Running Goals Are Important
Setting goals in any aspect of your life is important. Running is no different. Many people start out with a bang and then taper off. A lot of times that’s because of taking on too much too fast. If you set goals and make them attainable and measurable, you’ll tend to stick with them easier.
Here’s a good article by Judy Mick on how to do just that:
Having running goals is important to your success as a runner. Here are some tips for setting your goals.
Make Your Goal Specific.
You want to be specific about your goal. It’s not enough to just say, “I want to run faster” or “I want to run farther”. A more specific goal is “I will lower my marathon time by 5 minutes this year” or “I will complete a 5K run without walking by June”. Don’t just say, “I want to run more miles this year”, say “I will be running 10 more miles each week by the end of the year”. See the difference?
Make Your Goal Attainable For You.
Just because you think everyone is running a marathon – maybe it’s not for you. If you’ve never run farther than a 5K, maybe your goal should be a 10K or a 10-miler. Make it something that is attainable for you. You want your goals to push you – but something that is achievable.
Adjust Your Goals If Needed.
If your goal was to run a 5K by December and you’ve completed one by May – that’s great! And, yourself and celebrate. But, then, you can readjust your goal if you want as you improve. Just remember to keep them attainable for you.
Set Multiple Goals.
With adjusting goals in mind – maybe you want to set multiple goals. You can set 3 different goals – A, B, and C. “A” goals would be the ultimate goal for you – but still be realistic and attainable for you. Maybe a significant personal best in a certain distance. Your “B” goal would still be a great achievement for you. This is the goal that gets you out the door and putting in the workouts each day. This could be running your next race at a good pace per mile that is challenging to you. Your “C” goal would be a baseline for your happiness, but you know that even after achieving it – you have work to do. This could be as simple as not getting out-kicked at the end of a race or passing everyone in the last 500 yards of a race.
Another way to set multiple goals is to make certain goals for different times of the year. For instance, running a 5K by June and a 10K by October. Or, take 30 seconds of your 10K time by April and 2 minutes off by September.
Stay Accountable To Your Goals.
This can be done in several different ways – depending on you. If you need the extra push of others knowing your goal – tell someone. Your spouse, your running partner, whoever will keep you accountable. But, also remember to write it down. If you can motivate yourself – maybe just a sticky note on your mirror is all you need. Like I mentioned, I write mine down in the front of my running logs each year. Committing your goals to paper is extremely important.
So, you have your goals. Get excited about them! Get out there, work hard and start getting them checked off! As you can see, setting running goals is important to continuing to improve as a runner. For more tips on running, visit Running Tips.You can also sign up for my free weekly newsletter at Running For Life
Running Safety on Busy Streets
Living in a big city, running on the streets is almost unavoidable. If you have to run on busy streets you want to at least make sure you stay safe and follow a few rules:
- Always try to run during the daylight hours if possible. If you have to run at night make sure you wear a reflective vest and light clothing.
- Run on a sidewalk if you can. If there’s no sidewalk, run against traffic, unless it’s a blind curve. I usually don’t trust those and will temporarily move to the other side. If you can, pick streets that aren’t as busy and never at rush hour.
- Pay attention at traffic signals and intersections. Don’t assume drivers will see you.
- Running with a dog is nice in the park, but too distracting on a busy street. You have enough to think about in making sure you are safe yourself without worrying about your dog too.
- Let someone know where you’re going and how long you expect to be gone.
Marketing With Unique Promotional Products
One of the best ways to create a marketing campaign is to kick it off with unique promotional products. While promotional products for your company are available in the form of any item under the sun, it is up to you to choose the most appropriate for your company image and what you are trying to promote. Unique promotional items are tempting, but ensuring that they send the correct image to potential clients and customers is the real challenge.
Marketing your company, product, or service with promotional materials give you a unique opportunity to interact with your client base. Engaging customers in one to one conversations enable marketers and promoters the chance to better understand their client base. Ensuring that you include unique promotional products that are also relevant must be carefully thought about by your marketing team. Promotional products with function produce more desirable results. Constant use of the item by the potential customer may also lead to a chain reaction of mini marketing and word of mouth advertising. Unique promotional products that stand out yet have function and relate to your industry, company, or image is the key.
