Are you looking to improve your health, have more energy, or lose weight in 2021?

Maybe you just want to relieve stress, challenge yourself, and meet new friends.

If you said yes to any of the above, become a runner this year. This guide will show you how.

But first, an admission: I can’t believe I’m writing this. I am the furthest thing from a natural runner. I hated grade school, but it wasn’t the early mornings, the homework, or ‘cliques’ I loathed most. It was the mile in PE.

It didn’t change much as an adult: cardio was a four-letter word for me. Sound familiar?
But a couple of years ago, a coworker persuaded me to run the Berkeley 10K. I came up with every excuse to get out of it. “No time,” “No money for the right gear,” “I don’t know how to train,” etc. I even theorized that my feet were too flat or too wide.

If that weren’t enough, I was choking on smoke every day. That winter, my dad passed away from a stroke. I knew that his lifelong addiction to cigarettes was a factor. I decided to quit smoking for both of us and run the 10K.