Episode #316: Beginning to Run-Tips and Tricks

Intro:

Welcome to The Healthy Catholic moms podcast where we make moving and nourishing our bodies the priority so that we not only fulfill our vocations, but excel in our callings. I’m Brittany Pearson, a Catholic wife, mom, personal trainer, and I’m here to help you build healthy habits that actually fit your life. I am here to teach you how to get the results that you want and maintain the results that you want without spending hours at the gym, or meal prepping all weekend long. I understand I am right here with you getting my workouts done in the nooks and crannies of time, looking up recipes, while nursing babies and trying to prioritize my own health amidst everything else going on. But I have really good news for you, you can get the results you want. In less time without doing hours of cardio and restrictive dieting. I’m going to teach you how to use strength training and eating in a macro balanced way to get you feeling so good and your skin full of energy, and strong to carry out your life. Okay, on this podcast, we’ll delve into how to lose fat in a simple, sustainable way. What your workouts and nutrition should look like during different seasons of life, like during pregnancy and postpartum times. We’ll also discuss healthy quick meals, and how to get them on the table make food that kids will actually want to eat. Mom hacks for making your day run more smoothly and so much more. All the while with continuous encouragement to stay the course and live with discipline. This is a place where we’re striving to steward our bodies well in order to joyfully serve. I am so happy you’re here. Let’s dive in.

Main Episode:

Hello beautiful people. How are you? Thank you so much for being here today. And I’m excited that you are here I’m excited to spend time together. And we’re delving into the running world in today’s episode and the next podcast episode that comes out. So today we’re gonna cover kind of beginning to run tips and tricks. And the next episode, we’re gonna go a step further in to some training tips. Whether you’re training for a 5k marathon and ultra marathon, even the Spartan Race, a lot of these things could apply. So I might be a little late to the game on this for some of you I was trying to think about different spring and summer themed episodes that I think I leaned pretty heavily this year into prepping for the nutrition side prepping for barbecues and kind of mentally being able to balance out our foods and enjoy ourselves. So that balance between feeling you know, guilt and shame over like overeating or overdoing it at social events or being afraid to eat. So my mind was very there. I think from that challenge we had just come out. I had just come out of there our eight week challenge. And I think that had been the focus for so many participants. So my mind was there for the podcast. But no, I actually I you guys definitely leave these podcast episodes whether you know it or not. So just a lot of you especially in the teasing green this group. We’re training for things this year, and some of you your races have already passed now, but it got me thinking that with the nicer weather, a lot of us do kind of feel that urge then of maybe I should run Should I run and I do want to say firstly, not everyone needs to run, okay, running is not necessarily the best exercise to do especially, you know, for fat loss if that’s what you’re after. I think a lot of times that becomes people’s go twos because we think like, alright, it’s easy, I have sneakers, I can just run or we see people running whorfin healthy and think like that’s what I need to do. I just need to run. But the truth is, this is the disclaimer I’m gonna set up first, there is so much benefit to walking. Okay, walking is a great form of exercise, it’s very low impact. So many people can do it. Running is higher impact, right, your knees are taking the brunt of your bodyweight. So there’s a stat on that, I believe it’s like our knees, feel it three times as much when we’re running because you know, it’s just more momentum coming down on our knees to handle but all that to say, I am definitely a seasonal runner. When it gets nice out, I get jonesing to go for a run. I like the endorphin boost that it gives. So I typically in the summer and fall have maybe spring to depends on how our weather is. Have a run in there like once a week, usually not super long. For me that’s like three miles.

Or then I occasionally get the bug to want to train for something to last year I shared with you if you were listening to the podcast then that I was training for a 50 mile race. And a lot of you started listening around then we’re like Whoa, she’s an ultra marathoner. I am not an ultra marathoner. I had not run anything since before my children, my oldest just turned six. So I had done some half marathons full marathon and then just decided though, when I was pregnant with my third that I will wanted to do something hard after I had him. So that was really the only reason I was like, hey, it’s cheap, it’s cheaper than a triathlon, I don’t have to travel for it like a Spartan Race. There was one locally, it was the time was right, all that stuff. So if you want to run, great, that’s probably why you clicked on this, you’re interested in getting the tips and tricks. If you’re not super into it, go with walking, and some of these tips apply with walking to see, you might want to just listen to the rest of the podcast, but it’s totally up to you your workout style, what is good for your body. Okay.

