7 Shocking Running Myths

8/14/2019 7 Shocking Running Myths

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7 shocking running myths

You should stretch before you run

A series of static stretches is not an effective warm up for running, and could actually serve to increase

your risk of injury. Once you think about this it starts to make sense stretching cold muscles to their

limit is bound to strain and cause damage. Instead of static stretches, you should be doing light

cardiovascular activity as a warm up, such as walking or very slow jogging. his will warm up your

muscles, thereby increasing fle!ibility more effectively and safely than static stretches ever will.

aking time off from running is bad

"issing a day of training is not the end of the world, and certainly won#t ruin your progress. In fact, rest

is hugely important for runners. $ecovery is the key to running progress, as this is when your muscles

strengthen and improve after your workout. Once you have reached a certain level of fitness it can be

maintained relatively easily, which means the odd e!tra rest day here and there is not going to go amiss

especially if your body is telling you it needs it.

$unning is bad for your joints

It#s a common misconception that the impact of running is bad for your joints. It#s easy to see why

people think this, but luckily it isn#t true. here#s no doubt that runners can suffer injuries to their

joints, but research has actually shown that running reduces the risk of osteoarthritis in the long term.

$esearch carried out by %enjamin &bert, ".'., found the evidence for this the motions and e!ertions

your body goes through when you run means that your muscles and joints actually adapt to the impact,

delaying or preventing the onset of osteoarthritis.

$unning shoes just need breaking in

(hilst it#s true that running shoes should be broken in slightly before being used in a race, this will not

change the comfort of the shoes. If you#re trying on a pair of running shoes and they feel uncomfortable,

do not listen to pushy sales assistants who tell you they just need )breaking in#. his is a common lie.

*hoes suitable for you should be comfortable straightaway, and will be based on your running gait and

re+uirements. o to a specialist running shop and this won#t be a problem.

$unning is all you need

$unning is a fantastic sport for keeping you healthy and in shape, but it shouldn#t be the be all and end

all of your fitness regime. If you want to make sure you avoid injuries then you#ll also need toincorporate some strength training into your routine, which will help to strengthen your legs and your

core. As well as strength training, you also need to try different forms of cardio. $unning without any

other forms of cross-training can lead to overtraining injuries, so be sure to mi! it up.

arbo-loading is essential

(e#re all familiar with the sight of a runner stuffing their face with more pasta than you thought was

humanly possible the night before a race. /nless it#s a half or full marathon, then concentrated carbo-

loading is not necessary and will not do you any favours for the race. $esearch published in

theEuropean Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology found that the most

effective way to make use of carbohydrates is to integrate them into a person#s normal diet. his means

you should gradually increase the amount of carbs you are eating in the weeks leading up to the race,

rather than eating them all at once the night before.

&veryone can run a marathon
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It#s often thought that the beauty of the marathon is that anyone can run one in a respectable time if

they train properly. *adly this is not the case. (hilst it#s true that most people canfinisha marathon,

your genes might be stopping you from getting a good time no matter how much you train. A study

carried out at 0oughborough /niversity found that around 12 per cent of people do not have the right

mi!ture of genes to train effectively for a marathon. 3eople in this 12 per cent group had trouble with

training due to the inability of their muscles to effectively e!tract o!ygen. Read more on

realbuzz.com...

http455www.realbu66.com5articles57-running-rules-you-should-break-au-en5

5 running rules you should break

Rules that should be broken

There are thousands of books and so-called experts out there that tell you how you should run,

how you should be training and what you should do to get the best performance possible. Yet

some of the facts wee been told are wrong. !ere we reeal fie running rules you should

break if you want to run better and aoid getting in"ured.

Rule: Stretch before you run

#t some point, most of us hae probably been taught that stretching before a run is good for our bodies, but is it$ #gainst

most peoples preious thoughts stretching does not help topreent in"ury and nor does it improe our runs. %n fact, static

stretching can harm our running performance and make us less powerful and slower.

&idence for this has come from numerous studies, one of which was conducted by the 'niersity of (agreb.

)esearchers from the 'niersity reiewed oer *++ studies of people who stretched statically and found that their

muscle strength decreased by a massie fie and a half per cent when they exercised after stretching.

