Once you wrap your head around the need to get off your rear end and actually do some sort of physical exercise, why should you choose to run? After all, isn’t running really bad for you?

I have experienced a few knee and back injuries in my life, and every injury ended with the same suggestion – “Don’t run! It’s bad for you.”. Who would question such advice? After all, it was given by sage scholars of the medical profession, who had nothing but the best intentions for their patient, right? Well, not really… While a doctor is supposed to have their patient’s health always in the forefront of their mind, the advice that they give is often skewed for the quick fix, and is not necessary completely correct.

Patient: “Doc, it hurts when I do this!” Doc: “Then quit doing that!”

It’s an old joke, but it has application to running. It turns out that there is a huge body of medical evidence that clearly states that running is actually a great form of exercise, is good for the joints and heart, and can reverse some of the damage caused by old age. Yet, for all of the evidence to running’s positive attributes, many physicians are either ignorant of the published research, or just take the safe road by telling their patients to “Quit doing that!”. With this in mind, should you stay away from the doctor? Hardly! Instead, seek out a doctor who understands running, or even better, find a doctor who runs! Whatever you do, make sure that you get a medical checkup before you begin any exercise program. There are conditions that can cause you serious problems, or even death, if left undetected. No person illustrates this fact more clearly than Jim Fixx, the man who is credited by many with starting the modern running craze. He wrote the book on running for improved health, yet died of a heart attack on a routine jog. You never know, so it’s best to get the advice of a trained medical professional. You are probably over due for your annual check-up anyway.

Once you are cleared to exercise, you need to find a training plan that fits both your long term goals, and your current level of fitness. Let’s start by talking about goals. Pick a goal that is realistic. It is too easy to shoot for something that you can’t do, and then say, “See, I told you that I couldn’t do it!”, in order to justify your current condition. Set that straw man aside, and let’s look at what you can do. You can run a half marathon. You can run a marathon. To be completely honest, you can’t do either one today, but you have the ability to train for, and successfully finish a race of 13.1 or 26.2 miles. You won’t set any world records, but you can finish, and do so in a condition that leaves you feeling happy about the entire experience. I will even make it easy for you by setting your goal for you. Your goal is to train for, enter, and finish a half marathon. That’s it! Just finish! No pressure to be first. No killer speed work to set a world record. Just finish!

Just finish? Isn’t that a loser’s attitude? Not at all! If you don’t believe me, here’s how you can prove it to yourself. Ask everyone that you know, including friends, co-workers, and family members, if any of them has ever completed a half or full marathon. You probably already know the answer, but go ahead and start asking anyway. The very act of asking the question will begin to cement the possibility of it really happening deep into your mind, and will serve to place your friends on notice that you are actually thinking about running. So, did you find anyone who has ever been a successful marathon finisher? Probably not! You see, only about 1/10 of 1% of the population will actually do what you are fully capable of doing, even though almost all of them, just like you, are able to do it. If you train for, and finish a half or full marathon, you will be an elite athlete! You will be one of the 0.1%, no matter how fast or slowly you run the race. “Just” finishing will separate you from the 99.9% in ways that you can only imagine right now! “Just” finishing will change your life!

Are you ready? Next up, we’ll dive into what to look for in a training plan. One that will work for you, to get you to your goal without pain or injury, and while still maintaining a “real” life, outside of running.