Fitness Nutrition Guidelines

Some people often wonder what a runner's diet is made up of. Here's an interesting article that shows how food is important in running as it is related in performance.

From Jesslyn Bass

Nutrition is an important, but often misunderstood, part of the running equation. Food is fuel, and as athletes, we need more fuel, and better fuel, as we increase distance or intensity. By making small dietary changes, staying away from fad diets, and understanding what our bodies need, we can successfully build our own eating styles that provide each of us personally with what we need to reach our goals. By first examining the proper eating habits, then examining what we eat (or what we should eat), and finally examining our hydration needs, we can establish a set of guidelines to form the base of our individual sports nutrition plans. Our eating habits can be broken down into sections of when we eat, how often we eat, how much we eat, and what to eat and what not to eat.

When?
If you think of your energy needs on an hourly basis instead of a daily basis, you may realize that your eating your biggest meal and then doing nothing, whereas you hardly eat at all before your runs.

This isn’t a useful way to eat. You should eat a bigger breakfast and lunch and a smaller dinner, as well as snacks at the right time. For instance, if you plan to go to work, run, then come home and relax. You would want to eat a nice hardy breakfast to get you started, have a medium sized lunch and then have an energy-packed snack about ½ hour before your run. Then you can have a smaller dinner to help your after-run recovery. So, think about when you need the energy and plan your meals and snacks accordingly.

How Often?
If you run daily, you can expect to need to eat about every 3-5 hours. Even if you don’t run daily, 5 hours is an acceptable amount of time between meals/snacks. It’s important that you avoid long periods without eating to avoid wide swings in your blood sugar levels, which aren’t good for your body or your running. If you commit to eating every 3-4 hours and plan ahead to have healthy foods when you need them, it is much easier to make the commitment to eat healthier and stay away from the vending machine. Remember, skipping meals or skimping on calories does not support the goal of training with adequately fueled muscles.

How Much?
As a runner, our bodies need more fuel, thus more food, than the average sedentary person. It is a good assumption that if you are running 15 or more miles per week, you should not be consuming less than 2000 calories per day, even if you are trying to lose weight. (Remember, when you eat them during the day is important too.) If you running 25 miles per week you should average closer to 2500 calories a day.

What and What Not to Eat?
Now for the meat of the subject, what to eat and what not to eat. Think of what you consume as a list. Fruits and vegetables should be on the top of the list (meaning you eat the most of those per day), then grains and legumes, followed by lean meat or soy products, then lowfat milk products, and, the very least, sweets and fat. Occasionally, but not always, listen to your cravings. They could be a result of too low a fat intake or low blood sugar, both common problems among runners who don’t eat enough. So, if you have nutritious cravings, give into them. A steak and potatoes night isn’t going to throw you off your diet. Perhaps add a green salad or have fruit for dessert and you’re set; craving eliminated. But if you are constantly craving candy or donuts, it’s not likely your body needs them. Have a piece or two of candy a day, but try to cut out other sugars. As far as donuts, well, don’t give in often, never if possible.

Let's break this down further to specifically what it is we need to eat for good sports nutrition.

What we need to know now for good fitness nutrition is what we need to obtain from our food. Our food is made up of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats (as well as vitamins, minerals, and the like). Much debate has been heard on what the right amount of each of these components we need, but most of those diets are making the assumption that you are sedentary. For runners, a good healthy diet is made of approximately 50-55% carbs, 15-20% protein, and 30% fat. Unfortunately as with calories, you can’t just eat the right amount, but you also have to eat the right kind.

Let's look at each individual component.

Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates convert in our body to glucose. Glucose is used by the body for energy or stored in the muscles and liver as glycogen, which is used later for energy.

So carbs provide energy. However, our ability to store carbs as glycogen is limited, so we need to replenish often instead of gorge ourselves once or twice a day. When glycogen stores are depleted, you will feel fatigue and have difficulty keeping up with the original pace of your run. Carb-heavy foods also provide nutrients that are essential for our good health. Fruits and vegetables contain over 500 kinds of phytochemicals, which protect against cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and wrinkles. Variety is the key to getting the nutrients you need most.

