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“Why are you running? Is someone chasing you with a sharp object?”

This is exactly the question I asked my sister every time she talked about running. She would tell me, “I ran 3 miles today,” and in my head, I couldn’t even comprehend my body being able to withstand that impact without hyperventilating and falling apart. It seemed an absolute impossibility.

I’m going to be completely honest with you—I began learning how to run at about 180 pounds. And although I had been pretty dedicated to Zumba and spin for about 8 months, I had certainly never EVER run a day in my life. I had a lot stacked against me, both literally and figuratively.

I had already lost about 50 pounds by this point in time, so I figured what the heck?! Why not just try it and see if I liked it? There were other avenues of exercise I loved if I didn’t like it, so no big loss if it didn’t work out. And so, being the stubborn little sister I am—who simply MUST do everything big sister does—I decided to give it a try.

I started outside at the park with the Couch to 5K program (which I will rave about eventually, so stick with me):

Week One: Brisk five-minute warm-up walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes. Repeat at least two more times this week.

No problem, right? Wrong! I couldn’t believe what a struggle it was to maintain a jogging pace even for one minute. It was infuriating. I wanted someone to explain to me why I could dance for an hour straight or ride a spin bike at a ridiculous resistance for 45 minutes at a time, but I couldn’t run one solid minute.

Week Two: Brisk five-minute warm-up walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes. Repeat at least two more times this week.

You’ve got to be kidding me?! It wasn’t any easier the second week. I thought surely after week one it would get easier. I also thought running for a minute at a time would be a breeze, but I was wrong then, too. I was tired of being wrong and was ready to give up.

I was still seriously struggling about the third or fourth week of my training, so I decided to call the person who inspired me to try this in the first place. Important sidenote: Cold weather set in about this time, so it forced me in to the gym where I could see a numerical representation of what I was doing (mad props to the running god for the resulting serendipity).

“Just slow down,” my sister said. “How fast are you going? Six miles per hour? Yeah, just slow down to about 4.5 to 4.7 miles per hour, and you will be amazed at how much further you can go. You’ll work on speed later. Right now you are building endurance.”

She’s so smart. And the solution seemed simple enough. This is where I tell you that the treadmill was the most important part of my learning to run. I did exactly what my sister told me. I punched in 4.7 on the treadmill and slowed it down. I went from being able to run 3 minutes at a time to 5 minutes at a time in just a couple of days. I eventually bumped it up to 5 miles per hour and still managed to go from 5 minutes straight to 10 minutes of continuous running! This was really working!!!

I made the mistake of overworking my feet about halfway through my Couch to 5K training, and I ended up with a nasty case of plantar fasciitis. Because I continued rigorous workouts in addition to my running, I ended up having to stop running and start going to physical therapy three times a week for a full month. It was awful, and it was completely my own fault!

After a week of complete rest and physical therapy for my feet, I was allowed to go back to spin and use the elliptical. I did that for a month before I started running again. It took very little time to get back into my groove, and I picked up where I left off. From start to finish, with some time off for work travel and a month out for my foot injury, it took me 6 months to consistently run a full 3.2 miles or 5K without stopping.

Now I love running and can’t imagine my life without it. I get really anxious for 5:00 p.m. to roll around, just so I can get home and into my running shoes. Just like the weight-loss journey, running is all about you. It is your music on your iPod and your time to forget about the office and everything that is on your mind. You are too busy concentrating on breathing and pacing yourself to make room for any nonsense in your head! It helps that you feel like a complete rock star when you meet a distance or time goal.

And for my science geeks who want to know why running is so good for them? Running helps lower blood pressure by maintaining the elasticity of the arteries, maximizes the lungs’ potential, and strengthens the heart to help prevent heart attacks. In fact, the heart of an inactive person beats 36,000 more times each day than that of a runner, as running keep the arteries open and the blood flowing smoothly.

The euphoria that comes with running is a betaendorphin release triggered by the neurons in the nervous system. Intended to alleviate the pain after a run, it creates a feeling of extreme happiness and exhilaration—sweet! Runners can actually become addicted to this intense high, and it can often replace other addictions to drugs, alcohol, and even food (yes, please?!). Furthermore, as running makes your body function better, it will improve your sleep, eating, and relaxation. Surprisingly, running does not increase appetite and, in fact, tends to diminish it, acting as a suppressant.

So follow these guidelines and get ready to achieve the seemingly unachievable:
1) Find a beginner regimen that works for you. Couch to 5K is a proven method for new runners, and it will keep you from overworking your body too soon. There are even podcasts available for download through iTunes that will walk you, or run you rather, through the program week by week.
2) While getting your body used to running outdoors is important, make sure you are spending some quality time on the treadmill at first to monitor your speed. SLOW IT DOWN as you build your endurance.

3) Find a 5K near you and register for it. Do it now! The couch to 5K is a 9-week program, but give yourself a minimum of 3-4 months to run 3 miles consistently before your first race. I came in 27 out of 37 ladies in my division in my first run, and you know what? It felt like first place! Finishing your first race will give you the impetus to keep running and getting faster and training for longer distances. I am looking forward to St. Jude’s Half-Marathon in December. My sister is coming all the way from San Antonio to run my first Half-Marathon with me!
4) Don’t overdo it! Your body is taking impact it has never taken before. While you are training, your run is the only weight-bearing exercise you need to do in one day. Take it from one who knows!
5) Three is the magic number. Run three times a week. One run for speed—alternating between sprinting and jogging (or walking if necessary for proper recovery); one run for endurance—don’t worry about your speed (in fact, the slower the better!), and go as far as you can without increasing your overall run more than 1/10 of the number of miles you run in a week; and one run at your own natural pace.
6) Plan your route. You will need to find a safe route with a nice mix of hills and flat ground to maximize your workout. You can create your own routes to know exactly how far you are going.
7) Make an amazing soundtrack for this endeavor. You’ll need pace songs, fast songs for sprinting, and slower songs for cool down. Go bananas here, girls! Here is my top ten list for favorite running songs:
a. Head over Heels by The Go Go’s
b. Love Shack by The B-52’s
c. No Air from the Glee Soundtrack (this is funny and ironic as you're gasping for breath)
d. Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson
e. Just Dance by Lady Gaga
f. That’s Not My Name by the Ting Tings
g. Walk Like an Egyptian by The Bangles
h. Circus by Brittany Spears
i. Sexy Back by Justin Timberlake
j. Sober by Pink

Comment with your top ten favorite running or workout songs!