8 Secrets to Simplify Your Running Life

Before I get to the meat of things…let’s do a small update because it’s fun and I need to do something with these pictures on my phone.

After the relay I thought I might take some time off, but I didn’t.  My body felt like it wanted to run, so let’s go. 20 miles last week of running and 20 miles on the bike. My bike and I used to be (literally) attached butt-to-saddle as I trained for Ironman Boulder. Our relationship has become less intimate, but I am spicing it up again. I forgot how the lady parts need to get broken in. Every damn time.

Then on Saturday a friend of mine ran her first 100 miler. Okay, yeah, 34.5 hours does seem like a long time to be running.

All of a sudden all I can think about is doing a 50 mile ultra. Thinking of this one. Not for the faint of heart, but right up my alley.

Today I took Heidi and my parents’ dog, Kleo, for a walk around Coot Lake in Boulder. It was super ugly. What a turn off Colorado is.

Then I came home and assaulted the UPS man as he brought these to my door. Is it weird I spend about 5 minutes smelling new running shoes? I do the same with Sharpies.

These are the Brooks Pure Cadence. My favorite road shoe. Over 400 miles of running these will cost me $.30 per mile. Not sure why I felt the need to figure that out.

Let’s switch gears.

Anyone who runs knows it can be a very simple task, or it can get very complicated when factor in planning, costs, etc. That’s why I wanted to talk about ways we can simplify our running lives so we have more time for…….YES, RUNNING!

1. Get the bins. Go somewhere like Wal-Mart or Target and buy really cheap plastic bins. Have a bin for each shorts, tights, tanks, short sleeved and long sleeved. Just throw your running clothes in the bins. No folding necessary (who cares if they’re wrinkled). When it’s time to run. Just pick from the bins and go. Here’s my scenario (I also have a bin for cycling).

2. Make a cheat sheet.  Take all your favorite running routes. Make a cheat sheet of how far they are in miles and how long they usually take you. When it’s time to run, don’t tax your brain. Just know what distance you want to go or for how long and pick from your list.

3. Stop washing your hair. I have pretty long hair and I HATE to wash/style it. So, these days I only wash it 2-3x per week. The rest of the time after a run, I just wash my body and put dry shampoo into my hair. Saves a ton of time. Some might call it gross. I call it genius.

4. Say “No”. Sure you love running with a group and with a friend and doing every race imaginable. That’s all fine and good, but know when to say when. Let me rephrase: Know when to say “no” so that your running life does not feel so crazed.

5. Get up an hour earlier. If possible, do your runs first thing. Enjoy the solitude before the rest of the world wakes up. This will give you a sense of accomplishment and will guarantee the run gets done.

6. Pick a day to go naked. Leave the gadgets at home (GPS, watch, music). A good day to do this might be on an easy or recovery run. Just run and enjoy. No pressures or distractions.

7. Schedule. Set up your runs like you would other appointments. Pencil yourself in. Avoid having to cram in a run when you really don’t have time. This just adds to your stress.

8. Auto-ship. I just made this up, so not sure it even exists. But wouldn’t it be cool to have your favorite running shoes on auto ship from a store? That way every 5 or 6 months they could be automatically shipped to your door.

Any other ways you can think of to simplify your running life?

SUAR