Carbs should make up about 50% of your diet. This should primarily be from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Simple carbs, like sugar, honey, and GU should make up no more than 10% of your daily diet. A good way to know you are getting the right amount is to eat about 10 servings of grains, 7 servings of fruit, 4 of vegetables, and 3 of dairy per day. (Remember, a serving of grains is 1 piece of bread, a serving of fruit is 6 oz of orange juice, etc. The amount of mashed potatoes you’d get at most restaurants would be more than enough for your 4 vegetables a day.)

Proteins
Protein builds muscles and tendons, repairs broken down muscles, and regulates hormones. Every part of our bodies are made of protein. The muscles, bones, blood, immune cells, tendons, ligaments, skin, and hair all are made of protein. Runners need more protein than sedentary people because we have more need for muscle repair and recovery, which is proteins biggest job. Because of this, a deficiency of protein causes fatigue and slow recovery. To get an adequate amount of protein each day, we should consume approximately 5-6 ounces of lean meat (notice: ounces not servings, and lean meat, not greasy hamburgers) or 2-3 servings of soy per day. The 3 servings of lowfat dairy you should eat will help with your protein as well.

Fats
Eating a very lowfat diet is just as bad as eating a very high fat diet. Lowfat diets contribute to moodiness and depression. As runners, our bodies need fat. Fat helps us feel full. A deficiency of omega-3 fats (found in fatty fish and flaxseed oil) leads to higher risk of heart disease and arthritis. While a diet rich in monounsaturated fats cuts cholesterol and heart disease risk.

Trans Fat and Saturated Fat
Trans fat, the worst of the fats, raises LDL, bad cholesterol, and lowers HDL, good cholesterol. Saturated fat, still a net bad fat, raises both HDL and LDL. But our bodies do need saturated fat in small amounts. You don’t have to try to get saturated fat though, it will find you. Saturated fat is found in whole milk, butter, cheese, ice cream, red meat, chocolate, and coconut products. Trans fat is found in most margarines, fast foods, and vegetable shortening. It is also found in many many prepackaged, processed foods. You should try to avoid processed foods such as chips and crackers, fried foods especially those that have been deep-fried, and baked goods listing “partially hydrogenated vegetable oil”. Saturated fat should not be more than 10% of your diet. Trans fat should be kept to the smallest amount possible.

Polyunsaturated Fat
Polyunsatureated fat lowers LDL, which is bad cholesterol, and raises HDL, which is good cholesterol. Polyunsaturated fat is found in corn, soybean, safflower, and cottonseed oil, as well as in fish. Omega-3 fats are polyunsaturated fats.

Monounsaturated Fat
Monounsaturated fat also lowers LDL levels and raises HDL levels. Monounsaturated fats may also reduce risk for several kinds of cancer. It is found in olives, olive and canola oil, avocados, and nuts. Now that we understand more about what we should eat, let's not forget the much-overlooked topic of what we should drink.

Hydration is usually left out of nutrition, but it shouldn’t be. Being well hydrated is a must for runners. 60-70% of our bodies are made of water. And, during exercise, our body produces more heat, thus causing sweat to cool us down. When we sweat out our water supply, we must consume more water to keep our core temperature down.

Water has also been proven to aid in weight loss. It helps you feel full while eating less, quenches thirst without adding calories, and allows your body to function at its top capability. 70% of our muscles are made of water. Being hydrated helps give muscles that toned, muscular look so many people desire. Metabolism is a chemical process that requires water, which means if you are dehydrated you will not be burning calories as efficiently, whether you are sleeping or running.

Water is equally important for your skin. Being hydrated will help your skin look (and be) healthy.
If you run for 60 min or less, water alone should be fine for your hydration. If you run for more than an hour at a time, you’ll need to replenish electrolyte as well. (Sports drinks and energy gels usually have enough electrolytes to keep you covered.) Doing this will improve your performance by delaying dehydration and maintaining a high blood-sugar level during exercise. It also lowers the risk of catching a cold by boosting your immune system.

