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Follow these, and you'll be a wiser runner!
Ask questions.
Never stop learning. There are no stupid questions. Contact us at .
Balance.
Running is not all there is to life. Keep family, friends, and faith!
Carry a bandana!
Fold it over your waistband. Good for wiping sweat, and wiping other places in the event of a detour into the woods in the event of a sudden attack of Runner's Trots.
Diet wisdom!
60% carbohydrates, 25% fat, 15% protein. A high fat diet will destroy your ability to run.
Exercise your right to run!
There is freedom in covering ground under your own power. Appreciate it!
Fun!
That's what being an Ordinary Runner is all about!
Go racing!
Getting ready for a race is one of the most motivating aspects of running.
Hydration.
Drink, drink, drink. Your body is mostly water! Keep it that way!
Increase mileage slowly.
When you're adding mileage, never increase more than 10% a week. This helps to avoid injury.
Just keep moving!
This is the theme song of the Ordinary Runner. We may not be the fastest or sleekest, but we keep moving forward.
Keep a journal.
You'll be amazed what you'll learn about yourself, and how quickly you learn what works and what doesn't work... just by writing it down.
Limping is bad.
If something is hurting bad enough to make you change your stride, you need to rest. Remember RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.
Make friends!
Some of your best friends will be people you meet at races or training groups.
Notice the world around you.
Don't develop the bad habit of simply watching the ground in front of your shoes. Don't forget to look around and see the world while you're running!
Only for running!
Only wear your running shoes to run in, not to wear around during the day. You've got to keep those midsoles springy! This avoids injury.
Pounds!
Watch the pounds come off! If you just keep moving and stay consistent in your running, you WILL lose weight!
Quilt frequently.
Just seeing if you're still paying attention. (I bet you think of a running tip that started with a "Q"!)
Rotate shoes.
Use 2 pairs of shoes to keep the midsoles fresh. Use the shoe with lower miles for longer runs, and the high mileage shoe for shorter ones. This avoids injuries.
Shoes!
They are your MOST IMPORTANT piece of equipment. Buy quality, and take care of them. I can't stress this enough. Quality shoes are a must!
Trim your toenails.
Long toenails are a surefire way to get "black toe." (That's when your toenail turns solid black from pounding on the end of your shoe!)
Use a heart rate monitor.
Not only will you learn quickly about your heart rate info, but you'll have a lot of fun. A great piece of technology!
Vacation!
Yes, you need a vacation occasionally, even from running. A week long break once a year will do wonders for your muscles AND your mind.
Wicking materials!
Especially your socks! Keeping sweat away from your feet avoids blisters and Athlete's Foot. Keeping it away from your torso avoids getting too hot in summer, and too cold in winter.
X-Ray it!
If an injury keeps you from running, and persists, see a doctor! You don't want to develop a stress fracture!
Yikes! Don't run from dogs.
Face a dog, make yourself as big as you can, use a big voice. Back away slowly until he loses interest. If he doesn't lose interest, zig when he zags!
Zero calories in liquids.
We've talked about it before. If you're trying to lose weight in general, or training for a race, this is one of the quickest ways to lose it! Don't drink anything that has calories!
And that's the Running Tip, from A to Z!
Kely Braswell has been a runner for 27 years. He's not the fastest... just an Ordinary Runner. But he stays in shape, and he knows a lot about running! Beginning runners can look at , simple advice on running for beginners and mere mortals!
And at Ordinary Runner () we certainly believe EVERYONE should be a runner!
However, running does give us quite a pounding on our legs! Our joints and muscles are repeatedly shocked throughout the course of a run... And the more intense the run, the more pounding they take!
Cross training a day or two a week can work wonders!
What is cross training, you ask?
It basically means that you "cross over" for a day into another aerobic exercise area, instead of only running, in order to help prevent injury. (Or to recover after an injury!)
Don't get me wrong! Running, as we've stated before, is NUMERO UNO as far as aerobic exercises go! Nothing gets your heart rate going like a good run!
But running does give you a good pounding!
So lots and lots of runners take a day or two a week and cross train.
For cross training, you want to do another activity that elevates your heart rate, but doesn't pound you quite as much as running.
This gives your muscles and joints a rest, while keeping your heart going!
Cross training has some great benefits:
1) Gives joints, bones, and muscles a much needed rest, making them fresher for your next run.
2) Still increases your heart rate, so you still get a good aerobic workout even on the days you don't run.
3) Breaks the routine. (I mean, we love running, but sometimes it's just nice to do something else!)
So, what kinds of cross training are there?
There's riding a bike... But cycling can be expensive!
There are treadmills and elliptical machines at the gym... But the gym can be expensive, too, and one of the reasons we are runners is because we like the price!
Water Running
My recommended cross training activity is water running. It does take a one-time investment in an aqua jogger shoes or gloves (around $15-20) or an aqua jogging vest or belt (a $45-55 cost), but after that, you're good to go!
Just get in the deep water at your nearest pool, and run in the water. (It takes a little getting used to, but it's really very simple. In no time, you'll be water running with the best of 'em!
The health benefit of water running is big!
When you do your water running, your heart rate still gets up there (so you get the aerobic benefit), but your muscles get a rest from the pounding for a day.
So it's a perfect cross-training activity.
And just by doing water running, you're helping yourself prevent injury!
And if you're already injured (Let's hope not! But occasionally it does happen!), water running is perfect for keeping your aerobic fitness up while your injury heals.
So, take some good advice on running for beginners! For all of you who love running and want to keep doing it for years...
... Water aerobic exercise, in the form of water running, is a great way to cross train and save your legs!
You'll be saving some of the miles in your legs for another day!
Kely Braswell has been a runner for 27 years. He's not the fastest... just an Ordinary Runner. But he stays in shape, and he knows a lot about running! Beginning runners can look at , simple advice on running for beginners and mere mortals!