Tuesday November 24, 2009
Headed to the in-law's for the long Thanksgiving weekend? Staying with family or friends can sometimes make it difficult to maintain a regular running schedule. But it's possible to still get some runs in without coming across as a rude or inconsiderate guest. Try some of these strategies to make it easier on you and them:
Plan ahead. Before you arrive on their doorstep, let your relatives know that you're going to want to run during your stay. They'll appreciate the advance notice, and they can give you recommendations for when to run, so your runs won't interfere with family plans. You may also want to look on a site such as MapMyRun to search for local routes.
Run early in the morning. You're less likely to disturb family plans if you run first thing in the morning, rather than trying to squeeze your run in sometime during the day. Try to get out the door before the rest of the house wakes up. You'll definitely win some brownie points with the in-laws if you return from your run with fresh bagels and coffee for everyone.
Ask family members to join you. See if anyone in the family wants to run with you. You may have to run a slower pace than you're used to, but use it as a recovery run. Even if no one else in the family runs, you can head to a local trail or track and see if anyone wants to walk while you run. You might be surprised to find out that other family members are looking for an excuse to get out of the house and be active. Going for a run or enjoying the outdoors together could be a great bonding experience.
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Sunday November 22, 2009
If you're making the leap into road racing by running in a Turkey Trot this Thanksgiving, you may have a few worries about your first race. What if you come in last? What if you have to walk during the race? These are common fears among first-time road racers; even those runners who already have a few races under their belts get pre-race anxiety. Ease your fears and prep yourself for your race with these tips:
Friday November 20, 2009
It seems like every day another running friend is telling me about a running blog that they started, sending me a link to their blog, or posting updates about it on Facebook or Twitter. They write about anything related to running -- their training, race performances, funny things that happened to them while running, helpful tips for other runners. I know that I get inspired by reading all these blogs, and it's definitely motivational for the runners who are keeping the blogs.
Sharing your running experiences with the world (OK, maybe the entire world isn't reading it, but I'm sure you'll have some kind of audience) helps you feel more committed to your running habit or your training regimen. I've also talked to runners who have said that revisiting old entries in their blogs has helped them realize how far they've progressed or reassured them that they can make it through those times when they're feeling sluggish, lazy, or sore during their training.
If you're ready to join the blogosphere, here are some articles to help you start your own running blog and build your traffic:
Once you have it up and running, share your running blog here.
Thursday November 19, 2009
The U.S. economy may be down, but road race participation numbers are way up.
Some 9.2 million people completed a certified road race in the U.S. in 2008, up from 3.7 million in 1987. Of those, 425,000 completed a marathon (26.2 miles), according to Running USA, a non-profit group that promotes running. That's up from 143,000 marathon runners in 1980. The numbers are expected to be even higher this year, says Running USA's Ryan Lamppa in a recent article. "There is still a pent-up demand for races in the country."
What's behind the growth? Running is a cheap way to exercise, a fast way to lose weight, and an inexpensive way to socialize. Also, running "gives you something to control -- you can't control the stock market or the economy, but you can control your health," says Lamppa.
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