Tips for New Runners

By Lacey Zaiser April 2, 2015

Today, I wanted to share some of the things that help me stay motivated to keep up with my running routine. Whether you’re a new runner or a seasoned one looking to mix up your routine, hopefully these tips can help!

Running is something I’ve been loving for years. Personally I think it’s the best form of exercise, call me crazy but I love it. I’ve gone through phases of hating it, but I always come back to it. Here are some of the things that I have learned over the years:

1. Rise and Shine. Run in the morning, it will make you feel energized and awake all day! When I first started working full time I didn’t want to wake up an extra hour earlier for work so I would run in the evening, but I would find myself getting sleepy during work, needing coffee and sometimes convinced myself to skip my workout. I was training for a half marathon at the time and wanted to stick with my training plan, so I started waking up earlier to run before I had to be at work at 8 and my whole day was better! I felt more energized, didn’t need that afternoon coffee pick-me-up and had more time in the evenings. I highly recommend trying this out!

2. Lay out your clothes the night before. Or better yet, wear your running clothes to bed, because theres nothing worse than having to take off your workout clothes without working out. If you have your gear laid out, so it’s the first thing you see in the morning, you will find it much easier to get out the door and start moving!

3. Plan out your route. It helps me to have a visual of the run in my head before I head out, especially for longer runs. This also helps you not to get lost, not that I’ve ever done that… ha.

4. Invest in some good running shoes. I cannot stress this enough. So many people run in shoes that are years old and don’t realize the harm they are doing to their bodies. Running shoes should typically get about 300 miles in them before needing to retire. Any more than that can attribute to knee and joint problems, something I learned too well when I started having problems with my IT band (the ligament connecting from the hip to the knee) and had to stop running for a few months to recover. No fun at all.

5. Invest in some running buddies.
Shawn Johnson's the body department - Tips for New Runners

Need I say more? If you have plans to meet up with someone for a run it makes it really hard to hit that snooze button on your alarm. It also helps with accountability if you have other people running with you–even if it’s a four legged furry friend like mine.

6. Drink your water. Hydrating before and after workouts is key! I usually drink a huge glass of water when I wake up and then a few more after my run. Carry a reusable water bottle with you all day to remind you to drink up!

7. Refuel with a protein packed breakfast. This is something I didn’t get a good grasp on until recently. I would run and think I could eat whatever I wanted throughout the day, without paying attention to the nutrients I was feeding my body with. Through several health problems, advice from doctors and tons of research, I learned that I was in no way eating enough protein for my activity level. I was only having about 20g of protein a day when I should’ve been having close to 60g! Since being more conscious of my protein intake, I have had so much more energy and stamina to run. Some of my go-to breakfasts are eggs or steel cut oats with nut butter, try to stay away from sugary foods that won’t keep you full for very long or help your muscles to recover. Its also important to fuel within 30 min of your workout to give your muscles the optimum amount of recovery.

*This post was originally published on www.runsandroses.com. For more from Lacey, be sure to visit her site here.

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