Running tips and inspiration

Race strategy:

When going down a hill, lengthen out your strides. This will help you especially if there is an uphill once you hit the bottom of your downhill. This allows you to pick up speed, and doesn't strain your body very much. It also helps, because when you go up a hill your strides become shorter, so if your strides get lengthened out from the downhill, they won't become too short from going uphill. 

-Think of this as a way to increase speed with out using up any extra energy. Just let gravity take you!

~sources: coaches and experience

Inspiration:

"A race is a work of art that people can look at and be affected in as many ways they're capable of understanding" -Steve Prefontaine

Running

  Running is an interesting sport. It is not a sport that you can just go out and be great at. It's not a sport that you can just go out and feel good when you are done. It's not a sport that you can be lazy about if you want to be good. Running is a sport in which you need to be dedicated. Running is a sport in which you can build yourself up and be great. Running is a sport in which you can step up and be a leader, not only for yourself but for others. Running is a sport in which you can grow and become an inspiration to those around you. 

  Running takes courage, dedication, and passion. Some of the  hardest things to keep consistent and put into one thing.

Coming into the new season

Coming into the new season

Spring sports have come to a close or are coming to a close, as you look towards the upcoming fall season for sports. There are many things that you can do to get you ready for the upcoming season.

For many sports, a good thing to be doing is run..Run...RUN!! Get those miles in!!! Running is a great way to build up the muscles that you have in your legs. Building up the muscles in your legs will help you with just about any sport this fall. 

~For Cross Country Runners (Or any other sports with a lot of running)
It is very important that you log your miles. You want to build a very strong foundation for your upcoming sports season, and logging in quite a bit of miles will help!! Here is a link to one of my past posts that can help you with finding a work out to do on your own or with a friend: http://lifeofarunnergirl.blogspot.com/2012/08/tip-of-day.html

On top of logging in your miles, you also want to do the occasional cross training exercises! (<-- Applies to ALL athletes -->) A great cross training exercise would be biking! Like I've stated in one of my past posts (http://lifeofarunnergirl.blogspot.com/2012/08/tip-of-day.html))  biking helps to strengthen the area around your knees, and your quads. There are many other cross training exercises that you can do too such as: hiking, lifting weights, core training, etc. You just have to find the exercises that help/work for you!


So just remember that when you are going into a new sports season, there is a lot of preparation that you need to do in order to perform your best during that season!!



Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely the demonstration of their championship character. -T. Alan Armstrong

The importance of staying active during the off season

Long time no talk :)

So I finished off my season in cross country taking 4th in my league meet.  Not bad. After my season was over I ran with my high school team while they practiced for regionals, districts, and state. After that was over my season as a basketball player started. I play basketball 1. because I enjoy it and 2. because it helps keep me in shape for track. This is where my topic for today comes in.

If you are planning to run track, or another sport that occurs over summer or fall it is very important to stay active in the off season. It is very hard to get back in the groove of things if you have taken a long break. It could even hurt you.

There are many ways that you can stay active in the off season:
1. Join a sport that occurs in between your sports (If you are a fall and spring sport player join a winter sport such as basketball, indoor soccer, etc.)

2. If you are unable to join a new sport, get to a gym. (Even if you are in a sport hitting the gym every once in a while is not a bad thing. Work out some muscles that you don't normally work)

3. If you are unable to get to a gym, you can easily do some core work, upper body strength exercises, etc.

4. If you live in a warmer climate, or it isn't extremely cold outside get outside! Run, go hiking, bike etc. there are endless possibilities

5. Get to a pool. Working in a pool may be tiring but it doesn't strain the muscles as bad as some exercises do.


There are many more ways to stay active in the off season.... So let's get working :)

Random encouraging stuff

This is some stuff that my coach has told me:

*We run best at the END.
*We run best at the END of workouts.
*We run best at the END of races.

Everyone hurts at the end of each race, but it will hurt a lot more if you have to look in your team mates eyes as the only one who failed to come through!

If I'm hurting bad, then my competitors must hurt a whole lot worse!


