Yeah, those. I suspect there are new runners who'd welcome a few new tips or more-experienced runners who haven't heard them all.
So, let's hear them.
I've shared some tips for newbies before. And about my favorite gear. Well, sort of.
Here are a few more tips:
1. You know that flap built into your sleeve you can use if you forgot your gloves? It's the perfect place to stash a tissue or two.
2. Can't keep your ear buds from tangling every time you store them? Try a business card or cut a small rectangle or square out of cardboard (cereal box, perhaps).
3. If you're a newbie, read Marc Parent's Newbie Chronicles on Runner's World magazine. All of his columns are available free at runnersworld.com. I highly recommend reading them chronologically from the beginning. You'll laugh, you'll cry. It was better than Cats. I'm going to see it again and again.
4. Better yet, get a subscription to the magazine. I did and am going on my third year. Worth. Every. Penny.
5. If you have any electronics, learn how to use them before you head out for a run. At night. With no light. And no glasses. I'm just sayin' that if you have a new, say, Garmin, and don't know how to use it, you may want to be able to see the thing when you're pushing buttons and making it do something. But it's just a suggestion.
6. Check your calendar just one more time before you book a race four months early. Because sometimes you have to take your oldest to college orientation, for example.
7. If you surround yourself with other runner chicos and chicas, one of them may want you to transfer the race to them if you were to double book yourself. Check the race rules; some don't allow transfers but may allow you to run the following year.
8. Don't skimp on gear, but don't think you have to have five (or more!) of each. Do spend money on things that will make you more likely to enjoy your run and/or to keep you safe and comfortable. But consider buying just one very good quality item, or two of each if you can afford to do so; one to wear and one to wash. For example, I have one pair of Nike Hyperwarm running tights and two very good quality running bras. But I buy the Champion C9 T-shirts at Target. Inexpensive, but they work well and last more than you'd think if you wash and hang-to-dry them.
9. Spend the extra money on the Tide Sport laundry detergent or whatever detergent they sell at your running store. Just trust me on that one. Otherwise, you'll spend lots more on the gear I mentioned in #8.
10. Yes, we look kind of dorky dressed in highlighter yellow, but wearing high-visibility gear is imperative. Black clothes may be more slimming, but they make runners nearly invisible to cars. I recently saw my favorite 15-year-old out running after dark. Yes, I saw her because she lit up like a Christmas tree when I drove by. Good girl!
So, what are your favorite tips that are worth repeating? What's the worst advice you've ever gotten? What's the best high-visibility item you own?
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