How to get prepared for running

Although I will try to discuss how you can get prepared for running in this article, I would like to point out first that there are two categories of people who don’t make any preparation, when it comes to running.

The first category refers to runners who don’t want, or simply don’t bother, to prepare before they start running. These people go straight into running, without getting warmed up first, or without bothering for any special type of preparation that would make their life easier during their running session.

The second category refers to wannabe runners who dream of running, without, however, finding the courage and willingness to get out of the sofa or bed and hit the street or the treadmill. It goes without saying that these people never get prepared for running in the end, and they’ve never run a mile in their life.

A proper warm up is key to long-term running success

There are many runners who neglect warming up, believing that it is unimportant. These people may think that “forgetting” to get a proper warm up for running will have neither a positive nor a negative effect on their running performance.

However, the opposite seems to be true by just watching runners and other athletes who follow a strict warm up routine before they start any type of sports activity. Not surprisingly, these athletes are less likely to get injured during running or in any other recreational or professional sports.

So, even if a runner manages to get away without an injury in the early years of their running career, it is inevitable that, sooner or later, they will run out of luck, and a possible injury may even force them to stop running altogether. Warming up all the major muscles, and not just your legs, is vital, since, more or less, almost all parts of the body are involved in the activity of running.

Getting nutrients before running

There are runners who believe that getting nutrients either through food or through dietary supplements can enhance their running performance. Some of these runners may even take this type of extra nutrients just before they start running. Although this practice may help, I believe that, sometimes, it can may do more harm than good. Eating even a small amount of food before running can make you feel “heavy”, which will decrease, rather than boost, your performance. In case of taking dietary supplements, such as vitamins, why don’t you take them after you’ve finished your running effort and you feel tired; in this way, this type of “assistance” will help your body recover faster. Therefore, I believe that it’s better to take any type of additional nutrients after the running activity, and not before it. After all, when deciding to engage in running, you want to push your body to its limits, in order to achieve goals, such as losing weight and getting your body to work better even in demanding conditions. If you “help” it by feeding it with “fuel” during these demanding conditions, you will just give it back anything that it loses as a result of the running activity. So, what’s the point of getting yourself involved in running in the first place, if everything is “business as usual” for your body? I would suggest that you should better provide any extra nutrients, water, etc. to your body the night before the day that running actually takes place. Just let your body “starve” a bit; it will do more good than harm to it.

Worrying about your running gear too much

Last but not least in the list of things that will help you get prepared for running is your running gear. Many people seem to attach too much importance to what they will wear during running. Putting aside the extreme example of athletes who ran naked in the Olympic Games of ancient Greece, even today’s world-class runners only need a good pair of running shoes and socks (optional, in many cases) and a sleeveless T-shirt. There are athletes who run in major events even without wearing any shoes. Why should you need more to get prepared, in order to engage in a sports activity as simple as running?

Sources and further reading:

Don’t warm up? You’re going to get injured

How to prepare for a run

Here are the best tips before your first race

How to Prepare for a Run