For example, if you’re heading the marketing team for a health insurance company which provides discounts or other benefits to members who are in good health, members of gyms, or participate in sporting events and promotes a high quality of life through physical fitness, then you will want to locate and engage future potential customers where they are abundant and where they are relaxed enough to engage you as a promoter or marketer. Gyms may seem like a good option however, many gyms are part of a mundane daily grind where outsiders, especially those who are selling things, are not welcome. Parks or running paths might be a better location. Runners who are outside are more likely to be relaxed and open to conversation. Having that unique promotional product that runners will want to stop and look at will make your campaign a true success. Popular items may include towels with logos printed on them or gimmicks such as heart rate monitor readings. Would you stop your run for a towel? I didn’t think so. Inquiring about your heart rate and pulse might attract quite a few runners, however the penetration is very short lived as the potential customer walks away with little more than numbers. Another idea is a water bottle. Athletes are always on the lookout for water bottles, and the more interesting the water bottle the better.
As a promoter, thinking outside the box is mandatory. Think like your potential clients and you will see that the most unique promotional products are right under your nose!
Hash House Harriers-A Drinking Club With a Running Problem
If you mention the words “red dress run” to someone and they don’t know what it means, they obviously have never heard of hashing. The House House Harrier tagline is “a drinking club with a running problem”. Even though there are thousands of Hash House Harrier clubs around the world, it’s still a secret to most people. Even for those who have heard of it, the club remains a mystery.
Almost any day of the year, in almost any part of the world there’s probably a Hash going on somewhere. There are about 2000 Hash House Harrier chapters on all 7 continents. Each chapter usually has between 20 and 100 members. The running events are all non-competitive and almost all involve running and beer, usually at the same time with some kind of beer carrier.
The Hash House Harriers running club was started in 1938 in Kuala Lumpur. The idea of hashing died out for a while, but in the mid-70′s started booming again and hasn’t slowed down. There are clubs with men, women, men and women, and ones with families and kids.
The hash begins with the “hares” laying down a trail and is followed by the “hounds” trying to stay on the trail without running into false trails and dead ends. The end of the trail is often called the On-After or the On-Down and is where everyone gets a chance to socialize. Along the way there are usually beer stops (beer checks) and some beer drinking on the run. The most common term they use is “on-on”, which means they are on the right trail. It’s also the logo used by hashers, along with the symbol of a human foot.
Hashers will often carry whistles or loud horns to communicate with each other. Many hashes allow costumes, like the famous Red Dress Run, which is usually held annually by different chapters. Legend has it that a woman showed up at a hash wearing a red dress, unaware that it was a running event, but she wore the dress anyway. Now hashers of both sexes wear a red dress at these events, which draw large crowds in every major city.
The hash ends with something called the “circle”. This is a more formal gathering where hashers socialize, sing drinking songs, get their new hash names, and catch up on the latest hash news. Before you’ve officially been given your hash name you will be referred to as no name.
As you’ve probably figured out by now, a hash is mostly just a fun, non competitive way to blow off some steam, get some exercise, and of course, drink some beer!
Injury-Free Exercise
Warming up and cooling down
Before you start exercising, you need to warm up your muscles. Warm up your muscles before stretching them. You can warm up by walking at an easy pace before stretching. Then stretch by starting at the top of your body and working your way down. Slowly stretch your calf, quad, groin, and hamstring muscles. Warming up can also include jogging slowly, doing knee lifts, and arm circles.
Don’t forget to cool down and stretch after exercising, too! This helps the body return to its normal state after vigorous exercise. Cool-downs help your heart rate return to normal and can help prevent your muscles from feeling stiff after a workout.
Important exercise safety tips
- See your doctor before getting involved in a sport
- Don’t exercise when it’s really hot and humid outside. You don’t want your body to overheat or get dehydrated. If it’s very hot or humid outside, try moving your exercise indoors that day. Also, if you live in an area with high air pollution, exercise early in the day or at night and avoid congested streets and rush hour traffic.
- Drink water before, during, and after exercise
- Make sure you warm up and stretch your muscles for 5 minutes before and after workouts to make your muscles more flexible. It is easier to get hurt if your muscles are not stretched. It’s also important to increase the intensity of your workout gradually. If you exercise intensely right away, you could risk getting hurt
- See a doctor if: 1) You are in severe pain, 2) you see swelling around where you got hurt, or 3) The pain gets in the way of sleep and activities. Don’t jump back to your regular exercise after getting hurt because you could get hurt again. Follow your doctor’s orders for how to care for your injury and when you can be active again. This includes following instructions for use of pain medicine.
- Follow the rules of the game! The rules are there, in part, to keep you safe.
Using the right equipment
When you exercise or play sports, it is important to use the right safety equipment.
