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Falling in Love and Making the Commitment to Run
This is a guest post by Jerlyn Thomas. Photo by Ben Ko.
Running and I have had an on-and-off relationship since 2008. It knew it was a “Friends with Benefits” situation, as it helped me cope with my brother’s death, so there wasn’t much by way of support or rules in the process. It left me stranded many times with injuries and, now and then, we’d go through separations until it beckoned me again. It always seemed like we just used each other until we both felt guilty in the end.
We had an awkward relationship during 2012, and had spent a great deal of time together when I suddenly decided to challenge myself with a marathon (you know, to take our relationship to the next level). I didn’t want to make the commitment of signing up, but followed a schedule anyway. Eventually, an internal mediator chimed in, letting me know how Running felt, and encouraged me to sign up officially. I did. I became a marathoner and Running felt good for the first time. A couple months later (in January of 2013), I was injured while preparing for the Miami Marathon and I thought our relationship to be over. I started seeing my physical therapist instead and, because I missed Running so badly, thought about getting injections in my knee (but didn’t) to help stabilize our rocky relationship. Even if I wanted out of the arrangement, I had already booked the flight, paid entry to be #MiamiFamous, and my AirBnb room was not going to be wasted. I was going to give Running another chance.
During Miami, like a slap in the face, my goal wasn’t met. The run was excruciating. My KT tapes fell off mid-race and I missed my target goal, coming in a minute later than I wanted. I was devastated. For weeks I beat myself up about it and decided to separate from Running again. What I didn’t understand was why my running peers didn’t think it was such a big deal. They didn’t think a divorce was the right resolution, and I had already invested in all this time and gear. Some of them wanted what Running and I had because their relationships hadn’t progressed as much as mine, or they wanted me to share what they had developed. Even so, I was putting my foot down, and I didn’t want to compromise.
Let’s make some things clear: At the beginning, Running knew what was up. For 2013 it knew that I called myself “The Solo Runner.” I only saw familiar faces at races but met no one and spoke to no one. My heart wasn’t opened to meet others. I thought I was doing fine by signing up for races now-and-then to make Running happy. After Miami, as soon as I was strong again, it wanted more. It became obsessive and got into my head. I knew if I ever signed up for a marathon again, I could not be injured and I definitely wanted to PR like I had intended.
Then, out of nowhere, Running started slowly taking over my social life. I started to resent it a little but I tried to be open-minded. I still didn’t think meddling was the practical way to handle any relationship. It had begun introducing itself to others at races to find friends with common interests, and started a log of the time we spent together to make sure we were always making our dates to keep our relationship healthy and not overbearing. All of a sudden, I started appreciating those things. I agreed that we could rekindle. In the end our bond was so strong that it introduced me to a great deal of “firsts.” It led me to my first running vacations, focused running friends, track class and the Dashing Whippets. When I completed my 3rd marathon in December 2013 having Running in my life had me surpass all my goals. I had run the marathon the way I wanted. I was in love. I had assessed why I had fell in love in the first place and the support that I had from everyone around just made our relationship stronger.
I don’t know how much longer our open relationship will last, but I took the commitment. I’m in love again, and I trust Running wholeheartedly. To honor it, I even signed up for many races for 2016 as my resolution — hopefully our journey will last for decades to come.
The Importance of Sleep for Runners
Recovery begins the moment your workout ends, and how you approach your recovery will dictate future performances. Even though sleep is just as important as practice and the workouts themselves, our “more is better” culture actively discourages many people from receiving adequate rest.
The benefits of allowing your body to adequately sleep are numerous and include quicker muscle recovery, a clearer mind, faster metabolism, reduced stress, reduced risk of injury and improved athletic performance. As a general rule of thumb, sports scientists recommend that runners sleep an additional 10 minutes each night per 10 miles of weekly running. For instance, for someone who runs 30 miles a week, he or she should sleep an additional 30 minutes a night, beyond the recommended 7–9 hours of sleep. Why is additional sleep important? Muscle repair and recovery happens during REM sleep, which only occurs for approximately 10 minutes of every 90 minute sleep cycle. Therefore, the more REM sleep that occurs, the better body will recover.
Just as there are no shortcuts when it comes to working hard to improve running performance, there are no shortcuts when it comes to a good night’s rest. The following are tips for developing and sticking to a sleep routine:
Treat Sleep with the Same Importance as You Treat Your Workouts
Just as you would never be late for practice or a meet-up, do not let yourself put off going to bed at night. Schedule sleep into your routine the same way you schedule long runs or track sessions.