Stuff from some random people:

Having a true faith is the most difficult thing in the world. Many people will try to take it from you.  -Steve Prefontaine

The miracle isn't that I finished but the fact that I had the courage to start the race.   -John bingham

Don't be afraid of the space between your dreams and reality. If you can dream it, you can make it so.  -Belva Davis

A person can fail many times, but they aren't a failure until they blame someone else.  -Steve Prefontaine

If you have questions about anything that has to do with diet, running, workouts, etc. or want some information on something contact me at: lifeofarunnergirl@gmail.com

thank you

Tip of the day

Core:

I have briefly touched base on the subject in July 10ths article but I felt the need to come back and give all of you some more details on your core.

I CAN NOT STRESS HOW MUCH YOUR CORE MATTERS!!! No matter what sport you participate in YOU NEED TO HAVE A STRONG CORE! Having a strong core does not necessarily mean having a six pack like your favorite male actor(But it would be nice to have some rocking cool abs right?!), it just means that you need to have abs that aren't like "woah look at me!!" but "I'm here but you just don't really see me" at minimum! 

IMPORTANCE OF A STRONG CORE:
Like I said before no matter what sport you are in you need to have a strong core. Here are some examples of why:
   *BASKETBALL: A strong core will make it easier for you to jump up and get a rebound
   *RUNNING: Makes it easier to go up hills
   *Tennis: When you swing the tennis racket you are not only using your upper body strength you are also using your core
   
See what I mean??
Core is one of the MUST HAVE muscles for every sport.

HOW DO I IMPROVE MY CORE STRENGTH?:
These are some workouts that you can do on your own to help improve your core. Pick a couple of these workouts and do them a couple times a day. A good time would be to do some repetitions during commercials while watching TV.

Sit-ups: Do 30 sit ups take a minute break and do 30 more. =do this at least 2x a day

Planking: (instructions: Start by laying on your stomach, now lift your upper body up onto your fore arms and extend your legs back so your lower body is relying on your toes to keep it up. Keep your back/butt down, but not so far down you look like a seal) Plank for 1 minute, take a minute break and plank for another minute. =do this at least 1x a day

Side Planks: (instructions:lay down on your side, lift your upper body onto (example) right forearm, and use your right foot to keep your lower body up. Place your left hand onto your hip and your left foot on your right foot) Side plank for 30 seconds on each side. =do this at least 1x a day

V's: (instructions: lay down on you back. Now lift your legs off the ground as high as you can and try to touch your toes (make sure your shoulders come off the ground) then go back to your starting position) Do 15 of these, a minute break, and then 15 more. =do this at least 1x a day



These are just a few of the many core workouts that you can do.
If you have questions or want more information contact me at: lifeofarunnergirl@gmail.com


IF you fail to prepare... prepare to fail  -Steve Prefontaine

http://lifeofarunnergirl.blogspot.com/2012/07/tip-of-day_10.html

tip of the day

Things you can do while practicing on your own:

1. A long run.

     A long run is pretty much just what it sounds like, a long run. If you don't know how far a long run should be... this is an example of what you could do:

        *Anyone running 2-3 miles a day (or every other day) should run 4-6 miles

        * People running 4-5 miles a day should run 7-8 miles

        * People running 6-8 miles a day should run 10-13 miles

Everyone is different so you can add some miles to the suggested amount of miles if you're feeling good or subtract some if you aren't feeling confidant about it.

2. Sprints

       There are many ways you can do sprints. Find a way that you like and do those but also remember to switch it up sometimes. Doing the same thing all of the time gets your body used to doing only one thing. If you don't know what kind of sprints you could do here are some examples:

        *400 meter sprints: Go as fast as you can (or set a pace you want to have) for 400 meters (or 1/4 mile)  No matter how many miles you do per day a good amount would be at least 4 (1 mile), but if you are a competitive runner you may want to do more, if you do just take how long your race is and do as many 400 sprints as it takes to get to that mileage (Unless you are an extremely long distance runner)  . You could do these with a small 1-2 minute break in-between each one or you could jog around for 1 minute in between each one. Do what makes it easier on you.

     When you do 400 meter sprints don't be afraid to push yourself.  (4 400 meter sprints= 1 mile)

3. Intervals

     Intervals are when you run for certain amounts of time, for example:

Running for 2min, then 3min, then 5min, then 8min would be doing intervals.

