BASS PRO MIDWEEK MOTIVATION - Take Stock of your Running Habits

Hello runner friends!

Welcome back to the Bass Pro Fitness Series

MIDWEEK M😊TIVATI😊N blog!

Now let's get started by talking about new beginnings. So barring the occasional cold morning or cool day that we will inevitably have in the next few weeks, it's safe to say that Spring is finally here! That means more daylight, more warmth, and more runners out on the road. Unfortunately, for many, that means more injuries too. Which is the very reason Spring is the time to take stock of your running habits and determine which ones need to be changed.

If this has you scratching your head and saying, "But Melissa, I really don't have any 'negative' running habits that I need to work on," check out these 10 bad runner habits as listed by Runner's World and how to break them. *With my two cents thrown in of course.

And here we go....

1. Running too much too soon. Coming back from an injury? Now's the time to take things slowly to stay healthy. Follow the standard rule of upping your mileage by only 10 percent each week. 

*This one can be really tricky this time of year because of all the races and the FOMO you’re sure to experience when your friends are all running them. If the race is short enough, consider walking it. If it's long, consider volunteering at it. You'll still be with your running buddies but you won't set back your recovery.

2. Refueling badly. After hard runs, grab a high-carb snack, then a meal with carbs and protein to rebuild muscle.

*Always keep nutrition bars, drinks or gels on hand so you won't be tempted to forgo this habit that's a very important step in the recovery process. And remember... the better and quicker you recover, the better you'll perform on your next run.

3. Forgoing SPF. Up to 20 minutes of sun exposure a day can be good for you—but you need sunscreen on runs longer than that (even when it's overcast). For more, check out these six essential skin care tips.

4. Ignoring your core. Participants in a Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research study who did core exercises four times a week for six weeks ran a 5K 30 seconds faster than those who didn't. Go here for 5 essential core workouts.

*A strong core will not only help you improve your race times on all distances but is crucial in the prevention of injuries. Believe it or not, A weak core can be correlated really to almost any running injury from plantar fasciitis to runner's knee to hip strains and lower back pain. See why those planks are so important? Few runners do enough core work so this is most likely something we can all improve on. 

5. Starting a race too fast. Hold your horses! Not holding back early in a race can ruin your PR hopes. Consider using a GPS watch so you'll know your pace—and be able to adjust it—before the one-mile mark.

*From the 5k to the marathon and all the training in between, using a GPS watch provides a lot of benefits. And the good news is, they are becoming very affordable. It's worth your time to do the research to see which one works best for you and to make the purchase. 

6. Being your own doctor. Runners tend to be hyperaware of their bodies, self-medicating with ice or ibuprofen to treat aches and pains. But minor injuries could turn into serious ones. Instead, see a doctor sooner rather than later. If the pain has lingered for three days, schedule an appointment.

*So this is the deal... every day that you put off getting a diagnosis is a day potentially lost for recovery. I speak from experience on this. Several years ago, I self-diagnosed myself with plantar fasciitis and treated it accordingly. After a week went by with no relief (it actually got worse), I finally went to a podiatrist and was diagnosed with peroneal tendonitis and put in a boot for six weeks. My delay in seeking professional help set me back a week.  

 7. Skipping stretching. It's okay to nix stretching before a run—in fact, static stretching when your muscles are cold is a no-no—but loosening your muscles post-run can help prevent injury. ​Holding yoga poses for minutes at a time releases tension in the body and the mind, and helps keep muscles flexible and stretched.

*Consider purchasing a massage gun as well. It's a great way to massage knots, reduce soreness, and increase range of motion.

8. Not getting enough zzzz's. Studies show logging too few hours of sleep can impair your running while compromising recovery, immunity, and mental sharpness. Because everyone requires different amounts of sleep, log your sleep time in your training journal and look for patterns specific to you. Once you figure out what works for you, shoot for that number—and try these tips to get even better sleep—as often as possible.

9. You never rest. Overtraining can lead to a host of problems, from injury and slower times to illness and a loss of motivation. Every training program should have a rest day plus two to three easy-effort days per week to balance tougher workout days. It's okay to cross train, but reward yourself with a day of total rest to give your muscles much-needed rebuilding and recovery time.

*If you're like me and view motion as daily medicine for staving off depression and anxiety, try aqua running on your day of total rest. It's a form of active recovery that will actually make you feel better than completely abstaining from movement altogether.

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10. Fixing it all. There's plenty of advice on how to become a better runner, but try to focus on what's manageable. Remember: You likely started running to feel better, not to become stressed.

*Always be sure that you seek advice from trusted sources. You'd be surprised at how many runners get led astray by bad advice. 

So there you have it friends. Spring is a great time to not only get outside and run but to "grow" as a runner. And let me tell you, we all have room for growth. I've been running for decades and I still learn new things all the time because I'm always seeking growth--something I hope you'll seek too. 

Happy Running!