For most runners, jogging is a form of relaxation, active meditation, a source of inspiration or pleasure. Hence, running training does not turn into an ordeal. In this article, we will tell you about the main running mistakes that beginner athletes make before their run and tips on how to avoid them.
10 Running Mistakes You Shouldn’t Make Before Your Run
1. Eating Just Before a Run
Running is already a burden for the body. Running on a full stomach will add extra weight and heartburn. It takes a while to digest food, so if you are loaded with calories before a run, the food will simply not be digested and will bounce in your stomach throughout the workout.
And of course, nutrients will not have time to enter the bloodstream to give more energy during training. If you had a heavy lunch, it is advisable that you should wait at least 3 hours before running. If you can’t run on an empty stomach, you can eat fast carbs like bananas, dried apricots, dates an hour before training.
2. Not Getting Enough Sleep
The body after a sleepless night is unlikely to be grateful to you if you force it to go for a run. Moreover, lack of sleep has a detrimental effect on endurance, which is so necessary for running. It’s always better to have a full good night sleep, and then go for a run.
Additionally, you need to monitor your daily sleeping habits: sleep at least 7 hours and so you won’t build up chronic fatigue. Regular lack of sleep will certainly affect the heart rate and, therefore, the pace and performance of the body during a run.
3. Drinking Alcohol
It seems self-evident, but it is still worth mentioning this point: running and alcohol are incompatible. Alcohol slows down the reaction, puts stress on the liver and cardiovascular system, impairs the functioning of the central nervous system.
Under heavy exercise, alcohol in the blood can even provoke a stroke or heart attack. Therefore, on the day of training, you cannot even drink light alcoholic beverages.
In addition, it is advisable to exclude alcohol consumption on the day preceding a run. Especially in amounts that cause a hangover. Training in this state can be dangerous and it is best to cancel it.
4. Dressing Too Warmly
It happens that runners dress too lightly for a run, but the opposite situation is more common: there are too many clothes.
It is common for novice runners to dress for a run the same way they would dress for a walk. As a result, the body may begin to “boil” while running, which in turn leads to heat stroke and extreme stress on the heart.
For a run, you need to dress so that in the first minutes of training you are a little cool. That is, the less clothing the better. At the same time, it should be a synthetic, special treadmill, in order to remove excess heat and the resulting sweat.
5. Wearing the Wrong Sneakers
Shoes are most crucial items for running hence they should be selected carefully, While selecting a sneaker it is advised to account the peculiarities of the foot;
Running shoes should be 0.5-1 size larger than normal shoes, so they do not rub your feet and damage your nails while running.
6. Drinking Little Water
A runner’s need for water is higher than that of a person whose physical activity is reduced to moving around the office or from home to work and back. Therefore, it is necessary to make it a rule to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day – and at least one 15-30 minutes before training.
Lack of fluid in the body can lead to impaired blood circulation, deterioration of kidney function, and slowdown of recovery processes.
7. Running Too Fast
If you have a training plan, you shouldn’t do amateur activities and run faster than the coach instructed. This can lead to the fact that on the next workout you will be less effective and will not be able to absorb the load that would be normal for you under normal circumstances.
If you are a beginner in running and doing it without a coach, you should also not force the pace and keep your speed medium during training.
8. Not Warming Up
Warm-up is necessary if you are planning an intense and long run. It will help warm up your muscles and joints and keep you safe from injury. Moreover, we are talking specifically about articular gymnastics, and not about stretching – it should be performed after training.
If you only plan on jogging, you can simply stretch your foot and prepare it for a run. However, during the cold season, a full warm-up should be done before any workout.
9. Going Out for A Run Sick
There is a big difference between being lazy to go to workout and not feeling well. In the first case, by an effort of will, you can force yourself to go out for a run, but in the second it is better to rest, especially if there are clear signs of a cold or acute pain in joints and muscles.
10. Not Going to Toilet Before Jogging.
Before jogging, you need to go to the toilet. During running, various processes in the body accelerate, including those associated with the digestive system. Therefore, it is advisable to empty the stomach as much as possible, so that later you do not have to waste time looking for a toilet.
In a regular training session, these issues are not so scary, but in a real game it will be a shame to lose precious minutes by making these avoidable running mistakes. Especially if you have been preparing for the start for several months and wanted to run through the “personal”.
Avoid these running mistakes and your running workouts will become more comfortable and efficient!