Avoid Caffeine After 3 PM
Energy drinks, coffee and certain teas all provide a potent caffeine kick. If you have trouble falling asleep at night, it may be linked to your caffeine intake throughout the day. If you find that you struggle to stay awake in the afternoon, consider taking a 10–20 minute nap to re-energize, which will also have the added benefit of clearing your mind and improving creativity.
Limit Alcohol Consumption
Although beer, wine and liquor may initially help you fall asleep, alcohol can disrupt normal sleep cycles, making these periods less restful and reducing their benefits for recovery.
Limit Screen Time
The backlit glow of our computers, tablets and cellphones trick our brains into thinking we should be awake. Avoid electronics for an hour before bed and instead, opt for stimulating your brain the old-fashioned way, such as with a book or crossword puzzle.
Treat Sleep with Additional Importance before Major Races
In the final few weeks before your goal race, make sleep the number one priority of your day. During taper, your body works extra hard to repair itself from the previous months of training abuse. If you are feeling extra tired, be sure to give your body the additional rest that it craves.
Practice Deep Breathing and Meditation
Relying on sleep aids such as melatonin, Nyquil, Tylenol PM or other over-the-counter sleep medications is not only risky, but decreases the quality of sleep you receive. Instead, learn ways to calm your body and lull it to sleep naturally, which will have additional benefits for your athletic performance.
Why Cadence Matters
For runners, an improved cadence translates to a better running performance and technique. As such, paying attention to your cadence is critical for those who want to develop an efficient running form and stride.
Running cadence is the number of footstrikes per minute. According to Jack Daniels (the running coach, not the whiskey brand!), the ideal cadence is 180 steps per minute. Whether or not this holds true for everyone, improving your cadence will help maintain proper and efficient form.
Improving Your Running Cadence
With a slower cadence, you are in the air longer and this means that as you stride, you will land harder and can risk injury. A higher cadence will reduce the impact of running in your ankles, knees and hips. It will also reduce overstriding, which can lead to injuries related to vertical displacement.
Here are few quick tips to help increase your cadence:
- focus on taking smaller steps when running
- Use a running app on your smartphone to help set your pace
- Keep your arms high for greater efficiency
- Wear lighter shoes as this requires less effort to move your feet at a faster rate
Every runner, whether you’re just starting out to decades of running experience, can benefit from a faster cadence. With a little time, you’ll start seeing improvements in your running performance.
How to Breathe When Running
When running, it’s important to pay attention to how you breathe so that you feed your muscles with enough oxygen to run faster and longer. Here are a few tips to help you breathe properly for greater running efficiency and performance.
Diaphragmatic vs Shallow Breathing
Start by making sure you’re not in the habit of shallow breathing. You can distinguish the difference between shallow breathing and diaphragmatic breathing by watching your chest and stomach. Your stomach moves with your breath when you’re breathing with your diaphragm, while your chest will move up and down if you’re shallow breathing.
Breathing Technique
Instead of breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth, try your best to use both your nose and mouth to breathe in and out. This helps maximize the amount of oxygen in your lungs and muscles at any given time. Practice this technique when you’re not running to be better prepared during your next run.
Talk Test
If you have difficulty saying more than a few words at a time while running, then you’re either running too fast or you’re not breathing properly. Keep in mind that the optimal intensity level of your run should allow you to maintain a conversation.
Train Your Muscles
The strength of your diaphragm directly relates to your ability to consume enough oxygen during your long runs. To train your diaphragm, simply lay on your back and breathe deeply allowing your belly to rise while you inhale. Practicing this technique on a daily basis will improve your lung capacity and ability to breathe while running.
Staying Hydrated Before, During and After a Run
Running, especially during the warmer summer months, can cause severe dehydration if you’re not careful. Our bodies lose water as we sweat to keep cool during excessive physical exertion. Fortunately, there are a few ways to stay hydrated no matter how long you plan to run.
Before Your Run
Did you know that you can overhydrate yourself? Before running a race or even going for a long run during training, sip on a bottle of water. The key is to not down a whole bottle at once, but take frequent sips until you feel hydrated. Drinking too much at one time can leave you lethargic and can even cause problems for the body.
During Your Run
While running, you can easily use a handheld water bottle or hydration belt to carry water on your run. It’s important to know that you only really need to drink when you’re thirsty. Our bodies are intelligent and will sound the alarm when we’re in need of fluid. Simply carry some water with you or plan your running route near a park to include a water break at the drinking fountain.
After Your Run
Weighing yourself before and after a long run will help determine how much fluid was lost. The general rule is to drink up to 24 ounces of water or a sports drink for each pound lost. This will help prevent sore muscles and stiffness. When going to the washroom after your run, check to see that your urine is a pale yellow color. You’ll need to keep hydrating your body if your urine is too dark.
Be sure to give your body the fluid it needs to perform its best by using these hydration tips for your next run.
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