A bunch of you have recently told me you've been inspired to run a road race. Good for you! Whether it be a 5K, 1/2 marathon or a full marathon, I'm also gonna give you some advice. Some of you asked, some of you didn't but here are a few things I will definitely remember if I ever do this again...
1) Stretch. Before, after, even in between. You will want to sit on the couch after you run but don't. Stretch, ice, and eat something healthy. It will help you recover more quickly and will prevent injury.
2) Schedule a time for your long runs and stick to it. I ran mine every Saturday morning. If you have a schedule, put it on your refrigerator so it's there and you look at it every morning. It will be part of your day. Don't slack.
3) Get good rest. The times where I was sleep deprived I had crappy runs and I'm pretty sure I cried at the drop of the hat. (Just ask my boyfriend who thought I needed a trip to the looney bin.)
4) Hydrate. Plain and simple.
5) Use your rest days. This was hard for me because I felt like I would fall flat. Rest days are as important as run days.
6) Tell people you're training for a race. Tell a lot of people (hell, even write a blog about it). You're about 75% more likely to do something if you tell others because you'll feel bad "taking it back."
7) Train your core. You'll think it's your legs that are doing all the work but your abs and lower back will feel the pain. Core strength is crucial when running.
8) Join a running group. I still prefer to run alone, however, having the option to run with a group and have added support is a good thing.
9) Think positively and keep it all in perspective. Race day will be 90% mental.
10) Know that is a commitment. You will need discipline, you will need to sacrifice some of your social life, you will hate it at times. The feeling of accomplishment, though, will be well worth it.
I don't care how much you weigh, I don't care if you've never exercised a day in your life, I don't care if you don't even own running shoes...If you put your mind to something, you will be able to do it. Once you do this one thing you never thought you could, you will feel like a totally different person. You will say, with confidence, "I can do anything." So go get em' kiddos. The world is your oyster. :)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Thanks for the tips Dish! I will say that a good pair of running shoes is key. Don't skimp on them either, for those of you looking to buy, you are going to pay at least $90 and could be upwards of $130. Go to a specialty store to buy them, like Marathon Sports:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.marathonsports.com/
They will look at your feet and put you in the right shoes. And buy the right shoes, not based on price. This will make a world of difference.
And I also can't express how much rest days are important. Use them as your vacations. There is a reason New Balance made a Love/Hate ad campaign on running. Because let's face it, running for the most part sucks. It is great when it is over. So take those rest days and use them to your full advantage, plan for them ("I have 2 more days of running then I get a rest day") will keep you motivated. Go out, hang with your friends, have a couple beers.
Also, know that you are going to have bad running days. Days where you feel great, then go out running and it just ain't happening. You struggle, you don't go as fast, and it just plain sucks. This is going to happen, and this is where you strengthen your mental muscle. You gotta make it, it may not be fast and it may not be pretty, but you gotta finish. For every day that sucks, you will have a good day when you feel like you could run 100 miles at a 6 minute pace. When you get those days, use them to your advantage and go further, faster. I feel that there is no rhyme or reason to when you will have these days, but you gotta know what to do when them come.
Thank you so much for posting this!!!!!!
ReplyDelete