Rest days are something I struggle with. I like to go hard almost every day. It’s a real struggle. The smart watches constantly tell us to move and that we’re not meeting calorie goals. How do you have a rest day with those constant reminders?
Well, they’re necessary. The rest days that is. Your body needs time to recover and reset. I notice after a few weeks of going hard, I crash.
Rest days can be active but they should not be work days. Every few weeks you will need a bigger rest period. It helps your body from overtraining.
Overtraining is hard on your body and mind. Notice you are a little more cranky than usual? Are you fatigued and not getting as good of a workout? Muscle aches? Poor sleep? Those are all signs that you need a rest period and you have been overtraining.
I love scheduling my workout schedule at the beginning of the week and planning a rest day. If I really need to force myself, I take off my smart watch. I don’t need it beeping at me on those days.
You won’t lose progress with proper rest. Your body and mind need it! Below is what my workout schedule looks like when I am not at the gym teaching 2-3 classes a day. Those weeks, my schedule is a lot more crazy!
Monday: 3-4 mile trail run and a yoga style workout.
Tuesday: weight lifting or body weight workout. I do the whole body. 20-30 minute spin/cycling.
Wednesday: 3-4 mile trail run and yoga style workout.
Thursday: Run or cycle
Friday: Body weight or weight lifting workout.
Saturday: Long run 1:30-2 hour trail run. 20-30 minute easy yoga or stretch.
Sunday: REST & stretch. I usually clean the house, fold laundry and put one piece away at a time – gets steps in and let’s my body active recover. I snuggle the dogs, a lot.
Yes, this is what my long races training looks like. I cross train so much, so I run minimally. Most of my trail runs are packed with hills, especially with the gyms closed and no access to a stair climber.
When I train hard, those rest days are amazing. I make sure to plan things I like doing, in addition to chores. Now that the weather is warming up, that sunshine and deck call my name. With sunscreen of course.
So schedule yourself some rest days. Rest and reset.
If you want a custom training plan based on your race length, fitness level, and amount of time you have – holler!
Yesterday I did a 9 mile loop on this beautiful trail. My friend and I went the opposite direction than most people go. We wanted to tackle the beast of a hill and then have easy downhill for the second half. Well, let me tell you. That hill was a beast. It was horrible.
We conquered it. It felt amazing. The entire time we were laughing and having fun. Mostly laughing at how pathetic we were. It filled my heart to be out there.
Birds chirping. Squirrels running by. Evidence of deer on the trail. I felt so connected with nature and the earth yesterday. Now mind you, I’m not all frou-frou and mind’s eye. There is something about connecting with nature and feeling the dirt below my feet that centers me.
Trail running works more muscles in the leg and body than road running. It challenges your foot work. It tests your balance and coordination. My booty is sore today from that hill. It’s sore in spots that are not usually worked. And I love it!
Most of the people we encountered, whether they were solo or in a pack, were friendly. They were out there for the same reasons as us: get a workout in and enjoy nature. You don’t do the Liberty Lake Loop unless you want a challenge. Even if you go the way around the loop that most people do, it’s still difficult.
My heart was so happy out there soaking in the sun, smelling the trees, laughing, and sweating. That is why I trail run. To refill my cup. To heal my heart. To work my muscles. To LIVE!
So whether you have your pack of people or you go solo, get out there and connect with nature. Connect with your body. LIVE!
The view from halfway down. So much beauty to experience.
Let’s talk about meditation and yoga. I am not someone who likes the froufrou yoga or the third mind’s eye hoopla. I like my yoga to be physically moving and no hard to pronounce words. I like it to make me sweat. I do not like the super difficult and slightly dangerous poses (if done wrong). I do like hot yoga, yes, it is slow. But I feel so good after.
Lately, I have noticed my anger has skyrocketed. When I am not blogging, writing a book, or teaching fitness classes, I’m an insurance agent that specializes in Small Business Health Insurance. So, of course during these horrible trying times, my job is about ten times more stressful than usual. Yes, even more stressful than during fourth quarter when about ninety percent of my business renews. It is because these small businesses are suffering. They are having to lay off their employees, which means they are calling me upset and telling me they need to cancel their company’s health insurance plan. Yes, I have cried with a few of them. I am a very empathetic person, so I am feeling their anguish about tenfold. It sucks.
