Guest Blog

Four tips from a running expert

This week I would like to welcome a guest blogger Curt Davies who is an expert on running.

1. Surround yourself with positive people
   When you surround yourself with positive people, you¹re likely to have their positivity brush off on to you. It¹s inevitable, which is a good thing. Think of all the people who are negative, and try your best to remove them from your life (sometimes, in certain circumstances, that¹s not possible). Instead, find groups who share similar interests with you, and are always happy and outgoing. Even if you¹re a little timid and shy, it can help you break out of your shell if you surround yourself around positive, like-minded people. A great way of doing this is to join sports, or even go on Meetup and see if there are any long distance running groups around your area.
2. Remind yourself that you can do it
   Every morning and night, months before the race even begins: you need to reassure yourself that you can do it, and you¹re not going to fail. A positive mindset is fundamental when running a long distance race. Even if you don¹t feel you can do it, saying “I can do it” out loud can help you build your confidence, and eventually, you will genuinely believe you can do it. Don¹t be alarmed if you don¹t think you can initially run the race ­ most people begin with this mentality, because let¹s face it,these races are one heck of a long distance, and can feel unattainable at times, even for the best of runners. It may be a good idea to begin with a 5km race, and then build your way up to a full marathon.
3. Eat healthily
   Having a healthy diet equates to a healthy mindset. Put the junk food away, and start eating healthier, more natural foods. Although it may not seem like eating more healthy foods will impact your mentality at the time, I can assure you that you will feel better after just one or two days of eating less junk. I¹m not saying you shouldn¹t treat yourself to a chocolate bar now and then (or even I¹d go crazy) but make sure you keep it as ³now and then², not on a regular basis.
4. Stay focused on what you want to achieve
   Whether you want to achieve simply finishing a race or making a certain time ­ it¹s important that you stay focused on your goals, and not so much on other things (with exceptions of family and friends). Treat yourself with a good movie or a nice bottle of wine every now and then,but don¹t forget about what you want to achieve from your race, and do whatever it takes to ensure you can achieve it. The months before running the long distance event are crucial to work hard and be able to physically run the race, as well as mentally.
5. Set realistic goals
   Instead of wishing you could be as good as Joan Benoit or Frank Shorter, start wishing you were as good as you can personally be. There¹s nothing worse than setting an unrealistic goal and not even getting close to achieving it. All you¹re going to get is an overwhelming sense of disappointment and dissatisfaction to what should have been a really positive experience.

Vintage Fitness in an in home personal training company in Toronto.  If you have questions about running, walking or Nordic walking drop me a note erin@vintagefitness.ca

Good Luck!