Run Crazy Girl: So You Wanna Be a Runner...

My husband just started running and I was thinking "What are some things I wish I had known when I started running?" So here are just some of the things I wish someone would have told me!

It gets easier!
- From talking to a lot of people who also did the Couch-to-5k program, the first week of the program is always the hardest. It seems simple to run 60 seconds but if you have never been a runner that 60 seconds might seem to last forever but it does end and each week gets easier! For me still the first mile is always the hardest. After the first mile then I get into the groove and can run for miles!

Wait 30 minutes after eating before ~~swimming~~ running.
-Don't eat a bunch of food and expect to run pain free and without a side cramp. Everyone is different on what they eat before a run or if they even bother eating before a short run. For me I can run 3 miles on an empty stomach but I can't run 4 miles. Some people eat oatmeal 2 hours before a run then a banana an hour or so before a long run. You have to kind of play around and see what works for you but eating a huge meal then running right away will most likely result in a bad run.

Friends don't let friends wear cotton!
I first started running and I didn't know better. It was the middle of winter and I was running in cotton socks, sweats and a hooded sweatshirt. Once I learned better, my whole world was changed! Get something that is wicking. It doesn't have to be super expensive either, Wal-mart even carries wicking clothes for around $5

Run Your Own Race!
Just because your friend runs a 7 minute mile doesn't mean that you will. Be proud of the what you can do! A little bit of competition is ok and having a goal of getting faster is good but don't get discouraged because you aren't there yet. In the last year I have taken almost 3 minutes off my mile time. It didn't happen overnight and beating myself up because I wasn't as fast as some friends wasn't going to help me! When training, focus on how far you have come and use it as motivation! When starting out focus on endurance and work on speed later. You have to choose if you want to increase distance or work on improving your time but you don't want to do both!

And the most important thing to remember...

If you run you are a Runner!

A friend of mine was in the middle of the couch-to-5k program and she called herself a jogger (gasp) I about had a heart attack and I told her to "shut up!" She told me due to her pace that she was a jogger. Nope I wasn't having any of it! I told her that I knew people slower than her that have done half marathons and you would never think of calling them a "jogger". One person's slow time might be another person's fast time. If you run you are a runner and not a jogger. Don't make the mistake of calling yourself that horrible word!

You have trained and you are ready for your first race! Good for you! The following are a few Do's and Don't's that you want to pay attention to on race day:

Race Bib
DON'T FORGET IT! My first half marathon I was so jittery that I forgot my bib at home and had to turn around. Also it would be a good idea to invest in some safety pins. I have been to more than a few races that didn't include any pins and that is a big inconvenience race morning. So you have your bib and your pins, now where do you pin it? Always pin your shirt on the front of you! If you have the bib on the back of your shirt how will the announcers know who you are or even if you are in the race until long after you run past them. If you wear your bib on the front then the announcers can say "Oh look, there is Justine and she looks like she is going to finish strong and blah, blah, blah" and then my family in the crowd hears Justine and they make sure to look and see me finish!

Do your research!
Know your race! Look at the course map and train for it. If you are running a super hilly course don't expect to PR if you have only trained on flat terrain the entire time. Pay attention to how many water stations there are and where they are located. I ran one half marathon that had water every mile starting at two miles so I didn't carry any extra water with me. Then I ran another half where the course didn't provide me with as much water as I would have liked so I made sure to carry a handheld bottle and refilled it at every water station. Also if it is a longer race, does it provide gels and what brand is it. You don't want to try any new brands of gels in the middle of a race! You have no idea how it will work for you so don't do it! Still take the gel with you, you can test it out on a future training run or use it like a stress ball if you are running through some knee pain (it works!).

Don't run in anything new
You got a brand new running outfit the night before the big race, that's great, but don't wear it to the race! You don't know how you will run in it; if you will chafe, give you blisters or just move in weird ways while running. Always try out new clothes in a practice run before race day. This also applies with race shirts! You don't have a chance to try out that race's shirt ahead of time so therefore you shouldn't wear it!! Plus it is also bad mo-jo to wear the race shirt before completing the race.