Trail running usually makes me feel better. Breathing in the fresh air. Feeling the dirt under my feet. Admiring nature’s beauty. I go out, hit the trail with some good tunes and I can shut it all out. Well, jerkoffs are out in force, since no one is working, with their dogs off leash. Can anyone explain that to me? Why people think it is okay to be in public with their dogs off leash? Other people use the trails and other people have dogs that do not react well to other dogs running up on them. But I digress.
So, see anger. I have started doing more of the froufrou yoga and meditation. Why is yoga and meditation so good for us? Well, it is because when we are stressed our bodies release a hormone called cortisol. Elevated levels of cortisol effect the brain. It makes it hard to function. It makes it hard to focus. It also effects our bodies. When you are stressed it can cause irritability, rapid weight gain, muscle weakness and fatigue, high blood pressure, oh I could go on.
I recently downloaded a guided meditation or relaxation app. Holy moly is it amazing. I braced myself expecting froufrou. It was not. It was the sound of waves crashing on the beach. It was a gentle voice telling me to breathe. It was relaxing.
When you do mediation, it can bring those cortisol levels down. Our bodies need us to not be stressed. When your running or regular fitness routine are not working to bring those stress levels down, it is time to step it up a notch. We need to take care of our minds so that we can take care of our bodies.
Yoga, froufrou yoga. I struggle where to even start. I still struggle with froufrou yoga. But I like instruction on how to take my mind away from everything and focus on breathing. Focus on what my body is doing. Focus on how to properly be in the pose. If the yoga could just lose the hard to pronounce words and the third eye’s mind, I would be happy. It is hard to get that detailed instruction when the yoga is faster. I like to know the benefits of each pose. I like when an instructor comes over and corrects my form, again hard for them to do in the faster paced classes.
I have said it before, our bodies need yoga or yoga style workouts. Especially if we are long distance running or if you sit at a desk all day long. Our bodies need that stretch. They need that time to unwind and relax. Froufrou yoga has its need. It slows us down.
All of this has made me realize that I want to get a certification in trauma informed yoga. It is not the 200 YTT but it would help me in all other fitness that I do. It would help me help others to find peace.
In this fast-paced world, we need to take that hour to slow down. We need that twenty minutes of guided meditation or relaxation. I say this a lot, give your body what it deserves. Know your body’s worth. Stay tuned for next week’s post.
Speed work is like hill training, a necessary evil. If you want to increase your overall speed you need to do speed work (and cross train).
I don’t know about you, but when I’m sprinting it sucks. I hate it. I’m not fast. I’m happy if I run one 8-minute mile and then slow down. But doing longer races has made me want to do speed work. I don’t want to be out there running for 8+ hours. Don’t get me wrong, I love running. I just have other things that need to be done throughout the day.
So, how to do speed work. I only do it one time per week. It’s because I cross train so much and when I do run I need to get miles in. I personally like speed work on Mondays. Only because starting off the week with I consider the most difficult workout makes the rest of the week feel easy.
How I do speed work: start off easy. Don’t go balls to the wall before you’ve warmed up. Your body needs some time to adjust first. Light, easy jog or fast walk for the first 3-5 minutes. How long you warm up depends on the time of day and the outdoor temperature. if it’s early in the morning your body has been at rest and you need more time to warm up. Same if it’s cold.
After you’ve properly warmed up your muscles, give it a go. Sprint for a couple seconds and see how it feels. Feels good right? Feels strong? Good, now do that for a full minute. I know, I’m mean.
After your full minute is up, light jog for 2 minutes. Repeat the process until you’re tuckered out.
Some days your sprints will be faster, better feeling. Others, not so much. It depends on your nutrition and hydration. Along with how well rested you are.
If you’re running with slower paced runners, your sprints won’t be fast. If your running with fast paced runners it will push your limits.
I brought my dog out with me for speed work the other day. I thought for sure she’d push me and keep me going fast. Yeah, it was the opposite. She was a slow paced runner. We moved so slow.
If you’re really crazy, do your speed work on hills. That’s a for sure way to get your heart rate up!
So, I took a client out for a trail run this morning. I’m helping this client get ready for their first 29K this summer. It’s super exciting for both of us. Plus it is magnificent outside. Spring in the PNW is to die for.
