Fitness Goals Support Group

Oh boy, I went from not being able to run a mile to finishing a marathon over four months this year. I'll tell you what I did:
--Map out a two- to three- mile route sing the odometer in your car. Make sure it's a pleasant place for you to run, otherwise you'll talk yourself out of it every time.

--GET GOOD RUNNING SHOES & SOCKS. I can't overemphasize this. Once one of your knees or hips starts to go, your screwed.

--Set realistic goals. Run three miles for a few days, then move up to five or six. After twelve, back it off every once in a while to eight or ten miles.

--Eat right. Lots of carbs.

--If you want to run a marathon, make sure you can run at least twenty miles. My highest practice run was fifteen, and my body was DEAD by mile 20 of the marathon.

Remember: Good running shoes. Go to a specialty store where they'll make sure they fit right.

Music...Get an Ipod and put music on there that you enjoy

You might also want to go to Runnersworld.com for a personalized schedule that will help you decide how much you need per day depending on what distance your race is. It is what I do for any large race because it makes me remain motivated...and I get to see the baby-steps that it takes to train correctly.

Also, I signed up for the marathon when I started running, so I'd have a goal & end date to work toward. Once you pony up the registration fee & tell your friends your going to run a marathon, you're pretty well invested in success.

Make sure you eat well, too. Eat complex carbs that have a good amount of fiber and nutrients. Berries, peanut butter, veggies, whole wheat, olive oil, eggs, nuts, and other good stuff will help give you the energy and stuff you need.

Also don't push TOO hard. If you end up screwing your knees or other parts up before the marathon you'll just end up making them worse. Just keep a good mindset of how much pain your body can take before it's detrimental to your overall health.

you guys have great advice. I went to runnersworld.. amazing!im gonna try it all, just signed up for a 5k for new years eve!!! so exciting, and i get a free t-shirt!

All those suggestion are great and here are some more resources to consider and things I use. The first thing is to track running routes with using your car. It is a cool tool by Google and you can map running routes your car can’t go.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/

Early in my running I bought a heart monitor. I had a tendency to over train and get too tired. You might be surprised how little it takes to get a good cardio workout. I have a polar heart monitor, but there are other good ones.

http://www.polarusa.com/

The next 2 links are about Chi running. It helps you stay injury free.

http://www.chirunning.com/shop/hom...

http://www.npr.org/templates/story...

Good luck. Hope this helps.