%nstead of stretching before you run, do a dynamic warm-up before you exercise. # dynamic warm-up will help you

improe performance and help you to preent in"ury. Your dynamic warm-up should inole those muscles you will use

whilst running, such as your uads, glutes and hamstrings and, as the name suggests, it should be dynamic. ome

exercises you can incorporate into your dynamic warm-up include skipping, glute bridges, hip rotations and leg swings.

Rule: Stick to your training plan

or /+ per cent of the time sticking to yourtraining plan will be a good idea. %t will help you progress safely, stay focused

and train regularly, een on those days when youd much rather be curled up in bed.

!oweer, for some people there are a few days during the year when you should ignore your plan and listen to your

body. #sk yourself how you feel. 0o you think you could do a little more than the plan suggests today$ 1r do you feel

like you couldnt possibly coer een half of the distance your plan has scheduled in$
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2hen you dont feel like your training plan matches how your body feels you should adapt it to suit you. !oweer, only

break this running rule some of the time because not sticking to your training plan may put you at risk of oertraining or

undertraining.

Rule: Never increase your mileage by more than 10 per cent per week

or us runners, the *+ per cent rule has been drilled into us and were as familiar with it as we are our #34s. !oweer,

research conducted in the etherlands has reealed that perhaps the *+ per cent rule is not something we need to stick

to any longer.

or example, research conducted at the 'niersity of 6roningen in the etherlands found that the *+ per cent rule might

not actually preent in"ury.

The researchers examined 5+7 beginner runners who were training for a local four-mile race. The participants were

diided into two and half of them receied a training plan that lasted for ** weeks and that increased the amount of time

they ran for by *+ per cent each week. The second set of participants had an eight-week training plan that increased the

amount of time they ran for by more than *+ per cent.

%nterestingly, despite half of the participants going against the *+ per cent rule, both groups had the same rate of in"ury,

with one in fie runners suffering from some sort of running related in"ury. The study seems to suggest that increasing

your mileage by more than *+ per cent does not increase your chances of picking up a running in"ury.

Rule: Running in the morning is better than running late at night

8ost of us beliee that running in the morning is better for us than running late at night. Yet we hae some good news for

the night owls because this rule might not be as applicable as we used to think.

#lthough there are studies that suggest that people can lose more weight and sleep better when they exercise in the

morning, a innish study has found that people who exercised after eight oclock fell asleep uickerand woke up feeling

more refreshed than when they worked out earlier in the day. The reason for this seems to be that during exercise your

body temperature rises, yet by the time you get to bed your temperature begins to lower and this change in temperature

helps to send you off to sleep.

Therefore if you prefer to run at night, dont feel like you cant. 9ust make sure you dress appropriately and stay safe if its

dark.

Rule: You have to run hard to get results

2hats your running mantra$ %f its no pain, no gain you may want to hae a rethink. # study published in the Journal of

Strength and Conditioning found that doing lots of tempo runs at an intensity that goes aboe your lactate threshold :a

stage where your body begins to produce lactic acid; has a negatie impact on your running performance.

The study diided its participants into two groups. 1ne group trained at a moderate intensity 75 per cent of the time,

whilst the other group only trained at a moderate intensity *7 per cent of the time. urprisingly the group that did less

intense workouts improed their six and half mile race time more than those who did more moderate intensity runs. %t is

thought that this is because their bodies were able to recoer from their more intense workouts, whereas the other group

did not hae enough time to fully recoer and therefore their performance suffered.

o, rather than working hard all of the time if you want torun faster,you should make sure you mix up the leel of

intensity you train at, doing some low-intensity runs, some moderate intensity runs and a few high-intensity runs.

Test yourself by seeing if you know allfie things we think eery runner should know.

http://www.realbuzz.com/articles/5-things-every-runner-shoul-know-au-en/

5 things eery runner should know

Techniques and tips all runners need

rom mental strategies to the power of the colour red, we show you fie things eery runner

should know and teach you techniues that will help you improe your running performance


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Running is a mental game

3eing a good runner has as much to do with your state of mind as it has to do with your one mile time. %f you dont

manage to keep mentally strongduring your run you can kiss goodbye to a good performance. To keep your mind

focused you should put any negatie thoughts to the back of your mind and instead focus on all of the progress you hae

made since you began running.

