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[CLASSICAL PIANO MUSIC]

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JOAN BENOIT: To me, the
most important thing

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for beginner runners is to
have a purpose as to why

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they're pursuing
running, and everybody

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has a different reason.

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If you're running
in a big marathon,

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oftentimes, people
will ask the person

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running next to them, what
brought you into the sport?

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And you'll hear a gazillion
different reasons,

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and that's what's so great
about the sport of running.

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It welcomes everybody
for different reasons,

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different purposes.

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It could be just to
improve one's health,

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and anybody can find
their way into our sport.

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I was recently asked, am I
too old to start running?

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You're never too old
to start running.

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You're never too old
to start learning,

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and I think that's something
that we all need to recognize.

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Whether you decide to train with
a group or train on your own

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has to be and is
a personal choice

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because only you
know how you're going

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to fare with or without
training partners.

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And I would especially
tell beginning runners

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to find a training partner
because sometimes it's

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really hard to overcome
those early obstacles

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as one starts out in our sport,
but if negative thoughts start

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presenting themselves
to a new runner,

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then it's a lot easier to get
rid of those negative thoughts

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if you know you have
somebody out there

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waiting to run with you.

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[UPLIFTING MUSIC]

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If you're new to the
sport of running,

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the shoes are really
important, and there

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are different shoes
for different body

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types, different foot types.

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You're not going
to order online.

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You're going to go to a
running specialty store

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and have a knowledgeable
salesperson fit you

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to the right shoe for your foot.

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You have to think about the
body mass and the impact

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with every step or every stride.

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Bone strength is
certainly a concern.

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Some runners will
opt for a shoe that

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accommodates an
orthotic if they have

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a history of foot problems.

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I mean, there are all sorts
of things to consider,

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but I think those are some
of the basic concerns.

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And if you have a friend who's
a runner and they tell you,

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oh, I love this shoe.

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Go get this shoe,
no, because what's

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working for them might not
necessarily work for you.

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So that's the first
step in starting to run.

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[UPLIFTING MUSIC]

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For new runners,
it's all about time,

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and you can determine how much
time you want to be out there.

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And then you can determine
how much of that time

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you want to be walking
and how much of that time

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you want to be
jogging or running,

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and every runner is
going to be different.

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They need to meet
it where they are

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at that time in their lives.

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There's no set rule as to
how much you have to walk

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and how much you have to run.

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You sort of feel that,
and for many people,

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they'll just go out for a
15-minute walk for a week

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or for days, and then
they may say, hey,

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I'm getting faster and
faster with my walking pace.

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I wonder if I can
run a little bit.

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You can work with ratios
in much the same way

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that an elite athlete
will work with intervals.

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When you're starting out, you
may choose to walk five minutes

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and run two minutes, five
minutes, two minutes.

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Then as you get used to that
set of increments of time,

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you may want to walk for two
minutes, run for five minutes.

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Make it a game.

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Make it fun.

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Maybe you're going to
count telephone poles.

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It depends upon where you are.

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Maybe you're going to
count fire hydrants.

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Make it something that's
sustainable in your life,

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but whatever works
for you works for you.

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Just make sure that
if you want running

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to be a part of your life
for a long period of time,

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make it manageable, make
it doable, and make it fun.

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[UPLIFTING MUSIC]