In my years of running, I have learned a great deal from my mistakes and I'm sure there are more to come. Maybe someone else could benefit from some of my mistakes? Here are five of my running mistakes and what I have learned from each one. Mistake #1. Dressing too warmly- This is a big one for me. I almost always wear clothes that are too warm for the outside temperature. I don't like to be cold, so I tend to put on more clothes than necessary and then I am hot and miserable. One time I read on a website that a runner should dress for 20 degrees warmer than it actually is outside. So if you are heading out for a run on a day that is 65 degrees.. dress for 85 degrees. Of course you need to take into account the weather conditions. If it is sunny, windy, or raining, you might need to adjust. If I start running and I am a little cold for the first few blocks, I probably wore the right apparel. I did a quick search about what to wear for running in different temperatures and found a ton of great charts. An example chart is posted below. Mistake #2. Not eating on long runs. If you are training for a longer race, especially marathons, you will need to learn how to eat while running. I have used Gu for all of my marathons. I have a tough time eating while I am running but I know that if I don't, I will not have energy later in the race. Mistake #3. Wearing something to a race or for a long run that you haven't worn before. Yes, I have done this and always regretted it. You never know which clothing items will cause chafing, ride up while running, or just not feel right. Try out new running clothes for shorter runs first. 4. Wearing shoes that are worn out- Running shoes are expensive. However, keeping your feet happy with good shoes will help you in many ways. I wear my running shoes for about four months before getting new shoes. You will need to figure out how long you can wear your shoes based on how many miles you are running. Your running shoes should NEVER have an anniversary. Keep your feet happy!
5. Not following a training program. For my first marathon, I didn't know that I should follow a marathon training program. I have to admit that I did very little right while training for my first marathon. I ran my first marathon in 5 hours and 20 minutes. My second marathon, about 8 years later, was completed in 4 hours and 9 minutes. Need I say more? I learned that I needed to find a training program and follow it. Isn't is amazing what being prepared can do? (I like Hal Higdon's training programs. You can find his website here.) Do you have any running mistakes that others could learn from? If so, please feel free to comment below. Today is the first day of summer! Wishing you a many happy summer runs! -Stephanie
2 Comments
Missee
6/21/2017 01:24:01 pm
I've learned that more is not necessarily better when it comes to running. I used to run 7 days per week. Now I try to top it off at 5 days per week most weeks. I do othe activities on my off days.
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Sandie Scott Rentz
6/21/2017 03:53:49 pm
Didn't you keep any of oils glasses?
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AuthorMissee and Stephanie are two Minnesota sisters and moms who love to run. We are not experts in running, parenting or anything else, but we do have years of experiences that may be helpful or entertaining to others. Archives
May 2020
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