I thought I was super smart and mapped out our route on Map My Run. Online the trail doesn’t look terribly steep. Even when we run by it on shorter runs it doesn’t look terribly steep. Today was a first attempt. I’m normally a wing it type of person when it comes to my routes.
We decided to start heading down this hill. My client is fairly new to trail running and is not super confident in their trail running ability, yet. The client ends up coming down the hill in a reverse bear crawl. That’s how they felt comfortable going down it and it’s what worked for them. For now.
Well, it got me thinking, how do I coach the client down this hill? What is the best way to get down a steep hill that has loose dirt and loose pebbles?
As I waited for my client to slowly come down the hill, I started playing around with it. I got onto the grassier part. Found big boulders to step on. And then I tried wide straddle waddling down it. Yes, you read that right. Wide straddle waddling. It’s now a thing and I dare you to try it without cracking a smile.
The grassier area was still iffy and about took me to my butt. The boulders were few and far between, so that didn’t work out great. Plus, you never know when one is going to be loose. Wide straddle waddling opens up your base and brings you a little closer to the ground.
Wide straddle waddling worked the best! I may or may not be trying to see how many times I can put wide straddle waddling in this.
I had my client stand up and try wide straddle waddling. They did it! They made it successfully down the hill. With some better shoes and time, that hill will become my client’s bitch.
So, sometimes we’re faced with obstacles that we can either turn around and go back up the hill or we can conquer them. It made me Trainer proud to see my client conquer the obstacle and find a desire to do it again.
Stay tuned for next weeks shenanigans. Speed work tips and tricks.
I know, I know, having earbuds in on the trail isn’t 100% smart. Bears are a real thing in the Pacific Northwest – seriously. There was a bear behind me on the trail at my Kaniksu race over the summer last year. He was big and I had no clue (my friend behind me saw him). For the record, I had bear protection and my phone on speaker, no earbuds. I’m pretty sure my singing scared him off.
But, for me music keeps me going. I need it. Even if I’m running with a group of friends I need to have music in one ear.
Music flows in my veins and soul. I listen to it all day long, every day. I live for it. So, when I’m on the trail I put it on speaker. I forgo the headphones. I blast it loud and I sing along, badly. It’s usually rap and hard rock, quite the mix huh?
So, to my point… You know when you’re at that mile point and you’re hating life? We’ve all been there. For me it’s mile 15 of Kaniksu Tall Trees 29K. Mile 21 of a marathon. Soon to find out what mile it will be at my first ultramarathon at Kaniksu.
You know when the right song comes on and re-motivates you? I love and live for that moment. Picture it: the perfect song comes on and pushes you to keep going. It speaks to your soul and says, “You’ve got this. Just a little bit further. Keep pushing and reap the reward.” The song that tells you that you have what it takes. You are strong enough.
For me, those songs are “Whatever It Takes” by Imagine Dragons and “Best of Me” by Neffex.
My tips for finding the right music: think about what pace you want to run at. Then google the beats per minute (bpm) that coincides with that pace. For my current goal pace of 9:30 for each mile I need music that is about 155 bpm. Perfect! Most of the songs I love are in that range. I tend to try to keep pace with whatever music is in my ear.
Here is a general guideline for Pace per Mile and Recommended Song BPM. As you’ll see, every 30 second increase you increase BPM by 5.
Pace per Mile
Recommended Song BPM
7:00
180
7:30
175
8:00
170
8:30
165
9:00
160
9:30
155
10:00
150
Here’s my playlist that I use for a 9 Minute mile https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3tt9kR8KHdMXQYRxRX5Shw?si=is_bYGVOTT-B5l2QkoNuVQ. I must have been feeling extra confident when I made a 9 minute mile playlist LOL! Now, keep in mind. Not all of the songs are the same BPM. Some of the songs I pick are just songs I love. Pretty much anything DMX, Breaking Benjamin, and Neffex go on my list.
One thing you can do is search for 9 minute mile running, 155 BPM, and/or Running playlists on Spotify, Amazon Prime Music, Apple Music, and I’m pretty sure even Pandora can do that.
Now that the weather is getting nicer here, I’m getting outside more. How about you? Here’s my advice, pop the playlist on shuffle and test it out! Get out there and have some fun!
Keep your eyes peeled for my workout plan that I’m doing for my Ultramarathon. If you ever want to join me for virtual live workouts, holla!
