Buy some good running shoes and this book!
Okay – I’m in my 30s and I want to get fit. I’d tried running in my 20s and nearly killed myself by training the wrong way – just going out the door and running till I fell over. I concluded I couldn’t run. But it just looked so much fun and people running look so much cooler than people on exercise bikes. So trawling the internet, I found this book and followed a 13-week training program that starts off almost entirely walking and builds to a 60 minute training run or 10k race. I tell you – it works! The book gives the beginner all the info they need about shoes, stretching, avoiding injuries and the joys (and science) of running. I feel I’ll outgrow this book pretty quickly – it’s big type and isn’t particularly in-depth – but I’ve already lent it to many other people and they’re starting to run too. If you’re a non-runner who wants to run, you can’t go far wrong with this book – but get yourself to a specialist running store and buy some decent shoes first, because you’ll want to dash off running after the first chapter.