So getting into it, I will start with number one needs to be invest in some good sneakers. There are clients I’ve had who complain about knee problems, or shin splints and things when they first start running. And some of that might have to do with the next one that we’re going to talk about the next topic. But sneakers can actually solve a lot of these problems. And I used to run in like Nike, what were they at the time, they’re really flat, don’t remember the name of them. And there was so long ago, they probably don’t even have them anymore. But that’s what I first started running him when I was training for my first half. And I didn’t know anything about running shoes. I just probably already had those sneakers, and I decided to run them or I thought Nikes were cute and random. Honestly, like pick most things, the way they look right? And my shins were not great, my knees were not great. As I learned more talk to people in the running world, which is also that’s a bonus tip. Talk to people who have experience. You know, I’m sharing some of my tips and tricks and my wisdom with you today. But I’m sure there are people around you that you know, that you can talk to you in person can get some of their opinions and might be differing opinions, that’s okay. But get some good shoes. What I suggest doing if you have like a running store in anywhere in your vicinity, we have one about a half hour away, I went and got my feet scanned. You just like walk on little walking path. And they tell you what kind of shoes would be best for your instep and all of that. And you for your running gait. You actually I think you ran on the pad. I remember if I walked around, but anyways, it tells you if you favor one foot or the other was very interesting, very informative. And this time around, I got Brooks that time actually, when I did get the scan done, I ended up with a pair of hokas I really like a hole because I like Brooks, I like ASICs. So they’re not cute, I’m just gonna say that right away. My hope is we’re very cute. They’re like this beautiful Tiffany blue. But the shoe itself, it’s like hokas, particularly huge boat. And they have a lot of cushion like by the heel. And I was like, these are not the cutest thing I’m ever gonna wear. But I’m gonna run a lot of miles on them. So I need to care more about that. And then the books I have are not terrible. But there was another kind, it wasn’t the whole because there was something else I had tried on that I honestly, I just couldn’t do it. They weren’t comfortable. Like, terrible orange and green, or some terrible color combination isn’t gonna really so ugly, but whatever it looks like there tends to be, you know, usually what you were lifting in, is not going to be great for running. So those brands do stick out, as, you know, pretty prominent in the running world, Brooks. ASICs hokas, I don’t know what else I’m forgetting, there’s an Italian one that we tried on, I can’t remember the name of it, that I liked as well. But, or if you can get a little analysis and you know, professional help in there, that would be great. But it makes a really big difference. I mean, I thought that was something to skimp on before. Like, I’ll just use the sneakers I have, you really could give yourself like knee problems or, you know, mess up the alignment of your body by running in shoes that are not made for running.