30 Minute Fit with Jen Join Group This is where we do 30 minute LIVE workouts from your home. Classes include PiYo, Strength Training (no equipment needed), Indoor Cycling/Spin, and Structured Flux (strength, balance, stretch, and movement).
So, I have not posted in a bit. January kind of got away from me. My husband and I decided to try to buy some acreage which took a lot of research (on my part) and time. That fell through, thankfully because some other great things may be happening and if we had bought the property those great things wouldn’t/couldn’t happen. January is also my birthday month. Yay me, another year older and crazier?
I also started my personal training certificate. Let’s be honest, every minute that I can I spend studying. My goal is to pass the test by the end of February. So, it has not left much time for me to blog. I have also started working on my second Novella. Yep! You read that right; I am a Novella writer. AND, our weather has been pretty nice here in Spokane, WA so I’ve been getting outside and enjoying nature. AND I have been working on creating a new exercise format that incorporates strength and stretching for the average human (people that start out less flexible and that do not want to hear about heart center, third eye, and hold difficult to pronounce poses).
AND if all of that was not enough, I’ve signed up for my first Ultramarathon. I think I have some issues! HA. So, keep your eyes peeled for my posts on training tips for an Ultra.
With all that, I have not left myself a lot of time for blogging. Today, I am being naughty and writing while I wait for my quoting system to load (I’m also an insurance agent). So, this will have to be short and sweet.
But you may be wondering how yoga and stretching can benefit your running. I have briefly touched on it before, but in my experience when I do some form of yoga 3 times a week I do not hurt after long runs. My hips are not sore. My quads do not feel like solid rock. And my calves are strong (I run on my toes).
So why yoga?
Constantly using the same muscles over and over only works those muscles. They can fatigue, get sore, and feel overworked. If you are stretching them out and using alternative muscles, your body can do wonders! I talk about how after my 18-miler last year I did an 8-hour Kickboxing Training the next day. Yes, I was a little sore and didn’t kick as high on the kicks, but I made it through an 8-hour training without injury and then taught a yoga style class the day after that – man that felt good!
You know what I attribute to that? Yoga style classes. It was not like I ran a ton of miles before my race. I maxed out at 10 miles and it was not super hilly. But because of how much cross training and yoga I do, I am able to push my body to limits I did not know where possible. I notice I’m able to run faster for longer. Not that I am super fast. I am average paced.
The yoga strengthened my hips while stretching everything out. The form/style of yoga that I do has a big strengthening aspect to it. There are push-ups, squats, lots and lots of chaturangas (one of those hard to say words but it sounds cool!)
So, cross training – it does not have to be lifting heavy, high intensity, or anything crazy. One form of your cross training should be yoga! Just spend 30 minutes a few times a week doing some pushups, squats, core work, and stretching. Whatever your heart desires!
It gives those running muscles and joints a break. They need them.Get out there, try new things and then come back and tell me what you think of them!
If you ever want to see a specific blog topic, let me know!
I have briefly talked about what I use on the trail for nutrition to keep me going. But nutrition is so much more than just taking care of your body on the trail. It should be apart of every day life.
Why is proper nutrition important? Because your body cannot live off fried food, nothing, or only vegetables. I am a huge believer that dieting does not work. I will say that again. Dieting does not work! What do you accomplish by telling yourself, “No, you cannot have that donut because of the blah blah diet”? Simple, you accomplish depriving yourself, therefore making yourself want it more. So, then you create these “Cheat Days.” When you associate food with words like cheat it is not healthy, mentally. Your health should never be a punishment. If you want that donut, have the donut. Just do it in moderation. I say as I eat donuts from Hello Sugar! <<<if you are in Spokane and have not checked them out, you are doing life wrong.
Dieting does not work. Another way to look at it is, what happens when you stop cutting calories or stop the fad diet? After depriving your body, it does not know what to do with the increased calories, portions, or foods. So, it reverts to how we were back in the day, eons ago. It goes into a fat storing mode, it does not know when its next meal is coming.
Instead, what should you do? Eat proper portions. Eat balanced meals. Even when you want that burger, have the burger. Just do it in moderation. Do not have cheat days. Or splurge days. Eat what you want, when you want it. Just in moderation.
I notice whenever I uptick my workout regimen or when I am close to a race, I eat healthier than on a normal week. I notice my body craves healthier options. Unprocessed foods. And then after my marathon all I want is a crappy, unhealthy burger with gobs of cheese. What can I say? I am human!