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Helmets are needed for sports such as baseball, softball, biking, snow skiing, and rollerblading. Make sure you wear the right helmet for the sport you are playing and that it fits well. Also make sure that the helmet you wear for biking has a sticker from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which means that it is safe for this activity. |
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Mouth guards protect your mouth, teeth, and tongue. You should wear a guard if there’s a chance you could get hit in the head while taking part in activities such as volleyball, basketball, or martial arts. You can find mouth guards at sport stores or your dentist. It will also help keep your mouth safe to take out your retainer. |
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Special eye protection is needed for sports such as ice hockey, soccer, and basketball. Goggles and face masks should fit snugly and have cushion for a comfortable fit. If you wear glasses, you need to get fitted for guards that fit over your glasses. You could also buy special prescription goggles, which cost about $60 or more. These guards and goggles are made with a special plastic called polycarbonate (say: pahl-ee-kar-buh-nayt). This special plastic will not hurt your eyes. |
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It is important to wear the right footwear for your sport. Check with your coach or an athletic shoe salesperson about what shoes to wear. |
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Wrist, knee, and elbow pads can help prevent broken bones when you are inline skating/rollerblading, skate or snow boarding, or playing sports such as hockey. |
Knee injuries
It’s fairly common for teens to develop knee injuries, especially if you’re very active in sports. If your knee hurts so much that it affects your usual routine, you can’t put weight on it, or is red or swollen, you should see a doctor.
You can help prevent knee injuries by:
- Wearing the correct protective equipment for your sport (for example, knee pads and shin guards)
- Warming up and cooling down before exercise
- Stretching regularly
- Bending your knees when you land from a jump
- Using correct technique for your sport, like cutting and pivoting
Running and Pregnancy
You often hear “check with your doctor before beginning an exercise program”. This is especially true if you’re pregnant. If you’ve always been a runner, you’re probably okay to continue running while pregnant. But it’s still best to check with your doctor to make sure. Everyone is different.
According to Julie Tupler, founder of Maternal Fitness, pregnancy isn’t the time to start a running routine. When the baby’s major organs are forming in the first trimester, overheating can become a real problem. Instead, she recommends strengthening your abdominal muscles for labor.
Drinking lots of water before, during and after a run is important even if you’re not pregnant. But much more important if you are. If you become dehydrated it can decrease blood flow to the uterus and bring on premature contractions.
Run on flat surfaces to avoid losing your balance. Make sure you’re not out running in an isolated area just in case you have an emergency. Even better, try to run with a partner.
The best thing is to make sure you listen to what your body tells you. Anyone who has been a competitive athlete before may try to push beyond their limits. Now isn’t the time. Don’t push beyond exhaustion. Speed walking is just as good for exercise and may be a safer way, especially the further along you get in your pregnancy.
Snowshoeing for Runners
If you’re looking for a good cross training exercise to do in the winter try snowshoeing. It uses 50% more energy than running on trails.You can get them for running or hiking and snowshoers say they feel like walking or running in sand.
They also say the calm and peacefullness of snowshoeing during or after a fresh snowfall is priceless. The scenery can’t be beat.
Running on snow is better on the joints than trail running since the impact of your step is less. The snowshoes come in 3 different types, depending on what kind of workout you will be doing. Many mountains are now renting snowshoes for hikers and runners who want a unique and challenging workout.
Water’s Importance to Runners
Water is one of the most important things a runner can consume. About 60% of a runner’s total body weight is water. Water helps maintain body temperature, improve digestion, and helps with circulation and excretion of wastes.
If a runner doesn’t drink enough water, they won’t able to sweat adequately, and this is how body temperature is regulated. If they don’t drink enough water their body temperature will rise. This can negatively impact physical performance and will eventually cause dehydration. Even a very small amount of dehydration can impact a runner’s athletic performance. Thirst is not an indicator of dehydration. Dehydration can happen before an athlete even becomes thirsty.
The body will pull water from its reserves when it’s deprived of fluids to maintain a safe body temperature. If the body is chronically low on water, a variety of hormonal changes can occur. Extra water should be taken to avoid an imbalance if a runner is drinking alcohol or coffee.
The small intestine can absorb water at a rate of 8-10 ounces about every 20 minutes. Drinking cold water is better because it will enter the small intestine faster. Take small sips before, during, and after your workout to avoid dehydration. Make sure not to drink large amounts all at once. Spacing out your water is better for the body.
