Beginning runners, especially those past college age, might never become experienced runners if they don't begin training the correct way.

One of the most important and frequently overlooked aspects of running is form. Not only does proper technique enable one to run faster, it is necessary to prevent chronic injury. Because running injuries occur by over-use and not by sudden movement like in more explosive sports, form is almost always the underlying cause.

For some quick tips on sustainable form, Jen Van Allen, a running coach and author of "The Runner's World Big Book of Running for Beginners," recommends good posture, eyes directed towards the horizon, and arms that swing parallel to each (not across the torso). She also suggests engaging in periodic checks for tension in the body, Counsel and Heal reported.

Once upon a time, when we were young kids running around and not desk jockies in front of computer screens, we didn't need a guide for running, as one of my physical therapists pointed out to me while was helping me overcome a long term injury related to my less than adequate posture. As life has gradually forced us to sit, we've slowly forgotten how to run without hurting ourselves.

Van Allen is so cautious of beginning runners she recommends four to six weeks of walking before that first run. Understandably, she believes the first few outings should be taken slowly. Others -- such as my own p/t --, however, believes that quicker running, or at least occasional bursts of speed, help us maintain our form. Thus, beginning runners shouldn't go too slow on their runs.

Besides form, one of the biggest flaws of beginning runners or those who don't run at all is how they comparie their own experiences to other runners. Watch professionals finish a marathon or, for a better example, a mile, 5k, or 10k on the track, I would tell them if I had the chance. The elites may be exhausted at the end, but they're almost always composed. Sometimes, like in the case of Galen Rupp, they even run an intense workout after breaking an American record. Running, therefore, gets easier and more enjoyable the faster you get. For most, it is an addiction. Yet, when we first begin it usually isn't so fun, which makes it hard to picture a future that is.