What to Remember When Doing Long Distance Running

Long distance running is in a totally different league from running casually. If you’re preparing for any sort of long distance running challenge or routine then you need to get into the right mindset and make the proper preparations before you begin. This article will list a couple common problems people have when attempting to start a long distance run.

Practice

The best thing you can do when training for long distance running is to practice. It’s recommended that you start a slow pace and slowly work your way up to a steady and fast pace run. If you’re practicing close to the day of your competition, it’s important that you don’t overextend yourself because that will result in a poor performance during the event. Many trainers even recommend that you run only a slow pace on some days, or even not doing intensive running at all. This is to help your body recover from the other days that you are running at your maximum.

Stay Hydrated

Staying hydrated is something that you should focus on during the race. It’s important to drink lots of water before and during the event, even if you don’t feel thirsty. Long distance runners may prefer to also drink Gatorade because it will refill any electrolytes that you may have burned off. Staying hydrated will allow you to keep your pace for longer and hopefully carry you through the entire event.

Clothing

Whether you believe it or not, clothing can make a huge difference in the quality of your running game. It’s very important to get shoes and socks designed specifically for running because without them you may develop blisters and other annoying foot issues. Another thing to keep in mind is that you should replace your clothing at the end of seasons. It may be cheap to reuse clothing, but it’s not always the sanitary thing to do.

Eat Healthy

Like with any exercise, it’s important that you eat healthy before and after your races or events. You should pay special attention to what you eat the night before and the day of the race, as it can have a dramatic effect on your performance. It’s suggested that you stay away from spicy and sugary foods, especially the night before. To motivate yourself you can also allow ‘freedom’ days. These days are days that you can eat foods that are considered unhealthy as long as you’ve reached your exercising goals.

Long distance running requires a different kind of preparation than a casual exercising routine. It’s more difficult on the body and it’s much more difficult on the mind, but with proper preparation you can make a scene at your next big event.

Photo credits: a trying youth

This post involves:

blisters, distance running, electrolytes, exercise, long distance run, long distance runners, mindset, night before, poor performance, proper preparations, running game, shoes, slow pace, socks

... and focuses on:

Health, Running, Safety

Posted by Bike Swim Run on October 13, 2009 in Health, Running, Safety. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.