The only way for a runner to prevent dehydration is to make sure they are properly hydrated before, during, and after a training run. Make sure you have water readily available during training and make sure you drink enough water before and after a training run. Know what your sweat rate is. It can be different for different people. Know how much fluid you’ll need to replace. A good rule of thumb is to drink about 20 ounces of water for every pound of weight lost because of sweating.
Some runners think that water is just too plain and boring. If that’s you, try a good sports drink with your favorite flavor. The most important thing is to make sure you replace fluids and stay hydrated.
If you have signs of dehydration, like weakness, headache, thirst, dizziness or chills, not only is your running going to suffer, but you’re putting yourself in danger of a heat related problem. It’s better to avoid that in the first place by making sure you are drinking enough water.
Unique Marathon Promotional Products
Try to wrap your head around this figure $170 million. That’s how much money the Chicago Marathon produces in a single year. With 45,000 entrants a year and an uncountable amount of spectators, one thing is for sure: The Chicago Marathon sure draws a crowd, and with that crowd comes consumer dollars. Over 245 endorsed marathons are run across the U.S. every year and companies see the potential for marketing their products to both the runners participating in the marathons and the people in the crowds that come to cheer them on.
Large events such as marathons give businesses the opportunity to play a participatory role in the exciting environment of a race event. While some companies can advertise during televised races, others prefer to be on the ground and in the mix of things for the chance to promote their products. Whether these are marathon products or unique promotional products targeting a wide variety of consumers, companies find a way to promote their product on and around the runners. Sponsored contestants are splashed with logos that will remind consumers of constant branding before, during, and after the marathon event.
Many sponsors are in fact promoting marathon products or other products for runners and hope to receive enhanced exposure by good finish times, wins, and television airplay of the race. Marathons are often sponsored by a large company and non-professional runners will be allowed to wear a singlet, shorts, or race number that displays the sponsoring company’s logo on the contestant. Anything is fair game: from banners on over passes, to signs placed at the finish line, to paintings on the pavement, marketers have done it all when it comes to promoting at marathons. Even on the sidelines companies can be found with unique promotional products.
A great way for companies to engage their potential customers is to grab their attention.
Whether they are a fitness or exercise related company or not, marketers often choose to display marathon related products. One example is unique water bottles. Unique promotional products open the door to discussion among sellers and potential buyers in the crowd. The combination of unique promotional and marathon related products is very effective at events such as marathons, as these products can be seen in use on runners. Promoting a company during marathons is big business and there are plenty of opportunities to do so. Whether a big company or a small family business, using unique promotional products at marathons and other running events is sure to attract your future customers.
Winter Workouts
Winter workouts for runners often require getting indoors. Traditional runners interpret this as a necessity for spending hours in gyms running in place over the drum of the constantly moving treadmill. Try mixing your workout up and implementing new exercises that will improve your body as a runner. Cross training during the off season is a popular choice by runners. Weightlifting gives your legs a break from the pounding endured while running and gives your muscles a new way to move and work.
While runners might look forward to a break from the road for a few months many are not very excited to enter gyms and their distinct atmospheres and cultures. Runners often find gyms, especially gyms involving free-weights, to be an intimidating environment to step into. Different rules apply at different gyms but in general the ‘unspoken rules’ are in play. One rule that runners may not be used to is ‘marking’ gym equipment as ‘in use’.
This is often done with towels, water bottles, or small gym bags that are used to indicate that although the equipment is not in use at the moment, someone is in fact occupying that machine, bench, etc. Many points of conflict arise between gym users when one person temporarily leaves their equipment (unmarked) to get a drink of water and another gym user occupies the equipment. An inventive solution for runners is a clever little water bottle known simply as swiggies. The wrist water bottle is strapped to your arm ensuring several important things during your training session. The first and foremost is to maintain hydration.
While you might not sweat in the gym as much as you would while running outside under the sun, you will nevertheless require constant hydration. The Swiggie wrist water bottle ensures you always have water nearby. Having the Swiggie wrist water bottle strapped to your arm makes sure that you don’t misplace or lose your water bottle in the busy shuffle of the gym.
Finally, swiggies virtually eliminates the need to leave your equipment for a swig of water from the drinking fountain. This is a great non-conflict way of maintaining your use of the equipment, allowing for more workout time rather than wasting your gym session with arguments over equipment usage. Don’t be afraid of heading to the gym this winter, be a smart runner by leaving the treadmill, hitting the weights, and using unique products like swiggies to make your workout more comfortable.
