Running good choice for summer exercise

Mill Creek girls’ varsity cross country coach Tom Kutter said sometimes people are afraid to begin a running program because they believe it is too hard.

“After a while, your body starts to get used to it,” he said. “Once you’ve been running two or three times a week, it gets to become a habit and it feels really good.”

Kutter said the key to success is to begin with short runs and gradually increase the distance.

“It’s really just a slow progression,” he said. “You take what you’ve got right now – maybe you can run a quarter of a mile and then you have to walk –and that’s fine. You run a quarter mile, walk a quarter mile and then after three or four days try to run a half mile. Just keep working that up until you can run a full mile and keep building onto that.”

Kutter said a good rule of thumb is not to increase your mileage from week to week by more than 10 percent.

“If you go above that ten percent rule, sometime it is too much for your body too soon,” he said.

Once you have established a running regimen, Kutter recommends setting goals.

“If someone started now, they could probably run a 5K by the 4th of July,” he said. “I think most people can accomplish that. I think most people in one month could work up enough endurance to run three miles without stopping. It’s just a matter of learning how to pace yourself and that comes with practice.”

As a marathon runner, Kutter is an expert on distance running. This past year, Kutter qualified for the Olympic trials by running the 26.2 miles of the Chicago marathon in less than two hours and twenty two minutes. On November 3, Kutter and 133 other runners competed for three slots on the U.S. Olympic team. Though Kutter did not make this year’s Olympic team, he said he hopes to break the 30 minute mark for the 10K and would like to beat his personal best times on some shorter races before he starts training again for the 2012 Olympics.

In July, Kutter along with approximately 55,000 other runners will take to the streets of Atlanta to compete in the 39th running of the Peachtree Road Race.

While Kutter does not recommend the 10K Peachtree Road Race for beginners, he said there are 5K races every weekend throughout the summer.

“There’s a group of people that go around and do a lot of 5Ks together,” he said. “It’s just a really good atmosphere. It’s just a fun activity and a healthy activity. It’s nice to go to a race and see people that you see over and over again.”

RUNNING BASICS
One of the advantages of running is that very little equipment is required. While the stores are full of high-tech running apparel, Kutter said a cotton t-shirt and comfortable shorts are adequate.

Shoes are a different story. Kutter strongly recommends visiting a specialty running store where properly trained sales associates will watch you run and determine what shoe is appropriate for your running gait.

Diet is another essential element of a successful running program.

A well-balanced diet is important, Kutter said. “You’ll be hungrier than usual. You have to make up for that by eating some snacks throughout the day.”

Kutter recommends a light meal before going for a run.

“Most people don’t do well running after they eat,” he said. “Most people, if they’re going to go out and run in the morning, should probably eat a banana or half a bagel or something like that and then run and come back and have a normal breakfast afterwards.”

Before beginning a run, Kutter said it is important to warm up.

“I would recommend doing maybe a quarter mile or half a mile really easy and then do stretches – the main muscles like the quads, hamstrings and the calves,” he said.

The cool down phase is just as important.

“After you’ve run your normal workout, you might jog really easy for a quarter mile at the very end and then stretch out those same muscles,” Kutter said. “I actually think it’s more important to stretch out after you run, than before. If you don’t stretch out after, that’s when your muscles get real tight and it can lead to injury.”

RUNNING PITFALLS
Running is not without its disadvantages. Some runners experience joint problems and overuse injuries to muscles. These problems can usually be avoided through proper preparation for each run and by setting realistic goals.

“The benefits definitely are greater than any negatives,” Kutter said. As a distance runner, Kutter said he prefers to run on the dirt trails at nearby Mulberry Park because they are easier on his body.

Another problem Kutter has seen is with runners quitting before they began to experience the benefits of running.

Kutter said people trying to lose weight often become discouraged when they initially gain a few pounds instead of shedding them.

“When you first start running, you may gain a couple of pounds,” he said. “You’re converting fat into muscle and muscle weighs more. You start drinking more water to stay hydrated and all those things combined may cause you to gain a couple of pounds. It just takes a little time to start going the direction they want to lose a couple of pounds.

ADDICTED TO RUNNING
Kutter said one of the biggest benefits of running is an overall feeling of wellness.

Though not everyone may have had Kutter’s experience with running, he said it can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience.

“I’ve done it for so long that when I don’t do it, I feel really bad,” he said. “Running has done a lot for me in my life. I have to have running.”