Here is another great My Dogs Are Barking 5K running tip! We wanted to share this forum with veteran runners out there or those new to running out there, in a way to help people not only prepare for this particular race but for life as a runner, in general J…

 

We wanted to hear from you! Any questions, please post them to our blog and we will do our best to answer them all.

The overall theme of this past week’s questions was about being a new runner or at least a un-experience runner. One theme in particular…it’s ok to walk! Really. Running, like any other sport, has a period where your mind and body needs to get used to it. Walking isn’t quitting. It’s being smart. It’s being able to see beyond the finish line, so to speak. If you need to catch your breath or are tired, stop, walk. Just keep on moving forward. That’s the important part.

Also, don’t get caught up in all the hype. Running, in its truest form, is fairly simple. It’s a whole lot of fun, but in terms of the running community we are looking to help, we aren’t promising you a sub-5 minute mile or a spot on the next Olympic team, we are promising you some fun, fitness and a habit to be really, really proud of. So don’t get caught up in all the How To’s and What to Wear, and the training program created by the person who calls themselves a running expert but is really no different from you and me. Bottom line; get out the door and RUN! Run at different times of the day, experiment with what foods work best for you before and after a run. It’s not the same for everyone, so jump in and give it a try. The only person who should be and is judging you is you! And of course your dog, but as explained in an earlier post, our dogs are the best, most non-judgmental running partners out there.

Do you run every day? That’s great. So many of us wish our schedules allowed for that. Or for those of us NH natives, we wish the weather always allowed for that. But there isn’t any need to run every single day. Stay active, but try something called cross-training. This is simply when you do other activities to help maintain your fitness level. Biking, hiking, swimming and walking are great ways to cross-train and more importantly this will help prevent injuries. By not using the exact same muscles the exact same way every day, you are helping to prevent injury. And it’s fun to break things up a bit. Personally speaking, some of my favorite running routes I have navigated and mapped ahead of time by either biking on them or walking the dogs on them.

Our next blog we will talk about actually running together! Get ready, the  My Dogs Are Barking 5K is just 26 days away. That’s a little of 3weeks. Plenty of time to prepare!