Nobody Ever Told Me About That?!?! (Running)

Do you remember those first days of running, back before you had a fancy watch or over priced shoes? When you drove your course to figure out the mileage, or used a stop watch to figure out your splits, and wore cotton?!?! *GASP!!!* I'm talking about back when the only thing you really knew about running was to put one foot in front of the other and repeat. Now think about all the things you've learned along the way... Did you ever have a moment where you thought to yourself, "Nobody ever told me that!?!?" I know I have and that is the point of this post: To give a crash course in running to all the newbies out there who are just starting out and don't have a clue about...

ATTIRE: The first lesson in attire is this: Cotton is NOT a runner's best friend! Dri-fit and sweat wicking is! Nobody told me this and as a result my first race (in Orlando, in July) was run head to toe in cotton. And I wondered why I was so hot?!?! Cotton is not a breathable material, gets weighed down when it's wet, and can cause chafing. (Not to mention if you sit around too long in it, like most fabrics, it can cause body acne. Yuck!) PLEASE save yourself some misery and invest in some suitable running/active attire. (*cough* Run, Black Girl, Run *cough*)

My first race ever, cotton hell abounds!
Circa 2008

• Even if you are a cheap-o like me, I promise you that you can afford some moderately priced Target active wear. I call their C9 by Champion line "Thrifty Beginner's Wear!"
  
  
• The next step is hitting up your closest outlet mall or discount online running apparel sites for some great deals on the good stuff. (Try: ZombieRunner Store, Running Warehouse, Roadrunner Sports, etc...)
  
  
• Finally, when you're ready to take the plunge, head to your local sporting goods or speciality running store for the good stuff: Nike, Asics, Brooks, New Balance, Adidas, Under Armour, Saucony, Mizuno, Champion, etc...
  
  
• FYI - You will never regret investing in staple items such as a wind breaking jacket, good running tights and a base layer shirt for the winter, sweat wicking socks, etc...
  

FOOTWEAR: I can not stress enough how important it is to make sure you are in the right shoe! This is one department you can't afford to go the cheap route, running in the wrong shoe can cause injury. Head to the professionals at your local (or not so local as the case may be) running store for a gait analysis, treadmill test, or at the very least, an old school barefoot walking assessment. They will help get you in the right shoe whether it's neutral, stability, minimalist or otherwise.

• Did you know: You may need up to a size larger in running shoes because your feet need room to swell and move as you run. Too small of a shoe can lead to black toenails, I should know, I ran in the wrong size shoe for months and lost eight toenails as a result!
  

GEAR: Chances are if you're a newbie you might not know what a Garmin, Timex Ironman, or Polar running watch is or why you need it, but when you do eventually learn about them you will also learn they are uber expensive! Lucky for you, as you pinch pennies to save up for one of these wonder gadgets there are plenty of options out there for you to utilize such as the many different apps available for the iPhone and Droid and the Nike+. (Be warned Nike+ tends to have calibration issues, but I hear the newer versions are better about it.)


FUEL/NUTRITION/HYDRATION: My first double digit run was ran without fuel or water. Why? Because I didn't know you needed either! Whether you're out for a turn of the neighborhood or going long make sure you have water at least every 20-30 minutes. You might not feel like you need it, especially in the winter, but you do! As for nutrition, there are a zillion and one brands out there to choose from so hit your local sporting goods/specialty store and pick up a few different kinds; GU, Powerbar Gels (my drug of choice), Clif, etc... Not only do they have these gooish packets but there's also gummies, protein balls, etc... Experiment, experiment, experiment and if all else fails, ask your fellow runnerds for recommendations.

• FYI - If you're ever in a bind grab a honey packet for a quick pick me up!
  
  
• If you don't want to use a Fuel Belt or Handheld for your water consider driving your route before you set out and place water every 3-5 miles. Spike and I do this for all of our long runs!
  

ELECTROLYTES: When you exercise heavily, you lose electrolytes in your sweat, particularly sodium and potassium. These electrolytes must be replaced to keep the electrolyte concentrations of your body fluids constant. There are many products out there that can help replace and maintain your electrolytes such as;

• Sports drinks like Gatorade, Powerade, and HEED, Smartwater, Nuun portable hydration tablets, GU Electrolyte Brew and not as widely known, Coconut Water.
  
  
• I also recommend taking salt capsules in the summer months and during races when you are really working up a sweat. (I've been known to use a salt packet from a fast food restaurant when I'm desperate!)
  
  

WEIGHTLOSS: Here's the skinny on getting skinny via running; it's not always that easy. To effectively loose weight you will need to monitor your caloric intake. When you run 10 miles you should be able to eat what ever you want right?! Well, to some extent yes, but if you overindulge it will cancel out those calories you burned.


BODILY FUNCTIONS: Unless you're living under a rock you should be following Beth over at SUAR and therefore you would know that bodily functions are a given being a runner. (Unless you're me. I do not poo. Ask Spike, I just take really long pee breaks!) For those of you that don't follow SUAR, be warned: Running causes involuntary bodily functions! Burping, snoting, farting, pooping... you name it. It happens. And runners LOVE to talk about it to each other so don't feel subconscious! As the book says, Everybody Poops. (And you might mid-run!)

• Plan your routes accordingly; make sure there are opportunities to use a restroom/porta-potty if the need should arise.
  
  
• Carry a few squares of T.P. for emergency situations and/or use your sock!
  

SAFETY: Let's do a check list shall we?

• Wear reflective clothing at night and invest in a headlamp. Sure you look like a dork but at least you're a dork that will make it home in one piece. You don't even need an expensive fancy one, this $6.77 vest from Walmart will work just fine. They even feature this $20 headlamp as a suggested item. At the very least wear bright or light colored tops so you are slightly distinguishable in the dark. (i.e. No running ninja at night = all black!)
  
  
• Do not EVER assume a driver sees you, even if you have the right of way! Better to be safe then sorry. Slow down and look both ways when you cross.

ETIQUETTE: Just a few things worth mentioning here:

• If you have a shot to win the race than by all means line up at the front. Otherwise, line up accordingly.
  
  
• If you're running with more than one other person be mindful of those around you, do not take up a wide expanse. An easy solution to this problem is running in a pack formation two abreast at most.
  
  
• When you are coming up behind someone let them know you are there by saying "On your left!" (Although if they're listening to music they probably won't hear you and will freak out because you "ran up on them" - which is why I shout!)
  
  

RUNNERD WEBSITES: Here are a list of runner's porn websites to runnerd out on:

• Runner's World - All things running, all the time!
  
• McMillan Pace Calculator - Ever wonder what pace you should be running you workouts? For a race? Find out here!
  
• MapMyRun - Map out a route from your house, your job, the city your visiting!
  
• Dailymile - Facebook for Athlete's! A place you can talk about running/training all you want and no one ever gets sick of it!
  
• Athlinks - Create a profile and retreive all the results from any race you've ever ran... and scope out your competition!
  
• Treadmill Pace Conversion - How fast is a 6.0 on a 3% incline? That be a 9:00 Min Mile.
  
• Caution: Redhead Running - Shameless plug! :)
  

I think that about wraps it up for now but if you want to read even more tips, tricks, and info about running hit up these great posts by B.o.B, Aron, and Jamoosh!

This was a really broad post so please leave your thoughts, ideas, and other suggestions in the comments below! Let's band together and help the newbies so that they don't make the same mistakes we did!!! As for you newbies, take note and go get your run on!!!

P.S. If you're reading this in reader I apologize for the double post, I accidentally hit "Publish Post" before I had finished writing it up!