Getting Started AGAIN! Or just getting Started! Running 2014

Today is the first day of the rest of your life.
- Anonymous


For most Michiganders if the CRIM didn't put closure to your running the Detroit Free Press races nailed the coffin shut!

This year in Michigan it has been said we are having the COLDEST winter in over 30 years!
And over the last two days we have gotten up to 10 inches of snow.

We are getting fat and sassy on turkey and potatoes. Comfort food is accumulating in our pant sizes. The lack of sunshine and daylight invites us to put our flannel pants on with hot cocoa when we should be out there running.  It seems like a fair trade until until December 31 when we were secretly begging the New Year to begin so we could start fresh all over again!

WHERE do we begin??

Getting Back On Track!

The starting point of all achievement is desire.
- Napoleon Hill

This is for those of us that took a little hiatus the last few weeks.
Tips for getting your groove back on:

• Start Slow: doing to much too fast puts you at risk for injury.
• Add some walk breaks in there, Easy does it.
• Call up your running partner or FIND one!
• Cross train, if your don't feel like running take up a class at the local gym.
• Build gradually. Remember the 10% rule.
• Set Goals. Keep them attainable. Little victories are better than none at all.
• Get your running journal back out! Track your runs.
• Mix It UP: Add variety to your runs with a change in scenery and surfaces.
• Change is good. "If you always do what you have always done then you will always get what you always HAD"! Change route, playlist, shoes, clothes, days you run...ect.
• Find your MANTRA! Find your Purpose in running. Give meaning to your runs.
• Master your running demons! Running is very Mental.
• 3 is the charm : Short, Long, Speedy runs
• Don't forget the LONG run. This is made up of 20% of your weekly miles.

Newbie Runners!

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
- Lao Tzu

Tips for those just starting out and wanting to know which foot to put forward!

• Start out with a warm up and end with a cool down.
• Start out walking
• Find a Couch 2 5K program if you like the organization of planned runs.
• Slowly incorporate running in there.
• Build gradually.
• Find a Mentor. Someone to encourage you and be there to answer any questions you may have.
• Sign up for a RACE! This is the best motivator!
• Make it a habit! Don't worry about distance or speed just focus on discipline and routine.
• Listen to your BODY!
• Involve family and friends. Having a good support system is motivating to any new endeavor.
• Purchase New RUNNING shoes. Asics, Nike, Mizuno, Brooks are some of the popular brands.

This and That for all RUNNERS:

"If you want to become the best runner you can be, start now. Don't spend the rest of your life wondering if you can do it."

-Priscilla Welch

• Winter shoe guide from Runners World click HERE
• Overcoming the COLD by switching up the Treadmill with Short, long and speedy intervals Do tempo runs on the treadmill or find a work out on it.
• Reward yourself. Enjoy running by giving yourself  a little gift after a goal has been achieved, New socks, new clothes, a new running book or even a sweet treat or massage.
• You are what you EAT. Be mindful of what you eat and drink before and after runs.
• Be Flexable! Try to have a backup plan when life happens!
• Training plans are NOT one size fits all.
• Use Music as a Motivator. Proven to help athletes work harder!
• Stop comparing yourself to other runners. There will always (always) be someone who is faster.

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.
- C. S. Lewis

 

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Remember that running is not a Journey rather a destination as they say. It just takes One Step Forward.
I Hope you found something that could help you, Encourage you or even Motivate you to lace up.

For 2013 what would you like to read more? Or less? Please share~

Anita