So when I was unemployed I trained for a half-marathon. Why? I don't know, it was something to do. Sadly though I never actually RAN a half. Now I am all signed up for the Forest of Dean Half Marathon and I find myself again training, this time with a job.
So a couple things I have definitely realised the 2nd time around. One is you gotta stretch, I am even talking about on off-days. I was told I have something akin to a non-flexible ankle (are ankles supposed to be flexible?!) so stretching is super important for me. Still my heel gets in pain after a run... so I probably need to go in again. ::sigh:: the signs of getting older
The 2nd thing would be to go for a gait analysis. I did this when purchasing my new shoes. Wow I did not realize how weirdly I run! The basically video your feet from behind when you run on a treadmill. From this they can make suggestions on how to best improve your run and as well as make recommendations as to the type of shoes one should purchase.
If you think I am talking phooie, don't take my word for it, there is an article at Active that is "10 Tips for Injury Free Running" and guess what 2 of them are? Yeah thats right :P
Another tip mentioned on there is tracking your runs. This is almost crucial when following a training plan. There are a ton of different ones out there: DailyMile, Nike+, MapMyRun, Garmin. Just choose one and go for it- Ask your friends and see what they use, it is always good to get encouragement along the way!
So to be honest, I don't really like running... however there is something about it that once I finish I feel so much better. Although I get a great feeling after finishing a spin session, its not the same feeling after I finish a run. I figure until I lose that feeling I should keep running.
So here's to everyone out there doing there best to work out and stay fit. I do not know how often I will update this, but I will be posting links to interesting articles I find and maybe tasty recipes (healthy ones hopefully)
So a couple things I have definitely realised the 2nd time around. One is you gotta stretch, I am even talking about on off-days. I was told I have something akin to a non-flexible ankle (are ankles supposed to be flexible?!) so stretching is super important for me. Still my heel gets in pain after a run... so I probably need to go in again. ::sigh:: the signs of getting older
The 2nd thing would be to go for a gait analysis. I did this when purchasing my new shoes. Wow I did not realize how weirdly I run! The basically video your feet from behind when you run on a treadmill. From this they can make suggestions on how to best improve your run and as well as make recommendations as to the type of shoes one should purchase.
If you think I am talking phooie, don't take my word for it, there is an article at Active that is "10 Tips for Injury Free Running" and guess what 2 of them are? Yeah thats right :P
Another tip mentioned on there is tracking your runs. This is almost crucial when following a training plan. There are a ton of different ones out there: DailyMile, Nike+, MapMyRun, Garmin. Just choose one and go for it- Ask your friends and see what they use, it is always good to get encouragement along the way!
So to be honest, I don't really like running... however there is something about it that once I finish I feel so much better. Although I get a great feeling after finishing a spin session, its not the same feeling after I finish a run. I figure until I lose that feeling I should keep running.
So here's to everyone out there doing there best to work out and stay fit. I do not know how often I will update this, but I will be posting links to interesting articles I find and maybe tasty recipes (healthy ones hopefully)
