LDR (Long-Distance Running) – Expecting the Unexpected

Expect the unexpected.

If you’ve ever gone on a long-distance run more than once in your life, you have an idea of the challenges you’ll face. Weather is the most direct and obvious one – but if you’re running on a calm, cool summer day, you might face some other challenges you didn’t expect. Part of the reason you should start running today, even in small amounts to build your confidence, is that you don’t quite get a handle of all of the different challenges you face until you’re actually out there.

But what have some runners already come across that you can learn from? If you’re practicing to be a long-term runner, you might be amused, shocked, and surprised at some of the strange challenges you might find on your running route.

-Going to the bathroom.

Being caught in public, having nowhere to go to the bathroom, is one of the most socially awkward situations you can be in, and it is far from a pleasant subject. But you still might have to prepare for it. If you plan on running for an hour or longer, going to the bathroom will start to become an inevitability. It’s good to have some public facilities somewhere along your route, or, failing that, at least some nice, private woods where no one will find your dark, digestive running secrets.

-Aches and pains.

If you go far from your home and, halfway into your run, you develop an excruciating blister or even a case of “chub rub” between your thighs, you’re not in for a pleasant experience. But don’t let this discourage you from running – instead, prepare for this type of situation. Wear runner’s underwear and comfortable socks that will prevent these conditions as much as possible. Also, if you can split up your run into “laps” that bring you back through hospitable territory – like your home – more frequently, the journey back to a nice shower won’t be so long.

-Food.

Hunger can strike, especially on a long-distance run after you’ve been running for a while and burning plenty of calories. You need fuel, and while water is crucially important, it doesn’t always satisfy hunger. So be ready with some food – perhaps keep a granola bar or a bag of pretzels handy in a fanny pack, if you can carry one. In the book “Ultramarathon Man” by Dean Karnazes, the ultra-marathon runner (running beyond the 26.2 miles of a marathon) illustrates some of his unconventional ways of finding sustenance, including bribing his way into a Taco Bell drive-through and ordering pizza and telling the van that he would be the only man running on the road.

Photo Credits: Jim Crocker

Originally posted 2009-05-01 05:03:33.

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