day's work is ended. Girls can run as well as boys, and while they cannot go so fast, they can run much more gracefully.

--Scientific American (1883)

There are as many reasons to run as there are runners, writes Bill Rodgers in the first chapter of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Jogging and Running.

Being an idiot is definitely not one of them, though running bashers would think and say you are for wanting to punish your body.

Physical reasons top the list. People run to lose weight, ward off heart disease, or simply feel better.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Jogging and Running lists what it calls a baker's dozen of the some of the most popular reasons to run. I have taken the liberty of adding some notes to selected items.

1. Running is a great way to lose weight.
2. Regular aerobic exercise, such as running, decreases the risk of heart disease.
3. Running is one of the most effective ways to improve cardiovascular fitness.
4. Running is a great way to quit smoking. (Worked for me. I was a pack-a-day smoker when I started to run.) 
5. Regular aerobic exercise reduces the risk of some cancers.
6. When you become fitter by running, you're more likely to improve other aspects of your lifestyle such as your diet.
7. Running is the most convenient of sports; you can do it almost anytime, anywhere. (I run whenever and wherever I can so long as my trusty running shoes and running apparel are there.) 
8. People who have a high level of physical fitness usually have a positive self-image.
9. Running is cheap; all you need are a good pair of running shoes and a few pieces of running apparel. (Another one that works for me. I don't have that much money to spend.)
10. Fitter people are more productive on the job.
11. Running with others is a great way to build friendships.
12. Being fit increases mental sharpness; regular exercisers are able to concentrate longer and are better problem solvers.
13. Running is one of the best stress relievers around. 

Some of these reasons can also apply to other forms of exercise.

Cycling gives pretty much the same benefits, but in running, you don't have to worry about how to get home with a flat tire.

Tennis and badminton? Yes, but then in running, you won't have to regularly buy new balls or shuttlecocks or pay for time in an air conditioned court every time you play.

About.com has a page which discusses the health and social benefits of running.

The Trinity College Dublin website mentions psychological benefits and backs these up with some research data.

Ezine @rticles also has an article "Why Run?" by sports enthusiast Nathan Hangen.

Hangen's closing paragraph in this article perhaps best expresses the attitude one should have about starting to run.

Running has many benefits and there are many more than I've listed here. It really is a life changer in more ways than one. Don't let the fear of getting started stop you from seeing these benefits in your life. The key is like Nike says, "Just Do It."

A good thing

(A note to start off. Browsing through my document files in my laptop, I chanced upon this post which was originally published in my Friendster blog in 2007. I thought it a very good material to repost here.)

For the past several weeks, I have seen familiar faces - friends, co-workers and, yes, even friends - burning off calories and sweating it out at the daily "hataw"/taebo fitness routine at the walk fronting the Kidapawan City Plaza.

Some years back, there were only a few of us athletic types and some walkers who populated the city plaza in the early morning hours doing our usual routines. Now, there are a host of other people there with ages and sizes as varied perhaps as their reasons are for doing what they do. Some are there to reduce weight. Others want to maintain their fitness. Still others are trying to slow down the ageing process. But all of them are one in doing a good thing - physical exercise.

With the growing interest in physical exercise and fitness around me, I thought it good to write about it here. A few tips maybe, and sharing some practical knowledge gained from years of running and cycling (I started running in 1980 and biked steadily for a couple of years before going back to running again last year). Oh, yes. I also did a bit of weight training at the gym for some time.

First off, for those who would like to get into a fitness/exercise routine - go slow, go easy, take your time.

The most common mistake for newbies is starting off to fast too soon. This often causes injury and leads to giving up prematurely even before one gains the benefits of an exercise routine.

A straight 20-minute effort three times a week, with ample rest days in between exercise days, is good enough. Don't worry about being slow if you choose to run or walk. You will get faster, and go longer distances, as your body starts to adapt to the workload. Even If you choose to do weights in the gym, the same rule applies. Start off with lighter weights and less repeats and work towards heavier weights and more repetitions. The thing to remember always is patience pays and pays off well.

Remember also to warm-up before any exercise or physical routine. For me, it's walking from the house to the starting point of my run. I also do a slower first kilometer at times and pick up the pace as the kilometers add up.

Pre-exercise stretching? Well, there seem to be differing opinions on this. Some do it, some don't. Me? I don't. Some experts say stretching cold muscles may cause injury rather than prevent it. They recommend post-exercise stretching instead.

For friends who are already into the fitness groove, nice work! Keep it up! For those who are still thinking of joining in, there's still a lot of room for you no matter what your size.

Not a few words about this blog

So how did this idea of a blog dedicated to new runners come about?

The suggestion first came from an acquaintance who has started running and found reading posts in my defunct Friendster blog quite helpful. She said she wished there were more posts that would give tips and other information for beginners. 

I thought it was a pretty good idea, but then, I didn't have enough time to really work on it. Not until now anyway, after several more friends have asked me about how to get into running.

After a recent wall post on Facebook, a friend asked me how i started running. I got out of bed, put on my sneakers, and ran 2 kilometers in 20 minutes was my straightforward answer. I felt like doing it and did it. That was how it was for me.

Back then I didn't have a single copy of Runners' World to provide me first timer tips. I didn't have a single book on running. And there was no Internet which I can surf for valuable information that would guide me in my chosen undertaking.

I was on my own with only my desire to run to drive me and keep me motivated, and my body to tell me when to go, when to keep  going, and when to stop. 

But enough of that. This is not supposed to be about me. Rather this is supposed to be about running for those who would like to finally get up, lace up their running shoes, go out that door and run.

Most of the posts here will be lifted from materials that are already out there. The purpose is primarily to be able to give new runners access to these materials - and then some - through a single site. 

I do not profess to be a coach or an expert trainer. Rather, I am just another runner who would like to share what I can to those who would like to do what I best love doing - running. 

In ending this maiden post, here is a quote from Bill Rodgers, former American record holder in the marathon who is best known for winning the Boston Marathon and the New York City Rodgers four times each between 1975 and 1980, twice breaking the American record at Boston.

Anybody can be a runner... We were meant to move. We were meant to run. It's the easiest sport.