RUNNING 101: my secret weapon...

This is something I think everyone should have. If you know me in real life, you're already tired of hearing from me about the foam roller.  

You really need to stretch before and after your workout, and this is the best way to do it so your muscles are ready to work before you run, and then to release them after. It's also great on your rest days between runs, and will help with general flexibility.  (If you want the scientific details, google self myofascial release and read to your heart's content... or just trust me!)  

You can get one here on Amazon for about $25, free shipping with Amazon Prime and if you order today you'd have it in two days! (no, I don't get a commission!) I recommend the blue EVA high density, because that's the one I've always used.  I don't know if it's any better or worse than others, but I've had great luck with this one. 

I wouldn't be without mine-- even carry it with me when I travel.  Foam roller, check.  Water bottle, check.  Sneakers, check.  Ready for anything! 

Truly, an excellent investment in yourself!

I’m going to post some links that will show you how to use the foam roller, but before you get overwhelmed looking at videos, I want to try and explain the basics of my simple routine.  When I first learned about foam rolling it felt very awkward and took me a while to build up the upper body strength to do it!  (and by a while, I mean a couple of days—it’s not that bad—just stick with it!)  But in addition to feeling awkward, for the longest time I wasn’t sure if I was remembering what to do and in what order, which slowed down the whole process for me and made it kind of frustrating in the beginning.  So I’m going to try and help you avoid that! 

Here’s what you do: (without worrying about form or details, just read thru this and try and visualize the basic progression)

1.  Start with your calves, ankle to just below the knee.  Sit on the floor, and raise yourself just off the floor enough to roll your calf muscle over the foam roller, back and forth 3 times.  I like to roll the inside and outside of each calf.  Then roll your hamstrings, then your glutes (you basically sit on the roller, and lean toward one "cheek" then the other, 3x each.  (There’s a little more to it than that, but you get the idea… start at your ankles and work your way up.)  NEVER FOAM ROLL OVER A JOINT!  

2.  Flip over, and roll your shins (Again, I like to do inside and outside of each.  This is also a great core and upper body workout.  Bonus!), then your quadriceps (upper front thigh).  (You’re almost finished!  Simple, right?) 

3.  Finally, roll your IT band on both sides.  (This is your hip area.)   

And you’re DONE!!  Three simple steps—back side, front side, hips. 

Now you just have to figure out HOW to roll each area.  That’s where these videos will help.  You can find hundreds of videos on YouTube, these are just my personal favorites.  You'll notice slight differences, because different things work for different people (you'll hear me say that a LOT).  Try and find what helps your muscles stretch the best.  There is no one "right" way.  (Just don't roll over your knees-- that's a "no no"!) 

Check out the first video here.

And here is part 2.  I don't do any of the upper body stuff, and he skips shins completely (I'll get to that in a second), but you get a good idea of how to do it.  Keep in mind, the goal is to roll over all the muscles in your legs, holding on any tight spots for about 10 seconds to help them to release.

This is another really good video and she does shins (around 8:00).  I especially like her suggestions for when you hit a tight spot.  

Don't get caught up watching hours of videos trying to figure out what's perfect.  Use what you see here to get an idea of how it works, then DO IT!!  You'll figure out the best way to roll out YOUR legs!  

After watching the videos, if you’re still uncertain, do not despair.  You are in good company!  I think everyone feels a little awkward at first, but in just a few days of doing it, you’ll be amazed at how quickly it will become easier and feel more natural!    

If you just don’t have the $25 to spend right now, that doesn’t mean you can’t start running!  But make this commitment to yourself—think about skipping a few “small” things, like a soda next time you eat out?  Or maybe even the whole meal?  Clip some coupons and set aside the savings?  Perhaps you have a birthday coming up and someone needs a gift idea?  

And in the mean time, instead of foam rolling, start your run with a really good warm up—WALK at a nice brisk pace for a good 10 minutes before you even start to run.  (I’ll give you more specifics on this part later, just keep in mind that if you aren’t foam rolling, you really want to be sure you’re good and warm before you run!)  And after you run, look into some of these ideas.

If you have any experience with yoga, that’s an excellent way to stretch and recover after a run.  I love to do yoga before I run.  Try some different things and figure out what feels best for you! 

OK, Step Two: STRETCH!  DONE!  Let me know how it goes! 

RUNNING 101: DRINK UP!

I’m sure you’ve heard it before:  “by the time you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated.”  This is true, not just in the context of exercise, but just going about your everyday business.  So imagine how much more critical it is when you’re working out, pushing your body physically as well as mentally! 

