RUNNING TIPS

RUNNING TIPS

 Brought to you by: completerunning.com and sportscompression.com

Motivation Tips

• Sign up for a race as soon as you feel up to it. 
• Find a committed running partner. It is much harder to skip a run when you have someone else depending on you. 
• Remember that you will have plateaus in your progress and tough days along the way. 
• It gets easier. 
• Accept and appreciate the fact that not every single run can be a good one. 
• Be prepared to remove the words “can’t” and “never” from your vocabulary. 
• “Do not compare yourself to others. Run within yourself and for yourself first. 
•  Don’t expect every run to be better than the last one; some of them will hurt. 
• Don’t think too much about it or you won’t do it. 
• Even a bad run is better then no run at all. 
• If you normally run with music try skipping it and listening to your feet to hear your pace and your gait. 
• Don’t be discouraged if you don’t experience weight loss immediately. 
• Start a running blog and read other running blogs regularly. 
• Running is not an excuse to triple your intake of doughnuts because runners gain weight too.

Nutrition Tips 

• Buy the powdered sports drink mix instead of premixed. It’s cheaper and more similar to race drink mixes. 
• Each pound you lose makes running a little easier. 
• Hydrate. Make it a habit to drink water throughout the day. 
• If you are running very long distance drink enough electrolytes (e.g. Gatorade). 
• On long runs eat something every hour—whether you feel like it or not. 
• During longer runs if you don’t like to carry water take some cash in your pocket pouch or a shoe wallet. Run a route where there’s a corner store that you can use as a pit stop to pick up your water and maybe use the bathroom. 
• Avoid eating spicy foods before running and the night before your long runs. 
• To aid recovery the most crucial time to eat and drink is in the hour immediately after you run.

Prevention Tips

• Wear compression socks. I prefer CEP Compression Socks. (www.sportscompression.com)
• Use Vaseline or BodyGlide wherever things rub. They will help prevent blisters and chafing (guys don’t forget the nipples). 
• Do not increase your mileage more than 10 percent per week. 
• Guys: Band-Aids before the long runs. Your nipples will thank you in the shower afterwards. 
• Log your mileage for your legs and your Shoes. Too much on either will cause you injury. 
• If you are prone to shin splints and lower leg pain try running soft trails for your Training runs and save the asphalt for race day. 
• Do not run two hard days back-to-back. 
• Ice aches and pains immediately. 
• Pay attention to your form. Try to run lightly to minimize impact that could lead to injury. 
• Cut your Training by at least 30 percent to 50 percent every 4th or 5th week for recovery. 
• When trail running don’t forget the bug spray. 
• Neosporin (or another antibiotic cream) is good for chafed areas (if you didn’t use your BodyGlide!). 
• Make sure you cut your toenails short enough so they don’t jam into your Shoes! 
• Put some BodyGlide between your toes on long runs. 
• Be careful about running on paths that force you to run consistently on a slant. It’s hard on the hips knees and IT bands. 
• Don’t stretch before a run. Warm up by walking briskly or jogging slowly for several minutes. 
• Do not ice for more than 20 minutes at a time. 
• Do not use the hot tub after a race. It will increase inflammation and hinder healing. 
• Frozen peas make a great ice pack for aches and pains. A thin t-towel wrapped around them makes the cold more comfortable.
• Wear compression socks. I prefer CEP Compression Socks (www.sportscompression.com)