Habits of a Healthy Run

I've been on a bit of a habit kick lately. I just finished a book called Habits of the Household by Justin Whitmel Early (don't worry I'll get to why this has to do with running). The premise of the book is pairing intentional habits with the ordinary parts of the day. This book is related to parenting and family, but it pushed me to think of my top habits for a healthy running session and I wanted to share them with you. Adopting these 5 simple habits below will allow you to enjoy your training more, remain healthy, and ultimately get faster 😉 .

"With the same habits, you’ll end up with the same results. But with better habits, anything is possible."

“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”

James Clear (Author of Atomic Habits)

✅ Gratitude: Start every run by naming what you are grateful about your running or training. No matter what, there is always some aspect to be grateful for. This is even more important if you are injured or things are not progressing the way you want.

✅ Switch things up: In a repetitive sport like running, the body and the mind like a healthy amount of variability. So, almost every run, switch up something. Could be your shoes, the route, the running surface, the side of the road (safety first though), your paces, and even switch up your mode of exercise with strength training.

✅ Go by feel: Being in touch with your ability to sense is a cornerstone of healthy running. Hone this skill so you can recognize when you need to pivot or push. Practice sensing different things like; pace, running form, perceived effort, mental readiness, how your legs feel from the previous day's training, breathing, and so on. If you get the feeling that something is off, take action. Remember, you are playing the long game.

✅ Leave some "in the tank": (unless it's race day) Most runs you should be nowhere near empty, in fact, you should finish thinking you could do it all over again. For the more challenging sessions, like long runs and "quality" running days, you should finish feeling like you could have run farther, done another interval, or run a little faster. This simple habit will go a long way in keeping you healthy.

✅ Reflect: Finish every run by reflecting. If the session went well, why? Capitalize on those things that set you up for success. If the the run was terrible, what's one thing you can learn before you move on? It can be easy to dwell on the bad runs, but this won't get you anywhere. Reflecting is also the chance for a good hard look in the mirror if things are starting to "go off the rails". Ask yourself "What does my running need right now to fit my long term goals and keep my tissues healthy?".