As soon as I heard about Run yourself Fit, I thought of you. I get asked so many questions about how to start running from scratch and I know there are stacks of you who are secret wannabe runners. Maybe you have never tried running but fancy having a go. Perhaps you tried it once, found it too hard and gave up (been there, done that). Or maybe you used to run but haven’t done it in years. If any of these sound like you, this book is definitely for you. It’s written by Editor-at-Large of Women’s Running magazine and all-round running nut Christina Macdonald, and what she doesn’t know about running isn’t worth knowing.
This book is really practical and addresses all the common beginners’ questions. Christina doesn’t shy away from the questions that older runners want to ask, too, like, “Will running affect my joints?” and “Can I run with high blood pressure?” And, brilliantly, she doesn’t even shy away from the more embarrassing questions you might be too shy to ask, like, “Can running cause stress incontinence?” or “Will running make my nipples bleed?” (ouch!!)
The book covers the practicalities of what you need to get started, how to get yourself in the right frame of mine to get off the sofa, and literally what you should do the very first time you haul yourself outside and take your first steps. Christina suggests a weekly timetable to get you started and advises on how to build up your fitness, how to deal with injuries and what to eat for health, weight loss and racing.
The tone is friendly and straightforward without being at all patronising. It’s the next best thing to having your very own personal trainer.
I’ve put a Q&A with Christina up on my Facebook page. You’ll find it HERE (and if you fancy giving my page a like, I wouldn’t mind a bit! Please, please let me know how you get on with your first attempts at running – can’t wait to hear from you!
Run Yourself Fit is available for £6.99 from Amazon.
Happy running!