While cramping is annoying to many runners, it can be severe enough to stop some people in their tracks. The best way to prevent a cramp is to stop it from happening in the first place. Here are a few tips to prevent getting painful cramps.
Drink lots of water. If I could give any beginning runner one tip, this one would be it. All the sweat you produce when you run is water leaving your body. If you are a heavy sweater, you could lose up to 5% of your body weight on a run, causing painful cramps as well as other problems. Bring water on your runs and make sure to drink it.
Stretch. Don’t skip stretching before and after every run.
Eat right. If you continually get cramps, you may be deficient in potassium, sodium, calcium, or magnesium. Try eating healthier.
Watch for triggers. Not everyone gets cramps for the same reason. Pay attention to what you do and the level of your cramps. You may find you can’t eat too closely to your run, or that something else is increasing your cramps.
Practice deep breathing. Not only will this help you feel better, the more you concentrate on your breathing, the less you concentrate on the pain.
To learn more you can go to diet and nutrition for runners or go to my forum and ask a question and I will address it personally.
If you have any questions or topics you would like for me to talk about Email them. Until next time, have a Great Run. Sign up for my newsletter for more tips.
Running is an excellent exercise to help you lose weight. When running, you are using the major muscle groups. This in turn helps you to burn more calories. The rule of thumb is, for every mile a person runs they burn roughly 100 calories. So a 10 mile run is burning about 1000 calories. Below, I have some suggestions for you lose and maintain your running weight.
1. Eat breakfast everyday when losing weight. Even if it’s a piece of toast with some jelly. It’s important to get your body the right nutrients to get your day started properly.
2. Try to eat every 3 to 4 hours. I normally eat four to five times a day. It curbs your appetite so you don’t feel the urge to eat to much at supper. I try to have a piece of fruit or a bagel with me while I am at work.
3. Eat a balanced diet. With our busy lifestyles this can be tough, but with some planning it makes it easier.
4. Stay away from fast-food restaurants. Most of these foods contain loads of calories and fat. If you are forced to eat at one of these places don’t super size the meal.
5. Drink water or low fat milk at most meals. I stay away from pops and fruit juices because they can be loaded with calories. Water helps with recovery, so it’s important to drink water often. I normally carry a water bottle with me all-day to keep myself hydrated.
6. Don’t be fooled by sports drinks, energy and granola bars. They contain many calories and it’s real easy to load up on these items after a run.
7. Exercise daily. If you run every other day it’s a good idea on the off days you go out and walk or ride a bike. Keep your body active and let the body burn those calories on a daily basis.
8. If you are trying to lose weight have a goal and make sure you gradually lose the weight. Most people want things now and find it difficult to be patient. It takes time for the body to lose weight. If you want to lose 10 pounds have a goal of three to four months to lose it.
9. Have a training partner you can talk to when it gets tough. At some point it will get difficult. If you have somebody that you can talk to during these times it helps immensely.
10. Imagine yourself wearing those new pair of jeans. Go out and buy them and have them someplace where you can see them if you have a weak moment.
To learn more you can go to diet and nutrition for runners or go to my forum and ask a question and I will address it personally.
If you have any questions or topics you would like for me to talk about Email them. Until next time, have a Great Run. Sign up for my newsletter for more tips.
Thanks,
John
TheRunnersGuide
Running blisters can be a pain if you do not take care of your feet. Skin can be very sensitive to the constant moving and rubbing caused from regular running. In addition to chafing, another painful skin problem runners often face is blisters. Here are a few tips to help prevent and treat running shoe blisters.
Prevention:
1. Don’t wear just any old socks; get one’s made especially for running. A good pair of running socks are made of materials less likely to absorb moisture and cause blisters.
2. If you get blisters on your toes, try wrapping them in micropore tape before long runs or races.
3. Apply a product called bodyglide to your feet. It prevents blisters and helps to protect the skin.
Treatment:
Drain the blister using a needle and cotton to absorb the liquid. You can also drain it by removing the fluid with a hypodermic needle.
Apply an antiseptic or antibiotic cream and cover with a bandage to prevent infection.
