Tips from A Beginner Runner

I started running on a treadmill a year ago almost 3x-4x a week, 6km MAX in a day. During that time, well, almost for a year, I finish that 6km in an hour. Yes, how embarrassing. My aim during that time was to lose weight and I did. I started training for my half marathon last March 17, 2013 with a training plan given to me by my boss who insanely runs a marathon like it was nothing. Fast forward today I can honestly tell you that I followed the plan 70% only. The 30% were spent in my bed or practically food tripping. I skipped 5 longs runs in that duration but I make up the kilometers I lost by running frequently. 

So now, it’s close to a week before my first half-marathon! I am sure of it that I can’t do it on a sub-2 (as if!) but I know I can do it in less that 3 hours (how safe!) LOL. So during the last 3 months of my training I experienced things that I didn’t during my run on a treadmill for a year. During those experiences, most of the solution I get from google or from some of my favorite bloggers that I follow. From a beginner runner like me, here are some simple tips that helped me which I hope can help you my fellow newbie runner:

1. Store some good music on your Ipod or Iphone or whatever gadget that you can listen during a LONG run. Swear! When I hear “Just One Last Time” by David Guetta, I go faster and feels like a diva LOL

2. As early as your first month into training, invest in a Body Glide or put some Petroleum Jelly in your upper arms (the side closest to your armpit) and thighs. Trust me, it will haunt you on your 2nd-3rd month of training. I wrote about it here.

3. Buy a Simple Hydration Bottle. I know I’m bias but please let me defend my position. Simple Hydration Bottle is my bestfriend during long runs especially when I don’t want to go back to my car to hydrate myself. I read some reviews that it’s good for 10km-15km run only coz its small, it’s true but its better than going back and forth to a drinking station. Oh, and my fave position of my Hydration is at the back of my nape. I barely know its there =)

4. Get your PERFECT PAIR OF RUNNING SHOES. Mine is a NIKE LUNAR SWIFT 3 that I bought almost 2 years ago from Nike Trinoma. I post way back that I just bought myself a new Nike Lunar Glide 4 but when I tried it for a couple of times doing long run, I finally realized that it wasn’t for me. So I went back to using my old pairs even on a race. I love my Nike Lunar Swift!!!

5. Work your BREATHING. I didn’t realize this was important not until I felt my lower right ribs hurting during a long run. Apparently, my boss told me that I’m already losing oxygen coz I wasn’t breathing properly and that my muscles needs those oxygen so I could run properly. I googled about it and per my decision I must do Bikram Yoga and I’m taking Fish Oil an hour before my run (UPDATE: Fish Oil is really helping me)

6. Wear at your most comfortable clothes. On my regular run, my usual outfit is Nike Running tops and a regular black leggings. I have at least 6pcs of this Nike running tops in different colors and I’m currently hooked on buying Forever 21’s Sports Bra (cheap and VERY comfy):

 

 

I am usually particular about my top because I want it to be tight and don;t want my boobs to be all over the place LOL. For my bottoms, I am uncomfortable wearing shorts coz when I sweat it sticks to my legs so I always pull it =/. So until I have the money to buy a compression tights, I’m sticking to my cheapo leggings! =)

7. Do not eat 2 hours before you take a long run. If you do, it will haunt you when you reach your 6km stretch! That pain in the lower left abdomen is a killer! If you’re feeling hungry, 2 spoonfull of oatmeals do the trick (for me) or a banana.

8.  Do not STOP! During my first 2 weeks of training, my legs were killing me but I didn’t stop neither walk. I still run even though my average speed at that time was a 6km/hr or 5km/hr. When I was just starting, I feel my legs were tired after hitting the 7km so I ran really slow and I’m so glad I didn’t stop. Trust me, that discipline will reward you well.

9. Buy a Running HeadBand or a Running Visor. As of now I have a Halo Headband and a New Balance Running Visor that I bought in Runnr Trinoma and Taf Galleria. I use the Halo Headband during my night run and it works wonder, I can run the whole stretch of 10km without worrying about the sweat getting into my eyes. For the Visor, I used it the first time at the World Vision Run and I’m glad I did!!! Free from sweat and vicious sun rays!

10. STRETCH before and after a run. However short and long your run was, STRETCH! Or else it will bite you back the next day when you run again haha! I tried that a couple of times when after a run I just go to the car and drove home and the next day I wasn’t able to run coz my sole, thighs, feet hurts! So spend some time stretching, 10mins-15mins is good enough!

There you are, those are things that helped me during my run when I was just starting and up until now. But don’t fully rely on this because I think each runners is different =)

I hope this will help you in your training my fellow beginner runner! =)

 X O X O

M

Nike Lunar Swift 3

 

I bought my first Nike Running shoes a year and 6 months ago. It was a Chirstmas Gift by my then boyfriend turned husband because I kept on putting rugby on my old pair of Nike which I use for running on treadmills. That old pair was not even a running shoes, it was a cross training shoes. Well, back then I couldn’t care less whether I need a stability shoes or neutral shoes, I have just this idea that all rubber shoes are meant for running LOL. So when my then boyfriend bought my Nike Lunar Swift 3 ate Nike Trinoma, it was just because of the nice color haha! 

So when I started training 2 months ago, my Nike Lunar Swift 3 was God sent! It was my perfect running shoes. I can run 16km with only water breaks for walking but I tell you, my Nike’s were perfect. It was 2 weeks ago that I forgot my Lunar Swift at the province that my husband told me to buy a new pair since I have to “break it in” before my half marathon on July 14. So I submitted, I went to Nike Robinsons Galleria and bought a super super beautiful Nike Lunar Glide 4. I blogged about it here.

I was so excited to use it and for the past 2 weeks I run almost 4x a week to test it and so that my feet can adjust to it. If you will notice also, the past 2 weeks I’ve been running slow and mostly pacing with a newbie runner so my new Nike’s will have to adjust. It was only yesterday that I noticed and finally decided that the Nike Lunar Glide 4 wasn’t meant for me =(, I owe you readers a honest review about it.

On my Nike Lunar Swift 3, my running form was perfect!!! Never in my entire 2 months of running LDR or speed run that I experience my big toe hurts or my knee caps giving up, but on my Nike Lunar Glide 4, it did =( At first I thought it was just another bad day for running but when I felt it every run I know something is wrong. I then told my marathoner boss about it and I was so relieved that I wasn’t the only one. She told me that she has 3pairs Lunar Glide 4 already and all of it was not meant for her too. 

Whenever I run, my feet is everywhere! So thats the reason why I need a stability shoes. On my old Lunar Swift 3 I never get pain whenever I do long run, I feel tired during the last stretch of 14-16km but I feel no pain on my knee cap and legs. I don’t also feel the ground on my Lunar Swift unlike my Lunar Glide 4 where I can feel my soles are touching the ground, that’s probably the main reason why I get pain in my big toes and pain on my knee cap only on the 6km-9km stretch, yeah that’s how bad it is =(

But anyway, I know that switching from another running shoes is a trial and error thing and I’m glad I feel a “notch” up now that I feel a difference, NAKS! I feel like a pro runner who’s blogging about a shoes hahaha! So for now, I’ll be using my Nike Lunar Glide 4 for short runs and my Nike Lunar Swift 3 for long runs =) 

X O X O

M