I ran my fastest mile today! 13 minutes! Which I know isn’t that impressive, but what ev’s, I worked my ass off for that 13 minutes! I pushed myself harder than I ever have and it was totally worth it. I guess you could say I have a love/hate relationship with running. It’s my least favorite exercise but the one I’m always the most proud of.
So I came up with some quick RUNNING TIPS to help you if you’re trying to improve your running experience. I mean, i’m no professional, but i’ve been able to cut my mile time in half just from doing this stuff.
1. EAT A GOOD MEAL -
My best runs have always been when I’ve eaten a healthy meal about 2 hours before hand. My body has time to digest the food and i’m filled with energy by the time I get to the treadmill.
Eating 10 minutes before I run does nothing for me! Even worst, not eating before running obliterates me! When I don’t eat, my mile times are pathetic! Without eating, I don’t have the energy to go 100%.
Food can make or break your run!
I mean, you wouldn’t go on a road trip without first filling your car up with gas, right? The same goes for your body.
Eat something! Eat well! and your running will drastically improve!
2. CARDIO FIRST -
I try to do 60% cardio and 40% strength training when I workout. I think that’s a pretty good balance for weight loss.
My routine is always been to do my runs before my weights. Whenever I’ve done strength training first, it never ends well. My body will ache and beg me not to go hardcore on the treadmill. Honestly, who wants to start a run feeling sore?
My best workouts always come when I run first. It gets my heart pumping and sends a signal to my body that it’s time to get to work! Plus, it feels awesome to sit on a bench after running and just do some bicep curls.
3. WEAR FITTED CLOTHES -
This one seems like a no brainier, but i’ve fallen victim to the comfy sweat pants trap one too many times! Wear clothes that fits! Don’t be the person pulling up their shorts during a run. Not only is it annoying as hell, but it takes your focus off of your workout.
Also, wearing clothes thats too tight can be really uncomfortable. You need to be able to breathe when you run! That’s kind of important. So dress comfortably and I promise it’ll improve your running.
4. WORKOUT BUDDIES! -
The next time you go to the gym, take a friend with you! Make a friendly bet that the loser has to buy smoothies and then race your heart out! You’ll be surprised how a little friendly competition can improve your workout.
5. GO HARD, BUT NOT THAT HARD - I can always tell when I push my body too hard. I feel abnormally weak afterwards and sometimes I’ll even get sick.
Push yourself, go hard, but don’t go so hard that you make yourself sick! Sure you finished that mile faster than you ever have, but it’s not worth it if you’re too sick to finish you’re workout.
6. SET THE RIGHT EXPECTATIONS - You probably won’t cut your mile time in half over night. You probably won’t be able to keep up with someone who’s in much better shape than you. Set the right expectations for yourself. Don’t go into the gym and say “I’m gonna run 18 miles in an hour today” because you’ll only bum yourself out if you don’t reach that goal.
Make goals for yourself, but make them realistic. I swear, nothing feels better than hitting a goal you’ve made for yourself. Don’t make that fantastic feeling unattainable!
7. MAKE A WORKOUT PLAYLIST -
This is probably THE MOST IMPORTANT RUNNING TIP I could give you!
I’m super duper cereal you guys, a strong playlist is an absolute must!
Music has the power to push you more than anything else! I know when I run, I need to have a strong beat blaring in my ears to keep my mind off of how hard my heart is pounding!!
I don’t care if you’re feeling tired or ugly or heartbroken, everyone has that one song that takes them to another place. A song that makes you forget you’re even working out. A song thats your anthem.
Make a playlist full of anthem songs and you’ll notice the music pushing you through your miles!
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So those are just some tips that have helped me improve my running. Hopefully some of you can benefit from these tips as well.
Also, If you guys have any advice for me, please feel free to comment! I still think of myself as fitness newbie and I need all the help I can get!
#bebrave
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![Health Apps
I not gonna preach Apple products like some pretentious bandwagoner whose looking for validation based on what phone or computer they have. My interest in the company is much more involved than that. I work for Apple and everyday it seems like I discover new apps and products to help with my new ultra-healthy lifestyle.
For example, that 100 pushups app is what trained me to go from doing a mere 3 pushups to doing 150 in one month!
I use the Restaurants app to get all the nutritional information on restaurant dishes before I order. I think it’s helped more than any other app!
I track all of my daily/weekly/monthly progress through the Lose It app.
Nike+ always keeps track of my runs either on my iPhone or my Nano. [Side note, I strongly prefer the iPod Nano for runs. It comes with Nike+ on it already and fits nicely into my wrist band.]
These apps really can make a difference if you utilize them often. I know there are tons of other great health apps out there. I haven’t gotten the chance to try them all out so if anyone else has any good apps, please let me know!
#bebrave
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