Angie Hopf, store manager of the Running Room on Richmond St. shows off the store's many running shoes, April 17,
 2017. (Photo by Miranda Chant, Blackburn News.)Angie Hopf, store manager of the Running Room on Richmond St. shows off the store's many running shoes, April 17, 2017. (Photo by Miranda Chant, Blackburn News.)
London

New Runners Advised To Take It Slow

It may be the warmer weather or the excitement surrounding the Boston Marathon, but a surge of new runners can be seen sprinting through the streets, parks, and trails of London.

But before lacing up, prospective runners are encouraged to do their homework as the risk of running related injuries is high, while endurance can be low for first timers.

"I find a lot of people start too fast, too hard and then it hurts or isn't fun, so they think that running is just not for them," said Angie Hopf, store manager of the Running Room on Richmond St. "Starting slowly is huge. Run one minute, walk one minute, run one minute, walk one minute and only do that for about half an hour."

The busiest time of year for new runners visiting the Running Room comes in the spring.

The desire and excitement to get in shape ahead of the summer months may have some people running daily, but Hopf advises new runners to steer clear of a seven day a week commitment.

"Start out three times a week. Then as you start getting comfortable with that, add a fourth day," said Hopf. "I would always keep one day of rest. If you run six days in a row, have one day of rest so your body can recover."

Hopf said an easy way to gauge if you are pushing yourself to run faster than your body is capable of is whether you can carry on a conversation while running.

"If you can hardly say any words when you're running, than you know you're going too fast," said Hopf.

Slowly adding more distance to a run will increase a beginner's endurance. The general rule of thumb, is to increase mileage by 10% each week.

"If you're doing 5 km one Sunday, the next Sunday do a 6 km. A lot of people will do too many long runs in one week and then they start over training and that will affect them negatively," Hopf said.

Stretching before and after each run is recommended to avoid injury. Runners are advised to pay particular attention to quads, calves, and hamstrings. Ratty, old running shoes should be ditched for a pair of high quality shoes, designed specifically for running. Runners should also be focused on proper form.

"You want to try and land mid-foot so that you're not causing a lot of impact from your heel, up your leg. Having a slight lean forward will help you land with your foot under your body so you're absorbing the shock better," said Hopf. "Usually form is the main reason why people's knees hurt because they are striding too wide and their heel is striking quite hard every time."

The Running Room will be offering a wide variety of running clinics at the end of May, to help new and experienced runners reach their goals.

"We have a different clinic for everyday of the week basically," said Hopf. "Our Learn-to Run group meets Saturday mornings at 9am, Learn-to Run for Women meets Monday at 6pm, and our 5 km and 10 km both meet Friday at 6pm."

For the second year in a row, the downtown business will also be offering a Run-to-Quit program, aimed at helping people quit smoking while teaching them the basics of running.

"We did it last year and it was a great success. Two of the people who took that class are now training for their first half marathon right now," said Hopf.

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