Okay, number two, after you have checked out this sneakers, which is kind of the fun one. Number two is to study what good form looks like or have someone check yours. There is such a thing as good running form, and bad running form. And there can be a little variation like there is no perfect form. There is no just like there’s no perfect posture, no one is standing perfectly stacked all the time. Like you’re not always shoulders super pulled back, but there’s a good running form. And that can save your body a lot of injury to if you have a really bouncy run, then you’re emphasizing that momentum coming down on your knees and the impact on your knees. So you want to be thinking forward, it’s one foot in front of the other you’re thinking forward, not up and down. Your arms are naturally swinging next to not crossing the center line of your body. So picture that like swing your arms next to you. I’m doing it here, sitting on my exercise ball recording this podcast and your thumbs should not or your hands in general should not cross the center line of your body not cross your belly button. Okay, they should be swinging relax for Damac have also seen people run with their shoulders really high up, they’re really tensed up. Relax your shoulders away from your ears. Another really big one I hear is low back pain when you run that shouldn’t be Usually, that’s going to be taken care of by a slight pelvic tuck, doesn’t mean everyone needs a pelvic tuck running. But if you’re a super overture, you might be overarching. And that’s what’s giving you the back pain, I actually used to think that I had back pain. When I first ran, it was probably due to both of these bad sneakers. And the fact that I’m an over Archer. And I was not including my core at all. Because when I ran my first half marathon, I didn’t do any cross training. And so that means I just ran into any strength training. And I had a really weak core, probably because of not doing any strength training. And I ran it, and it was fine. And I did just think I had some low back pain. When I ran until between that first half, and the second half, I ran, I had started taking group fitness classes, I was taking a specific core class one or two times a week, and it was worlds different I was wow, I didn’t know you could actually feel your core when you run. Sometimes I’m actually sore. If I run sprints, even like today, my core will feel it later. So check out that forum, get somebody to watch it for you. You know, we could do a coaching call, you can film you have somebody filming you running, and then we can kind of go over it. All that good stuff. But it’s important.

Number three is to employ safety tips. I kind of hate that I didn’t put this on the list. And, you know, I just think that it’s the world we live in. But it’s true. There’s, this could be a whole podcast episode. And there probably are some in the running world if you want to check that out. But we need to, first of all be like really, situationally aware when we’re out there. And I mean, ideally, you would not be alone. I know for myself, anytime I do run, it’s alone, because that’s kind of the nature of my schedule, my life, whatever. But ideally, you’d have a buddy, at least, you know, have somebody who knows you’re going out, knows where ish you’re going. But beyond that, be prepared and be safe. When you’re out there, there’s a couple like just simple things that I will do. Like, I don’t wear a ponytail, typically when I run because I’ve heard or seen that that’s, you know, something that is easier for somebody to grab, if they’re gonna grab you. So I usually wear a hat and I’ll tuck it in a bun or in a braid, or if I’m not wearing a hat, I still will usually just put it in a low bun. Not that somebody can grab it. But you know, again, we just want to mitigate these things. I hate that I am talking about it. But I, I would be, you know, I feel guilty if I didn’t mention some of these things on here. Another really big one. So yes, it’d be great. If somebody’s with you. Definitely tell somebody going out, you know, watch the hair and that kind of thing. But another really big one just kind of goes into life, where now so many of us are distracted by our phones or by headphones, you should not, like have your headphones so loud that you can’t hear what’s going on. And I know I love music cranked when I run and I don’t think I used to care about this, I used to just crank it both in my ears. Now I will keep one year but in my ear, take one out, or I will just have it turned down. Or what I’ve been doing more often than not, I don’t care if people have to deal with my music is that I will just not put headphones in. And I will just have music playing on my phone so that I’m totally aware of what’s going on. I still hear you know, everything else going on around me. And one more that I didn’t put on the list. But it’s definitely true is to vary up your running route, you don’t want to run the same route every single time you go out.
I think that even now because a lot of times I’m just running around the neighborhood, but I never go the same way. I just always mix it up. You don’t want to go the same time, same route. When things do happen. It’s typically in you know, articles or stories I’ve heard and read and there was a really big one last at the start of last summer. And I don’t remember exactly where it is. I don’t wanna say I feel like it was Tennessee, but I might be making that up, where a woman was grabbed around like 430 in the morning. She went out every single day, the same time the same route was always alone. I don’t know if she had headphones in. But these are things again, I don’t love talking about and are outside of health and fitness but we need to be safe. And I obviously care about all of you and want you to be safe too. So watch the headphones, watch your route. Just you know, wear bright colors is another good one if you’re having to be running when it’s toward dusk but I would just recommend running in daylight hours I do that too. And it kills me when it gets to fall and the hours are shorter and I can’t go out when my husband gets home from work and things like that are in the spring when I’m waiting last year I remember like needing to start early to get my long miles in and it was frustrating but you know being safe is more important than getting all your miles in sometimes.

