27 Ways to Run Better
Every Day
By Runner's World editors
Mark Covert doesn't have to think about his run
today. It's a given; he's going to do it. After running for 12,480
days in a row (through September 30, 2002), Covert isn't about
to miss today. Or tomorrow. Or the day after.
You, however, probably need a plan for today's workout. Without
a plan, it's just too easy to skip a run. You've got pressures
in the office, errands to do, classes to take, things to deal
with at home.
And more. Always more. Which makes it tough to put together a
consistent training program.
Yet consistency is the most essential piece of every training
program. It's the one thing—perhaps the only one—that
every coach, physiologist, and medical expert agrees on.
Without consistency, you aren't going anywhere. You're not going
to get faster. You're not going to run farther. You're not going
to lose weight, lower your blood pressure, finish that marathon,
or achieve your other running goals.
With a consistent training program, on the other hand, the sky's
the limit. You'll feel better and run better every day. So let's
get with it. Here are 27 ways to add more consistency
to your running.
1. Run with others. To make sure you do a workout,
there's nothing like the social pressure of knowing someone else
(or a group) is waiting for you. Bonus: It's often more fun than
running alone, especially if you're doing a long run, or a speed
workout on the track.
2. Try something new. The fitness world is full
of new and fun-filled events, and they don't all require a 3-week
trip to Borneo and a survivor diet of grubs and lizards. Don't
let yourself get bored with an endless string of 5-K and 10-K
races. Cary Stephens, an attorney in Corvallis, Oreg., found himself
drawn to "scrambles," an off-road running adventure.
(To learn more, visit www.bigredlizard.com.)
3. Run like a tortoise. We can't lie to you.
This isn't a sport of instant success and miracle shortcuts. Patience
pays off, often in a very big way. At the beginning of a marathon
training program, many participants can't imagine themselves running
more than 5 miles. Twelve to 16 weeks later, voilà: the
cheering crowd and unbelievable exhilaration of reaching a marathon
finish line. Stick with the program. Repeat: Stick with the program.
Prepare to be amazed.
4. Take a break. To every thing, there is a
season. You don't have to run every day, every week, or even every
month. Many top runners visualize their training year as a mountain
range. It has peaks and valleys—recovery periods when they
let their running taper off, so that they can build all the higher
in their next training period. For healthy, consistent training,
your body needs regular—that is, weekly, seasonal, and annual—recovery
periods.
5. Eat a healthy breakfast. We can't emphasize
this one enough. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day,
because it fuels you for the entire day. To skip breakfast or
eat a skimpy one is like failing to rehydrate and refuel after
a marathon. You wouldn't do that, would you? Well, your night's
sleep is like a marathon to your body, because you don't get any
fuel while you're sleeping. So carbo-load at breakfast. And add
a little protein.
6. Get cozy with frozen vegetables. This isn't
a nutrition tip. It's an injury-prevention tip. If London Marathon
winner Paula Radcliffe can take ice baths after a hard race, you
can stand a bag of frozen peas against your sore knees for 15
minutes. Nothing reduces inflammation and holds injuries at bay
like ice. Result: You stick to your training program. Don't like
veggies? Fruit works, too. Try a small bag of frozen blueberries
or strawberries. Or one of the many commercial ice wraps, often
with handy Velcro straps. (You can find a good one at www.contourpak.com.)
7. Find a coach. Maybe the kind who yells at
you every once in a while. (But probably not.) Point being, a
coach's first job is to motivate you in a way no one else can.
Second job: To lay out your training program. Third job: To prevent
you from straying from the program, probably by running too much
or too fast. You can find a coach by asking around, calling running
stores, and checking the Internet.
8. Join the "X" revolution. Despite
the many proven benefits of cross-training, we still know too
many runners who only run. C'mon, folks. We love running, too.
We know all about the "specificity-of-training" rule,
but we still skip the occasional running workout to get in some
cross-training. Mainly strength training, bicycling, elliptical
training, yoga, stairclimbing, pool running, rowing, and walking.
Why? Not because we think these routines will make us faster in
our next half-marathon, but because they make us fitter and less
prone to injury.
9. Keep a log. Your training log is a great
source of the kind of motivation that builds consistency. It beckons
to be filled in, reveals the secrets of your training and racing
successes, and provides lots of inspirational quotes and useful
tips.
10. Enter races. You don't have to race to be
a serious runner, but, geez, there are so many good reasons to
enter races. Jeff Galloway, RW columnist, says that entering races,
especially marathons, "scares" people into training
the way they should. That's a good one. But we also like the sense
of community you get from races. They help you realize that you
belong to something big, and that there are more people than you
imagined who share your running and fitness goals. Besides, it's
good to go for the burn every now and again.
11. Pay attention to your shoes. Some things
should be obvious, and this is one of them. But it's worth repeating,
if it keeps even one of you from getting injured. Most shoes wear
out after 300 to 500 miles. You often can't see the wear, but,
your knees, hips, back, and Achilles tendons know it. Give your
old, worn shoes to a local Salvation Army or similar group, and
get yourself to a running-specialty store for a new pair. (While
you're there, buy some reflective gear. The days are getting shorter.
Make sure you're visible on the road this winter.)
12. Run early. You want to get something done?
Do it early in the day. Everything gets tougher later in the day
when various tasks and responsibilities start ganging up on you.