I have been working on a series of blog posts for some friends who are looking for running tips for beginners, and I hadn’t planned to start with hydration, honestly.   But I was just having this conversation with my daughter when I saw this post on Facebook:Dehydration - Leading Cause of Training Injuries.  Any mention of training injuries and/or hydration is sure to get my attention!  I'm completely on board with the need to hydrate, but I had never thought about it CAUSING injury.  Interesting... and it makes sense!

My daughter will be running her first half marathon with me in Walt Disney World in January, and will be training in New York this summer.  I was encouraging her to try out my Camelbak before she heads back to school.  While there will be plenty of water stations along the race route in Disney, running longer distances in Central Park means she’ll need to carry and/or buy water for longer runs. 

I always run with a 20-25oz. water bottle, even just to run a few miles.  I feel 100% better running when I’m well hydrated, and I find the Camelbak bite valve really helps steady my breathing if I’m ever struggling.  The couple of times I’ve run without water have reminded me how much it is totally worth it to me to carry it every time I go. 

For distances over 6 miles, I love this Camelbak HydroBak. 

It holds 50oz of water and is very “low profile”—I hardly notice I’m wearing it!  I will say, I usually run with music, and was kind of surprised at a recent race when I wasn’t wearing headphones (there were 7 awesome bands along the race route!) – the thing really makes quite a bit of noise jostling around back there.  With apologies to other runners along the way who might be annoyed by the noise, I’ll just be turning up the music because having my own water supply is a must!  My longest run so far was 16 miles, and I’ve yet to finish all 50oz. of water before I’ve finished. 

If you can’t stand to carry water with you, there are other options, you just may need to get creative.  I have friends who drive out ahead on their running route and stash water bottles along the way.  On a recent 10-miler with my younger daughter, we stopped at a grocery store on the way and bought a couple of water bottles that she carried in a backpack.  She doesn’t mind the backpack, just doesn’t want to carry a water bottle in her hand.  Everyone’s a little different, you just have to figure out what works for you.
 

How much water should you drink?   More than you think, I promise!  Take your weight (in pounds) and divide by 2.  That’s the number of ounces you should drink each day PLUS whatever you drink while you’re working out!  So, if you weigh 100 lbs., that’s 50oz. per day, just for starters!  During your workout, recommendations are all over the place, but the “average” seems to be about 8oz. every 15-20 minutes.  For an hour workout, I usually try and finish a large (24oz) water bottle, and then drink another after I’m done.
 

Don’t like the “taste” of water?  Experiment.  Add some lemon, lime, orange, or cucumber to a pitcher of water.  Try it with or without ice—I’ve found that I actually prefer water without ice with a little lime.  (Our family’s drink order at restaurants, which is really all just waters, has become quite complicated lately: water, water with a lemon, water with a lemon and no ice, water with ice and two lemons… ) If you prefer bottled water, try different brands—there really are differences!  For a little flavor, my favorite is Hint water—it’s a little spendy, but you can find it on sale, and there’s no added sugar nor artificial sweeteners—it just tastes awesome!

If you're not a big water-drinker, I'm guessing your next question is, "what about other drinks?"  I know, I know... I'm a coffee drinker.  I had given it up completely and even made an overnight drive to NYC without it!  The aftermath: 

Then this horribly cold winter plus recovering from injury, I had to have my coffee.  I'm hooked again.  I love my coffee.  But I don't count that toward my water intake. In fact, because coffee tends to DEhydrate you, I actually drink more water to compensate for the coffee.  (And with summer slowly making an appearance, I plan to try and cut or drastically limit the coffee again soon!  shhh... don't tell my barista!)  As for sodas, sugary drinks or "diet" drinks... there are so many good reasons not to, but if you must have them, really try and limit yourself, and don't count those toward your total water intake. You might surprise yourself and find it easier to give those up if you're already drinking so much water! (That's how I got away from coffee.) 
  
With it warming up here (finally!) it’s more important than ever to make sure you’re getting enough water to drink.  If you’re thinking you’d like to start running or get into an exercise routine, I’d say this is the best place to start: drink your water!  Get yourself a water bottle and get into the habit of using it every day.  It costs you nothing and takes no extra time out of your day, so you can start NOW, even if you’re busy at work, away on vacation, recovering from an injury, whatever.  There's really no reason NOT to drink plenty of water.  You will notice a difference in just a few days, IF you really stick with it!
 

So there you go—Running 101: Step One—Drink Up!! 

Give it a try for a week and let me know how you do!!