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"   Monika and Tara running the 2013 L.A. Marathon  Running is a sport that is fairly easy to get into\u2014the only things you really need are a decent pair of running shoes, a good sports bra, and suitable clothes. Neither Tara nor I started running until our 20s, and we both completed our first marathons around age 27. We were quickly hooked, but we learned some important lessons along the way. 1. Be patient with yourself. Runners often quit because they want to be good right away or not do the sport at all. I know from my personal progression from a 5K to 10K to half marathon and ultimately to a marathon that it&amp;#039;s a long road, but it&amp;#039;s also a rewarding one. I trained for 12 weeks for my first half marathon and another 24 weeks for my first marathon, meaning it took me nine months to reach 26.2 miles. Increasing my mileage at a slow and steady pace made the whole thing seem manageable, though. I would tell myself, You ran eight miles last week, nine isn&amp;#039;t that much further, and even if you walk that last mile, you&amp;#039;re still covering the distance. 2. Find the right training partners. Whether they&amp;#039;re other runners in official training groups or friends who get together more to socialize than to complete an intense workout, having others to run with can help you challenge yourself and keep yourself accountable. Plus, it&amp;#039;s more fun! We found a great group of running girlfriends through our volunteer work with Girls on the Run, an afterschool running program for girls ages 8 to 14. It&amp;#039;s not surprising that those who love to run want to share that love with others, and through coaching for Girls on the Run, we&amp;#039;ve made a lot of good friends who share our passions for running, racing, and dressing up.    3. Dress up\u2014and don&amp;#039;t knock it until you try it! Whether you want to look cute or silly, dressing up with your friends can remind you that running is fun, and that sometimes you don&amp;#039;t need to take yourself so seriously. Tara and I have dressed up for races, training runs, and &amp;quot;bachelorette party&amp;quot; runs. We laugh at each other, and getting smiles and cheers from the crowd during a race is awesome. Accepting high fives from little kids cheering on the course because they love your outfit? Priceless! 4. Use running to de-stress. Sure, it&amp;#039;s fun, but running is also a great way to get outside, be active, and find new ways to deal with everything that&amp;#039;s racing through your head. It&amp;#039;s an opportunity to zone out and either think about nothing or think about things that require some &amp;quot;you time.&amp;quot; For me, running has been an irreplaceable outlet for stress, frustration, and sometimes sadness, and it&amp;#039;s helped keep me sane over the past year and a half as I&amp;#039;ve dealt with my cancer diagnosis.    5. Adjust your expectations. In the fall of 2012, I was training for my 19th marathon when I was diagnosed with brain cancer. My training abruptly came to a halt, and my daily runs were quickly replaced with endless doctor&amp;#039;s visits, brain surgery, six weeks of radiation, and a year of chemo. My body took a beating from all of it, and my energy was cut in half. I wasn&amp;#039;t allowed to run for a month following my surgery and was cautioned against starting to run too quickly during chemo. But as soon as I was given the okay, I started back at it slowly. My easy six-mile runs in the park were soon replaced by slow, two-mile walk/runs during which I&amp;#039;d start out running, get tired, and trudge back home. There were many times when I felt defeated and got down on myself, but other times, I was proud just to be out there doing what I could to be healthy and trying to remind myself that I needed to adjust my expectations. Running was a huge part of my life before being diagnosed with cancer, and I wanted it to continue to be one after. Having the support of an amazing friend like Tara throughout all of this made a huge difference. Week after week, we met up and ran when I could and walked when I whined. We slowly built up our distance each weekend, and three months into my year of chemo, we ran the L.A. Marathon side by side dressed as Supergirl and Wonder Woman. It was the slowest marathon either of us had ever run, but we had a great time along the way, and hey, we looked pretty cute doing it! 6. Listen to your body. The way we approached running as I was adjusting to chemo is pretty similar to what we recommend for new runners. Start slow, listen to your body, and soak up the experience. It takes time to build up your running endurance and strength. Rest when you need to. Respect your body and it will allow you to do amazing things. San Diego residents Tara and Monika are the cofounders of Glam Runner, a running tutu and apparel company, and members of the Board of Directors for Girls on the Run San Diego. Together they have completed almost 200 races, including 61 half marathons and 35 marathons.  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.redbookmag.com/body/health-fitness/news/a17982/monika-allen-running-tips/>