To learn more you can go to running shoes for runners or go to my forum and ask a question and I will address it personally.
If you have any questions or topics you would like for me to talk about Email them. Until next time, have a Great Run. Sign up for my newsletter for more tips.
Thanks,
John
TheRunnersGuide
Runners at one point or another get the dreaded side stitches. The sharp pain is normally below the rib cage on the right side of the belly. A side stitch is common in distance runners and usually they need to slow down or even stop to eliminate the pain.
In the past there was no real cause for this uncomfortable cramp. Recently though, researches believe the side stitch is caused by the stretching of ligaments from the diaphragm to the liver. Most runners usually breathe out every three to four steps depending on their running gait and speed. Runners who exhale when their right foot strikes the ground are more apt to receive side stitches.
If you receive a stitch while you are running, stop immediately and place your hand on the right side of the stomach and push up and move the liver slightly. Make sure you breathe in and out evenly while you are pushing up. Do this until the pain is gone and you feel comfortable to run.
Here are a few tips to help you prevent side stitches.
1. To prevent a side cramp, take deep breaths evenly while running and try to breathe out when your left foot hits the ground.
2. Eat a light meal three or four hours before you run. This will help with having nothing in your stomach and decreasing the chances of a stitch.
3. Stretching the core is also important. Raise your right arm up and lean toward the left side for 15 to 20 seconds. Then stretch the other side doing the same exercise.
4. Make sure you hydrate well before the race. Take in your last drink about an hour before you run. Making sure you hydrate before you run will help prevent cramps.
5. Warm up properly before you run. Make sure you jog lightly for a mile before you run a tempo run or a race.
To learn more you can go to breathing exercises for runners or go to my forum and I will address them personally.
If you have any questions or topics you would like for me to talk about Email them. Until next time, have a Great Run. Sign up for my newsletter for more tips.
Thanks,
John
TheRunnersGuide
A question that comes up often is what to eat before running a race. It’s important to eat the right foods at the correct time before you run. Most races are in the morning so you need to make sure you get the right nutrients in your body. After sleeping for eight hours your glycogen stores and blood sugar levels are low. If you go into a race without eating properly, your performance will be hampered. So, on the day of the race you need to top off the glycogen stores and bring your sugar levels up.
I normally eat about three hours before a race. This gives the body plenty of time to digest the food and to bring up those levels of glycogen and sugar. You want to choose slow-release foods that contain carbohydrates and a little bit of protein. Such as toast, cereal with low-fat milk, and fruit. Eat enough to take that hunger edge away, and don’t overdue it. Make sure you take in 300 to 500 calories for your prerace meal. If your body can’t handle solid foods try a sport drink or sports meal replacement meal. Stick with foods that you’re familiar with and never experiment with new foods the day of the race. Once you find what works best for you stick with it. Remember that you prepared for weeks for a race why not go the extra mile and eat right. To learn more you can go to diet and nutrition for runners.
If you have any questions or topics you would like for me to talk about Email them or go to my forum and I will address them personally. Until next time, have a Great Run. Sign up for my newsletter for more tips.
Thanks,
John
TheRunnersGuide
Over the last few months I have had some great emails from runners asking me how they can improve on their running. I came to realization that it would be best if I take all this info and put it on the web. So I decided to create a running forum where we can share thoughts, ideas and our successes together. In the upcoming months my goal is to have a great resource of information to help us all improve.
In my attempt to start this forum I am going to need your help. If you have any questions go ahead and post them in the forum. Remember, there are no bad questions. Also, if you have any suggestions to make the forum a better community or categories you would like information to be put in, please email them to me. All you need to do is go to The Runners Guide Forum and sign up for an account. After you have an account, go ahead and post a question and I will respond as soon as possible. I hope to hear from you soon and Good Luck with your training.
Click here to enter the forum.
Thanks,
John
TheRunnersGuide
Recovery runs are the most important part of your training regimen. The body needs a break from the intense training a distance runner puts it through. The hard workouts provide the stimulus to help you improve. The recovery runs are when you will see those training benefits. Running fast everyday will lead to overtraining, and may cause unwanted injuries. By balancing the volume and intensity of your training you will see your fitness improve.
