7 Summer Running Tips

7 Summer Running Tips for Beginners

The official start of summer is upon us, if it’s anything like last year it’s going to be hot and humid. Running in the summer heat could  be dangerous if you never done it before. I learned the hard way last year so I decide to give you all 7 summer running tips, that I wish someone would have told me when I started this journey.

Water bottleStay Hydrated

You could lose up to 20 oz. of fluid for every 20 minutes of running. It’s always a good idea to pre-hydrate (10–15 oz. of fluid 10 to 15 minutes prior to running) and drink fluid during your running especially if you are out in the sun for more than 45 minutes.

 

 

 

A photo of an owlBecome an early bird or a night owl 

If at all possible do not run during the hours of 10 am and 6 pm. Instead run during the cooler times of the day in the morning or in the evening. If you run in the morning, you’ll avoid the heat, but may encounter a higher humidity. The air quality is also better in the morning, since ozone levels increase soon after dawn, peak at midday, and then again in the early evening.

 

Winter RunningStay visible

No matter what time of day that you run, it’s important that you’re visible, especially to drivers. Get in the habit of wearing white or bright-colored clothes. When running in the early morning, night, or dusk, make sure you have reflective gear on. A reflective vest can be worn over any form of running clothing and will definitely help drivers see you.

 

 

sun blockLather up

Research has shown that runners have a higher rate of skin cancer. I’m pretty sure that’s because we’re outside more during the summer months and wearing less clothing than the average person. Be sure to use a sports sunscreen that’s waterproof with a SPF of 15 or higher. My personal favorite is Neutrogena Ultimate Sport Sunblock Spray, its light weight, waterproof, unscented, easy to apply and to get off with soap.

 

Dog with hatPut a lid on it

In addition to sun screen don’t forget to wear sunglasses and a hat or visor. This will help to keep the sun out of your eyes as well as the sweat. Make sure the glasses provide 100% UV protection and that the hat is made of light technical fabric that promotes evaporation.

 

 

 

Guard dogProtect yourself at all times

Carry a bottle of pepper stray you never know what you may run into … dog, attacker, skunk , who knows just be prepared. My personal favorite pepper spray is Ruger Pepper Spray. It has lights, it makes noises, and the spray is pretty strong.

 

 

 

heatindexCheck the index

Check NOAA’s heat index before you head out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy these 7 summer running tips and b e safe while running. Now it’s your turn! What summer running tips you wished someone would have told you when you started running?

If you like what I’m doing please subscribe. Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter:@300lbsandrunnin, Like the 300 Pounds and Running Facebook Page, if you are on: Instagram I’m @300PoundsAndRunning, YouTube: 300 Pounds and Running Dailymile: @300lbsandrunnin, and Nike Plus:@300PoundsAndRunning. Lastly I’ve create a group on Facebook called Crushing Goal Together… This is a new support group to help anyone plan, track, and crush goals, be sure to check it out.

Until next time I’m 300 Pounds and Running

Tips for New Runners

Tips for New Runner

Spring is in the air! This morning I heard the birds chirping at 5 am. As much as I wanted to throw one of my running shoes at them, I just got up and started my day. Anyways I’m getting off task… Spring is near which means a lot are people are starting to think about getting more active and lose a few of those winter pounds. A about a week or so ago I got a tweet from one of my followers interested in starting running this is what the tweet said.

twitter running tips

I gave her some tips right off back but I decide to write this post to give tips I wish somebody would have gave me when I started running.

First: Don’t be nervous! Take that nervous energy and turn it into excitement as you embark on a new journey. Congratulations for trying something new!

Shoes: Get the best shoes that you can afford the first time around. If you are serious about running this the most important piece of equipment that you will have, I suggest going to the local running store and have them measure your feet and analyze your gait (the way you walk). I know when I got my first pair of running shoes; I tried on at least 4-5 pairs of shoes and ran on the treadmill with each of them on. It’s an experience I suggest everyone go through at least once, It’s a great learning experience plus I’ve found that the smaller running store have better customer service than the big box shoe stores.

Start off slow: Once you have new running shoes you might be eager to hit the ground running (Yes, pun intended). Take it easy grasshopper especially if this is your first time getting active in a while. Sometimes ours mind (I know mine did) play tricks on us to think we still got it from our athletic days when we were younger. I don’t know how to break this to you, but you don’t have it anymore. If you have a smart phone I suggest an app called Couch to 5K or C25k there are different renditions of it but the free one should suffice. I’m telling you that from experience because I bought about five different ones and they are pretty much the same.

Keep the chafe at bay:  I put in a lot of blood, sweat, and tears in this journey. Chafing is where most of my tears came from. If you have thick thighs and jelly rolls like myself chafing becomes a common problem you may have with your new active life. I suggest that you pick up some Body Glide or some other anti-chafe, trust me it will save you some tears.

Stay hydrated: One of the ways that you can tell that someone is a running, is to look in their kitchen cabinet and count how many water bottles they have. If they have more than 6, that person is more to be likely a runner. The normal convention is to drink 8 glasses of water a day. I feel like that convention goes out of the window when running or being more active. A good way to decide how much water to have is to take your weight, 300 lbs  turn that number into ounces, 300 oz and drink half of that in water, 150 oz  Another piece of advice is to have a water bottle on you at all times, fill it up, and drink up.Set a timer if you have to.  If you have a problem with remembering drinking water, follow the #watercheck hashtag on twitter. When you see #watercheck in your twitter stream, drink up.

Don’t forget to stretch: One of the things I did not do a lot of was stretching and I paid for it with very very very tight muscles. Don’t follow my lead on this please stretch. The convention is to do dynamic stretching before you run and static stretching after you run.

There you have it folks a few tips for all you aspiring runners. Now it’s your turn to weigh in… What advice would you give a new runner? What advice do you wish you had before started running? If you are thinking about starting running soon what advice from today’s post do you think is the most beneficial for you?