Ok, a work mate and me have for some really odd reason, which i think involved alohole, started running using this as the basis.
Anyways what I was hoping for was some advice from you good people about whether that guide is any good. But more importantly I’ve realised I will need specfic running shoes but knowing nothing about this I really need help with shoes.
Bugger, I forgot to spell check. Sorry folks for the poor spelling, long day at work.
So much depends on your initial level of fitness and current activity level.
If you are starting from scartch… your lack of running shoe knowledge leads me to believe this is the case… then I would confidently say that the guide you linked is a good place to start.
You may find that your level of fitness is more week 3 or 5 rather than 1 but only you’ll be able to judge when you start on your regimen.
As for running shoes, go to a store specializing in running gear/shoes. Bring your current pair of sneakers so that a qualified salesperson will be able to see if you pronate or suppinate while you walk/run. In other words, do you wear the inside or outside of your soles first. It helps with the type of shoe you’ll need.
This is important! Buy a running shoe 1 shoe size larger than your dress/casual/walking shoe.
Good luck. Enjoy your training.
Hi there. I think the guide looks good. It looks a lot like Cool Running’s Couch to 5K program that I used when I first started running a couple years ago. You don’t really need to know anything about shoes. Like QuickSilver said, just go to a running store like Second Soles with an old pair of sneakers, and someone will look at your foot and at the wear on your old shoes, and they’ll help you find what you need.
Runners World is definitely one of the big players in the running world (ha!) and I would generally feel that their training plans are going to be safe for you.
Shoes are critical - and a specialty running shoe store is the way to go.
And don’t forget to listen to your body. If you’re tired, crampy, or feeling wiped out, it’s okay to rest.
Looks good to me. I second or third the motion to go to a good running shoe store. They may even have a group that you want to join.
The other approach I’ve heard is to run as much of a mile as you can, and then walk. Keep extending the distance as much as you are not too uncomfortable with.
Soon you’ll be joing me and my friends for several hour runs! 
Very doable. If you are any shape at all, it could be a bit too easy on you.
Seconded.
(Went for a 4–well, ok, 3.8–mile run earlier this afternoon. ;))
don’t be worried about the make, unless you’re a 14 year old boy. Nike’s tend to be narrower while Saucony & New Balance tend to be wider with NewBalance even having different widths available. Buy something that fits, that’s most impotant.
You may not have this problem in the UK unless you’re near the ocean, but if it’s cold run into the wind first, so when you turn around and are all sweaty you’ll have the wind at your back.
Mizuno makes a damn good shoe, and not too expensive. You’ll see many of the “real” runners wear these, and they are worth it.
I’d say that the shoes don’t really matter at this stage. Just get comfortable ones – I pay special attention to the amount of cushioning, myself.
By the time you are ready for a new pair of shoes, you will have been running long enough that you will have a much better idea of what you want in a shoe. Of course, as everybody has said, you can’t go wrong having a pro help you out. Not sure if an old pair of walked-in sneaks would show the same wear as a pair of ran-in sneaks, though.
Please do take care to build up slowly – let your body adjust and strengthen over time. I say this because when I started running I managed to give myself a whopping case of tendonitis all over the place after a month or so. I was barely able to walk from my car to my office for a couple of weeks. That taught me a firm lesson about progressing slowly and paying attention to the funny pain in my joints.
That said, I have been running for two years now, and I love it! On average I run 30-40 miles per week, and I continue to look forward to the next long run. Now if I could only get as excited about weight training (ugh) as I am about running…
The importance of shoes is overrated, IMO. I’ve been running everyday for 10 years, and I wear $12 Wal-Mart shoes. But if anyone wants to spend +$75 on a pair of “running” shoes, you won’t hear me complain. It’s good for the economy when people spend money…
Agreed.
I personally think it’s more important to pay close attention to your feet and keep them happy. One pair of good shoes I bought made a toenail fall off, gave me a fierce perpetual blister on the knuckle of the big toe, and caused a chronic pain in the metatarsals. Even thought they were not cheap, I quickly cast them aside, only to be worn on the occasional short walk, in favor of the older pair that they were supposed to replace.
I might even go for the Wal-Mart specials if it weren’t for the paucity of size 14 footwear in this world.
Yeah, I was saying the same thing two years ago. Then I switched to Mizunos (I swear, I don’t have stock in them!) and realized that I had been wrong. My feet felt instantly better.
You can get a pair for under 60 bucks if you just buy the style from last year rather than the newest ones.