In a recent Runner's World Online survey, the two most popular
workout times were 5 a.m. and 6 a.m.
13. Practice good posture. Not just when you're
running, but all the time. This is especially important if you've
got an office job, and are sitting at a computer all day (like
us). Make sure your keyboard and monitor are properly positioned,
and sit straight but comfortably in your chair. Some of us have
recently started sitting on those large Swedish exercise balls,
which encourages good posture because you have to use your legs
and stomach muscles to keep from falling off. Good posture can
improve your running efficiency and decrease injury risk. Ergo,
better consistency.
14. Use the fridge. In two ways. First, be sure
it's always stocked with those key foods you rely on for healthy
nutrition and snacking: sports drinks, low-fat yogurt, fruit,
nuts, carrots, etc. Take your pick. Second, put something inspirational
on the outside of the fridge: a picture of you and friends at
a race, a training plan, a great quote.
15. Schedule it. You've got your Microsoft Office
calendar, your PDA, your Day Planner, your napkin with the scrawled
list of stuff you absolutely, positively have to get done today.
Be sure to write in your workout. Carve out an hour in your day.
The experts all agree: Your exercise is one of your most important
daily activities. Make it happen. The President of the United
States exercises almost every day. You should, too.
16. Subscribe to our free e-mails. We send out
several free e-mail newsletters each week, and they're guaranteed
to inform and inspire you. Go to www.runnersworld.com/newsletters,
where you can pick the one or the several newsletters that most
appeals to you.
17. Get your clothes ready. And your shoes.
Root through your closets and drawers the night before a morning
run to select and organize the running gear you need. Another
good trick: Have a complete bag of running gear (and a dry shirt
and towel) always at the ready in the trunk of your car. You never
know when you'll be able to use them.
18. Run on different surfaces. See how many
different surfaces you can run on in a week: Asphalt, gravel,
trail, grass, track, treadmill, beach. Each stresses your leg
muscles in a slightly different way, helping to prevent overuse
injuries. (If possible, avoid concrete, the hardest and least
accommodating surface for runners.)
19. Take a trip. Reward your training and racing
successes with a special running vacation. Take in an exotic international
marathon; many runners have had good luck with a trusted provider,
Marathon Tours (www.marathontour.com), which can offer guaranteed
entry into those difficult-to-enter events. Or, organize your
running partners into a relay team, and enter an exciting and
fun-filled road relay like Hood to Coast (Oregon), the Hana Relay
(Maui), the Lake Tahoe Relay (California), the Cabot Trail Relay
(Nova Scotia), or the Lake Winnipesaukee Relay (New Hampshire).
20. Stay flexible. We like that word—it
has so many important meanings. Here, we're talking about a regular
stretching program to keep your legs limber and injury-free. Or
yoga and Pilates routines, both of which are enjoying a huge surge
in popularity. Pick the approach that works best for you. You
need to prevent injuries if you want to improve your training
consistency.
21. Run before you get home. If you can't run
in the morning or at lunch, at least try to run before you get
home from work. Stop at a favorite park or trail on your way home
from the office, and do a workout there. Or arrange to meet some
friends for a run at 5:30 p.m. Once you're at home, it's hard
to get out the door again for a workout.
22. Stay hydrated. Eat your fruits and vegetables.
Get plenty of sleep. We know: You've heard all this stuff before.
Okay, we'll stop. But just remember that the simplest, most basic
advice often makes the biggest contribution to improved consistency.
23. Adopt a runner. Sometimes, the most motivating
and rewarding thing you can do is to reach out to someone else.
It could be someone close: at work or even in your family. Or
your club might receive occasional calls from new runners, or
those who want to begin. Offer to help. Beginners don't need a
mentor with a Ph.D. They need encouragement, a personal connection,
and the kind of basic training, nutrition, and injury-prevention
experience you already possess.
24. Start a running streak. We don't mean that
you should run every day like. In fact, we don't advise that for
most runners. But we like the idea of running the same road race
every year, like Jack Kirk, who has completed the Dipsea Race
in Mill Valley, Calif., for 67 years in a row. Or you could run
one marathon a year, every year. Or you could "collect"
states by racing in a different state every year.
25. Join an online community. Many running Web
sites, including ours, have forums or message boards where runners
exchange information, opinions, and greetings that develop into
digital friendships. Often, these blossom into "encounters,"
where the online friends agree to meet at a particular race. Along
the way, they encourage each other's training, and lend a sympathetic
ear when that's what you need most.
26. Establish a prerun routine. You warm up
at the start of a race, and at the beginning of a workout, but
it's also helpful to warm up for your warmup, so to speak. Follow
a routine. Sixty minutes before your run, reach for a bottle of
sports drink. At run-minus-30, get up and take a 3-minute stroll
to loosen the legs. At run-minus-10, listen to a favorite psych-up
song. Include any other short activities that work for you. Psychologists
say these routines help us develop the healthy patterns we want.
27. Don't obsess about it. Hey, we wish every
day went as planned, and every run fit perfectly into the scheme
of things. But stuff happens. Life has a way of playing tricks
on all of us, both the unexpectedly happy variety and that other
kind. Don't worry about the runs you miss. Sometimes the best
advice is simply to run with a smile on your face, and to enjoy
and appreciate every workout. Come to think of it, that's always
the best advice.