Intervals are really simple, you just need to know how long each run is going to be, and how long your break is going to be. An example for Middle School and High School cross country runners would be:

HS: 1min, 1min, 2min, 2min, 3min, 3min, 4min, 4min, 5min, 5min, 8min, 8min, 4min, 4min, 2min. With a minute break in between each one.

Hope this gave you some ideas of what you could do in training. :)

If you have questions or want some more training exercises contact me at: lifeofarunnergirl@gmail.com

It doesn't have to stop you

Question from me to you: If you are an athlete and you get injured do you just stop practicing because you got hurt?

The reason I asked that was because I am currently unable to run because I am injured... but that doesn't stop me from trying to become an even better runner. Some people may be thinking right now 'How can she do that if she can't run?' This is the answer: I exercise different parts of my body. Lately I have been doing a lot of core work and upper body strengthening. I have also been doing some wall sits to work on my thy muscles. Having an injury and having to stop running doesn't mean I have to stop training.

Question from me to you: Are you willing to fight through your hardships?

Most of our obstacles would melt away if instead of cowering before them we walk boldly through them -Orison Swett Marden

tip of the day

2 ways to become an even better runner

1. You need goals.

     Whether it is beating a person you don't always beat, or improving your PR, having goals gives you the strive to do better.

2. Motivation

     Your motivation could be as simple as "I love to run", or "I just want to get better at running", or even "It looks interesting. Having motivation to run makes it easier to accomplish the goals you have set.

Tip of the Day

Tip 6


Preparation is key.  If you go to any sort of competition (sport, chess, band, etc.) you need to prepare.  Running preparation can be quite difficult but with a little determination, anything is possible.


Step 1:
  ENDURANCE: The ability to withstand hardship or adversity.
Start building up nice endurance.  If you've never ran before start by running 1-2 miles every couple of days and work up to running it almost every day.  If you have ran before run anyway from 3-5 miles almost every day.  Doing the occasional long runs (5-8 miles) will do more then you think.  Even just running one long run a week can help your body because you are pushing yourself farther then you do when you just do the "every day route".  Building up your endurance is one of the many key ways to get prepared for the competition you will be doing or even just trying to beat your personal time.


Step 2:
  CORE
Almost everyone wants to have a nice looking stomach, but think that unless they work EXTREMELY hard for a very long time they will never be able to achieve their goal of having that perfect "swimsuit" body.  Not true.  When running having a nice core just makes running easier (It helps get your knees up with out thinking about it, making it easier to go faster and go up hills).  There are some really easy ways to help you get your core stronger. For example: 
  My cross country coach made my team do a core workout at the end of every practice.  We would do these crunches where all we had to do was get our head off the ground, but believe me it's A LOT harder then it sounds. This was the workout: 
10 crunches with your legs straight out
10 with your legs Indian style
10 with your legs bent to the left
10 with your legs bent to the right
10 with your knees are bent up in the air (feet on the ground)
10 with feet crossed and in the air
10 with feet crossed and higher in the air
Then do it all again
That is just one of many ways to get your core in shape. If you decide to do those and it is to hard, you can cut the workout to 5 crunches each, or just one time through until your body is able to do the full workout. 
When I first started doing that workout last cross country season I thought I was going to die it was so hard, but within about a month it started getting really easy. Even if it isn't easy at first don't give up.


Step 3.
 Get faster. With the endurance that you have, and core strong getting faster won't be to hard with a little determination. Doing latter drills, 200-800 meter sprints, or whatever other speed drills that you do will make you a much better runner. Think about it; even if you cut off 20 seconds of your time, that is HUGE. 5 seconds could win you a race, think about what 20 seconds could do! Getting faster another key to be great.

These aren't all of things that you can do to prepare for your race (or whatever it is you are preparing for), these are just some of the most important. Just remember to never STOP working on these steps. When you finish running your long run, sprints, or whatever you ran you can go do core workouts. Don't skip doing workouts because you feel you are good enough.  Just keep on going and never lose determination.


To accomplish great things we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan but also BELIEVE!  <3 Anatole France


Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months, and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely the demonstration of their championship character. <3 T. Alan Armstrong

Tip of the Day

Tip 5


Running with a person faster then you is not a bad thing.  When you are looking at someone when they are ahead of you, should make your body want to move faster. Even if they are really far ahead just think "I can catch up, I can do it".  Whenever I do that my mind just takes over and I catch myself moving faster. By going faster (If you have the endurance) you are preparing yourself to do better.Go out and find yourself a partner to run with, and get practicing.


