Yesterday I completed my first 10 mile run, in preparation for the 1/2 marathon I am running 6 weeks from now. If you’ve read my other articles you may remember that running has been the exercise that literally tips the scales for me and helps me to burn off the baby weight that I acquire during pregnancy. For some great tips on getting started running, go here.
If you’re ready to run 10 miles, or if you’ve just started running and want to take it to the next level, here are some more tips to help you (and if you have any tips to add, please feel free to do so in the comments, we can all benefit from your experiences, too). And, of course, any information you obtain from this article or from the comments is not meant to replace professional medical or fitness advice.
I listed my first five tips in the last post, go here.
Do these DURING your run:
6. Enjoy the music. As you get started, focus on your breathing and the pace you want to set, then just listen to your music. I love great music while I’m running because my mind can get lost in it and my running body goes on autopilot for a while, it helps the time and distance go by quicker.
7. Lengthen your stride slightly. If and when your joints start to bother you, try lengthening your stride slightly (do not overextend). Increasing your stride length increases the amount of ground you cover with each step and I find that it helps to alleviate any discomfort I am starting to feel in my knees during a long run. For more information on running stride and form, try this article at runnersworld.com.
8. Relax and Celebrate! It is easy for some people to tense up in their shoulders, arms and hands while running. This tension can get uncomfortable really fast. Occassionaly during a run I like to let my arms go, just to be sure I’m keeping my body relaxed. Also, at my halfway point I celebrated my accomplishment with a deep breath and a quick stretch. It felt GREAT to know I was halfway through my 10 mile run!
9. Pick up your pace. Once I’ve gotten into a good “zone” on a run, if I’m feeling pretty good, sometimes I will increase my pace at certain intervals in order to increase my stamina, calorie and fat burn. Then, when I settle back into my moderate pace (I don’t stop), it feels like a nice break and I can continue on. It is important to me not to slow down, but, rather, to speed up at intervals and return to my moderate pace.
10. Start over. When there’s only 3 miles left, your body might ache and you’ll start to get thirsty. But hey, running 3 miles is no big deal for you. Imagine that you just started a three mile run instead of dwelling on the fact that you are actually running miles 8, 9 and 10. Talk yourself through it, “A 3 mile run is no sweat for me. I’m just doing a 3 mile run. 3 miles and I’m home, done, good to go!”
Shape.com has a few more tips for you to consider as well.