Running. A sport most of us love, some of us hate, but we can all agree that non-runners think it’s a sport for crazy people. They might be right. Who am I to judge?
Link up with Fairytales and Fitness and me for the Friday Five 2.0 linkup!
Some days running comes so naturally. The weather is perfect, we’ve had a really great night of sleep, and the run is just effortless. There’s no chafing, there’s no water freezing solid in the hydration tube. But for the days that aren’t picture-perfect — the ones where we’ve been up several times with a sick or lonely child, or it’s hot and muggy, or we’re just plain ol’ not motivated to run — how do we get through those runs?
Today I’m here to share five running hacks to get you through your next run. Since you can’t really hack your way through running without serious risk of injury, the word hack here refers to tips and tricks to help you prevent things like boredom, blisters, and hydration issues.
Please — do not try to shortcut your way through your training. If you have a coach, your workouts are prescribed for a reason. And if you’re using a pre-written plan from the internet, it is written as it is for a reason. If you try to shortcut your training, you’re putting yourself at risk for injury.
5 Running Hacks: Tips and Tricks for Your Next Run
1. Use strength training to beat treadmill boredom!
It’s easy to get bored of the monotony on the treadmill. Here’s one workout to try to switch things up and keep your body working hard:
For this circuit workout, you’ll need a mid-weight kettlebell or barbell. Unless indicated otherwise, athletes should use “moderate effort” for the running portion of this workout. Runs should be hard but not all-out. You’ll need to save some energy for the work between each run!
- 10 minute warm-up, easy effort
- 2 minute walking lunges, low speed
- 2 minute run, moderate effort
- 1 minute push-ups
- 2 minute run, moderate effort
- 1 minute mini squats
- 2 minute run, moderate effort
- 1 minute kettlebell swings
- 2 minute run, moderate effort
- 1 minute mountain climbers
- 10 minute cool-down, easy effort
2. Use deodorant on your toes to prevent blisters.
My friend Sara uses this trick to keep her toes moving freely and happy. Lots of us have tried things like Vaseline, Body Glide, and all the other fun stuff on the market meant to minimize chafing. But deodorant is slippery and not goopy which makes it the perfect antidote to blisters.
3. Blow into the hose of your hydration bladder to avoid freeze-up.
Ever have your water freeze on a long run only to be completely desperate to get it to unfreeze? This has happened to me more than once so it took some time to figure things out. But the single best way to avoid the mouthpiece on your hydration hose freezing is by blowing back into the hose every time you take a drink. By ridding the mouthpiece of any liquid, you eliminate the possibility of a freeze-up.
Another trick to avoid freezing water on the run? From Sara: fill the bladder with hot water before heading out on a cold run. Not only will it keep your back warm (win!), it’ll keep your water from freezing if you’re out for several hours.
Two awesome running hacks for carrying water in cold temps!
4. Stay hydrated to avoid runners colitis.
Probably one of the most unfun aspects of running is the onset of runner’s colitis. Runner’s colitis is more common than you might think and is often associated with long runs and speed workouts. One culprit of runner’s colitis is dehydration. I’ve posted about this before on the Running Coaches’ Corner linkup, but dehydration by as little as 2% can negatively impact your performance as an athlete. One of those negative impacts can be the occurrence of runner’s colitis. By ensuring you’re adequately hydrated for a long run in particular, you’ll keep runner’s colitis at bay.
Please note: runner’s colitis is a bit different than runner’s trots. If you suspect you have runner’s colitis, it’s best to get checked out by a physician to rule out any underlying issues.
5. Hire a running coach!
And finally, the single best running hack there is? Hiring a running coach. Why? Because you get a training plan, you do the workouts, and there’s no pressure on you to figure out what you’re supposed to be doing. My life changed when I started using a running coach. As a result, I’ve become much more disciplined, I’m a stronger runner, and I don’t have to guess what’s next. My coach knows my goals and helps me achieve them.
Looking for a coach? Contact me and we’ll chat!
Hopefully these running hacks, tips and tricks will help keep you moving forward one deodorant slathered foot at a time.
Happy running!
xo
TALK TO ME!
What’s one running hack you’ve figured out over the years?
How do you avoid blisters on your toes?
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