In the Runners' World article 'Heat Tested: A Miami club's best tips for summer running,'John Hanc gives smart advice for running in the summer heat.
I follow his first tip - run early in the morning. I also agree with the advice to run intervals inside, on a treadmill in the air conditioning.
I would love to find a way to do a 'duathlon' type workout like he proposes, running to a cool lake or swimming hole, splashing around, and then running back.
How do you keep cool in the summer?
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Top tips on how to improve your mental approach to running
In the Runner’s World article ‘Mind Games,’ author Bruce Barcott shares five tips on improving your mental approach to running.
The first tip is to identify your worries early on in your training and build a running schedule to overcome them. After completing my half marathon, I wanted to run 5K races, but was scared I would not be fast enough to be competitive. I chose a training schedule that included interval work or tempo runs once a week.
The most valuable tip for me was #2 – Employ a key word. Nike Oregon Project sports psychologist Darren Treasure trains his runners to focus on a key word during intense training moments, and remember to invoke that word during the critical point in the race. If I link the word “strength” to times in training where I am running hard and overcome the urge to slow down, I can repeat the word “strength” in the point in competition when I need to push past the pain.
In the article, Barcott wrote that Spirit of the Dancing Warrior author Jerry Lynch “encourages athletes to embrace a more Eastern philosophical attitude toward their competitors. "The word competition comes from the Latin competere, which means 'to seek together.' So look at your competitor as your partner. You seek greatness together.”
Sports psychologist Jerry Lynch explains that, “when the toughest competitors show up for a race, I'm thrilled. It means I'm going to run together with the best, and they'll help bring out the best in me. That neutralizes my anxiety about my own confidence."
By embracing competition, I can stop being scared of runners that are faster than me and instead use the opportunity of a race situation to challenge myself with competitors serving as partners, not opponents.
The fourth tip is to enjoy the physical motion of running. I am practicing that by mentally taking note of my form during the last few minutes of every practice run.
The fifth tip seems self-explanatory but may not be so easy to do if I focus on winning my age group in races rather than improving my running. The tip is to measure my success in terms of my personal progress.
I would add one more – get in touch with your psychological reason for running. My reason is personal satisfaction. When my training leaves me tired, I ask myself, what will I get out of being competitive at my next 5K race? How will it make me feel to run a fast race and give my best effort? Why do I want that in my life more than I want to sleep in late or lie on the couch after work?
Most Read Posts:
My top way to stick to your training schedule - Tips for using a running log - Click Here
List of best at-work snacks for Runners - Click Here
What is the best percentage of protein, carbohydrate and fat in a long distance runners diet? Click Here
Are you training to run a half marathon? Click here to get free nutrition and training tips by email.
The first tip is to identify your worries early on in your training and build a running schedule to overcome them. After completing my half marathon, I wanted to run 5K races, but was scared I would not be fast enough to be competitive. I chose a training schedule that included interval work or tempo runs once a week.
The most valuable tip for me was #2 – Employ a key word. Nike Oregon Project sports psychologist Darren Treasure trains his runners to focus on a key word during intense training moments, and remember to invoke that word during the critical point in the race. If I link the word “strength” to times in training where I am running hard and overcome the urge to slow down, I can repeat the word “strength” in the point in competition when I need to push past the pain.
In the article, Barcott wrote that Spirit of the Dancing Warrior author Jerry Lynch “encourages athletes to embrace a more Eastern philosophical attitude toward their competitors. "The word competition comes from the Latin competere, which means 'to seek together.' So look at your competitor as your partner. You seek greatness together.”
Sports psychologist Jerry Lynch explains that, “when the toughest competitors show up for a race, I'm thrilled. It means I'm going to run together with the best, and they'll help bring out the best in me. That neutralizes my anxiety about my own confidence."
By embracing competition, I can stop being scared of runners that are faster than me and instead use the opportunity of a race situation to challenge myself with competitors serving as partners, not opponents.
The fourth tip is to enjoy the physical motion of running. I am practicing that by mentally taking note of my form during the last few minutes of every practice run.
The fifth tip seems self-explanatory but may not be so easy to do if I focus on winning my age group in races rather than improving my running. The tip is to measure my success in terms of my personal progress.
I would add one more – get in touch with your psychological reason for running. My reason is personal satisfaction. When my training leaves me tired, I ask myself, what will I get out of being competitive at my next 5K race? How will it make me feel to run a fast race and give my best effort? Why do I want that in my life more than I want to sleep in late or lie on the couch after work?
Most Read Posts:
My top way to stick to your training schedule - Tips for using a running log - Click Here
List of best at-work snacks for Runners - Click Here
What is the best percentage of protein, carbohydrate and fat in a long distance runners diet? Click Here
Are you training to run a half marathon? Click here to get free nutrition and training tips by email.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Running Tips - nutrition, shoes and socks, music
In the Runners World article 'RUN FASTER(WITHOUT ALL THE WORK),' Kelly Bastone recommends eating yogurt and wearing compression socks, among other tips designed to enable a runner to run faster.
I usually eat yogurt right before bed, I find that it makes me feel less hungry on my pre-breakfast run the next day.
I agree with the advice to lace high and tight. I feel more secure in my shoes when I use the seventh eyelet, thereby reducing the movement of my foot inside the running shoe when I run.
What are your running smarter tips?
Most Read Posts:
My top way to stick to your training schedule - Tips for using a running log - Click Here
List of best at-work snacks for Runners - Click Here
What is the best percentage of protein, carbohydrate and fat in a long distance runners diet? Click Here
Are you training to run a half marathon? Click here to get free nutrition and training tips by email.
I usually eat yogurt right before bed, I find that it makes me feel less hungry on my pre-breakfast run the next day.
I agree with the advice to lace high and tight. I feel more secure in my shoes when I use the seventh eyelet, thereby reducing the movement of my foot inside the running shoe when I run.
What are your running smarter tips?
Most Read Posts:
My top way to stick to your training schedule - Tips for using a running log - Click Here
List of best at-work snacks for Runners - Click Here
What is the best percentage of protein, carbohydrate and fat in a long distance runners diet? Click Here
Are you training to run a half marathon? Click here to get free nutrition and training tips by email.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
