By the way, all this is from tons of experiences learnt the hard way!.....

Scroll down to the '10Kers' to see how some brand new runners got on in their very first Manchester10K.

There is a Beginner's Programme at the bottom if you are brand new to runing

The first thing is - DON'T GIVE UP!
If you've never run before you'll be doing a couple of miles before you can say
"eehh our Tyrone, put t' kettle on". All it takes is a good pair of running shoes and effort. The effort is the hard part, especially if you decide to run on your own. That's where we come in.... if you want to run, the motivation is easier if you know there are other people running with you. Chorlton Runners meet regularly on Sunday mornings (usually at 10.00am) at Chorlton Water park. Also there are regular runs around Chorlton and if you want to run during the weekday then just buddy up with another member - that's what it's all about.
If you register then we can send you updates (no spam I promise and the cabbages will be explained)

So, what advice can we give?
Simply carry on reading and if you are still keen click on our BEGINNER'S PROGRAMME at the bottom of the page.

Well first of all, run at your own pace, it doesn't matter what anyone else is doing.
Second - run as if no one is watching, if you get hung up about other people then you'll spend more time concerned with the wrong thing.
Third - If you feel tired, walk for abit then run again, then walk, or speed walk.
The whole point is that if you want to start running you won't be sprinting a mile, not yet anyway. The trick is to build up your stamina and leg muscles.

If you have sat on your backside drinking booze for the last 20 years, then you will probably be refreshing some parts of your body that have never seen light of day!
So, if you want a HEALTHY LIFESTYLE you can either sit and dream about it or put in a tiny, tiny bit of effort and get there!!

The 10K'ers:
To see what happened to our first time runners who went from being completely unfit to doing the Manchester 10k in a couple of months click on the link on the left

BEWARE! - here are 4 common fitness mistakes you might make if you are new to running:
DON'T Try to run continuously for more than a half mile (you should have run 1-2 minutes and walked 2 minute)
DON'T Start out each run too hard - you should have started by shuffling slowly - with walks)
DON'T Tell yourself before each run that you are going to feel bad (you should always forecast a fun, easy run)
DON'T Try to exercise when blood sugar and motivation is low (you should should have eaten something light first, about an hour beforehand)

Don't rush it!
New runners often try to run too far or too fast at first. This is particularly true if you join a running club and feel you should be keeping pace with more experienced runners. The key to running is to push yourself, but not so hard that you become injured or ill. If you are new to running - even if you are physically fit - you should walk/slow jog for the first three weeks. Although this may sound boring, there is statistically a very good chance of becoming injured in your third week of running if you do not begin with a period of walking. It takes time for your joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones to get used to the impact and mechanics of running. Your overall fitness tends to increase before your body has fully adapted, and that is when you get injured. Use the first three weeks of walking/slow jogging to get into the habit of exercise, and adjust your daily routine, and let your body get a head start on adapting to running.

Remember the talk test

When you are training, you should be able to maintain a conversation, talking in complete sentences. If you are too out of breath to do this, you are training too fast.
Rest

Your fitness and strength do not improve while you are running. They improve while you are resting, as your body responds to the stresses it has experienced. Rest is just as important a part of your training programme as running. When you start running, you should not run more than every other day. As you get more experienced, you should take a day off each week