Running is somewhat like the GWB presidency – you either love it or you hate it. For those who love it, running is not an activity but a religion. They wake up in the god-fucking-awful hours of the morning just to run. They run races on weekends before you’ve had coffee. They bring up how many ‘K’ they’ve run in casual conversation. For those who hate it, they hate hate hate it. They eat junk food in front of runners out of spite. They build speed bumps on trails to trip morning runners (true story).

This is unfortunate, because of all the activities I do to stay fit I believe running has the highest exercise density:

If you are trying to get into shape running gives you the most results for the time you put into it. Team sports are a lot more fun and biking and swimming have less impact on the body, but nothing gets you into shape like running does.

Running also has one of the lowest cost’s of entry of any activity; all you need are shoes. When people think of running shoes, they think of $200 nike shoes with pumps and and levers and magic fairy dust, but it does not need to be that complicated. Be honest about what you are looking for. If you are just getting started, let the salesperson know that you don’t necessarily want to spend a lot of money. Let the salesperson about any conditions that may cause complications (fallen arches, etc) and don’t let them up sell you on fancy gizmos. A local running store is a better place to shop for shoes than a mall, as the sales people will probably be better informed about what shoes work best with your stride. Finally, be prepared to spend about $50 to $100 on shoes – yes this is a lot of money, but running with insufficient padding can be very bad on your knees.

I think the main reason many people hate running is associative. Specifically, their first experience went something like this:

1. I’m going to start running! I’m going to train for a Marathon! Yeah!
2. Look at me! I’m running!
3. (Rest of the week) Ow! My body!

Many first time runners set their expectations way too high. The beauty of running for fitness is that you can get a lot of benefit just running 20 to 30 minutes a day. If you’re just starting, set your goal to run a 5 kilometer (3.1 miles) race. 5K races are very common in the running world, they usually have fairly low entry fees (around $20), and they give you a tee shirt! The important thing is that this gives you a goal. Make sure to sign up for one a few months away to give yourself time to get ready.

Before you begin your workout, it is important to stretch properly, which I learned this the hard way (It involved headaches caused by tight hamstrings). Now comes the difficult part: actual running. Your body will be very against it. The first time you run, your body will ask you the same question over and over – what are you doing? It will ask this question again every time you go running for the next month – get used to it.  Your goal your first week is to be able to keep running for 15 minutes at as slow a pace as you want. During this time you may want to run on a high school track so you can use the number of loops you complete as a measure of how far you’ve traveled (4 loops = 1 mile). If you can run three times in a week (take every other day off) for 15 minutes you’re off to a good start. When you’re comfortable with your running routine, slowly increase the amount of time you run. Over time your body will respond.

Many people find it easier to run when they have a running partner. With the right partner, you will find the extra motivation to run on days when one of you just isn’t feeling it. A bad running partner can be a demotivater – someone who prevents you from improving. It is very important to find a running partner who runs at your pace and is committed to your goals.

So is it worth it? I obviously think so. I find the time I spend running as a good way to bring myself back into focus, and I miss it when I can’t run. When done in moderation it has the most health benefits of any physical activity I know of, and all it takes are shoes and patience.

When someone asked me, “so, why would you do a triathlon?” just yesterday, the answer I tried to convey was “because few races really stretch your body out like a triathlon does. Oh sure, there are plenty of endurance races out there, but so few put you through your paces like triathlons do.”

Today’s race definitely put me through my paces, to a degree that makes me question my sanity. This morning when I was packing the car at 4:45 AM, I noticed there was a thick fog. In Kansas our fog comes in “cold” and “humid”, and this was definitely of the “cold” variety. When l I started my car the thermometer informed me that it was 42 degrees outside – ten degrees above freezing! I knew it would warm up once the sun was up, but the race began at 7:30 AM; how much warmer could it really get?

It wasn’t any warmer by the time I arrived at Heritage Park. The fog was so thick you couldn’t see the orange buoys on the lake that define the swim course, and the announcer repeated over (and over) that the water temperature was 52 degrees(!).  It was still possible for triathletes to switch to the duathalon (a duathalon is a run, bike run – no swimming involved) but should I do it?

Thankfully, last year I was able to buy a triathlon wetsuit for $400 off regular price (yes, I am proud of my savings. Why do you ask?). Triathlon wetsuits are different from waterskiing wetsuits in that they’re designed to be skin tight but allow maximum flexibility in the arms, allowing the wearer to still execute proper swim strokes. Usually the hassle of getting in and out would be a dealbreaker, but in 52 degree weather it made a huge difference.

Funny enough, because at race time the air temperature was around the water temperature, actually getting into the water was not nearly as traumatic as I expected. In fact, swimming all winter really paid off, because I shaved a minute and a half off my swim time, despite wearing the wetsuit and swimming in the cold weather! Sadly, swimming all winter really cost me on my biking and running times. When I began my bike ride, my long sleeve shirt was wet and cold from being under the wetsuit and my left hamstring was really sore. When I finished the bike ride I noticed my feet were numb – augh! Usually I am able to make up some time on the run, but my hamstring was still giving me problems so I tried to strike a balance between pushing ahead and not pulling my major leg muscle.

In the end, I finished 4 minutes slower than I did in 2007, when I last did this race. While it’s good to know that my swim time has improved, I now know that I’m going to have to work on my biking and running to make up the difference.

Things I learned:

• I think I over-trained a bit this week. I think in the future I will just not lift weights at all the week of a race.
• <TMI Alert>Peeing in your wetsuit is a great way to stay warm</TMI Alert>
• I see more bike practice in my future. At this point I’d be happy to keep my swim time.