Alright, number four, if you are going to start out running or pickup running after maybe a long hiatus is to start small, okay. This means distance but it also means pace. Okay? If you want to start running Right now you’re walking, don’t say I’m gonna go run two miles or even I’m gonna run one mile. Start with alternating running and walking. If you are, you know, purely walking right now, start with that until you can get to a pace where you can comfortably run a mile, I think that’s a great way to build up into start. Because from there, you can add distance, I probably if your goal is to be able to run, I wouldn’t probably continue that much past a mile, I would probably try to get to where you can run a solid mile at whatever pace could be an 11 minute mile pace could be a 10 minute mile pace could be a nine minute mile pace. But if you’re going from run walking, I would try to work up to that first get that endurance to where you can do a mile and then the same thing work up from there, then a mile plus you’re going to alternate run walking to you can get to a mile and a half without stopping. And endurance takes a while to build up to so be patient with yourself, it’s not going to be that every time like say you get to the mile and you can run it, that does not mean the next time you’re just going to naturally be able to run a mile and a half. The next time you’re going to naturally be able to run two miles is not a perfect progression. Also, this is nowhere on the list because there’s just more and overall running and fitness tip. I’ve talked about it before in general workouts. There’s so much variance in our day to day, you can’t expect every run to be better than the last one and to always be solid progression. That’s just not the reality. That’s not the reality for professional athletes who have one great practice than a bad practice a good game than a bad game. You know, there the other day a couple of weeks ago, I ran a mile in the morning or I ran two miles. And it was in the morning, I felt really good. Time was great. Didn’t even feel like I was pushing the pace that I was that it was not five days later or a week later as my next run. I went out to do the same thing two miles but it was later in the day where I already felt like lagging. But I thought I’ll try to get it in and it was terrible. I think I stopped at a mile was like slow and heavy. It was like I just five days ago crushed two miles at a great pace. But it was just a different scenario. It was like beginning of the day up with the sun. The other time I was already tired all that. So be patient with yourself. And start small increase one thing at a time, distance or pace, not both all that jazz.

Lastly, we’ll talk more about this next episode when we get into training for races but play around with what is your best nutrition and running combo. So by that, I mean I like to run on a more empty stomach if I’m running like less than like three miles or less. Okay, maybe even five miles or less. I like to only have by empty I don’t mean totally empty I mean like an apple banana. something small like a half hour before run is my ideal I would like if I’m going to run I would prefer to wake up have an apple and then go out the door in about 30 minutes like 30 minutes from waking little bit of sugar in my system. That’s it. Now once you get up in mileage, you can’t do that you need to have more food in the tank. And we will talk about that more next episode but some people are fine some people can Slug a cup of coffee and go in 30 minutes. Now I personally like I left coffee out of there I don’t do best having coffee that close to a run I’ll have coffee like two hours before a run. Otherwise I feel it sloshing around and I get a cramp and all that stuff. So these things matter when you are running and walking to feel out with you. There’s no hard and fast rule feel what feels best for you and your body. Maybe you’ll discover like certain foods work better for you. Again I’ll get into this more next week but when I trained for the half my first half oatmeal was always my go to is oatmeal and coffee and then like an hour later I would run or again like probably two hours later. I don’t know if I actually always had coffee back then but I know I did oatmeal. I think I just maybe did oatmeal and then stuck to the cubes once I was running to give some caffeine and some energy but more on that to come. I hope this was a good little dip your toes in. Get familiar. If you have any questions or comments concerns, you can always email me Brittany and healthy Catholic moms.com. If you liked this podcast and haven’t rated it reviewed it I would really truly appreciate if you would take a second to do that wherever you listen could be on Apple podcast, Spotify, anywhere pretty much you can always leave a star rating and oftentimes a written review to it would mean so much to me and I really appreciate it I read every single one and it is so uplifting when I do so hopefully like the kind of uplifting or motivation you feel from podcasts. That’s what I feel when I read those. So, alright, I hope you have a great rest your day. I will talk to you next time.

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