Another Fittastic day here at Cor Fitness. It's been a rainy one in Florida today, but still love to see all these devoted people in here working out refusing to let a little dreary weather keep them from their fitness!
Heads up for everyone, this is a longer post but totally worth it! Let us know your thoughts or any of your own tips! We'd love to hear from seasoned runners or even newbies! Nobody is perfect, we can all help each other reach goals! Let's do this, Fitheads!
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I have been noticing a lot of long distance runners lately and heard that more and more people are getting into this awesome craze. I thought I'd share a tip list to those of you who envy these runners and want to try it out for yourselves! If you are planning to get into running or amp up your current running routine, try to stick to a few simple guidelines for your safety and to do your best.
- Start small. One mistake a lot of new runners make is trying to hard to push themselves until they run 5, 10, 15 miles or more all at once. This should never be the case. Listen to your body and gradually work up to a level that's higher. You didn't learn to walk in one day so why should your start running long distances in one day?
- Increments really do help. New runners should try to run at a challenging pace for 30 seconds then walk for 30 seconds and repeat. Gradually work up to longer increments (60 seconds run 60 seconds walk) then try to get the running increments to become longer than the walking (90 seconds run 20 seconds walk) Then eventually get to a place where you only walk when you absolutely need to. This will keep your heart rate up, allow adequate rest times for new runners and also let you feel like you're getting in breaks without just stopping and breathing - the key is to keep moving but don't push yourself too hard, keep a steady pace to ensure you can go the distance without injury or fatigue.
- Location, location, location! Trying to run 5 miles on a treadmill can become rather boring. Why not save the treadmill for the increment training or warming up and cooling down? Take your longer runs to a trail, down the street, along a forest, on the beach or anywhere else you enjoy the scene. Being able to look at different things while you run is a good way to keep your mind fresh and help you not focus SO much on the running. On a treadmill you're more likely to get bored of staring at the digital distance tracker and walk away before you're finished. Why do you think they hold so many races in beautiful places rather than on a long line of treadmills? Just remember, if you're in nature make sure to keep an eye on the trail ahead so you don't trip over a branch or step in a hole!
- Stay loose. If you tense your body up you could get tired a lot faster than if you stay limber. Try to stretch out with Yoga classes and keep a strong core. Your core muscles do so much more than your realize when it comes to running and having a strong base for running. It even helps with posture!
- Don't skip a run because it's too hot or too cold. You can't predict what the weather will be like (even weathermen are just guessing!) but you can devote yourself to run no matter what weather arises (excluding lightning storms, tornadoes, hurricanes, you get the picture...) Just go for your run fully prepared! If it's cold, bring a jacket tied around your waist, chances are you'll warm up and not even need it after a while. If it's hot wear a tank and shorts and make sure to have some ice water with you, sure the ice may melt, but the water won't.
- Fill the tank! Make sure you have enough food in your running belly to adequately fuel your run. After all... it would be so unfortunate to pass out in the middle of a forest! Try to eat foods that won't upset you while you run causing pain, acid re-flux, heartburn, or just giving you a bloated or sloshy stomach. It's never a bad idea to bring along some healthy snacks to supply your run with some calories if you've started getting your miles up. The more miles your running the more fuel you'll need. At least 300 calories divided into a few different options should suffice. Another important note is eating a small after run meal as well to replenish all the stuff you just burned. Keep it healthy and smart though! Make that run mean something!
- Safety first! It's never a bad idea to run with a buddy but if that isn't able to happen you still need to be safe. Make sure if you plan to navigate new lands (or stay on old stomping grounds) you stay safe and tell a couple people where you're going, how long you plan to be gone, when you should be back, and that you'll contact them when you are back. In case anything was to happen during your run, you'd want people to know you were there so they could help you!
I hope these tips helped and didn't overwhelm you! As I said before we'd love to hear thoughts, opinions and tips from readers, runners or beginners, members or non members, everyone that is in it to win it and just wants to lend a helping hand to the fitness world, we want to hear from you!
As always, have a Fittastic day and stay motivated!
-Casey, Cor Fitness
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