My Best and Worst Running Habits

Since I’ve been running for well, let’s just say a long time, I’ve picked up my fair share of running habits over the years, both good and bad. These running habits have also changed so things I do now I may not have done five or ten years ago and some things I used to do, I no longer do. I always like to learn from my mistakes but I’m also aware that what may work for one person may not work for another so everyone needs to figure out what does and doesn’t work for them.

Let’s start out with some of my best running habits that I’m currently doing. One thing I’m pretty strict about is foam rolling after every single run. First I like to stretch out my hamstrings and open my hips a bit before foam rolling. I’ve been doing that for years and I firmly believe it’s the reason my Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS) didn’t return once it was finally resolved. I use my foam roller all over my legs, starting with my hamstrings, then my calves, then my IT bands, and finally my quads. Occasionally I’ll foam roll my back and glutes but only if they’ve been tight or bothering me.

Foam rolling!

Another good running habit I’ve stuck with is getting enough good, quality sleep. Some people may not even associate sleep with running but to me, it’s probably the most important thing you can do for your body, not just when it comes to recovery from running but just having a healthy life in general. Every night, no matter what, I make sure I stop using my phone at least thirty minutes and preferentially an hour before bedtime and I like to read a book to help my brain and body settle down. I’ll also sometimes have some Nuun Rest if I feel like I need a little extra something to help me sleep. It has good-for-you things like magnesium and tart cherry extract to help you sleep better.

I started strength training several years ago, in fact so many years ago I don’t even remember how long it’s been. Now that I’m over 40 and it’s a battle between Father Time and muscle loss, I make sure I do strength training two or three times a week. I know I’m not going to gain much if any muscle at this point in my life but I just want to maintain what I can and limit the inevitable muscle loss. Having strong muscles helps you in just about every aspect of life, not just running but as a runner, strength training can help you be more efficient and minimize injuries.

Nutrition is also an important aspect of running and I consider myself an overall healthy eater. Yes, I have desserts but instead of having half a tub of ice cream, I’ll have a small scoop occasionally or a cookie or a small piece of cake, etc. In other words, I don’t restrict myself and not much of anything is totally off limits. If I want a cookie, I’ll have a cookie, but I make sure it’s a good one and not just some junk that someone from work brought in that doesn’t even taste good. I also make sure I eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and healthy grains. Although I still eat chicken and fish, I rarely eat any red meat and I found I felt better when I cut that out of my diet. One big thing that I don’t have in my diet is sugary drinks. Many years ago I stopped drinking soda and other sugary drinks, including diet soda and I haven’t missed it at all.

Some of the delicious foods I ate on vacation in Portugal. See, I eat mostly healthy, even when on vacation! I enjoyed everything too!

Now on to the not-so-great running-related habits I have. One of the first things that pops to mind is warming up before a run. I’m terrible about this and the only time I do it is when I’m with the Fleet Feet group I mentor and that’s because someone else makes us all do it. That’s not to say I hate it because really I don’t but for whatever reason, when I’m running by myself or with other people that don’t warm-up, I almost never do warm-up exercises.

Another bad running habit I have that I’ve been working on is I tend to run my easy runs too fast. I know your fast runs should be fast and your easy runs easy but I tend to go into auto-pilot and not pay attention to my speed on my easy runs. I’ll look down at my watch 20 minutes into an easy run and see I’ve been going too fast and try to slow it down but I need to get better at this.

The final thing that I need to get better at when running is not putting on sunscreen before runs. I tell myself I’ll be running in a shaded area and I have a hat to protect my face but my arms and legs are still exposed to the sun and even if it’s shady, there are still areas that are sunny. There’s really no excuse for not wearing sunscreen, especially on a sunny day. I used to do cancer research for many years so I’m well aware of the risks and I know this is a bad habit that can have severe consequences.

I absolutely remembered to wear sunscreen while running in Hawaii

Now I’m going to throw out some bad running habits I used to have but not anymore thankfully that will make some of you laugh or maybe even cringe. In college, I used to run in sneakers I had since who knows when and I never once gave proper fit or mileage a thought. I also developed excruciating shin splints that I believe must have turned into a stress fracture because of wearing these old shoes. That bad habit of not having good running shoes came to a screeching halt.

Nor did I give what I wore on runs a second thought until I experienced chafing in places I didn’t even know could chafe. When you’re so chafed you’re bleeding but don’t realize it until you get in the shower, it will give anyone the motivation to seek out proper running attire. I also didn’t pay any attention to what I ate or drank before a run until I had some terrible nausea and heartburn after eating bacon and fried eggs with toast for breakfast before going on a long run (I know, what was I thinking?). In my defense, I was visiting family and didn’t have much of a choice about what was for breakfast. In hindsight, I should have just had the toast before my run and saved the rest for after my run.

What about you all? What are some of your best and worst running habits you’ve acquired?

Happy running!

Donna