Best-Running-Tips.com

I work mainly with everyday runners. That includes:

• Beginners who want to start properly and build a solid foundation
• Runners using running to lose weight or improve their general fitness
• Recreational runners chasing specific goals — a sub-25 5k, a sub-40 10k, a first marathon, or simply more confidence in training
• Older runners who want to keep improving as the years add up

What most of these runners have in common is this: they want to improve, but they don't want to guess their way there. I'm not here for hype. My approach is to help normal runners make steady progress with training that makes sense in real life.

A lot of runners don't need advice from a world-class athlete. They need advice from someone who understands what it is like to improve through consistency, patience, and good training.

That is the lens I coach through. I've always had to work for my progress. I understand what it means to be reasonably athletic, but not unusually gifted. I understand plateaus, setbacks, self-doubt, and the satisfaction of getting better through doing the basics well.

I also understand the realities of getting older as a runner. At 50, I know that training well is not just about doing more. Recovery matters more, small niggles need attention earlier, and staying consistent often depends on training smarter rather than pushing harder. That perspective helps me give advice that is realistic for runners who want to keep improving as they get older.

For many runners, that combination makes my advice more useful, not less.

Over the years, readers have told me that the site helped them go from barely running at all to completing 30-minute runs, signing up for their first 5k, or making breakthroughs they didn't think were possible. That matters to me more than sounding impressive.

Discovering the Joy in Running

I don't mind running in sports like basketball or soccer, but I used to hate just running long distances — often because I couldn't last more than 5 minutes. My roommate and I started looking for a program and stumbled across this site. We both liked how it started super easy and slowly built up, so we decided to try it.

The slow build was great. We followed the program to the letter and it really built our confidence. Running our first full 30 minutes was awesome — we were both ecstatic.

Our next goal is a 10k. There's an annual race in our city in February and we're working towards it.

Thanks Dominique for a great running program! You've helped us — who couldn't run at all — discover the joy in it.
— Mindy, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Learning to Love It

I have never excelled at athletics. Since elementary school I've never been able to run a complete mile without walking. I knew I needed to get moving but felt intimidated by intense workout programs. About 10 weeks ago I stumbled across Dominique's Beginner's Running Program from a Google search — and that's where my journey begins.

When I first looked over the 12-week program, each workout seemed genuinely doable. As I moved forward, I felt such a sense of accomplishment as I progressed each week. Now I'm two weeks away from my goal and I've signed up for a 5k.

This journey has changed me more on the inside than on the outside. For the first time in my life I have almost reached an athletic goal.

— Meggan, Georgia, US

The Best Beginner Resource I Found

I have been through hundreds of sites trying to find tips on how to even get started and your beginner running programs are the best I have seen. They are simple to understand, and just reading through the whole program I can see it will work. I've had a great start in the first six weeks and your plan is so easy to follow — it gives me hope and motivation to keep going.

This is the only site I found that understands that not all people are full-time runners, and is willing to help us beginners get started.

— B. Endrizzi, Amarillo, TX