Tips for a newbie runner

[KIM007]

My name is Mubarak Abdulhakim AKA kim from west Africa, I'm new to the world of running and I think I'll need some friends or coach who will help boost me up with some tips. 

By next month my country is hosting an international marathon of 22kilomiter and I have picture my self in the 1st, 2nd or 3rd position, how greedy I know lol. But I really Need to participate. 

Thank you, I'll be looking  forward to a positive feed back. XD

[REI-JenK]

@KIM007 welcome to our community - it's quite likely you are our first member from West Africa, and we are thrilled to have you here!

We anticipate others will provide tips as well, but figured we'd point you to a few resources in the meantime:

• We've had 2 great discussions here in the community about how to survive your first marathon and tips for running your first marathon
• We have lots of Expert Advice articles about running in general, including what to wear, how to choose running shoes, and tips on how to train for a marathon 

We hope this gets you started, and anticipate you'll get additional great advice and encouragement from other members of our community!

[REI-PearlD]

Hi @KIM007!

The Expert Advice articles @REI-JenK shared are really great starting points on your running journey! 22km is just over the traditional half-marathon distance of 21km. Therefore, I'd suggest looking for training plans and tips for running your first marathon.

In the US, one of the most popular training plans for newcomers to distance racing are those written by a man named Hal Higdon. He's written many books and articles on marathon and half-marathon running geared toward newer runners. His website features several half-marathon training plans for free. You can choose one based on how many miles you like to run, and your current running base, or how many kilometers you're running right now.

What if you aren't running any kilometers right now, or very few? If you cannot yet run 5 km without stopping, I'd recommend starting with a more entry level training plan like the Couch-To-5K program, which is designed for very new runners to build up to running 30 minutes, non-stop.

From there, take a look at the other articles we've recommended about choosing the right footwear, proper nutrition, and injury management. And, most importantly, have fun!

Enjoy the miles!

[DogMom]

Hi @KIM007 - I will 2nd the Hal Higdon half and full marathon plans. He has plans for different starting levels (beginner, intermediate, advanced) and if your focus is to just get through it or to become faster, again depending on your starting level. Couch 2 5K and the Bridge to 10k are also great starting plans. If you have not been running before going straight into running a 22k in a month is a lot and you must be very careful not to try to do too much too fast and end up injured.

Also there is great group of runners of all different levels on MyFitnessPal.com (also free) who can provide support and encouragement. You can find us here: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10811403/october-2020-monthly-running-challange#lat...

We have a new group every month.

Happy running!