Running Tips
On Saturday, Burke and I took turns running 11 miles in preparation for our half marathon we are running in just 3 more weeks. We were both nervous as we had skipped the 10 mile run the week before due to conference and visits with family. However, to our great surprise, 11 miles was easier than 9 and we were barely even sore the next day. I attribute it to a couple of things and would love to share some tips with any of you other runners out there.
Tip #1: Music or Audio Books
Burke is not a runner. Neither am I, really, but since I have done a half marathon before, I have felt a little more confident in my abilities to do it again. Burke really struggled the first few runs we went on, but once he discovered how listening to a good beat can totally re-energize you and get your mind back in the zone, he has been killing it! One of my favorite running songs that always seems to come on our little ipod shuffle at the perfect time is "My Body" by Young the Giant. I think we actually came by it as a free song on itunes one week, but it is so perfect when you're dying to walk and suddenly the lyrics, "My body tells me no, but I won't quit, cause I want more!" come on and pump you up and get you through another tedious half a mile. Love it! Here's the video if you want to hear the great beat (the video itself is sort of lame).
Tip #3: Chia Seeds
My final tip we also learned from McDougall. Much of his book focuses on the Tarahumara Indians of central Mexico who are able to run hundreds of miles in a week on nothing but sandals made out of old tires. As he explored their culture, he learned that all of their runners use Chia Seeds to help give them energy in their runs. Since the book was written, the running community has caught onto the Chia secret and they are marketed all over now. My amazing mother was so thoughtful and brought down a bag for us at conference so on our long run on Saturday we were finally able to test them out. We put about a tablespoon in our water bottles and drank them as we ran. I don't know if it was the cooler weather, the new shoes, the fat breakfast we ate or the seeds themselves, but both Burke and I felt SO good on this run and have determined that the Chia Seeds had some magical effect on replenishing our bodies calories and boosting our energy. Speaking of calories, the ap on Burke's phone said that we burned about 1,500 calories on our 11 mile run. Sure made me feel less guilty about eating pizza for dinner and 3 cookies the next day!
Tip #1: Music or Audio Books
Burke is not a runner. Neither am I, really, but since I have done a half marathon before, I have felt a little more confident in my abilities to do it again. Burke really struggled the first few runs we went on, but once he discovered how listening to a good beat can totally re-energize you and get your mind back in the zone, he has been killing it! One of my favorite running songs that always seems to come on our little ipod shuffle at the perfect time is "My Body" by Young the Giant. I think we actually came by it as a free song on itunes one week, but it is so perfect when you're dying to walk and suddenly the lyrics, "My body tells me no, but I won't quit, cause I want more!" come on and pump you up and get you through another tedious half a mile. Love it! Here's the video if you want to hear the great beat (the video itself is sort of lame).
When it was my turn to run, I uploaded the last 3 chapters of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on the ipod and attempted my first run while listening to a book. I wasn't sure how it would go, but I actually loved it! Keeping my mind on the story rather than on the miles ahead of me kept me at a solid, steady pace the entire run. Often, I psych myself out thinking, "I've still got 5 miles to go and I want to walk!" But having my imagination churning as I focused on the story kept my mind occupied and left my body free to exhibit its strength.
Tip #2: Shoes
In THIS POST a few months ago, I mentioned that Burke and I recently read "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall, but I didn't expound on what a terrific book it was about the ultra-marathoner community. Although I have no aspirations to run a full marathon, I gained a lot of great insight into running as he touched on things such as the anatomy of our feet and why running a particular way can absorb the shock of the pavement better than other forms. We've tried hard to take McDougall's advice and consciously change our form so that the balls of our feet hit the pavement first, rather than our heels. It takes some getting used to, but has definitely improved our form.
Another running aspect McDougall explores is the type of shoes we wear. He explained that we, as human beings, were born to run and our feet can withstand tremendous amounts of pressure. However, with all the super gelled-up and thickly padded running shoes on the market, there have been HUGE increases in running injuries. His theory is that the more we pad our foot, the less conditioned those muscles are to absorb the shock and in actuality we cause more pain by padding our feet than if, like the Tarahumara Indians (the "Running People" as he calls them) we can in nothing but sandals. McDougall actually says that running studies are beginning to show that you are better off buying the cheapest shoe, rather than the most expensive! So, again, Burke and I wanted to test out his advice. We both purchased new shoes recently and went not for brand, gelled soles or expensive price tags, but instead looked for a more minimal sole and a minimal price. I chose Sauconys on sale for $34 bucks and Burke chose some cheap Asics. After clocking some mileage we have been SO impressed with how great our feet feel and have vowed to never fall into the Nike trap again. I have also struggled with blisters on my feet in my old shoes, but the Saucony toe box is designed a bit wider and I haven't had a single blister since! Hallelujah!
Tip #3: Chia Seeds
My final tip we also learned from McDougall. Much of his book focuses on the Tarahumara Indians of central Mexico who are able to run hundreds of miles in a week on nothing but sandals made out of old tires. As he explored their culture, he learned that all of their runners use Chia Seeds to help give them energy in their runs. Since the book was written, the running community has caught onto the Chia secret and they are marketed all over now. My amazing mother was so thoughtful and brought down a bag for us at conference so on our long run on Saturday we were finally able to test them out. We put about a tablespoon in our water bottles and drank them as we ran. I don't know if it was the cooler weather, the new shoes, the fat breakfast we ate or the seeds themselves, but both Burke and I felt SO good on this run and have determined that the Chia Seeds had some magical effect on replenishing our bodies calories and boosting our energy. Speaking of calories, the ap on Burke's phone said that we burned about 1,500 calories on our 11 mile run. Sure made me feel less guilty about eating pizza for dinner and 3 cookies the next day!
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