How many of you would like to look this “smiley” during a 5K race? ME TOO! If you watched the Olympic 10,000m run Tirunesh Dibaba smiled during her 62 second last lap to win the gold. (http://www.tiruneshdibaba.net/) Obviously it can happen as I saw it on TV! I will be honest, this picture was taken an hour after I had finished and cooled down so I was literally “jogging” as I posed for this picture that was put onto a website and my running resume at the time.During my 4 miler this morning it got me thinking about what I wished I would have known in 2005 when I decided to come back after a nine year hiatus:

1.  Just do it! Yes that Nike phrase can certainly sum it up. Get out there and just run. Of course do so slowly and build up mileage no more than 10% every week or two.

2.  Run on various terrains. Train on a treadmill, trails, grass, gravel, cement, track, and asphalt. You will have your favorites of course but I can assure you that by working other leg and foot muscles from the various terrains you are doing yourself more favors than you realize.

3.  Get some books and READ as much as you can BUT do not become overwhelmed. Just read and learn all you can about the various systems like anaerobic, aerobic, and neuromuscular etc. how do these work together? Hal Higdon, Brad Hudson, and Jack Daniels (no not the adult beverage) all have great books. There are others.

4.  Find a 12-20 week training plan to train you for your specific distance. The authors mentioned above offer training plans for beginners, intermediate, and elites.

5.  If your workout calls for 1000m repeats or a particular interval maybe find songs that are the same in length to your pace and run through that song with the race effort and then take it easy for the prescribed time. Amazing what music can do for you! Also find new music every so often.

6.  If you feel uninspired, go to the Running Times site or Runners World site. Also look up some of the elite runners or find other runners who post stories etc. Maybe they have blogs that have suggestions as everyone has days and months of feeling sluggish etc. Maybe just reading will get you out the door that day. Get with a group. Many communities have groups for all levels and it’s a great way to meet people with similar goals. Also fun to have people to cheer you on and you for them during races.

7.  HILLS ARE YOUR FRIEND! You may not think so but hill workouts exert more of your muscle groups you typically do not work on a flat surface. They also help your running economy and your aerobic and anaerobic systems and SO MUCH MORE.

8.   Get a new pair of shorts or a shirt or some “go-fasters”. A new pair of shoes always makes you run faster! My daughter loves the new CRAZY colored running shoes they are manufacturing these days. Me---I’m the bland white shoe gal. My husband purchases a new pair just about once a month and we call it his “crack”. His eyes light up like light bulbs when the Nike shoes arrive.

9.  Find a pair of shoes that work for your gait or running style. If you pronate, supinate, or neutral, find a shoe to work with that so that you are less prone to injury. 

10.  WARM UP/COOLDOWN. I can not emphasize this enough. I am not one for stretching after or before my runs and physiologically there are articles out there that agree to either side. Regardless of your position on stretching, please get a good mile or two warm up and cool down before workouts and races. 

11.   Keep your music updated and count your strides. Physics, for those of you who may be science majors or had Mr. Krenichyn, moving forward is more efficient than up and forward or bouncing as you run. When you are running SUPER slowly for your warm up and cool down focus on this; are you taking short strides with 45 for 15 seconds, 90 for 30 seconds, or 180 for a minute? I put the figures in for you because when I am running, 2+2 does not always equal 4…HAHAHA! The shorter your stride, the less pressure you are placing on your leg muscles, which should help avoid shin splints and other jarring injuries.

12.   REST! Take rest and recovery seriously. Run slow on the easy days so that your body is ready to work hard on race day and workout days.  Don’t be afraid to take a day off

13.   ENJOY YOURSELF! This is the most important and one I lose sight of periodically. BUT find out what you love about running. My husband loves racing. He loses all sense of common sense when racing. I on the other hand LOVE the training that leads up to the racing. I have trouble racing if I do not feel I am at my peak shape. So I train more and race less. 

This list doesn’t stop here; add to it. DO what you love and what inspires you to run. Figure out ways to take the monotony out of various runs or workouts. Take some of my advice to heart and find what works for you. As always get your gait on and move forward!