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The following tips will make training for your first 5k run fun and safe.

Congratulations on your initiative to run a 5k run. You'll be joining legions of healthy and happy runners who experience their neighborhood in a way those zooming through in their cars never will.

As a new runner, the most important thing you need to remember is that your goal should be to finish a 5k run strong and happy. You don't have to be fast (as John Bingham writes about in _No need for Speed_) of finish first if your run is a race. You just need to finish strong.

TIP 1: Get the right shoes.

As much as you may be tempted to wear your 5 year old lawn mowing running shoes or those nice purple cross-trainers you bought last week, you must have the proper shoes for running. Why? Because you can't finish a run if you are too injured to complete it. Proper running shoes are a must.

You can get great help choosing the right priced and shaped shoes at a running speciality store and some sporting goods stores. Staff there will measure your feet and assess your gait to point you to the right type of shoe.

In fact, many running experts recommend getting two pairs and alternating their wear.

TIP 2: Get the right socks

Those nice cushy broken-in all cotton socks are not the best choice for running. You'll want to find thin, specialty socks that will breath and not retain moisture in your shoes, as moisture causes blisters. If you blister bad enough, you won't be able to complete the 5k.

TIP 3: Don't worry about speed

If you start out your front door with your new shoes and socks and start running as fast as you can, you'll probably do one of two things: tire out in a minute or two, or injure yourself. If the first happens you'll spend a long time running for a minute or two for several days.

If the latter happens, then you might be off the road for days or weeks. Remember, if your goal is to finish your 5k strong and happy, then you don't need to focus on speed first.

TIP 4: Find the right pace, then take breaks.

Finding the right pace means finding a speed that you can maintain for anywhere from 30 seconds (when you first start), to 9 minutes of continuous running. You should be able to carry on short and light conversations - if you can't you are running to fast for your beginning training.

Jeff Galloway writes how runners of all skills can run for longer periods of time, for longer distances, and feeling stronger by taking a short walk break at regular intervals. For instance, when you first start running,

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