Don't let the post title fool you - this is not an entry on form or technique but rather my put-together checklist of all the small things I could do before a run to ensure a good strong finish. Perhaps it would have been better titled the-what-not-to-do-before-a-run-list. Moving on...
I've had good runs and bad runs (some really, really bad runs). A wise person would learn from the bad runs and try not to repeat the mistakes that caused the badness of the run. It would also be wise to understand what you did right before the good runs and use it for future runs. So here is what I've learnt...
Eat.
Must. Absolutely must. I am not talking about a fully loaded meal - more like a little bit of a snack. There are various sources and articles out there that tell you how many exact calories you should have for the number of miles / hours of training that you would put in but I've found that for me, one banana (two if it is a long run), a breakfast bar or a slice of toast with some sugary, fruity jam works best. Anything more and mid-way through the run I will be wanting a toilet break. The rule of thumb is to get in some calories to fuel your run at least about half an hour to twenty minutes before the run. I usually go for my run early in the morning - on long run days I would hit the roads by around 5:00 which means having to eat my little snack at around 4:30.
There have been many times when I've run on an empty stomach and for runs shorter than half an hour, this has been just fine but I've really regretted going on those long runs with little to no fuel to keep me going. I always, always drink a tall mug of coffee first thing in the morning, and my pre-run ritual does not exclude it. I have never been on a run sans coffee so I'm not sure how my run would fare without my morning cuppa.
I haven't given eating while on the run a shot but judging by the numerous articles on running nutrition that I've read, a little energy-filled bite a couple of times during the run may not be a bad idea. A few raisins, dates, or even a few gummy bears could give me a boost when I'm in the near-bonking zone. More on this after I've tried it.
What I eat the night before also plays a vital role in the next day's run. I've found that my basic, carb-heavy dinner of rice, curds, and a mild veg or chicken curry works much better than a meal of pasta, grilled chicken and veggies. Considering that pasta is equally carb-heavy this probably has something to do with what my body is used to.
Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
This is something else that I've found to be crucial for my running. And its not just the water & fluids I drink during the run - I've found that when my general levels of hydration is high, I run better and faster with less fatiguing. Incidentally, I have an app on my phone that reminds me to drink water throughout the day (yes, this is true!) and it also tracks my hydration across days, weeks and months. The weeks where I'm well hydrated (3 - 4l of water a day) are also the weeks when my runs have been good. Of-late my hydration levels have really dipped and interestingly my average pace has also seen a dip.
Alcohol + Run = Disaster
This makes total sense since alcohol severely dehydrates your body. I've tried and tested this fact on quite a few occasions and never has this formula varied. Party Friday night and run on Saturday morning has never ever worked for me.
Get enough Zzzs
Another well tested factor - sleep. Every time I've run with over seven hours of sleep in the bank, it has been infinitely better that when I've run with 6 hours and lesser sleep. This is tricky for me since to begin my run at 5:00 means I have to be up by 4:00 (I absolutely need an hour of pre-run ritual time and I absolutely loathe rushed mornings) which in turn means getting to bed by 9:00 and finishing dinner by at least 8:00. All my life, I've been a night-person. Assignments in college sometimes involved pulling several all-nighters which I found pretty easy to do but during the weekends, waking up before 10:00 a.m. was unthinkable (my average waking up time was 12:00). So it was a major transition for me to switch to early morning mode. I still find it extremely difficult to fall asleep at 10:00 at night let alone 9:00 unless I am bone-tired.
Uggh! Its that time of the month
I workout even when I'm on my period (I know lots of women who prefer not to). Running isn't any different but running on the days leading up to and also the first couple of days of the cycle feels very draining. I'm not sure if this is the case for all all women but I feel extremely sluggish and feel like I have to go at a much slower pace than normal. There isn't much I can do about this other than not to plan long runs around these days.
Run in the moment
It happens to me on every run. After about 5 minutes, my mind starts wandering and I find myself not paying any attention to my body, my form, my stride or anything to do with the physical action of running. My running sort of goes into auto-pilot mode and I'll be thinking about random things from work, idle gossip, what I had for dinner two nights ago, my shopping list - anything other than what I am actually doing at the moment. On one hand this is good, because it mentally distracts me from the distance & goal but every time I bring my attention back, I discover that I've slowed down considerably and haven't covered quite as much distance that I would have normally covered. I think its generally a good idea to stay focused on what you are doing at the moment.
These are just some of the things I can remember. I will probably revisit this post in the future and add more as when they are discovered.
I have about a week left to TWCM. I have begun tapering - its just going to be easy, relaxed runs from here on out. I'm hoping that every mile I've run so far has helped and I will definitely be looking to check off all the above points come D-Day.
Great post!
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