(http://running.about.com/od/nutrition/a/nutrition101_1.htm)

Getting Started

A patient and conservative approach to your new running routine will make your workouts easier, safer and, yes, even enjoyable.

By Josh Clark.Posted Friday, 24 October, 1997

The cardinal rule of the new runner is Be Patient. Your body needs time to adapt to this new activity you're asking of it. It may be uncomfortable at first, but you'll begin to see results fairly quickly. All the same, it's important to build gradually. Newcomers should follow these three rules:

• Run more slowly than you think you should.
  
• Don't run as far as you think you should.
  
• Run more often than you think you should.
  

We know, we know: you're brimming with enthusiasm about your new running career. You're even surfing the Web looking for tips. You probably can't wait to start seeing the results, to start pushing your limits for maximum improvement in the minimum time. Be patient.

Before you sprint out the door...
A standard precaution is that anyone over the age of 35 should have a stress test and a full medical examination before running. Request an electrocardiogram recorded before, during and after exercise. Those under 35 who have risk factors for heart disease should also be tested (this means people with high blood pressure, a history of smoking, or a family history of heart disease). You should also consult a doctor before beginning an exercise program if you meet any of the following conditions:

• You have pains or pressure in the left of midchest area, left neck, shoulder or arm during or immediately after exercise.
  
• You often feel faint or have spells of severe dizziness after mild exertion.
  
• Your doctor has said that you have bone or joint problems, such as arthritis.

The bottom line is to use common sense and be careful. You don't have to be in perfect shape to start running; that's probably the reason you've picked it up. All the same, get your doctor's go-ahead if you have any doubts about your health.

Ease into running
If you start by running too far, too fast, you'll wind up burned out at best, injured at worst. Possibly both. Take it easy, and give yourself time to learn to love to run. It doesn't happen immediately, and you'll probably experience a few aches and pains starting out. This is natural, and it will pass. It takes your body time to get used to what you're doing. Give it the time it needs. Like so many other things in life, running can be difficult and discouraging if not undertaken properly.

Use the "talk test" to figure out if your pace is appropriate. You should be able to talk comfortably while running; slow it down if you're running out of breath. Don't hesitate to alternate running and walking; if you feel lousy, take a breather and walk for a while. It's not a sign of weakness, just common sense.

The aim is to "train, not strain." If you are already fit from another sport, such as cycling or swimming, it is still important to go a little easier at first than you might want to. It is too easy to push yourself past what your muscles and joints can stand at first. How much is the right amount? Try our

nine-week beginner program to build up to 3-mile runs.

The basics of good form
As a beginner, you don't need to get too preoccupied with the finer details of form, but here are some general pointers. Most distance runners land on their heels or midfoot and roll forward to the toe. Running up on the toes, by contrast, tends to be the form of sprinters. You'll find that if you try to run on your toes for too far that your shins will probably start hurting and your calves will get tight. Never fear, it shouldn't take much concentration for you to stick with the heelstrike, since most find it the most natural stride when running at an easy pace. Likewise, when you sprint, you'll likely find yourself up on your toes without even thinking about it. Our bodies typically handle this naturally without much conscious attention.

As you run, try to keep your hands at waist level, right about where they might lightly brush your hip bones. It's not uncommon to see beginners, especially as they get tired, holding their hands way up by their chest. Trouble is, this posture tends to create tension in your arms which travels up through your shoulders. You actually get more tired holding your arms that way.

Keep your hands relaxed. You might try touching your thumb and fingers lightly together, as if holding a pencil. The idea is to keep your arms and hands as relaxed and comfortable as possible while on the run.

Keep your posture straight and erect. Head up, back straight, shoulders level. Check your posture once in a while. As you get tired toward the end of the run, it's common to slouch a little, which can be a minor contributor to shin splints and lower-back pain.