"There is only one way to succeed in anything and that is to give everything." -Vince Lombardi


Sneak Peek:  Tomorrow's topic will be all about preparation for a race.  If you have any questions about preparation, or have a good discussion topic for tomorrow email it to me @:  lifeofarunnergirl@gmail.com! 

Tip of the Day: Cross Training

Tip 4


Cross Training is a smart thing to do.  Cross Training is when you work different muscles in your body by doing different exercises.  If you are in any running sports, biking may help you.  Biking up hills and off-road is a really good work-out.  It works the area above your knee, and helps strengthen the knee.  Find an exercise that helps you cross train, and become all you can be.
(Sources: Experience, and my Uncle)


"Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it." -Oprah Winfrey


"Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow" -Ronald E. Osborne


"If we all did things we were capable of doing of, we would  literally astound ourselves." -Thomas Edison

Tip of the Day

Tip 3

Always push yourself to do better. Even if you lose a race or don't do as good as you hoped, if you tried your best you'll know you have accomplished something. Be proud of where you're at but also strive to do better. Never give up even when you face your greatest challenges, never surrender and never give up.

"Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it or work around it." -Michael Jordan

"Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strength. When you go through hardship and decide not to surrender, that is strength." -Unknown

Tip of the Day

Tip 2.


"If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail." -Steve Prefontaine.


This quote is true... if you don't give it 100% when you practice how do you expect yourself to get better?  Think about it. Do you want to be good or do you want to be great at whatever you do?

Tip of the day

Tip of the day                                

Tip 1:                                        

                                              

 "Don't stop BELIEVING!!" -Journey            

 In order to be great, you have to believe in yourself.  Don't ignore the people that are   cheering you on or are helping you become     better.                                        

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NQIPVqLMUg    

Running 101

If you are a runner (or are in any other sport) there are some things that you need to do on a regular bases.

1. Always practice (Since about the end of the school year, I have been running almost every day. I have been training for Cross Country coming up this fall.  Since I am going into 8th grade I am only running a 2 mile race, but during my runs I have recently started running 3 miles+.  Running more then required doesn't hurt. Building up your endurance can only help you. Once you build up your endurance you can start hill work, speed drills, etc.)
2. Remember to stay hydrated (Drink a lot of water.  Gatorade, Powerade, or energy drinks may taste better or give you a burst of energy, but you're not giving your body what it needs in order for you to be active. When you add packets to your water to make them taste better you may be thinking "It's still water, it just has some flavor". If you think that then you are wrong. Adding anything to water takes away all the good it does for you.  
   Before you go out for a run or race check to make sure you have enough water in you.  I know it may sound weird, but an easy way to do this is to check your urine.*If your urine is clear: You have to much water in you*If your urine is dark yellow: Get more water into your body.*If your urine is a watered down lemonade color: you have a good amount of water in your body.)
3. Stretch (Stretching is important no matter what sport you do.  Remember to stretch before and after your run (or any other physical activity) If you don't stretch your muscles will tighten up.  If you run constantly with your muscles tight, you will be doing more harm to your body then good.)  
4. Always be eating good food (The food pyramid is a good reference to what you need to be eating daily, but as a runner you need to be adding calories and PACKING ON THE CARBS! The day before a race anything pasta related or anything that has a lot of protein in it is a good option. Don't eat a lot of junk food, it is bad for your body, but a little bit is ok (:  ) 
5. Get motivated. (Here are a couple of my favorite quotes to get you started:
   *Most of our obstacles would melt away if instead of cowering before them, we should make up our minds to walk boldy through them. -Orison Swett Marden
   *The miracle isn't the fact I finished, but the fact that I had the courage to start. -John Bingham
   *Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strength. When you go through hardship and decide not to surrender, that is strength. -Unknown
   
   To accomplish great things, you must firsts BELIEVE!!  <3  -Zoe Robertson

Running isn't something you can just start and be amazing at. It's not a sport in which you only need one skill.  Running is a sport that requires passion, dedication, and practice. You can never be great at something unless you give it 110% every time you run. You can be amazing at something no matter what your passion is <3
-Zoe Robertson

Your art

My art is running... Tell me what your art is in the comments :)