I am no doctor or running professional but I have certainly run a few miles and avoided injuries (so far!) so I thought I would share with you some of my favorite tips and tricks to get you through those long runs!
1.) HYDRATE - I cannot stress the importance of hydration before, during, and after your long run. One of the most horrible races I've run to date is due to the fact that I didn't drink enough water the day before the race. If you become dehydrated, your stomach will become extremely upset and often times, you'll have to stop running. Instead, drink lots of fluids the day before your long run and keep drinking while you run, especially during the summer months.
2.) Buy Running Shoes Half Size Bigger - Visit a running specialty store and get properly fitted. Not only will they size you but they will check your running gait. It's important to buy a size up or so because when you run long distances, your feet swell and you'll need the extra room in your toebox. Trust me, I personally know it's not pretty if you're shoes are too small after 16+ miles or so.
3.) Eat a Nourishing Breakfast/Dinner the Night Before a Long Run - Properly fuel your body with good carbohydrates, fruits, and vegetables. I love having a piece of toast with peanut butter the morning before a long run. It's not too heavy in your stomach but gives you the nutrients your body will need.
4.) Bring Snacks/Fuel - Studies show you need to add 30-60 grams of carbs each hour you run longer than 75 minutes. Heck, sometimes you're out there for hours training for a big race! Start fueling within 30 minutes so you stay fueled properly. Plus, it's great to test out your snacks and fuel before race day to see what works well for your body. I personally hate the gels and blocks because my mouth gets too dry. Beans work well for me and I love munching on a few every 15-20 minutes to keep my body going. Another trick, during race day, I usually rotate between Gatorade and water at the rest stops - too much Gatorade upsets my stomach. A great tip I learned in my Road Runners Club was to pinch the cups on race day so the water doesn't get all over you. This way you can keep running while you hydrate!
5.) Plan Route Ahead of Time - It's important to ENJOY the long runs. Plan a route you'll enjoy and mix things up so you don't get bored. Maybe drive to a local park and do an out-and-back (run out 8 miles, turn around and run 8 back home). I personally likes these types of runs because in my head, "I have to get home" so there's no other way then to run home! When I was training for a race, the weather was horrible so I had no option that week then to run my long run on the treadmill (aka: dreadmill!). The entire 12 miles on the treadmill, I visualized my "out-and-back" route. There was absolutely no other way I could have run 12 miles on the treadmill! Another option is a Point-to-Point run. Try to think of ways to use public transit. Perhaps leave your house and run 16 miles straight to the city. Grab a snack with friends and use public transit to get home. Make it fun!
6.) Start Early and Under-Dress - Okay, I'm a morning person so it's easy for me to say just get up and GO! But seriously, if you just get it over with, you don't have to deal with the excuses you'll come up with. I can talk myself out of running every single day. However, if you get up and move before your body even knows what you're doing...it'll be over before you know it! Another plus, the temperatures are cooler in the morning during the summer months. Another fun fact I learned from the Road Runners - your body temperature rises about 20 degrees hotter than the outside temperature. So if it's 70 beautiful, perfect degrees out, your body will feel like it's 90 degrees. So under-dress accordingly! ;-)
7.) Increase Mileage Slowly - Whether your running with a group or doing your own program, you should have a plan set in place to prepare for race day. There are so many great free programs (my personal favorite is Hal Higdon) - take advantage of them! Find/make a program that works for you and your schedule. I'm not going to lie, training for long races takes TIME! Your long runs should only increase a mile or at most 2 miles every week so keep this in mind when you start your training program. It might sound silly to start training for an October race in February but your body needs that training time to avoid injury. It's important to do all your long runs (unless your sick!) in order to get your body ready for race day. At the beginning of training, 16 miles may seem impossible. But trust me, if you increase your mileage correctly, your body will be ready for those long miles. It's pretty amazing!
8.) Ask Friends or Family to Join - Maybe sign up for a race with a friend and train together! If this doesn't work, you can always ask your friends or family to join in all or a portion of your long runs. My husband used to run with me but has never been a fan of the long distances. One weekend I had to run 12 miles so I ran the first 6 miles and he joined me for the second 6 miles. It was so great to have this to look forward to while running the first half. Plus, if you have a friend to join, you can start chatting and not even realize how many miles you've already completed!
9.) Post-Run Stretch - Stretching is crucial to avoid running injuries. Running is extremely hard on your body and I have family members that didn't take the time to stretch and have severely injured their bodies to the point of surgery. Take 5-20 minutes to stretch your arms, neck, back, quads, hamstrings, calves, etc. PLEASE! Some runners even ice their muscles or take ice baths after running long miles. Consult your doctor to see what type of stretches are best for you!
10.) Take an Active Rest Day after a Long Run - Last but not least, take an active rest day. You deserve it! I say active because you don't want to be sitting around - this makes your muscles even tighter. If I'm at work the day after a race or long run, you can usually find me walking down the hall funny because my muscles are sore! It helps to get up and walk around a bit the day after a long run. Continue stretching and maybe even sign up for a yoga class to stretch those muscles.
I hope you find these tips and tricks helpful. It's important to have fun, stay safe, and enjoy the miles!
No comments:
Post a Comment