Avoid bouncing. Too much up-and-down movement is wasted energy and can be hard on your feet and legs. Try to land softly on your feet, almost as if running on eggshells. The idea is to maintain an economy of motion, with every action dedicated to keeping you moving forward. That goes for your arms, too: no need for exaggerated arm-pumping (except for on the occasional hill). While some side-to-side arm swinging is natural, try to limit it -- there's no reason for your hands to cross your navel on the run, for example.

How do I breathe?
Many new runners are preoccupied with their breathing as they run their first few miles. We get questions about whether it's best to breathe in through the mouth or through the nose, about how quickly a runner should breathe, about the proper shape of the mouth when exhaling.

Don't worry about it. As a new runner, there's no need to concern yourself with the modest performance benefits to be gained from subtle breathing patterns. You've been breathing all your life, and your body will figure out the best way to get the air it needs. Just breathe as naturally as possible and put it out of your mind.

If you're running in cold weather, though, you may experience a kind of burning sensation from the cold air. Breathing through the nose can help compensate for this, as can breathing through a scarf or turtleneck.

Make it a habit
The important thing in the first few weeks is to get in the habit of exercise. Develop a training routine and make it part of your schedule. It doesn't matter where or when, but try to be consistent. Find a training partner if possible; on days when motivation is low, a commitment to meet your partner will help keep you going. If you do run with a partner it should be someone of similar fitness. Joining a club that caters to beginners can help with motivation and be a good source of advice and coaching.

(http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/182.shtml)

Welcome to Running

Why run?
To feel better -- physically, mentally, emotionally. Running is among the best aerobic exercises for physical conditioning of your heart and lungs. Studies have shown the health benefits to be enormous, reducing the likelihood of everything from the common cold to cancer. Your stamina will increase. You'll lose weight; most beginners lose nearly a pound a week.

Just as important, running -- like many forms of exercise -- is a great cure for stress, emotional strain, even mild depression. You'll likely find yourself with fewer headaches and more energy, patience, humor and creativity. Studies have found that healthy adults who exercise regularly are generally happier than those who don't.

And running, quite simply, is convenient. You don't need any elaborate gear. No special playing field or apparatus. No need to juggle the schedules of others. Just a pair of shoes and the inclination to get out the door.

Rewards of the spirit
You've probably started running for the physical benefits, but you will quickly discover other, more metaphysical rewards. Health reasons may be why most start running, but it's the less tangible benefits that finally motivate us to persist, to become "runners."

While running can be a social activity, it is more frequently an opportunity to spend a little time with yourself and your thoughts, a chance to develop an increased self-awareness. As you become more aware of the nuances and condition of your own body, you also discover things about your inner self.

Many say they are at their most creative and lucid, even meditative, during their runs, as the worries of the day slip away. Confidence increases as you push your own limits, meeting goals and often surprising yourself by exceeding your own expectations. Running is a sport of discipline, sometimes of sacrifice, and always of self-reliance. You may surprise yourself with your capacity for all three. The personal rewards can be quite powerful.

(http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/237.shtml)

The Runner's Building Blocks

A firm training foundation is built on several core types of workouts. Try our tips for building a balanced routine.

By Josh Clark.Posted Monday, 8 April, 2002

Variety may be the spice of life, but it's the bread and butter of running, the key to improved speed and performance. Unfortunately, most recreational runners do the same workout day in and day out. While the majority of your running should remain in the realm of endurance training, the addition of building-block speed and strength workouts injects freshness into what may be a stale routine.

And it will almost certainly improve your performance. The reason is confirmed by common sense: Varied workouts teach your body varied lessons. The long run teaches endurance, track work trains "fast-twitch" muscles, hills teach strength, etc. A well-rounded mix of workouts will help you improve your running form, condition your body to handle the discomfort of faster speed, give you a sense of appropriate pace, and build your end-of-the-race kick to the finish.

