I’m going to preface by saying: I don’t call myself a “runner.” I just like staying active and see what meager goals I can complete. So, I set a goal for myself in June: to run everyday. Part of it is because of my goal to run a half-marathon and a marathon in all 50 states and [maybe] run a marathon on all 7 continents. My shoes of choice [of course]: Nike Pegasus 32; Nike Pegasus 34; Nike Zoom Fly.
Running with a partner > Running by yourself.
Most of the days I would run on my own. There have been days I’ve run with people and it’s nice to have company and also people you can pace off of. It certainly makes the long stretches of road more enjoyable running with someone. Not only on the long runs but even when we were doing tempo runs, repeats, or hills, it’s nice to have the company of others.
I learned about my digestive system.
Yeah running first thing in the morning, you learn a lot. Running mid day after eating half a dozen donuts, you learn a lot. I knew when I ate better, my runs would feel better [duh!] but not just the day before but even two days before. I would feel sluggish if I had just eaten a whole pizza and not only would my next day run be affected but the day after would too. There have been a few great articles written about you can eat or what you shouldn’t eat before and after runs. I generally tried to run on an empty stomach because it felt like I could run faster and stronger not having anything in my stomach.
Consistency. Consistency. Consistency.
Even though each run on each day is it’s own separate run, I started feeling the positive effects when I had been linking several runs together. I would often feel like I’m moving faster and feeling stronger after breaking through the 5K mark on my longer runs.
Running is easier when you lift.
This is always a hot button topic with runners. But you should be lifting. Trust me you won’t be busting through your shirts or getting “big” because the physiology doesn’t work that way. It’s very difficult to push on mass if you’re putting in a lot of mileage throughout the week, and the people I talk to are generally upwards of 40 miles a week. There are a few lifts I think runners could add to their training program to improve their times and their endurance.
No need to run to music, just let your mind go.
I remember thinking to myself how am I going to run without headphones or my iPod. Well first off, I don’t like carrying a phone when I run and I’ll get all tangled up within my headphones. Being able to run and just hear your cadence, your foot strike, the noise from outside is a peaceful thing.