Episode 26
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Hi! I’m Georgiana. Thanks for joining me for another episode of the Speak English Now podcast.
In today's episode:
I'm gonna talk about running or jogging.
Next, through a mini-story lesson, you'll practice vocabulary, and above all, you'll improve your spoken English.
Very well. Let's get started!
How to Start Running
I know it's tempting to just go out and run as fast as you can for as long as you can. However, keep in mind that if you want to run longer, and feel stronger, you'll need to be very patient.
Experts recommend adding one minute of running for every four minutes of walking and gradually increasing your running time so that, eventually, you'll be running for twice the amount of time you spend walking.
Your main goal is to get fit without getting hurt. Going way too fast, before your body's ready, is one of the most common causes of injuries. You can stay injury-free by gradually building up the time you spend walking and running, increasing the time by no more than 10 percent from week to week.
Footwear Footwear is logically the most important element. Running shoes are often called sneakers. You can find all kinds of footwear and for all possible conditions.
For example, you can find running shoes for hard surfaces, mixed, waterproof, with a drop or no drop (that means whether you raise your heel or not), minimalist, etc.
The truth is that people spend a lot of money on sneakers since a good pair of them usually cost more than $100, and sneakers don't last long.
The Clothes Some years ago, runners wore anything: a cotton T-shirt, shorts, and running pants. Today, runners use synthetic materials that allow sweat to dry quickly. If you go to a sports shop, you'll be surprised by the huge variety.
Supplements:
What did a runner do a few years ago before a race? Well, they just ate a sandwich or a banana, and were good to go.
Now amateur athletes tend to use very specific supplements. Protein supplements, vitamin supplements; sports drinks; energy gels; energy bars, etc. The lists seem endless. And I don't really know if these supplements are very effective, but people seem to spend hundreds of dollars every year on such supplements.
Want more speaking practice? Continue with a complete audio course.
IMPROVE YOUR SPEAKING
Mini-Story: Speaking Practice
Answer the questions aloud with short and quick responses. Repeat the Mini-Story several times to improve your speaking and listening.
Some years ago, Jason was a very sedentary man.
Jason, were you very sedentary?
Yeah, I was very sedentary. Sedentary means I didn't exercise, I didn't move.
Did you get a lot of exercise?
No, I didn't get much exercise. It was very sedentary a few years ago.
Jason. When were you sedentary?
A few years ago. I was sedentary a few years ago.
Were you very sedentary yesterday?
No, no. Yesterday I wasn't sedentary. I was sedentary a few years ago.
One day he decided to participate in the New York Marathon.
Did you decide to participate in a race?
Yes, I decided to participate in a race: the New York marathon.
Did you decide to remain sedentary?
No, I didn't decide that. I decided to participate in an important race.
What kind of race did you decide to participate in?
For running, swimming, or cycling?
Running. I decided to participate in a marathon. This means that I decided to participate in a race where the participants run. It wasn't a swimming race or a cycling race.
Okay, Jason, thanks for the information. So, the marathon wasn't swimming or cycling. Where was it held?
In which city?
In New York. The marathon was held in New York.
Jason spent $1000 (dollars/bucks) on the best sneakers and sportswear.
Did you spend money on sneakers?
Yeah. I spent money on sneakers.
How much money did you spend?
$1000. I spent $1,000 (bucks) on sneakers and sportswear.
Did they give you $1000?
No, they didn't give me $1,000. I spent $1,000. I spent $1000 (bucks.) What did you spend so much money on?
Well, on the best sneakers and sportswear. I was going to run in the marathon!
Every day Jason trained for 8 hours straight because he was very motivated. Jason... were you training before the marathon?
Yeah, sure. Sure. I was training. I was training for eight hours straight. What were you doing, Jason?
Did you watch TV because you were sedentary?
No, no. I wasn't watching TV; I was training. I trained as much as I could about eight hours straight because I was motivated. So, Jason... Why did you work out so many hours?
Because I was very motivated, I trained eight hours in a row every day because I was very motivated.
When the race started, Jason fell asleep because he was too tired. Did you fall asleep when the race started?
Yeah, I fell asleep when the race started. And why did you fall asleep?
Because I was too tired, I fell asleep because I was too tired. Oh... what a shame. Were you too tired or just a little tired?
Too tired. I was too tired. Of course, you had trained long before the race. You think you were tired because you'd trained a lot?
Yeah. Yeah. I think so, yes. I had trained long before the race. Maybe too much. Then I fell asleep when the race started. I slept very soundly. And you slept well?
Yes, I did sleep well. I slept soundly. I had a lot of rest. Did you rest or get tired?
I rested. I was too tired to run, and I fell asleep. I slept very well and rested.
Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you in the next episode.
Review
Vocabulary
Review the most useful words and expressions before listening again.
sedentary
not physically active.
sneakers
casual or athletic shoes.
gradually
slowly, in small stages.
synthetic material
man-made fabric rather than natural fiber.
injury-free
without physical injury.
supplement
a product added to support nutrition or performance.
footwear
shoes and other items worn on the feet.
in a row
continuously, one after another.
Want more speaking practice? Continue with a complete audio course.
hi everyone I’m just going to improve my English language with Georgiana
Thank you mam for your kind help
You are welcome dear Dinesh!
I rlly very satisfy about this your episode. And so on, it help me improve about some vocabulary and i feels listen skills have change so clear, thank you so much my pretty teacher.
Hi, Thanh! I’m really happy to know that I can help! Cheers!
thank you so much my teacher Giorgiana. God bless you.
His teacher Georgina thanked you
I love your PodCast, Georgiana! it helps me so much! Can you speak italian?