Hey everyone!
I have been wanting to write something like this for awhile. There have been
multiple long runs when I have spent a few miles thinking about what I want to
write. There are lots of running books/blogs out there. And I have read a few,
but not as many as I probably should. Along the trail though I have figured out
a few tricks of my own, and I thought I would share them.
1) Dress in layers- Let's start with the obvious one you
see everywhere. Multiple thin layers are so much better than one thick layer.
You can strip off outer layers if you get hot, and they are easy to slip back on
without breaking stride when you get cold.
2) You do not have to wear designer gear or even match! You
DO have to wear wicking material. Cotton will cause bleeding, and the inability
for you to dry from your sweaty self. I personally shop the clearance racks. I
buy my gear in the off season for the next season. I shop at Ross, or JCP, and
have been known to pick something up at Wal-Mart. And since i have one pair of
neon green compression socks, I never match. This leads into...
3) Support your local running store! Yes I buy my clothes
on the clearance racks, but that's because I am a low middle class married woman
of two small children and a $1000 daycare bill a month. I always buy my shoes
at a running store. They actually know what they are doing. It's worth the $100
price tag, i promise. You won't get shin splints. Ignore all the 20% off coupons
coming to your email from your local big box. Your feet and legs will thank
you.
4) Dress slightly too cold for the weather. You should be
uncomfortable when you step out of the car in the cooler months. You should be
hopping from one foot to the other wondering what is taking so long to get
started. I promise by the end of mile one you will be thanking me. I have
probably worn my running coat a handful of times this winter. That was only in
the below 30 degrees weather. And only one time did I end up leaving it on the
whole run. Those 50 mile an hour winds stink! (disclaimer: I live in Oklahoma,
you people up North have it bad, I do not envy you!)
5) Don't turn your heat/ ac on in the car on the way over.
Now this one I am really proud of. I figured it out all by my onesy, and I have
had several friends start doing the same. So you step out of your house, and
it's a 15 minute drive to your favorite trail. It's FREEZING OUT. (or horribly
hot, take your pick. we will pretend cold since it's march) Whatever you do, DO
NOT turn your heater on! Sit there in your gloves, hat, running gear, and
shiver all the way to your destination. By the time you get there, you will be
acclimated to that temperature. It won't be so bad. Then when you step outside,
the wind will hit you, but it won't be so terribly awful that you turn around
and drive back home. It will make your first mile easier, I promise!
6) Practice, Practice, Practice! The key to being a
successful average runner is to not let anything surprise you. Test everything
before race day. Test your playlist out. Test running with no music in case
your ear buds break on a race (that's happened to me!). Test what you eat, test
multiple methods of getting water. Test every shirt, sock, underwear, bra you
own. Test which head band you like the best. (I just use a plain handkerchief
for $1 at Wal-Mart) Test what you eat for breakfast, test how you drink your
water, test when you drink your water. Test, test, test, test, test. No
surprises. EVER. I hope that's clear enough! By the time I get down to the
month before race day, I wear my outfit every single time.
7) Fuel and Hydration: If you feel like you are going to
cry, or are extremely emotional, you are dehydrated. Drink something. If you
are ANGRY and think the whole thing is stupid and your running partner is stupid
and this road is stupid and that volunteer needs a good punch in the face, you
need fuel. Eat something! Test out all different kinds of foods. I have finally
settled on Payday's and the fancy electrolyte Jelly Beans at my running store.
Figure out what works for you! Some of my friends carry bananas and oranges. I
need something more substantial.
8) Yes training sucks: There has never been a runner out
there ever who was born into it. (Unless your illegitimate daddy is a Gazelle.)
Yes you will get injured. The problem is, it doesn't matter if you are hurt. It
doesn't matter if you pulled that muscle, or hobble around like a dork (that was
me last fall) You have to go out and train anyway. So many people I know fall
away because they pull a muscle, or injure a tendon. I don't see those people
on race day. What I do see on race day, is everyone who ran even though they
were tired, sick, depressed, hurt, angry. Those are the ones who get the
medals. I do not want to discourage anyone from trying. I think that EVERYONE
can do it. But you have to realize all of those petty excuses you have
used over the years don't work here in marathon land. The road doesn't
care about your issues. The road is hard, jarring, and long. It doesn't forgive.
It doesn't care what you ate for lunch. It doesn't care if you are fat. I
promise you that I have never met a runner who thought negatively over what a
person looks like. We don't care because we are totally focused on ourselves.
Which leads to:
9) You have to want it: It has to be something that you
can't live without. You have to put in so much time, effort, attention to
detail, blood, sweat, and pain. Yes blood! I have fallen 3 times from
exhaustion! And did I stop? No! I ate some dang fuel and kept going. You have
to be stubborn. People you deeply care about will tell you it's impossible. Or
they will say things like, let me know if i need to pick you up before the
finish line. People will call you crazy. And you know what? Screw them! How
dare they try to diminish what you are doing for yourself! The entire journey of
distance running is all about you. This is about no one else.
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