Lots of people, including myslef, start running because they want to loose weight. Becuase running is probably one of the hardest cariovascular exercises you can do, for most people it is an very good way to burn calories and start shedding the weight.

You need to remember that healthy eating should be part of your weight loss program because you will only loose weight if you burn more calories than you consume. So, for example if you loose a pound in wieght then you have to burn around 3500 calories, which means you should think about running AND healthy eating to loose wieght efficiently.
If your running, like mine, turns into a more serious sport for you, then you could consider racing in 5K or 10K races, or even look into training for a half marathon or even full marathon distance, which is 26.2 miles. I’d recommend that you first start building up you weekly training program and see if you can run up to around 10 miles. Of course the longer distance you run, the slower your pace should be.

Anyway back to healthy eating! Runners sometimes start to eat more food and load up with too many calories, putting on weight even though they’re training! If you think you might be falling into this trap then have you ever though of keeping a food diary? The best thing you can do is look at how much you’re eating, when and where.

The other main point with running to loose weight is that you really need to run on a regular basis. By regular basis I mean every day if you can! If this isn’t possible, certainly to begin with you will need to ensure you rest adequately between training runs, then I suggest 3 times a week or more.

Finally, after your body becomes used to your training program and you’re finding that running 5 miles or so, 3 times a weeek is fairly comfortable for you, you need to start mixing up your training. A good way to do this is to introduce speed training to your routine – this sounds like more pain!? Speed training is essentially running very fast for short period of time, having a similar short resting period where you jog or walk, and the run very fast again for the same period of time. You should repeat this process so you are running fast for 4 or 5 times, resting inbetween each fast run. This is called interval training, and it will help you burn more calories, plue increase your slower, long distance running pace, over time.

Runner’s Question: I am training for a half-marathon which is in 9 weeks. So far my logest run has been 9km in 1hr, is this ok?

How much should I increase my distance each week – is 2km too much?

What speed should I aim to be running at (I’m a beginner but young and quite fit) and what would be a good time for me to aim for?

Any training advice will be appreciated. Thanks, Run Like Hell-ers!

Also why do I get pins and needles in my arms after running for a while?

Add your two cents! Answer this question (or check out the other answers) in the comments section below.

Many people want to complete a marathon but some prefer to complete a half marathon first, some even want to do it as part of their marathon training. So what is the difference between training for a half marathon and a full marathon.

Well training for a half marathon obviously means you don’t have to run as far. So the distance is going to be shorter. Which means your training will consist of shorter distance runs but you still will need to put in the hard work. When training for a half marathon you must set out a correct training program you can follow and stick to it.

Training for a half marathon requires dedication and discipline. You will need to set aside time each week when you are training for a half marathon. Write it out and make sure that those hours are free and don’t book anything in that time. When you are training for a half marathon you need to be strong and let other people know about it, if something conflicts with your marathon training schedule make sure that you stick to your training and reorganise whatever it is that is causing the conflict when you are training for a half marathon.

Training for a half marathon consists of training sessions five days a week with two rest days. Typically these rest days will be on a Monday and Friday while the rest of the days will be when you are actually training for a half marathon. When you have setup a basis like this you will find it easier to stick to. Training for a half marathon like this will have you doing your short to medium runs on week days and your long run on the Saturday.

On Sundays you will do some form of cross training. Cross training is a very important part when training for a half marathon because it helps to prevent over use injuries and helps with recovery. Some good cross training exercises are walking, swimming or riding a bike. It is a good idea to include the cross training session the day after your long run while you are training for a half marathon because it gives the body a break from running and helps to quicken recovery.

Training for a half marathon is a great way to prepare for a full marathon. You still go through the same time type of training and experiences it is just not as much as you would with a full marathon. Training for a half marathon can also be for the people who only want to compete in half marathons and try and better their times each half marathon they complete. For some people the distance of a half marathon suits them better than a full marathon also when training for a half marathon people can find it easier to find the time to train. So all in all training for a half marathon is a fantastic rewarding experience.