I love this time of year. The snow has melted and winter has retreated. The air is crisp and cool, yet quite inviting.

In fact, so far the weather has been amazing for March Break. The temperatures have been well above seasonal. It’s been really nice. It has actually beckoned to me and my running shoes. They had been hiding under my couch since November, patiently waiting for the good weather to return and running season to begin.

Saturday their patience finally paid off. Running season officially began for me.

The first run of the year is always the toughest, especially after a long winter break. I know this from past experience. That’s why I make sure to do an extensive stretch before setting out the first time. I keep a comfortable pace and only go for a short distance.

I normally like to run anywhere from 5 to 10 kilometers. When I am back in shape, it takes me about four minutes to run one km. My runs take me anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes on average.

Here are some tips for those of you starting a running routine or just getting back into it after some time off.

Get Good Shoes – Shoes really make the difference. Keep a pair of shows strictly for running and replace them every season or every 500 kilometers.

Start off Slow – Find a pace that is comfortable. You should be able to talk and not be short of breath. Keep that pace for the entire run and try not to stop and walk.

Keep it Short – If you want to run five or ten kilometers, start off trying a lot shorter of a distance. Run that shorter distance for at least a week before trying anything longer.

Make it a Routine – Run 3 or 4 times a week every week. Some days you may not feel like running and that is fine but if you take two days off, you cannot take a third. Get out there and run even if you don’t feel like it. Once you get started it will be fine and you’ll be getting back into the groove of things and running will become so much easier.

Read or Ask – I’m not an expert. I run because I enjoy it. If you are serious about running and want to know more you can find lots of professional advice online or at your local running store.

Have Fun – Do it for fun.

Well that’s it. Here’s to the start of a great running season! Hopefully I will see you on the trails or at a race.