Recovery run pace will vary from person to person and the event you are training for. The pace of the run is the most important variable that you must control. Many athletes believe they need to run fast everyday. My philosophy is, the slower the better. I have always run slowly on my easy days. You should feel as though you can carry on a conversation with another person and not be laboring at all. If you have a heart monitor try to keep your heart rate between 135 to 150 bpm. Most of my recovery runs I do alone. I recommend you do this so you are not competing with another athlete. If you follow these tips you will see improvement with your race times and feel ready for your next workout. To learn more you can go to why are recovery runs important.
If you have any questions or topics you would like for me to talk about Email them and I will address them personally and include them in my videos. Until next time, have a Great Run. Sign up for my newsletter for more tips.
Thanks,
John
TheRunnersGuide
As the marathon season comes upon us, it’s important that a marathon taper is part of your training schedule. It’s one of the most overlooked components of marathon training. Most people think you need to continue to train hard leading up to the race. Marathoners think more is better, but in reality doing less will help you achieve your goal. Tapering allows your body to repair muscle fibers that have been damaged during those long runs and intervals. The body during the taper can store more glycogen that will help you finish the 26.2 mile race. It also gives you a mental break from the stress of the hard training you put in.
A marathon tapering program should start three weeks from your marathon. Week one you should drop your overall mileage and long run about 15%. So if your are running 50 miles a week before the taper, that week drop your mileage down to about 42 miles. Continue with your tempo run and or intervals at this point.
Week two you should drop your mileage and the long run another 15%. Your mileage for that week should be 35 miles if you are using the example of 50 miles. During this week and preferably 10 days away from the marathon you should do your last tempo run.
The week of the marathon you should drop another 20% of your original mileage. That means you will run half of the mileage you started out with. All of your runs should be at an easy pace and do not do anything intense the last week. The week before the marathon it’s important that you eat plenty of pasta and drink fluids as often as you can. Enjoy this week because you have trained hard to get to this point and you deserve it. Having a positive attitude and have a great support system makes the whole experience that much better. Good luck and you if you have comments about your race please post them. To learn more you can go to marathon training.
If you have any questions or topics you would like for me to talk about Email them and I will address them personally and include them in my videos. Until next time, have a Great Run. Sign up for my newsletter for more tips.
Thanks,
John
TheRunnersGuide
My friends who don’t run ask me if I get hungry during my 20 mile run. I tell them sometimes I do. When I do get hungry on my long run, I suck down something called GU Energy Gel. It’s a small package that has a jelly substance that contains carbohydrates. It helps put off fatigue that usually slows you down during the marathon. It also delivers the complex carbohydrates to muscles as energy.
I try to take in a packet every 3 to 4 miles. I also try to have some water with them so they go down easier. I strongly recommend that if you plan to use the GU packets in the marathon you practice using them on your long runs. You want to make sure your body can handle it because each person is different. You can buy GU Energy Gel online or your favorite running store for about a dollar a packet.
If you have any questions or topics you would like for me to talk about E-mail them and I will address them personally and include them in my videos. Until next time, have a Great Run. Sign up for my newsletter for more tips.
Thanks,
John
TheRunnersGuide
I received an e-mail asking me what you can do about the muscle soreness after a tempo run. Here are some ideas to help with recovery after running. First, drink chocolate milk within 30 minutes of your run. Chocolate milk has the 4 to 1 ratio of carbohydrates and protein. This combination helps with the recovery process. I have been using it for years and it does help. Within 2 to 3 hours after your run, it’s good to eat a meal that is loaded with carbos. Some good sources of carbohydrates are like pasta and bread.
Another tip for recovery is to stretch after your run. I normally spend about 15 minutes stretching the major muscle groups. Finally, I take an ice bath. Fill a plastic garbage container with water and ice about waist high. Stand in the container for 5 to 7 minutes. It takes a little getting use to, but it does wonders for your recovery.
If you have any questions or topics you would like for me to talk about Email them and I will address them personally and include them in my videos. Until next time, have a Great Run. Sign up for my newsletter for more tips.
Thanks,
John
TheRunnersGuide
