Clean up your running habits…
Call it Spring Cleaning. Call it setting a clean slate for your next training cycle. Whatever you call it - we’ve all been in a period when we want a fresh start and begin training with “newness”. In my decade+ of running I’ve gone through this a few times (ok more than a few, basically every time I start a new training cycle) I don’t want to carry over bad habits from my previous cycle into my new cycle, sometimes it’s because it’s what the internet is all excited about but others it’s because I really need to make the change. Let’s dive into some of the habits you should consider tossing out before you start your next training cycle.
The “these shoes gave me a blister but I keep them anyway” Yes you spent money on them (and probably good, hard earned in money) But they rub your feet the wrong way - LITERALLY. So instead they take up space. They take up space in your shoes closest where you see them every time and it reminds you of that bad decision. Toss the shoes. There are a ton of great places you can donate the shoes to someone else. Finding running shoes is trial and error so consider it the “cost” of getting fitter. (Soles4Souls is a great place to start!)
Not doing a warm up! You lace up, head out and hit start tracking on your watch. The first few steps are fine or maybe you get a niggle here and there but nothing noteworthy. Doing a warm up can help keep compensations at a low, provide your ligaments and tendons blood flow for the run and get your heart ready for the intensity. A warm up doesn’t have to be intense - leg swings, pogos, calf raises, anything that is dynamic in nature and/or targets an area where you might have had an injury in the past.
Skipping the cool down. I know, you’re thinking “Coach D, how am I supposed to do a warm up and a cool down?? I hardly have time to run!” I hear you - so take it easy the final few minutes of your run. Let it be slow let your HR come down maybe even cut the last few minutes of the run and make it a walk. Take 8-10 deep breaths and call it a day. Have more time? Include a post run walk and 1-2 stretches.
Comparing yourself to others. Instagram can be a great place for motivation but it can also be a place to compare your runs to strangers, friends, the world! It is too easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing. Celebrate their run and then celebrate your run. We can both exist at our pace, distance, goals, body, mileage….and not take away from someone else. I love to remind myself that “their marathon finish does not take away from my marathon finish, we both covered the same distance” This can be applied to ANY distance!
Clothing that doesn’t fit. This may be better suited to be with the running shoes that give you a blister but I know you have a drawer full of race t’s that don’t fit well. But you can’t bring yourself to get rid of them because you “earned” or “paid” for it. I have a Berlin marathon race shirt (Adidas!) that I never wear - after four years I finally got rid of it. It never fit right, it was too tight across the shoulders and I never wore it. It took up space and made it harder to find the shirts that I actually wear. We know you did the race - you don’t need the t-shirt.
Telling yourself you’ll get started on Monday. It’s normal to take some time away from running after completing a big goal. I encourage athletes to to a break after their big race and do something other than running. But it’s too easy to slip into the “oh I’ll start next week” Even getting in 10 mins here and there is a great way to not lose your base. It’s easier to start your next training cycle from something than nothing.
Assess your gear. You’ve cleaned out your shoes that give you blisters and got rid of all of those shirts that don’t fit. Now is the time to assess your training equipment and see what you need to keep and what to get rid of or replace. Are you planning to get stronger? What weights do you have? Instead of buying new leggings invest in a kettlebell. Is your mobility not as great as you’d like? Invest in a yoga membership or mobility workshop. Plan where to spend your dollars for the rest of the year. Hopefully you’ll be less likely to impulse shop on a sponsored ad on IG when you plan your year.
What habits would you add to this list? I am sure we all have a long list of things we’d like to change, adapt or adjust. I’d love to hear more about your training cycle and what changes you’d like to make to improve for your next race! Leave me a voicemail here and maybe I’ll use your comment in my next podcast or IG post!
