Runner's World Women's Guide to Running

A WHOPPING 69% of Runner’s World readers are women. It’s fair to say that when it comes to running, women rule the roost. Statistics aside, the running lives our women readers lead are nothing short of inspiring. Take for instance Michelle Bakker, the woman who made a triumphant comeback from being classified morbidly obese to running ultra marathons. Sabrina Walter started South Africa’s first all-women running group, Catch Me If You Can, which has reached over 3000 women in Cape Town alone. And the women featured in our Run It Off section continue to motivate us, because of their determination to achieve their weight-loss goals through running–no matter what challenges they have to overcome in order to get there. Women are built differently from men– beyond the obvious. Our breasts,…

THE WAKE-UP When I was pregnant with the most beautiful, coolest little girl, I picked up 12kg. Which was normal; but in my third trimester, I developed some bizarre eating habits. Among my cravings were peaches, saltand- vinegar crisps, and loads of fruit juice. At lunchtime, I tucked into two hamburgers – and I don’t even like them! THE SHAKE-UP The most exercise I’d ever done was one Pilates class a week. So when I started running with a trainer, nine weeks after the birth of my daughter, I found even the first 800 metres hard. In fact, it was so difficult I only managed around five kilometres over the course of the next six weeks! My biggest challenge was finding the time to fit running into my busy schedule.…

WANT TO BECOME a better runner? Of course you do. Running is a sport that inspires most of us to dream big. We’ll lose 10kg, run regularly, earn that finisher’s medal. It’s good to set goals: after all, people who have a clear objective in mind are 10 times more likely to achieve their goals than those who don’t, says Dr John C. Norcross, a professor of psychology at the University of Scranton, US, who has studied the follow-through of goal-setters. As the saying goes, you can’t hit a target if you don’t have one. But dreaming isn’t enough, and procrastination won’t get you anywhere, either. So we’ve laid out steps you can take right this minute (and later today, and later this week) to set you up for success.…

RIGHT NOW. . Log on to runnersworld. co.za/training and download a guide designed by our experts. Then sign up for a half that’s at least three months away and within driving distance. LATER TODAY. . . Tell your loved ones about your plan and share it on your social networks. “It definitely makes it harder to back out once you’ve advertised your goal and have people checking up on you,” says Team in Training coach Gus Arias. LATER THIS WEEK. . . . Invest in new kicks. Endurance events demand shoes that truly fit you. “Running-shoe shops are staffed by knowledgeable people who can help you choose shoes you’ll love,” Arias says.…

RIGHT NOW. . . Dust off one off one of your own cookbooks. “Bookmark a recipe on your smartphone or put the book in your car so you can reference the ingredients list when you’re at the supermarket,” says sports dietician Suzanne Girard Eberle, author of Endurance Sports Nutrition. Study the recipe to ensure you own the cooking gear you’ll need to make it. LATER TODAY. . Choose an ingredient you always have on hand, and collect three recipes that use it. “They don’t have to be complicated main meals,” says Eberle. “Simple side dishes, soups, or salads also count towards your goal.” After you’ve worked through those, pick another ingredient, and collect another three great recipes for it. LATER THIS WEEK.. . Start a monthly online recipe exchange with…

RIGHT NOW. . . Do 12 push-ups – or as many as you can before your form crumples. “Upper-body strength is vital for boosting your speed,” says Jeff Horowitz, author of Quick Strength for Runners. “Driving forward with your arms helps you tap into the power required to conquer a long sprint, which is what a 5-K is.” Add one or two push-ups to your routine every week until you plateau. LATER TODAY. . . Register for a race that plays to your strengths. Flat, straight courses appeal to most runners. Make sure favourable weather conditions are likely, given your chosen location and date. LATER THIS WEEK. . . Add six to 10 strides to your prespeedwork warmup to improve your turnover and get acclimated to running fast. (You are…