MANILA, Philippines ? Running is a popular fitness activity. However, there have been stories of runners getting injured as a result of training ?too fast and too soon.? So how can someone keep on running without the injuries, stress, boredom or burnout?

The best way to start a running lifestyle is to get educated on your fitness level, medical condition, goals, and preferences. Get a medical clearance from your physician if you have health and weight concerns. If your friend lost weight due to running, it doesn?t mean that the sport will do the same thing for you.

Get advice and feedback from running coaches about your form. Consult a fitness professional to incorporate a complete exercise program for you, including cross-training activities and schedules. Learning about proper nutrition and hydration is equally important.

Enjoy running

I?ve been running seriously with my friends for almost five years now, and have joined several marathons, but until now, I still look forward to joining more races because beating my own time gives me a sense of accomplishment.

It is possible for someone who is getting results from running to be tempted to increase running distance and forget a training program based on their goals. But instead of getting more gains out of running too much, the reverse happens.

Running coaches suggest that one should not increase total weekly mileage by more than 10 percent each week to avoid over-training. For instance, your total distance for this week is 25 kilometers. You shouldn?t target a 30-kilometer weekly distance the next week to avoid overuse of muscles. Dropping weekly mileage every three weeks is even helpful for better running performance, according to Jeff Galloway, a popular marathoner and writer.

Recovery days

If your goal is to join a half or full marathon for the first time, undergo a complete training program, but not to the point that you will exceed more days than what was planned because of too much excitement or fear of under-training. Your goal should always be to perform better, minus the injury. Running three to four times a week will allow your running muscles to have enough rest. Sufficient recovery will prepare your body to perform better on the next training schedule.

If there?s a race on Sunday, your last running schedule should have been on a Thursday or Friday morning to prepare your muscles. Cross-train on a Friday or Saturday by engaging in pool running, cycling, weight training or swimming.

Compete with yourself

Do you run to beat your own time or to win regardless of your goal time? Running is fulfilling because you can measure your performance and improvement based on your time and heart rate and how you feel during and after the activity. However, if you measure your performance based on your rank, and you always aim to be the first one to cross the finish line, you will just allow yourself to have injuries.

Running is a competitive activity, but winning a race is just a reward. Forget the competitive atmosphere during races and focus on your running form, stride, pace, breathing and target finish time.

E-mail the author at mitchfelipe@gmail.com.