Running is one of the most stress reducing activities you can do. Runners high is real and its very addicting. Going out and running some solid miles feels fantastic. You feel accomplished and excited to do it again. But that day will come when it becomes repetitive and gets boring. You don’t feel like going to run. You get home or wake up and don’t even want to think about running. When this happens you can do 1 of 3 things: 1) Give up, 2) Go run, 3) DO SOMETHING ELSE. You don’t always have to be running to stay in “running” shape. There are several different activities you should tie into your weekly schedule to make sure you never get bored of running and, if you’re trying to compete, stay ahead of your competition. This, my friends, is called cross training and it will save you and your mind.

Boxing

Boxing is one of the hardest physical activities you will ever do in your entire life. I have never sweat more in one hour then when I did boxing. It’s hard as shit. If you thought running 5 miles was tough go to a boxing class for one hour and you’ll change your mind. The best thing about boxing is it’s difficulty. It’s the perfect combination of speed, power and stamina. Those three traits are crucial for running. Stamina is a no brainer, speed helps you go fast for a long period of time and power is the grit to push through as hard as possible the more tired you get. After getting into a solid 2-3 months of running I would highly suggest taking a day off and adding boxing to your weekly regimen. It’s going to be harder than your run anyway and will push your body to the limits.

Lifting

Lifting is an activity that needs to be apart of your routine immediately. Lifting weights help you become stronger as a whole. It can be tough to do on a consistent basis but is something that should be mandated. Start out very small when incorporating lifting and start off with low weights. For running especially you’re going to want to do more reps with less weight for increasing your strength and stamina simultaneously. Start off lifting arms one day and legs another with very minimal time initially (10-20 minutes). These exercises don’t have to be crazy tough to see and feel results after a few weeks. So, like anything, start off slow and easy, increase weights and reps as you progress, and please don’t take yourself too seriously in the gym.

Swimming

Swimming changed the way I ran. It helped me gain strength, push myself beyond my limits and increased my confidence more than I ever imagined possible. I had no idea what I was capable of until I begin swimming. It’s a grueling exercise but swimming for 20 minutes 2-3 times a week will change you physically and mentally. You don’t have to swim fast or have the perfect form but you must be willing to put the work in. Start off doing laps for 10 minutes and then practice on running form in the shallow end for the last 10 minutes. If you’re feeling good add 10 more minutes swimming under water from end to end holding your breath as long as possible. That exercise is what really changed me. You can hold your breath twice as long as you’ve ever thought possible. This exercise alone increased my confidence exponentially. I began to push myself harder and harder on runs and helped me become more confident in my abilities in multiple areas of life not only running. Swimming took me to the next level and should be an integral part of your schedule.

Remember, these activities go hand and hand with running. If you want to become great at running or just finish your first 5k you need to dedicate a large portion of your time to training. To make that move you need to include these specific activities. Don’t be afraid to switch it up! Try Boxing on Sundays, Swimming on Wednesdays and lifting after running on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Now initially you’re going to want to slowly add these activities to your weekly routine. Once you get into the swing of things add more work. Push yourself, be confident and don’t be afraid to fail. Most importantly have fun 🙂

Running can be a daunting task to begin. Where do I start? How many miles should I run per day? At what speed should I run those miles? Should I run everyday?

A lot of people enjoy the idea of running but when it comes to actually putting together a game plan for running few people know where to start. Like anything and everything else in the world you must first take small steps before you go all out. Did you learn to walk before you crawled or Run before you walked? You must take baby steps to ensure you don’t risk severe injuries or form bad habits. This list contains my three most important rules for every runner. Follow these steps and you’ll surely be headed in the right direction.

Take the first few days slow

The first few days of running are not going to be enjoyable if you sprint for 30 minutes everyday. After the first day you won’t be able to move. Then you will start taking days and poof, there goes any shot of you having a consistent running plan. So, for the first few days you just want to focus on running minimally. Walk to warm your body up for five minutes, then run (SLOWLY) for two to five minutes depending on how your body reacts. Do this for 15-30 minutes for three days a week for your first week. if you’re feeling good add more time or a day but don’t overdue it. Initially it will feel very foreign so stick with this routine and increase the amount of running as your body begins to respond to running on a consistent basis. Again, you don’t want to start off running a ton of miles and you definitely don’t want to do this fast. These first days are crucial. So try not to overdue it.

Have a positive Mindset

“You can do this!”, “Don’t give up!”, “I’m too tired..”, “I’m not in good enough shape..”, “Running isn’t my thing..”

We all have good days and bad days. There’s no denying that. When you have a negative mindset it will ruin a run for you. When you stay positive throughout a run you can run for days and no one can stop you from your goals! So keep a positive mindset at all times whether you’re running or not. Positive self talk will help you push through those first few weeks when beginning to run. Don’t fall into the trap of telling your self you can’t do it because blah blah blah. You can do it! And you will do it! Remain positive throughout the first few weeks of training and you will realize how much of a boost it has on your running ability especially during the tough runs. Every time you feel yourself becoming negative repeat this, “I feel great, I’m confident in my abilities, I love this, Pain is temporary”, and remember the end result.

Set achievable goals

So you started running. There we go! Great job! Now what..?

When first beginning to run you need to understand the why of running. Why are you starting? Why do you want to do this day in and day out? Are you proving people wrong? Are you trying to finish your first 5k or run a marathon? Establish your goals before you even begin. Understand why you want to put yourself through this. This is important because you’re going to start running and it’s not going to be easy, it’s a lot of work and a huge time commitment. So know before you begin why you’re doing what you’re doing. Post your goals on the fridge or on your wall at work so you remind yourself why you do what you do. This will reaffirm why you’re doing this through those tough times when you want to quit. But most importantly you let everyone else know that you’re committed to achieving your goal.

Remember, you can do this but it will not be easy. Always remember you’re not alone. There are tons of other people who were in your same place, at square one. Set achievable goals, keep a positive mindset and start off slow. Don’t expect this to happen over night. It will take a lot of time and hard work. Shit, who want’s to be amazing at something without getting a little banged up and dirty along the way? That’s what makes the end result that much more enjoyable. Have fun and be safe out there. Oh yeah, happy runnings.