While the specifics of every training program should be adapted to the specific needs of the individual, the runner interested in improving performance should have a well-rounded program that includes some, if not all, of the following six building blocks:
Fartlek (for speed and pace)
Hills (for strength)
Tempo Runs (for speed and pace)
Intervals (for speed)
The Long Run (for endurance)
Easy run (for recovery)

Do you have to do all these specialized workouts? Of course not. You will find, however, that at least some regular speed and strength workouts will improve your performance, with the most dramatic improvement occurring when you first begin. Every single one of these building-block workouts will improve some facet of your running, and the more you incorporate into your routine the more improvement you will see. That said, be aware that the benefits of speedwork will not show up immediately in your races, since it often takes over a month for your body to become used to changes in training. Even then, it usually takes about two weeks for your body to absorb a speed workout and translate it into a resource to be tapped during a race. Be patient, and don't expect every session to show an improvement in times. The fitter you get, the more difficult that becomes. Always build conservatively.

Fundamentals
If you are a beginning runner, you may want to hold off on introducing speedwork into your routine. You should have an established base of at least 20 miles per week before incorporating these "quality runs" into your schedule. It's also best to have at least a year of running experience under your belt. The reason for both is that speedwork adds considerable strain to your muscles and connective tissues. Without the necessary mileage foundation, you may wind up injured rather than fast.

As with all your runs, you should start and finish your specialized sessions with easy running, preferably longer than the typical ten or fifteen minutes you might do before your normal training run. With all of these workouts, you're pushing your body close to its limits, and it's unwise either to start or stop suddenly. Stretch well and give yourself 10 minutes of easy running, both before and after the workout.

Also keep in mind that it's important to keep moving between the "hard" portions of your workout. All of the workouts discussed here involve the alternation of hard and easy efforts. "Easy" means a slow pace, maybe a jog. But it does not mean walking, stopping, or collapsing to the track and wheezing. If you need to do any of those things, you're running the hard portion of the workout too fast. The old adage of "no pain, no gain" is simply wrong. The idea is to push only a little bit harder than your normal training pace to get the benefits; there will be some modest discomfort but certainly no pain. You should always have the energy after each interval to continue running slowly during the rest periods. By doing this, you keep your heart rate up, and as a result, you prevent blood from pooling in your legs.

Keep running, even if slowly: it's good for you.
Ideally, you should run each of the hard portions of the workout at approximately the same pace per session. You should not feel exhausted by the end, but neither should you feel like you're still full of energy. This helps teach you the value of pacing yourself in a race by being aggressive but realistic in your starting pace.

The Building Blocks
This section focuses on the three basic varieties of speed workouts (fartlek, intervals and tempo runs), along with the benefits of each and the most productive ways to use these tools. Meanwhile, don't forget to review our

pointers for hill workouts .

Before we begin, though, a plug for the all-important cousin of the speed workout: the easy run.Recovery (i.e. the easy run) is probably the most important piece of a good training program, and it should not be dismissed. Too many runners, hellbent on increasing speed and mileage, completely overlook the importance of the easy run, often running themselves into injury. Your body needs a chance to rest, so make sure that somewhere between those killer hill workouts and gutsy interval sessions you manage to squeeze in some rest -- and plenty of it.

Fartlek
It's true: fartlek is almost as fun to do as it is to say. "Fartlek" is Swedish for "speed play" and consists of bursts of speed in the middle of a training run. Essentially, it's an unstructured interval session, the track without the rules. Fartlek gets your legs used to a variety of paces and in the process gives you an enhanced awareness of your ability to keep up those paces at various distances.
After warming up, run at an easy training pace, throwing in bursts of speed for various distances throughout the run. Vary the speed and times of the speed sections, from as short as 15 seconds to as long as two or three minutes. Between these bursts, allow yourself enough recovery time to match roughly 2/3 of the effort time. The recovery pace, though, should be faster than the recovery jog you might do during intervals on the track; keep it moving at an easy training pace.
It's a good idea to pick out a landmark -- a tree or a fire hydrant or a bend in the path -- where a speed section will end before you start picking up the pace. In other words, you have to know how far you are running for each section. Because the idea is to keep up a constant pace until you reach that landmark, it is important to pace yourself at the beginning. Don't tear off so fast that you can't keep up the pace through the end of each speed section.
A fartlek session can be as easy or as difficult as you wish to make it. Use fartlek for anything from a light recovery run to a grueling workout. As always, however, start out easy. Your first fartlek sessions should contain distances and paces that you feel comfortable with and that you feel you can gradually increase in future sessions. A twenty to thirty-minute fartlek session should be adequate for most runners. There is very little reason for them to go as long as an hour.

