Easy tips to improve your running

I'm so excited about the summer session of Pathways. We've got a fairly large group this session and I think they're going to bond well and be a very cohesive group. I've been trying to think of nuggets of wisdom that I can share with them to help them be successful with their training. Here's what I've come up with, so far:

1: HYDRATE! Go grab a water bottle right now. Carry it around with you wherever you go this week and hydrate hydrate hydrate, especially now that the weather is getting warmer. Be sure to encorporate electrolyte replacement supplements.

2: PLAN! Follow your training plan. I know that life happens sometimes, but do your very best to make it to the 3 scheduled group runs and try to get in your honor run at the correct pace and intervals. Maintain a brisk pace during the walk breaks, don't let your heart rate drop too much! The reason we have a training plan is to build up your base miles to increase your endurance and ultimately make you a stronger, better runner. A training plan also helps to prevent injuries caused by over-use and "too much, too soon" that many of us are guilty of.

3: REST! Make sure that you're getting plenty of sleep. Fatigue can increase the risk of injury and nobody got time fo dat!!

4: PREHAB! Many runners make the mistake of neglecting crosstraining. We all have muscle imbalances that can set us up for injury. If we are proactive and work on strengthening, especially the core, glutes and hips, we can help prevent many common running injuries. Incorporate stretching or yoga in your workout routine! Check out these stretches for runners.

5: EAT!  Fueling your body with clean, healthy food/ingredients will produce better results!!  Read more about the Best Foods for Runners here.

In general, relax and have fun! Think positive! Our expectations shape our world and can either make us successful or set us up for failure. You can acheive anything that you believe if you are determined. Set small goals. Don't be afraid of baby steps, because even slow progress is progress. Don't beat yourself up if your run isn't "perfect" We all have runs that we aren't happy with. We need those less than stellar runs to make us appreciate the really good ones! Remember that heat is going to affect your performance by at least 10%

Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself! ~ William Faulkner

On a personal note, yesterday was a much better day nutrition-wise for me. I still feel "puffy" and bloated but I stuck to my "diet" much better than I have been. I logged all my grub into My Fitness Pal and was under my calories for the day. 1 of my runners asked me to "coach" her to achieve her weightloss and nutrition goals! That was awesome and humbling!! I ran 2.5 miles with Pathways and ran an additional mile with the 9:30 pace coach afterward. It was nice to get in some extra mileage and to push myself a little bit!!

What suggestions do you have to help novice runners??