Running to fitness, week 4: next steps

Three weeks into a running program, the newbie fitness guru faces an invisible hurdle: keeping the mojo going.

"Set a long-term goal so that you have something to aim for," Cassie Kipper, a fitness specialist, runner and personal trainer at Fitness Plus, wrote in an e-mail to the Southeast Missourian. "Choose a local 5K or 1-mile run/race to participate in. When you have an end goal in sight, it is easier to stay on task."

(Find upcoming race dates at www.caperoadrunners.org; map your own route at www.mapmyrun.com/create_new.)

Kipper recommends getting a fun calendar to chart progress.

The calendar should only be used for running. Hang it somewhere you will see it often and write out your running schedule on each day, she said.

"When you complete a run, mark it with a big red X. Seeing all those X's will encourage you to keep going, and the days without an X will hopefully motivate you to do better the next week," she said.

Clay Pope, a fitness trainer and runner at HealthPoint Fitness in Jackson said it's important to figure out what works for you personally. He also said it helps to have a running buddy — which helps make each partner accountable.

Like Pope, Jacob Pattengill, a runner, physical therapist and manager of Select Physical Therapy Center in Cape Girardeau, said it's important for runners to have a personal strategy — but everyone should find a way to change up their fitness routines to alleviate boredom.

"I would encourage runners of every level to include a variety of exercise including resistance and flexibility training, vary your work load in regards to distance and speed for continued improvement, and spend time warming up and cooling down with each exercise session," he said. "In addition to a variety of exercise, a variety of scenery or finding a partner will encourage you to continue with the program."

Finally, if you didn't start a running program three weeks ago, you can always start now. This and all the previous tip-filled stories are online at www.semissourian.com. Runners who want to share their experiences can blog for the Southeast Missourian — e-mail pmcnichol@semissourian.com for details.

A good running plan includes:

n a daily routinen warm-up and cool-down stretchingn appropriate amounts of watern a balanced, nutritious diet n attainable goals