Tuesday Ten Miler and the Ten Commandments of Running!

Happy Tuesday, folks!!

I hope Monday was good to ya! It sure was to me!

I started out the day with a ten mile run with Paula. We ran on our local trail, and we saw LOTS of animals! We saw a couple of deer...

And this little guy!!

He even let me pet him! (Or her- I don't know turtle genders....)

We finished the run with an 11:18 pace. We were shooting for somewhere around an 11:00-11:30 pace, so #wewin.

I came home to one excited little girl! We had lunch and took a nap...

Nala was my cuddle buddy during my nap.

And then we were off to a friend's mother's birthday party! We sure had a blast celebrating with them!

We came home, took a bath, and played some Minecraft before bed...

I thought today I'd share with you my Ten Commandments of Running, in no particular order... Let me know what you'd add/take out on my Facebook post!

1. Thou shalt get properly fitted for running shoes.

If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times... MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE RIGHT RUNNING SHOES! It is SO important to have shoes that are going to ensure you are comfortable while running. If you don't have shoes that keep your feet happy, you will not enjoy any run. Shoes are the most important piece of running equipment, at least in my opinion. Get the right ones! Don't skimp!! They are TOO IMPORTANT!

2. Thou shalt hydrate.

H2O! It is very important that you drink water continuously. Even on days you don't run. I carry my water bottle (Hydroflask) with me everywhere I go. If I ever forget it, I try to go back for it. I don't like to be without it. Many experts say you should drink 2/3 of your weight in water. For example, if you weigh 130 pounds, you need to drink 87 ounces of water per day, minimum! I have also heard that you should add 12-20 ounces of water per 30 minutes of activity. So running for one hour at 130 pounds means you need to drink 87 ounces + 24-40 more ounces per day. Expert runners also suggest adding 8-16 ounces of water for every 8 ounces of caffeinated drink you have. See?? Drinking water is important! DRINK YOUR WATER (even when the amount seems absurd!)!!!

3. Thou shalt listen to your body.

There is a difference between a little pain that you can push through, and pain caused by a serious injury that needs to be rested or checked out. If you have had a pain for a few days, and it isn't going away or getting better, REST. If rest doesn't fix it, go see a doctor. Even if you're forced to take a few weeks off, it's better than injuring yourself to the point of needing months off, even needing surgery, farther down the line. Better safe than sorry!

4. Thou shalt sleep.

You need sleep. A run started by a person with a rested body is going to be much more fun, and probably faster, than one started by a person with little sleep. Aim to get 7-8 hours of sleep, at least, before tackling a particularly difficult run. Trust me, sleep is important. Figure out a way to get more of it! (And when you do figure out how to get more sleep, please let me know... ;) )

5. Thou shalt remember the "Rest Day" and keep it holy!

When your running plan (don't have one? hit me up!) says rest... REST. Your body needs to recover from all of the week's tough runs. Resting allows your muscles time to repair the damage you've done to them throughout the week. It's important. Find something to keep your mind off the fact you're not running. Go for a little walk, read a good book, SLEEP! Let your body rest!

6. Thou shalt not wear cotton.

Cotton + sweaty runs = DISASTER. So uncomfortable... and possibly leaves you with chaffing (Read: DO NOT get into a hot shower if you have any chaffing... Just don't... Trust me on that...) If you run in cotton, you're going to get back home soaking wet with sweat and most likely overheated. Please do yourself a favor and find at least one good sweat-wicking outfit to run in. You will thank yourself at the end of your next run, trust me.

7. Thou shalt wash your running clothes.

Listen people, the sniff and wear test may work for some items of clothing, but it does not work for running clothes. I don't care if you only ran a mile in those shorts, you wash those stanky things before wearing them out again. Nasty. No one wants to come up behind you on a trail and smell your past three runs blowing all over them. Ew. Just ew.

8. Thou shalt not overdo it on perfume.

On the opposite end of the spectrum from number seven, wearing all kinds of perfume or smelly stuff you got on sale at the local Bath and Body Works last Christmas is not a good idea when running. Just like I don't appreciate 3 day running shorts stench coming from strangers, I do not appreciate Oahu Coconut Sunset wafting up my nostrils mid-12 miler. You're just trying to cover up the inevitable stink that comes from running. Suck it up, buttercup, and take a shower when you get home. Then layer all that smell pretty lotion on for your next adventure that day.

9. Thou shalt look before you spit/snot rocket.

I'm no stranger to spitting during a run. I'd even blow a snot rocket if I could (I can't... I've tried... It didn't end well...). I don't care that the people I run with do these things. All I care about is that THEY LOOK BEFORE THEY BLOW. I do not want a giant booger plastered on my sweaty face during a run. I can think of few things that would be worse than someone else's mucus splattered all over me. Look before you do these things, please.

10. Thou shalt not compare thyself to another runner.

Don't you dare covet your neighbor's medals... It's not healthy and you'll end up stalking their Facebook page for hours on end to determine what races they are participating in and trying to devise a plan to defeat them and get the coveted medal all for yourself.... In all seriousness, don't compare yourself to any other runner. As long as you are doing your best to improve and giving it your all, you're winning. You don't need to run as fast as this person or run as far as that person. You do you, boo! Set some goals for yourself that do not involve defeating another person, only beating yourself. You'll harbor less bad feelings and start to see that running is a sport that can bring people together, not cause you to have running enemies (however, healthy competition is ok- even fun- just make sure you aren't constantly comparing yourself to the person and know that at the end of the day, you're doing awesome at being you!)

Those are my Ten Commandments for running. I feel like they are reasonable and should be followed by most runners. However, I am not a certified coach and have no science to back these claims up, so take them with a grain of salt if you'd like ;)

I hope you all have a fabulous Tuesday! I have 3 track workouts and a 4 miler scheduled! Busy day!!

What wildlife do you see when you run?

What are your running commandments?