ome people also benefit from blocking out the process of running altogether and find it beneficial to instead distract

their focus by thinking about a story or getting lost in a daydream. #lthough this distraction is great for some, other

runners may benefit from concentrating on the run itself and turn their attention to their breathing or the route. %f you dont

feel like either of these mental strategies is of use to you, try using mental imagery when running, where you picture

yourself as someone or something else, such as =aula )adcliffe or a rier. =retending to be these people or things

during your run may boost your confidence in your abilities and it might positiely impact upon your run.

earing red clothes and seam!free socks will improve your run

%n most situations in life the clothes you wear are chosen for practical purposes and as a way of self-expression, but the

clothes you wear when running can make or break your run. 8ake sure you choose the right clothes for your run or race.

or example, did you know that wearing red could help you win$ #ccording to research conducted at the 7++> 1lympic

6ames in #thens, competitors who wore red were more likely to win when competing.

1ther important yet often oerlooked items of clothing include your socks. )unners often hae problems with their feet

and wearing appropriate clothing, such as the right socks, will help you aoid some of these problems. #oid wearing

cheap cotton socks that hae seams in as these can lead to blisters and painful chafing that will affect your run. %nstead

inest in some running socks that are seam-free and wick away sweat. You should also be conscious about the

thickness of your running sock and be aware that your feet will expand when hot. 2ear socks that will gie your feet

enough room.

Running when rela"ed is important

)unning when relaxed is ery important because stress and neres can negatiely affect your running performance and

your running techniue. 0uring your run you should try to keep your hands relaxed because this will help to stop tension

passing through your body to your neck and should area. %f you feel as though your hands are tensing up, shake them

about for a few seconds eery minute or so until they relax.

#nother way you can help your body relax during your run is to keep your head erect and try to rid your facial muscles of

any tension. To do this focus on keeping your face muscles lax, especially your eyes and your "aw. 1ther more mental

focused approaches you can adopt in order to run better include repeating a calming mantra or imagining that you are

floating along as you run. These techniues should help you to relax and therefore they should help you to improe your

run.

#lcohol is a runner$s enemy

0rinkingexcessie amounts of alcoholobiously comes with lots of health implications, but alcohol has additional

drawbacks if you are a runner. irstly, alcohol will dehydrate you and this in turn will preent your body from being able to

break down your energy stores and thus fuel your run. #s a result your bodys blood sugar leels will be low and that
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means that you wont be able to sweat efficiently or regulate your temperature appropriately. 4onseuently, when

hungoer your run will be tiring, sluggish and you will feel unusually weak.

Yet despite alcohols detrimental effects on both health and performance, research conducted by the 'niersity of 8iami

found that the more people exercise, the more people tend to drink. %f you think youre amongst this growing group of

drinkers who exercise, try to cut down or, if you cant, try to drink one glass of water between each alcoholic drink you

hae.

Running isn$t enough

%f you run three or four or fie times a week, good for you. Yet no matter how many times you run, you need to do other

forms of exercise and additional actiities too if you want to be a good runner.

0oing other forms of exercise in order to improe your abilities in one area is known as cross training. There are many

benefits to cross training, from in"ury preention to improing your running speed. %n order to cross train you could try

doing some weight sessions, some flexibility sessions or try out some new actiities like swimming, boxing or cycling.

2ant to run faster$ !ere arefie foods that will help you run uicker

http://www.realbuzz.com/articles/5-things-every-runner-shoul-know-au-en/

5 foods that will make you run faster

The foods that can help you achieve your personal best

2hether youre training for a marathon or about to complete your first race, you probably hae

a target finish time in mind. 2hile training and preparing yourself properly for the race is

integral to achieing your desired time, your pre-race meal can also help you to obtain the

result you want. !ere are the fie foods that will make you run faster.

)unning food *< 3eetroot

%t might not be the most obious pre-run meal, howeer researchers at t ?ouis 'niersity hae found that eating baked

beetroot before a race could help you to run faster. The study recorded the running speed of ** fit and healthy

participants as they ran 5km on a treadmill. The participants were asked to run once after consuming a portion of baked

beetroot an hour before, and once after consuming a similar si@ed portion of cranberry relish, which had a similar amount

of calories.

