Here are some tips to help make running easier and enjoyable – and put a smile on your face as you clock those daily training miles on the pavement or trails.
1. Draw the alphabet using your toes
By drawing the alphabet with your toes, you can strengthen your calf muscles and at the same time, prevent shin splints, which is a common but dreaded injury amongst runners. This simple exercise can be done anytime, even during those long office hours at work.
2. Cover the treadmill clock
How many times have you resorted to running on the treadmill in cold and rainy weather – and found yourself checking the clock multiple times, and cursing that only five minutes have passed each time?
By covering the clock, you won’t end up watching time, and may even find yourself enjoying your run better – just like an outdoor run.
3. Lay out your running gear out the night before
When you are feeling lazy to wake up and run, laying out your running gear nicely the night before is a good form of motivation, because your running clothes are simply staring at you and begging you to put it on.
However if that is still not enough to get you out of the bed and start pounding the pavement, you can even try sleeping in your actual running singlet and shorts – and then you’ll have no excuse to wake up to run, because you are already dressed up for it!
4. Wear pantyhose feet under your socks
To prevent blisters, some soldiers in the army in countries such as the United States, have taken to wearing pantyhose feet under their socks, and they swear by it. So if you find that you are always getting blisters after long runs, then this may be something you could consider trying.
5. Stick your keys into your laces
If you’re sick of having to manually hold on to your keys when you’re going out for runs, why not stick them into your shoe laces instead? By doing this, you won’t have to literally hold on to your keys while running – and are thus able to run completely hands-free.
6. Stick duct tape on your shoes
If you have to run in the rain or snow, you can try sticking duct tape on the front of your shoes before you leave the house for the run. This will prevent the water from getting in and making your shoes and socks completely wet. It may not help for long runs as the water will eventually get in after a while, but for those shorter runs, this will definitely help.
7. Ask for an older shoe model
When you purchase new running shoes at the shops, you don’t always need to get the newest model. Sometimes it may help save money too – to get a slightly older model of the shoe that you are looking at. This will not only be cheaper, but the changes between each edition of running shoes are usually very small – so by buying a slightly older shoe, you are not really missing out on anything.
Leave a Comment