8 Things You Don’t Know About Running Until You Try

It’s one thing to read about an activity and to learn about it, but it’s another thing to do it. There’s nothing quite like the wisdom that is born from experience – and that can’t be more true than in a physical activity like running. When it comes to running, you’ll probably encounter a few obstacles you expected and many you didn’t. Here are some of the things you don’t know about running until you try.

1. Your nipples can really, really hurt. For the people who have experienced nipple chaffing, this is no laughing matter – nipples can chafe so hard that they begin to bleed. Some runners tape up their nipples before a run and pad them with something soft.
2. That thing in your sock isn’t a pebble; it’s your toenail. The constant rubbing of toenail-against-sock can lead to some funny foot situations; you may take off your socks after a run only to discover that a toenail is completely missing.
3. There aren’t enough public bathrooms. Running has a way of stimulating the bladder – or at least, it feels that way. If you don’t plan your bathroom visits, you may find yourself in need of a toilet – fast.
4. Blisters can be the worst. Sure, there’s physical pain, but then there’s blisters. You’ll know when you get one.
5. Endorphins feel very, very good. There’s nothing like the “runner’s high” – or the gentle feeling of euphoria that comes after a challenging run. It reminds you that it’s all worth it.
6. Windy days are good. If you’re in a hot-weather state, you will recognize the importance of a cool gust or the wind coming off an ocean or lake.
7. When you sweat, you lose more than water. Sometimes, drinking water just isn’t enough – to get all of the electrolytes you lose back in, you need other electrolytes like sodium or potassium. But not too much.
8. You can start to learn just how long a mile is. If you’ve ever taken a short run, a mile can feel like an eternity – you start counting everything by the tenth of a mile. We drive everywhere in cars and forget just how long 5,280 feet is.

Of course, running isn’t just about the small things – it’s about the reasons why you run, like losing weight, getting back in shape, and staying healthy so your family can have you around longer. If you have good “big” reasons to run, you won’t sweat the small stuff. Well, you’ll sweat it, but you’ll know it’s part of the package.

Photo Credits: lepiaf.geo

Originally posted 2009-08-07 03:29:18.

This post involves:

bathroom visits, bladder, blisters, drinking water, electrolytes, eternity, euphoria, gust, hot weather, laughing matter, nipples, obstacles, physical activity, potassium, public bathrooms, run a mile, runners, sodium, something soft, windy days

... and focuses on:

Running

Posted by Bike Swim Run on December 1, 2009 in Running. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.