Intervals
The track. While most elite runners get their start there, the great majority of runners came to the sport by way of local roads, sidewalks and forest paths. For the average runner, the track seems all too intimidating, almost scary. Fact is, though, the track is not simply the domain of the elites. Any runner at any level can improve her performance with a little help from the 400-meter oval. This is what intervals are about.
Interval sessions are the most formal of speed workouts in that the distances and target paces are precisely fixed before you run. The idea is to run a series of relatively short repetitions over distances from 220 yards to one mile, with rest periods of slower running in between. Because of their very nature, intervals involve a shorter period of effort than your usual run of, say, 45 minutes at a steady pace. This allows you to run much faster than you usually do, adapting your body to higher demands and your leg muscles to faster turnover. Over time, you become more physiologically efficient.
Because of the clearly measured distances, the track is an ideal place to do intervals, but some may find the never-changing scenery to be, well, maybe just a little dull. In that case, you should feel free to do your intervals on the road, using permanent landmarks to measure distance.
The various distances, as you might guess, are each best suited to runners with specific goals. The 220-yard run (1/2 lap, or 200 meters) is best for short-distance training (5K and under) to improve speed. The 440 (one lap, or 400 meters) helps improve overall conditioning at slower paces, and at faster paces is good final race preparation. The 880 (two laps, or 800 meters) is used to develop speed when training for races 10K and under and to condition form and pace when training for longer races. Finally, the mile is used most often to train for longer races, from 10K to marathon, to help improve pace judgment and overall conditioning.

Tempo Runs
This is hands-down the least complicated variety of speedwork. There are no distances to keep track of, no split times to remember, no hassles. All you have to do is run faster than your usual training pace, somewhere right around your 10K race pace. Unlike most speedwork which consists of relatively short bursts of high effort, tempo runs call for a single sustained effort. The result is that your body learns race economy: running at a fast pace for relatively long periods of time. Tempo runs will give your top speed a boost, too. By running nearly at race pace, your body becomes accustomed to running close to its upper limit (though not exceeding it). In doing so, you actually increase that upper limit, and you become gradually faster.
After your usual warmup routine, run at your easy training pace for at least ten minutes. Then pick up the pace. As mentioned above, this speed should be right around your 10K race pace (around 80%-85% of maximum heart rate, if you use a heart rate monitor). The time, distance and pace of your tempo run, as with all phases of your running, depends on both your ability and your goals. For the distance you choose (3 and 5 miles are popular tempo distances), find a pace that is not so fast that you cannot sustain it for the distance, but not so slow that you do not feel challenged toward the end. Tempo runs should be tough, but not impossible. Depending on how you feel on any given day, how much spring is in your legs, and how far you are running, your tempo pace may vary from session to session. That's fine. The consistency that counts is the pace within each session. Try to keep your speed level for the full length of each tempo run.
Don't worry too much about figuring out the exact distance of your tempo run. It's really not terribly important. Three to six miles is probably a good range. The one value of knowing how far you are running, though, is that you are able to gauge your improvement over time. Still, this is easily done by doing most of your tempo runs on the same route. You may not know the specific distance, but you can still compare your times for that same fixed route.

Putting It All Together
Now put this basic knowledge of speed workouts to work with our speed training recommendations for various levels of ability and experience.

(http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/105.shtml)

Training Tips

Keep a Running Journal
The best way to know where you're going with your training is to see where you've been. Keeping a personal journal of your runs helps you track your progress, avoid past pitfalls and even inspire you to new accomplishments. Your journal can be as simple as a few dashed notes of the distance and time you ran each day, or more detailed with lengthier entries about your route, the way you feel, and the stuff you thought about on the run.

