If you are anything like me, you find yourself overdoing it once in awhile. You are working out a little more than you should, you are not resting enough, and maybe you are not fueling your body right. If you really enjoy running, you want to be able to keep doing it. In order for that to happen, you need to take care of yourself. Here are some key things that you need to keep in mind as a runner.
- Get Enough Sleep – Life is busy, BELIEVE ME, I know! It is not hard to get so busy that you forget to rest enough. The average person needs 6-8 hours of sleep per night. If you are working out, you may need even more. There is no exact amount, since everyone is different. If you are doing some real running though, and you are racking up the miles, be sure to get plenty of sleep. Your body will thank you.
- Eat Properly – When it comes to nutrition, WE SUCK! That is a comment to society as a whole. Most people are eating heavily processed, sugar loaded junk, and they wonder why obesity and diabetes are out of control. You are a runner though, so you know better! Just incase you didn’t get the memo though, here are some simple pointers. Stick with lean meat, lots of produce, and replace whatever white grains you are eating with whole wheat. That means bread, bagels, English muffins, pasta, you name it. DO NOT eliminate fat from your diet. A lot of people think that this will help them get fit. FALSE – The truth is that your body needs fat to function. In fact, vitamins A, E, D and K are fat soluble. That means that without fat, your body can not process them.
- Get Stronger – More and more of the top runners in the world are letting out their secret. They lift weights! They do strength training! They do plyometrics! You will not become the best runner that you can be by strictly running, PERIOD! I suggest checking out Insanity The Asylum or P90X. Both of these programs will help you get stringer, while also helping improve your cardio.
