Sports
Sound advice for beginning runners
y Judith A. Faruquee
Running is as natural as
walking, yet today this fun
damental act is elevated to both
a mystique and a source of con
troversy.
Is running - around the block,
around the campus, around
Boston on a 26.2 mile jaunt -
good for you?
"Yes and no," says Bud
Smitley, athletic director for
Penn State, Capitol Campus.
"There are hazards, but they
can be avoided by following
some good common sense."
The first universal rule is to
have a physical examination if
you are overweight, have health
problems, or are over 35 years
old. Of course, if you have not
had a medical checkup within a
year, at any age, it's a good
idea to start with one.
Smitley advises new runners,
"to start out slow and not be
overambitious, not to try run
ning ten miles the first week."
A good way to initiate a run
ning program is to start out by
walking, since few people are
capable of running continuously
for any distance.
Smitley recommends taking
the walk test. "If you can com
fortably walk three miles in 45
minutes, it is okay to start run
ning. Better yet, alternate run
ning and walking continuously
P 1..... „ ,
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,
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for 20 minutes," he says, ad
ding: "When conditioned, a
prescribed regimen is four
times a week for 30 minutes. It
is not the speed, but the amount
of time spent in the activity for
your body to begin realizing the
effects of sustained vigorous ex
ercise.
"If your output is the best to
your ability, benefits to your
heart and lungs will be achieved.
ed. The intensity depends on the
ability of the person and that
person - knows what's intense for
him."
The "training effect" refers
to the improved physical
capacity resulting from regular
exertion—such as swimming,
stretching, running—that
makes a person's body
stronger, more flexible, or bet
ter able to use oxygen.
Cathy Clark, President of the
Harrisburg Road Runners Club,
has a wellspring of sound ad
vice for beginning runners. One
of the first things she recom
mends is to get a good book on
the subject. Here are titles of
some: :Runnhig's Being the
Total Experience by Dr.
George Sheehan; The
Complete Book of Run
ning by James F. Fixx; .
JOY OF RUNNING by Thad
deus Kostrubala.
One nice thing about running
is that no equipment is re
quired. But a good pair of run
ning shoes are a must, advises
Clark. "They should be fitted
properly at the time of pur
chase. The proper fit will allow
space in front of the toe to
avoid hitting_the shoe each
time the foot comes down on
the pavement."
Allen Newhart, team member
of the Penn State C.C. Cross
Country, likes a store that lets
him try the running shoes
on—then go outside with them
to run in. Greg Sloditskie, his
teammate, says, "Running
shoes have to have stability and
flexibility, be cushioned and
able to absorb shock. Shoes are
very personal."
Next in order, are slow
stretch exercises. "These are
not the bouncy type done in
aerobis classes," says Clark,
"but a process of elongating the
muscle and then relaxing it."
A lot of injuries in run
ning—stress fractures, shin
splints, sciatica, come from
poor preparation and overuse.
Back and knee problems may
be aggravated by heavy run
ning. As Coach Smitley said, "A
person who takes up running
will find out just how imperfect
his body is."
Clark doesn't advocate
"pushing on an injury—it will
take that much longer to get rid
of it." Ice and/or heat is used
for many injuries. The trick is
to know which to use when. A
doctor knows best.
"The first month for begin
ners is . a chore," said Clark,
"after that, running becomes a
necessity. You become addicted
to it. The body gets used to a
new level of stress and it
responds to it." Clark, who runs
regularly 5 miles a day from
work, knowingly makes the
claim that "one of the best out
comes of running is the
knowledge you are doing
something that's good for you.
It raises your self-esteem. It
also raises the metabolism. If
you stay on the same diet—you
will lose weight. Some women
who have had dysmenorrhea
noticed a reduction in pain and
a decrease in flow.
Dr. Paul Herley, a past presi
dent of Harrisburg Road Run
ners Club, is a ten-mile-a-day
man. The advice he heeds
follows the philosophy of many
long distance runners. He never
takes a watch with him to avoid
measuring himself against a
clock.
"As a novice runner, I ex
pected some pain and therefore
concentrated on enjoying the
work, rather than thinking of
the discomfort," Herley said,
adding: "When I run I just en
joy the scenery and think. It's
not a question of having time, I
set the time aside. You don't
have to go somewhere to
run—you can run everywhere.
You can run in the rain and in
the cold."
Herley had a useful hint for
running in cold weather. "Start
out by running into the wind, it
will make you perspire, and
have the wind at your back
when finishing, it will cool you,
and push you. To have it the
other way around would be
detrimental." Reflecting on his
hobby Dr. Herley said, "While
it may be good for me to run, it
may not be good for my limbs.
That will take a number of
years to know."
"The first month for beginners is
a chore, after that running
becomes a necessity. You
become addicted to it."
Cathy Clark
president,
Harrisburg Road Runner s
Women runners have a par
ticular disadvantage when they
head for the open roads and
that's the problem of harass
ment from motorists and
passersby. Clark has found that
it is best for a woman not to
show fear—it may be a big
turn-on for the man. On the
other hand, if your would-be
harassers are a group of young
boys, looking them in the eye
and saying good morning, may
keep that nasty remark from
Page 19
being said. The best prevention
for harassment is to be aware
of what is going on. Don't wear
earphones which cut out
sounds, do run on heavily
traveled roads, don't run alone
at night, and if you're being
followed, never lead the person
to your home.
An enemy of both male and
female runners is heat. Cold
doesn't cause nearly as much of
a problem. Signs of heat ex
haustion are when sweating has
stopped on a hot day, the face is
flushed and thinking is in
coherent. To avoid heat exhaus
tion do not run during hot,
humid days. Schedule running
in early morning and late even
ing hours advises Clark.
For winter jogging, Clark
chooses tights, shorts, warm
socks, T-shirt and an all
weather running nylon suit. Do
not weat rubber suits. Clark has
to have her hands and ears
covered where she feels the ef
fects of the cold most. Wearing
a hat in the cold helps keep the
heat of your body from escap
ing through your head. Dr.
Herley, who likes to run rain or
shine, suggests layering articles
of clothing that aren't too bulky
to begin with. As a veteran of 20
marathons, Herley doesn't wait
for a fair weather report.
As the well-known runner and
philosopher Dr. George
Sheenan put it, "The weakest
among us can become some
kind of athlete, but only the
strongest can survive as spec
t4tOrs..7,