Fun with Fartlek
As fun to run as it is to say, a fartlek workout is a kind of informal interval session and a great way to incorporate speedwork into your routine when you want a change from the track. "Fartlek" is Swedish for "speed play" and consists of bursts of speed in the middle of a training run. After warming up, run at an easy training pace, throwing in bursts of speed for various distances throughout the run. Vary the speed and times of the speed sections, from as short as 15 seconds to as long as two or three minutes. Between these bursts, allow yourself enough recovery time to match roughly 2/3 of the effort time. The recovery pace, though, should be faster than the recovery jog you might do during intervals on the track; keep it moving at an easy training pace.

On the Surface
Treat your feet by avoiding rock-hard surfaces like concrete sidewalks; aim instead for grass or dirt trails. Find surfaces where the ground will absorb more shock, instead of passing it along to your legs, but try to be consistent. A sudden change to a new running surface can itself be a cause of injury.

RICE Is the Key Ingredient
Most running injuries respond well to the "RICE" treatment: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Ice the trouble spot for ten minutes on, then ten minutes off, repeating as necessary. You should ice as soon as possible after you have been injured, and immediately after a run if you are running with an injury. Combined with compression (with a cold pack, for example) and elevation, icing goes far to reduce pain and swelling. Heat should only be applied to an injury after the inflammation is gone, probably after about 72 hours. If your swelling has gone down quite a bit, but there's still a little bit of inflammation, try alternating heat and ice after a few days of ice-only treatment.

The Runner's Recovery
Returning to running after a brief layoff? A general rule of thumb is that it takes about two weeks of "retraining" to come back from every week in which you do no exercise. Go easy on yourself during this period. Don't let your ego convince you that you should immediately be able to run as you did before. If you've been off the roads for only a week or two, start at about half the distance you were running before the injury. You should be able to build back to your former level in two to four weeks.

Ditch the Stitch
Every runner has experienced the dreaded side stitch, a sudden sharp pain in the side of the upper abdomen at the base of the ribs. The pain is caused by a spasm of the diaphragm, the muscle that controls your breathing. A stitch will usually go away quickly after slowing down or stopping, but even on the run, you can often make it go away by bringing your breathing into careful control.
Concentrate on belly breathing, pushing your belly out when you breathe in and relaxing it as you breathe out. Take deep breaths on the intake, and exhale suddenly, even noisily. To get the diaphragm to contract in rhythm with your steps, try to inhale and exhale as you land on your left foot.

Nighttime Running
When running at night always wear reflective clothing. You should also run facing traffic so that you can react if a motorist comes close. Try to stay off of busy streets and never assume that the motorist can see you.

Boring is good
Get into a routine. Like anything else, a running program is easier if it becomes routine. Set aside a certain time each day that is designated as your running time.

Expect some soreness
You may experience some soreness. This is normal. However, if you experience sharp pain it is best to stop and see a coach or doctor before continuing your training program.

Hills are your friends
Incorporating hillwork into your weekly training will help strengthen your legs and ankles. If you live in an area without hills, consider using a treadmill or stadium stairs to simulate uphill running.

Don't Break the Speed Limit
Weekly speedwork should be between 5 and 10-percent of your weekly mileage. For example if you are running 25 miles per week, you should not exceed 2.5 miles of speedwork. When using this formula, factor in all high intensity runs for the week as speedwork.

Too much, too soon
Don't over do it! This is the classic mistake made by most new runners. Stick to a progressive schedule, even if it seems a bit easy at first.

Run with company
Find a running partner. Running is easier when done with a friend.

Smart recovery
Use your days off wisely. These days are meant for recovery, therefore it is important to spread them out. If your schedule calls for two off days, don't take them on consecutive days -- spread them out.

Warming Up
Stretching is important, but never stretch cold muscles. Before you begin your stretching routine jog lightly to warm-up your muscles.

(http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/tips/index.shtml)