Wednesday, November 19, 2014

6 Genius Running-Related Tips

Before we get to the tips…take a look at this view out my back door last night as the sun was going down. Doesn’t it just give you a sense of peace? I could sit on my couch all day and stare out onto this landscape (and sometimes I do – well, not all day but you know what I mean).

photo

As I was running on the treadmill today (I wanted to so speed work and there is no way I can do that outside right now), I was thinking about some little tips that I use in my running that I wanted to share. Just a few things that can make life easier…and we call could stand to make life easier.

1. When doing intervals on the treadmill, keep count with jelly beans or something like that (gummy bears? gum drops?). For each interval completed, eat a bean. When they are all gone, you are done (and on a sugar high).

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2.  When it’s cold and you’re doing a longer run outside, stash your GUs in your sports bra. They will keep warm and will have the consistency of honey, not tar. If you’re a guy, try your jock strap, but watch for errant hairs.

3. If you have problems with your water freezing in your bottles when you run (this means you are badass, btw) put in some electrolyte drink mix. The sodium will keep it from freezing. Or, you could just add a lot of salt and pretend you are drowning in the ocean.

4. If you are in need of arm warmers but either don’t want to spend the money or want to toss them once you warm up during a race, make your own from cheap socks (mine were $2.50) you buy at Wal-Mart (but watch out for this gal).

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5. If you have trouble with your sunglasses fogging up outside when you run, try wiping them with a solution of 1 part vinegar, 3 parts water before you head out. Let them dry (don’t wipe away).

6. Put screws in the bottom of an old pair of running shoes and use them for snow running (see tutorial HERE).

Let’s all share our tips. Give me one of yours!

SUAR

33 comments:

  1. Great tips! I have a 3 mile treadmill hill workout after work that I am NOT looking forward to. Maybe I'll just eat an entire bag of jellybeans for each mile that I get through.

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  2. I smear a thin layer of AquaPhor on my face before heading outside for cold winter runs. Helps prevent chaping and wind burn.

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    Replies
    1. I need to do this - I had some serious red cheeks after my last 0 degree run. I couldn't keep my gator up because it kept steaming/snotting!

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  3. how were there no tips on snot rockets here?? I didn't know that about the glasses, definitely going to try.

    Hmm other tips, using garbage bags for rain gear, wearing a hat for rainy runs at least keeps it out of your face some which makes the downpour more bearable.

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    Replies
    1. Haha! Probably because I am the last person to give a good tip on that technique. I always end up with the snot on my sleeve or my cheek.

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  4. Seriously!!!! Do guys wear jock straps while running?

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    Replies
    1. Not sure. Doubt it. It just sounded funny...

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    2. I gave up on the jock strap when I discovered New Balance compression shorts. So much more comfortable.

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    3. No. shorts that fit right are all that's needed.

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  5. My new Coeur Sports bras have POCKETS for gu!
    http://www.coeursports.com/products/sea-glass-sports-bra

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  6. I'm in Iowa, and will be living (and running) in my tights until spring break. Instead of buying several pairs of pricey thermal-lined tights, I buy inexpensive "girly" leggings from teen clothing stores (Vanity, Forever 21, Wet Seal, etc.) and layer those over the (boring) black thermal tights. Also, Old Navy is a great place to find cheap polar fleece gloves (usually for a $1 in the clearance bin near Christmas time)...I buy several pairs and use them for "throwaways" for my spring/fall races.

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  7. I buy those hand warmer packets and put them in my gloves to keep my hands warm. Kind of sucks that we already are doing this stuff!!

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  8. The glasses tip is the BEST idea, I wear actual glasses to run (my eyes water too much for contacts and without anything I'd just fall over) and they keep getting all fogged up and then I fall anyway. No thanks.

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  9. Pack tissues for the inadvertant nose running, snot licking issues that happen to me in the winter. The tissues are usually in one of my pockets, I can keep them fairly warm with my body heat, but if I put them in my sports bra, then I have white fuzzy tissue lint all over my bra and me from sweat+paper mix.

    Also, I have the handwarmer packets, but I've found a cheaper alternative is to get a few flat stones that are about the same size as the hand warmers, I boil them and then put them in tin foil. The foil helps them not burn my hands, and by the time they're cooling down, I can take them out of the foil for the remainder of my time outside. And they're resuable.
    I'm a huge fan of treadmill running in the winter, I admit wholeheartedly that I am a sissy when it comes to cold. I'm better at 80 degree sunny, humid days than I am at the dry/cold stuff.

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  10. I've always put GU in my bra (so much easier to eat warm). And, there's nothing in there anyway...

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    Replies
    1. Same here. I like to think the GU gives me a little boost in that department.

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  11. Using cheap socks as arm warmers/gloves: I decided I wanted to keep them (I hate wasting things so I hadn't cut them, either). Tied to my pack they worked great (if disgustingly) to wipe away snot for the rest of my marathon.

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  12. Have a hot beverage waiting for you when you get home so you can quickly warm up.

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  13. I love that tip for the treadmill intervals, I will definitely be using that.

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  14. Great tips! If you need to use handwarmers, you can re-use them if you stash them in a sealed ziploc baggie after you're done running. Squeeze out the air from the bag, and they'll stop heating until you open the bag next time. I can get up to 4 1-hour runs in on one pair of handwarmers this way. Saves a lot!

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  15. I listen to music during treadmill workouts and change the speed or incline each time a new song starts. Sometimes I'll vary my stride so I can run to the beat. If you learn to vary your stride length and frequency at will, you can more easily adapt to hills or trail running.

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  16. WI winter running means cold hands - especially until my body starts to warm up. I made little reusable hand warmers using flannel and rice. I heat the little pillows (the same size as the purchased chemical based hand warmers) up in the microwave for 40 seconds before heading out the door. It keeps my hands warm for the first mile - then my body has started to warm up.

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  17. Carry toilet paper.... ALWAYS carry toilet paper. :)

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  18. Number 3: A little alcohol in the water will lower the freezing point, too. And mom always said these were 'empty calories', so no problem there!

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  19. These are great tips! I can't wait to try our a couple of these :) Thanks!!!

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  20. Had to laugh at tip #3 as it's completely the opposite of my problem running here in Abu Dhabi, where we run in 25-45 degree (celcius) temperatures year round. Just converted that to Fahrenheit: 75-113 degrees. So I pop my water bottles in the freezer over night, grab them as I'm heading out the door and after about five minutes I can start drinking as the heat (and my hands) has started to melt the ice. By 30 minutes, it's still relatively refreshing, then by 45 minutes, it's like drinking bath water again. It's fascinating reading all the posts about running in the cold, as it's so foreign to us lot sweating it out over here :)

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  21. Thanks for the tip on water freezing! We had single-digit temps in Indiana a few weeks back and I couldn't keep my water bottle from freezing after about 3 miles.

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