Hi, runners! We’re really excited about running the Crescent City Classic with you. If you haven’t signed up yet, please click here to get all the info.
Today on the blog: our team captain James Mazzuto and his running buddies Cesar and Taylor are sharing tips for training and gear.
I’m a terrible athlete. In elementary school, I was hit in the face with every kind of sports-related item: softball, soccer ball, frisbee, inflatable tube, tennis racquet, ping pong paddle. A horse stepped on my left foot and I dropped a bowling ball on the right. Totally hopeless.
In my early 30s, I really wanted to exercise more – but I knew competitive sports weren’t going to work. I tried spinning, but wasn’t terribly keen on the dark rooms and music selection. I tried yoga, but I wanted to move more and sweat more. (On the sweating: I tried hot yoga too. No dice.)
Then I heard about Couch to 5k, a program that can turn anyone into a runner. AND IT WORKED! This is the easiest program to follow. You start off really slow – just running 30 seconds at a time, then walking, then running again. The short bursts become longer stretches and in a few weeks, you’re running 20 minutes straight like its walking across the street.
I highly recommend downloading a Couch to 5k app to your phone. You set the app when you start your run and it alerts you when to start and stop running. And you can play your own music in the background. Easy!
A race is a great way to get motivated and stick to a training schedule.
Since I started, I’ve run several half-marathons and a bunch of shorter races. When you start running, a race is a great way to get motivated and stick to a training schedule. Have you signed up for the Crescent City Classic yet? Join Make It Right’s team!
Taylor’s Gear
Running shirts are overrated.
Another great thing about running: it’s cheap! You can do it anywhere and you need very little gear to get started. Here’s my list of must-haves in order of importance:
- Shoes – If you’re going to invest in anything, buy decent running shoes. Go a step further and visit Louisiana Running Company in New Orleans. They use a treadmill and an ipad to figure out what sort of shoe you need. It’s high-tech and totally works. My running shoes are from Brooks.
- Bra – If you’re a woman, the next thing you really, really need is a well-engineered sports bra. I get mine from Athleta. If you don’t have a supportive sports bra yet and want to start running now, here’s something I used to do: double-up. Two crappy sports bras are better than one.
- Socks – get good, snug comfy socks that don’t bunch up. Some people like compression socks – I’ve never tried them. Let us know in the comments if you have.
- Shorts – I like loose running shorts, nothing too constricting. My favorites are from Nike.
- T-shirt – Any old t-shirt will do! You don’t need a special running shirt. (In fact, I find those wicking, aerodynamic shirts scratchy and restrictive.) A soft, comfortable, worn-out tee works just fine.
