Anderson - Beginners Luck Guide For Non-Runners: Learn To Run From Scratch To An Hour In 10 Weeks

1st Edition Published (Kindle Only) June 2013
2nd Edition Published July 2014
Kinetic Books
Oxfordshire

Copyright 2014 George Anderson

George Anderson is a running coach, writer, presenter and program creator. He has helped thousands of runners through his website www.runningbygeorge.com , and various training and nutrition programs.

As well as working with runners, George runs a group fitness and nutrition program in Oxfordshire called the Boot Camp.

George lives in Thame, Oxfordshire with his wife Laura and three children, Fern, Rowan and Gabriel. He finds running to be the perfect way to get some peace and quiet.

Contact George through social media:

facebook.com/coachgeorgeanderson
facebook.com/intelligentrunning
twitter.com/byGeorgeA
youtube.com/intelligentrunning

Or email

What are the first things I need to do to get started?

How do I build up to running for 60 minutes?

What kit do I really need?

How do I stay motivated to run?

What is the best way to warm up and cool down?

How do I avoid getting injured?

What should I eat to fuel my running?

How can I improve the way I run?

How do I run faster?

How do I prepare for my first race?

Frequently Asked Questions

Final words

The program

Learning to run from scratch can be a daunting prospect, and possibly something that youve tried in the past without success. When I was writing this book I wanted to step inside the heads of as many beginner runners as possible so I set up a Facebook group to test out the program.

This online community proved to be exceptionally popular and I learned a great deal about the major challenges faced by non-runners, just like you, when starting out. The results of those lessons are contained within the pages of this book but, in an effort to give you all the help and support you need to make it stick, I have done two things.

Firstly, if you use Facebook you can join the group and chat to others who have gone through the exact same process. This support was invaluable for many of the beginners who helped me test out the program. Secondly, I have asked some of the beginner runners who were a part of the creation of this book to write a few words about their experiences to share with you.

Many of these messages are peppered throughout the book, and youll find more of them, along with the lessons that were learned, over at the companion website: www.beginnersluckbook.com . On this website there is also a special invite to join the Facebook group where you can interact with other beginners, as well as those who have passed through the program.

*****

Thank you for purchasing the Beginners Luck Guide For Non-Runners. I would really appreciate you taking a moment to leave me some feedback on Amazon, telling me what you thought. Your feedback is important to me because it inspires other beginners to take the same leap of faith that you just have, and will help me improve the next version of the book. Thank you so much!

Dedicated to my Dad, the original running inspiration

I can still recall my first run. If I am to be honest, I wasnt thinking about leopards or lions (this reference will make sense as you read Georges book). My primary motivation was to get home for a cigarette. Thankfully, 18 years later, I have long since dropped the smoking habit but I have never dropped the running. It has given me so much more than just physical exercise benefits. It has helped me in every aspect of my life. Of that I am certain.

It is an honour to offer a few words at the beginning of Georges book. He and I first connected in 2011 and I have watched in admiration his enthusiasm for his clients to succeed and his passion for sharing simple yet vitally important knowledge on the art of running.

That is exactly what this book offers. Simple but brilliant tips covering the need to know aspects that many books cover only in passing, as well as a thoroughly thought out, practical, accountable and elevating training plan that will challenge you but in a measured way.

This book has reminded me and reinforces a multitude of learnings that I myself have found over the years. I have enjoyed every page and I am confident you will too.

Gerry Duffy

Ultra Running Enthusiast

September 1 2013

Mullingar, Ireland

Ive been running since I was about 8 years old so cant ever remember a time when I would have considered myself a true beginner. Most of my programs and writing in the past have been aimed at people who were already running to varying degrees of success. Then, in September 2012 I was in Portugal at a coaching mastermind event and somebody said something, almost in passing, that was a real ah ha moment.

Every coach should have something to offer beginners, were the words that had such an impact on me. I realised that whilst I was already merrily helping several thousands of runners with the work I was doing over at RunningByGeorge.com, there were many thousands more on whose ears my work would never land.

I had worked with beginner runners in the past as a personal trainer and coach, but I certainly didnt have anything in the way of a comprehensive guide to offer. I soon became obsessed with solving this shortfall.

Having never written a book before, I had built it up in my mind as being an enormous task that would take an age to complete, assuming I did ever get started. Consequently, I deliberated and procrastinated, putting off starting the job until January 2013.

Over the course of the next 5 months, I obsessed over providing solutions to even the seemingly tiny challenges that beginner runners commonly face. The Facebook group was a goldmine of honest feedback on the program which forms the foundation of this book, and gave me an insight into the minds of dozens of beginner runners.

Without this ongoing feedback I am sure that I would have produced something completely different, based instead on my perception of what was required rather than the reality of beginner runners.

So, to all those men and women who joined me on this journey of Beginners Luck , I thank you, not only personally, but also on behalf of everybody who benefits from the information contained within this book.

Youve decided youre going to learn how to run and are sitting there feeling all motivated and perhaps slightly scared about the challenge that lies ahead but what happens next?

Or rather, what happens first? All the information you need to get cracking is in this book, but in this chapter I want to lay down the first steps you should take, the considerations you should make, and the foundations you should lay down in order to make this a success. After all, this isnt really about just starting to run, this is about creating a habit of running in such a way that you actually enjoy it and want to get out there for more.

If youve been burnt by running in the past, you may already have a negative mind-set about how hard its going to be. But my aim is to change all that and show you that anybody, including you , can learn how to run for an hour and beyond.

One thing Ive learned that works over and over again is to set your desired outcomes and expectations right at the start. Not just in physical challenges like this one, but in anything that you do.