F2 [in IBM-PC BASIC, anyway]

[jazzfish]

I seem to be hypersensitive to sound in the mornings. Perfectly normal quiet rustlings wake me up, and I lie around trying to get back to sleep for another hour or so. So, as of today I'm trying to put this time to actual use. I got up an hour early and walked over to Brown Farm for a run.

Okay, more of a "gasping jog." Interspersed with long stretches of "can't run, keep walking." It's a start.

Tonight I plan on spending too much money on decent running shoes. The Chacos just aren't cutting it, says the blister on my right foot. I'll also be actually bringing water with me tomorrow, instead of relying on guzzling from the faucet when I get home.

However. I know several of y'all are (or have been) into this whole "running" thing. Advice? Tips? Preferences for various sport drinks over water? (And how do you carry the bottle with you while you're running, anyway?)

Comments

[tulip-tree.livejournal.com]

Good for you! A gasping jog interspersed with walking is about how I started running a few years ago. I'm still slow, but I can run continuously for a lot longer now. Good shoes are well worth the money, even though it's a lot of money. If you have the opportunity to go to a good running shoe store where they will actually watch you run and help you find the right shoes, that's worth it, too. There are at least 2 or 3 basic types of running shoes, with different amounts of support in difference places depending on whether your feet roll too much to the outside, or the inside, or whatever, and having the right ones makes a huge difference. (I have a friend who just figured this out herself after wearing the exact opposite of what she needed, and she raved about it for a week, she was so excited.)

As for water, I usually only run for about 30-40 minutes and just drink when I get home (and a little bit before I start, so that I'm not sloshy but not thirsty either.) If you have a bit of a walk to and from the place you run, maybe you could just take a bottle of water with you and leave it under a tree or somewhere, so that you can drink it on the walk home...? I don't carry water unless I'm running for an hour or more (which I did a couple of years ago when I decided to train for a half marathon, but haven't done since then.) I have a fanny pack thing with a collapsable water bottle in it, but that's overkill for short runs, I think (it's not the most comfortable thing, anyway.) They also sell straps to help hold a small water bottle in your hand so that you don't have to really hold on tightly.

Sports drinks... I wouldn't worry about those unless/until it gets really hot and humid this summer and/or you're running for a longer amount of time. Again, I don't use them unless I'm running for more than an hour or so. I usually get up in the morning, eat a banana (or half of one) and go out for my little 30 minute run, and then eat breakfast after I get home. Sports drinks are good if you're out for a long time and need a little bit more energy, or if you're sweating a ton and need to replenish salt and stuff, but for moderate running, real food is usually good enough for me.

Betcha didn't even know I run. :) I'm a pretty wimpy runner, but it's not so long since I was a beginner, so I know the beginner advice pretty well. :) Good luck and have fun!

Yeah, what they said.

[wheeerdball.livejournal.com]

If you don't plan to run for more than an hour, drinking before you go out is the best idea. Hydrating yourself for 24 hours up to the run will cover you for that length of time. But don't chug before you step out the door - your stomach will be full before the walls can absorb all the liquid and the physical exhaustion will make you naseuas.

If that doesn't work, then leave a cup of water in a "hiding place." Under a tree is fine, but keep it away from four year olds who might mistake it for litter or a play toy. You don't even need a water bottle, an expendable plastic cup (you will lose a few as you look for a hidden enough spot) is fine. Then try and find a loop where you can cross it every 20 minutes or so. The right route can make a large difference (beyond water, cement vs gravel vs dirt and hills mean more than you would think).

As a soccer player, we just took water breaks and headed to the sidelines, but this is what my Dad did, and he ran a marathon, so it should be good advice.