The results showed that after eating beetroot the aerage speed of the runners was *7.Akm per hour :or B.Cmph;, while

after the cranberry relish it was "ust **./km per hour :or B.Amph;. %t is belieed that this is due to the chemicals called

nitrates which are contained in beetroot and which hae been shown to also improe stamina when exercising.

)unning food 7< 1atmeal
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To beat your personal best, it is important that your energy leels are high before your run, and eating oatmeal is the

perfect way to get the energy boost you need. 1ats are a low 6% food, meaning that they will help to keep your blood

sugar stable and release a slow, steady stream of energy, helping you to maintain your speed throughout your run.

1ats are also a good source of 3 itamins, which help the body to break down carbohydrates into glucose to fuel the

body, and are rich in many other essential nutrients including magnesium, selenium and manganese. Try haing a bowl

of porridge or oat-based muesli, a few oatcakes or an oatmeal smoothie an hour or two before your run for a nutritious

energy boost tohelp you run faster.

)unning food A< resh fruit

8any runners rely on sugary drinks, foods and gels for energyD howeer, fruit is a great way to gie your body a natural

and healthy sugar hit. 8ake sure you opt for easily digestible fruit as those that are hard to digest E such as those from

the citrus family E could hinder your exercise by causing stomach cramps. 3ananas are a good choice as they are high

in carbs and are also less acidic than apples and citrus fruits so are unlikely to lead to cramps.

#s well as being a good source of energy to help you run faster, fruit contains a high proportion of water, which can help

you to stay hydrated for your run. ruit also contains a ariety of energy-boosting itamins and minerals including itamin

4 :found in berries;, and 3 itamins :found in bananas and aocado;.

)unning food >< 0ark leafy greens

0ark leafy green egetables are another good source of nitrates, which are belieed to help increase running speed and

endurance. ?eafy green egetables are also rich in many essential nutrients including iron, calcium, itamin 4 and

itamin F, which will help to keep you in optimum health, thereby helping to improe your energy leels and enhance

your run.

#round two hours before your run, opt for a meal incorporating leafy green eg to help enhance your run. You could try

pasta with salmon and broccoli or spinach for a good mix of protein and carbs, or try supplementing your usual choice of

protein and carbohydrates with some kale, swiss chard, cabbage or a romaine lettuce salad.

)unning food 5< 6reen tea

2hile green tea is not technically a food, it could make the perfect addition to yourpre-run snack.ot only is drinking

green tea great for keeping your fluid leels up, the health-boosting drink can also help to regulate blood sugar leels,

thereby preenting energy crashes which can slow you down. 6reen tea also contains caffeine, which can help to gieyour energy leels a boost, and is less acidic than many other sources of caffeine, lowering the risk of stomach aches

during your run.

# research study in 9apan found that green tea extract could boost exercise endurance by up to 7> per cent, making it a

great energy drink to sip before a run. You could een try taking iced green tea with you for a refreshing alternatie to

energy drinks, to help you keep your energy leels up and achiee your personal best.

ant more tips to improve your speed% 4heck out how to improe your speed through interal training.

http://www.realbuzz.com/articles/improve-your-running-spee-through-interval-training-au-en/

%mproe your running speed through interal training

Train yourself to run faster

!" you really want to improve your running spee then interval training is the key. $hether "ocusing on

short sprints or longer repetitions% interval running will seriously improve your running times.
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Running interval sessions will make you faster

%nteral running is the single best form of running actiity you can do. # runner who always runs at a steady pace will

only eer be good at running steadily. 3y steady running you improe your endurance capacity, tone-up and often lose

weight, but you dont get faster.

The key to improing your speed is to run at speeds faster than you would race at. !oweer, you can only run at these

speeds for small periods of time. This is why you should break up the distance in which you intend running at the faster

pace.

or example, if you normally go for a steady 5 mile :approximately Gkm; run you could change it to 5 lots of * mile efforts,

running the * mile at a significantly faster pace than you would if you were running the whole 5 miles in one go. The

important thing about interal running is to pick the pace up and force yourself to increase the leg speed. Then you will

need to recoer, as you wont be able to keep it up for too long.

The recoery period will ary depending on your fitness leel and what type of interal session you are running.aturally, most beginners will need a lot more recoery than seasoned runners and the longer the interal run, the longer

the recoery period will hae to be.

#ll the energy pathways should be inoled in interal training, making it ery similar to the race situation

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7 Shocking Running Myths