Your Best Running Tips
From shoes to motivation, RW readers offer helpful running advice.
By Yishane Lee
Image by Meg Hunt
From the December 2011 issue of Runner's World
1 GET GOOD SHOES
The best piece of advice he ever got was almost an insult, says Joe Calderon, a new RW reader stationed in Basra, Iraq. "'Dude, you running with those shoes?' a friend said. 'No wonder your knees, back, and shins hurt. Go to (insert running store here) and get yourself measured for a good pair of shoes!'" Tips can come from unlikely sources. "A nonrunning coworker told me, 'You know, you really ought to get fitted for good running shoes,' after I was told I needed to be operated on due to running," says Allison Tully of Falls Church, Virginia (reader for five years). "One fitting and six pairs later, I'm surgery-free."
"When you grab your cup from an aid station, pinch the top together. It makes it easier to drink without splashing all over you."
—GREG STEVENS
Birmingham, Alabama
2 KNOT SMART
"Runner's World taught me how to lace without using double knots, so they don't come undone," says Andy Poon of Vancouver (20+ years). Stacey from Chicago got the tip from her sibling: "My little brother told me to tuck my laces into the tops of my shoes to make sure they can't come undone." Says Kim Tantlinger of Waltham, Massachusetts (11 years), "Square knots are better than granny knots and eliminate the need for double-knotting." For lace-tying video, go to runnersworld.com/shoelaces.
3 OR RUN BAREFOOT
Some runners find success giving up shoes. "After two decades running shod, the freedom and lightness experienced running barefoot is indescribable," says Tymen Bast of Amsterdam, Netherlands (one year). Says Brian Fuerst of Venice, California (six years), "An orthopedic surgeon told me that I shouldn't run and that I didn't have biomechanics good enough to ever run a marathon. Since then I abandoned the field of podiatry, started running barefoot, and have completed two marathons in 3:26 and 3:12."
Your Sage Source
The best advice you ever got came from...
33% A friend
23% A coach
36% Runner's World, of course!
3% A sports doc/physical therapist
4% A specialty running shoe store
Based on 1,730 respondents on runnersworld.com
4 EXERCISE CAUTION
"Listen to your body telling you that it needs a day of rest," says Laura McElduff, a reader in Northvale, New Jersey. "Otherwise you'll end up burned out, overtrained, or injured." Says Becca Dougherty of Flemington, New Jersey (15 years): "It is better to go into a race undertrained than overtrained." Jaylyn Bergner of Asheville, North Carolina (15+ years), uses legs-up-the-wall for recovery. "My coach in high school would have us elevate our legs for 10 minutes." Angie Shoe of Jacksonville, Florida, relies on pills: "An elderly gentleman said to take fish-oil pills daily. He promised that my joints will thank me later."
5 RUN FAST
"During sprint workouts my coach used to say, 'Dig deep. You can do anything for 30 seconds.' And if you keep repeating the mantra through the workout, you can get through it," says Cortney Bloomer of Carson City, Nevada. Kristen Marhaver of Merced, California (14 years), got go-fast advice from her dad. "The world's most law-abiding citizen would say, 'Run like you stole something.'"
6 RUN SLOW
"I heard that 80 to 90 percent of runners run their easy runs too fast, so I slowed my easy runs to whatever felt comfortable that day," says Jeff Donahue of Melrose, Massachusetts (10 years). Coach Demetrio Cabanillas, who ran with Bill Rodgers and Alberto Salazar, offered this advice to Kim Cowart of West Jordan, Utah (four years). "He would remind me before I'd tackle my weekend long run that I'd already done my speedwork during the week and to do long runs slower. The purpose of the long run was to condition the legs to run long, and if I pushed the pace, I was essentially racing, which was counterproductive." Ealowes agrees: "The best advice I received for marathon training was to run my weekly long runs slow—much slower than I thought I should."
7 RUN YOUR OWN RUN
"When I was trying to reel someone in but hating the race, I began repeating 'Run your own race' and everything came together," says Brian Fay of Syracuse, New York (11 years). Sandra Henriques of Cincinnati says not to think ahead: "Be present in the mile you are in. Don't worry about mile 18." Tracy of Portland, Oregon, quotes Alice in Wonderland: "Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop."
8 ENJOY IT
"My coach said, 'Have fun! The hard work was the training. The race is the party!'" says Jill Mitsch of Cupertino, California. "Even if today's run was what you would consider a failure, it is a bridge to your next good run," says Sarah Wiederkehr of Arlington, Virginia. "This thought keeps me from fretting about lack of progress." Any run is cause for joy, says Jen Harder of Waldheim, Saskatchewan. "There's no such thing as a bad run!"
9 BE GRATEFUL
"I started saying this mantra, 'Run for those who can't,' after a friend was paralyzed and I realized how lucky I am to be able to run," says Heidi Tanakatsubo of New York City (three years). Says Jim Austin of Wylie, Texas, "My big sister told me, 'Running is your gift. You can do it any time you want, for as long as you want.' She was born with cerebral palsy and told me that her favorite dreams are the ones where she dreams that she can run. I've never taken a run for granted since."
"Relaxation is key to running efficiently. When feeling tense, gently rub your forefinger and thumb together—you can't do this if you are tense. It's from Born to Run."
—KEVIN MCNULTY
Dedham, Massachusetts
10 JUST GO!
"'RUN, it's not math!' my dad said when my sister and I were calculating what pace we would need to run to meet our goals," says Emily Condon of Scranton, Pennsylvania. Go even if you're tired, says Frank Young in Sapporo, Japan (25 years). "The run is never as (adjective of choice) as you thought." The words of 50-K champ Josh Cox ring true to Daniele Lile of Elkton, Kentucky. "'Remember, your worst run is always 100 percent better than the person who never tries.'" As Tom Scudder of Albany, New York, points out: "You'll never regret going for a run, but you'll always regret not going."
