So..... running

[lostkat]

Originally Posted by petemc

Nip guards.

As for shoes, Asics or Mizuno. Goto a dedicated running shop and talk to them.

Haha, apparently so for blokes. Sports bra for ladies prevents that

I wouldn't limit myself to those 2 brands of trainers. I've had Nike, New Balance, Adidas, Asics & Mizuno trainers, all of which have been great. Saucony are also a very good brand. Just go into a running store and see what they give you to try on.

I note that you're doing a cross country though, so this makes things a little different. Are you going to be doing any training on the road? The reason I ask is that trail shoes are very different to road shoes and they're not really interchangable. So, if you're thinking of taking to the streets for your training then you'll need 2 pairs of trainers... sorry!!

You will pay much more for road shoes than trail shoes. For example, I paid £80 for my road shoes and £30 for my trail shoes. This is because when you run offroad on an uneven surface, all that fancy support shizzle built into the road shoes is useless and can even be restrictive to your running. Road shoes are also like normal trainers underneath - wide flat grips so they have lots of surface area in contact with the road. Trail shoes on the other hand tend to have very little support (what's the point? you'll be all over the bloody place scrambling through mud) and huge whopping great grips to cling to the mud and stop you falling over. Basically, there's less techy crap on XC shoes, so I just go out and buy a pair that feel comfy. I am currently sporting 2 yr old Adidas Kanadias, which were £30 from chavs direct

Whatever you do, DO NOT run a cross country race in road shoes. I cannot stress this enough. You'll have no grip whatsoever and it'll be a nightmare. Trail shoes are also brilliant in snow....

Apart from shoes, don't wear cotton clothing (incl socks). Buy yourself some running leggings and a techy top (Chavs Direct do a good, cheap, Karrimoor range), some thin gloves, a hat, running socks and you're away

Good luck!

Oh, and take it SLOWLY to start off with. Run at a pace that feels uncomfortably slow. Pretty much all new runners go far too quick, burn out in minutes and get all frustrated because they can't even manage half a mile. If you slow it down, you'll go further

Here endeth your lecture.... for now

Still not running. Had to cancel another race this weekend. 10K. Bastard cough