I eat all day long. I have found what works for my body that keeps me feeling fueled. I eat a piece of fruit on my way to spin class or before yoga. Then I come home and eat a normal breakfast. But on a long race day, I make sure to have an egg, fruit, and some toast. I usually have a normal lunch. I have a mid-afternoon snack that is nuts and fruit or a protein shake if I am out and about. Then a normal dinner.
Why is it important to eat several meals a day? It helps your body maintain stable blood sugar levels. If you eat a larger meal in the morning it jump starts your system. Eating several small meals a day can help prevent overeating and binging. It keeps your metabolism going all day long.
Okay, now we have talked about why you should be eating healthy. But, what does that mean? How do you do that in today’s on-the-go society? There’s so many things you can do to make that easier on yourself. I was at Walmart the other day and saw to-go meal prep containers. It had the sections for each thing, if you are one of those that can’t have your food touching. Does not bother me. Mix it all together and create a new flavor. HA! In-case you have not figured out by now, I think I am hilarious.
Here is my go-to meal plan. Everything is portion controlled. No calorie counting. No cutting anything out. I put salmon on the meal plan, but I usually swap it out for Mahi Mahi or Swai. I’m not a huge salmon fan even though it is so good for you. I like it raw and in sushi. You could swap out any of the meals for that as well. Now, this meal plan is not gluten free or vegan/vegetarian – I am a meat eating, grain loving, dairy eater.
I try to do meals that do not take reheating for lunch. My husband is a contractor so we have found things that work. For the Hummus and Yogurt, they have containers already with the right amounts at the store.
WebMD has a wallet size portion control guide that makes it super easy. Link here: https://www.webmd.com/diet/printables/wallet-portion-control-size-guide If you are a sports fan, it really helps. They talk about 1 cup being about the size of a baseball. I am a very visual person, so having things I can relate a cup to really helps. And, lets be honest… I am terrible at math, so if I can say a TBSP is about the size of a Golf Ball – I know what that looks like!
Let’s talk about proteins. I talked about my love of gluten and meats, but here is why. About a decade ago I tried to go vegetarian (it was a bad idea, the man I was dating at the time was vegetarian, I hated it). The foods we ate were mostly soy-based protein. I got incredibly ill from it and have zero soy protein tolerance now. There is a small percentage of women that cannot handle soy protein. Unprocessed soy and soy sauce are fine. But the process of turning it into a protein is what causes the problems with our hormones.
Some of protein powders have soy protein. I am so anti soy protein. So, what kind of protein powders are good? There are so many options. I like whey proteins and plant-based ones. Some people cannot handle the whey, bloating. See if you can find sample packs and find one you like. Try to go no sugar or low sugar, you do not need it. Find flavors you like. We keep three different flavors on hand, depending on my mood.
Which brings me to the best part. Do you like chocolate peanut butter cups? I LOVE them. I found a recipe on Pinterest for chocolate peanut butter protein fudge. I swap out the creamy peanut butter with the PB Fit and add water (lower in fat). I also use a dark chocolate unsweetened cocoa powder and skip the maple syrup. https://www.pbfingers.com/chocolate-peanut-butter-protein-fudge/print/82752/ I keep them in the freezer and they are my sixth meal, or a sweet snack after a workout. (Picture is kind of old. I’ve since redone my counters, but haven’t taken a new photo of the yumminess)
I will leave you with this thought: With the new year rolling in, do not set resolutions. Think about what you want your mindset to be. Think about how you want to feel. Do you want to feel accomplished, healthy, or stronger? Set that as your resolution. “This year I want to know my worth.” That’s my resolution. Know my worth.
Give your body what it needs to succeed. Eat healthy and your body can do more for you. Give your body what it deserves. What is its worth?
While I love trail running, I hate the snow. I am a southern gal at heart that does not like being cold. I do not run outside this time of year. I also do not use the treadmill (dreadmill). I do more cross training and running on the indoor track – speed work baby!
But, when the girlfriends want to hike I cannot say no. Even if there’s snow. Quality time with amazing people, how could I say no to that? So we hiked, laughed, and bonded. We would have ran the trail but I’m still recovering from surgery and am too chicken to push too hard. Got to listen to the body.
It was gorgeous. The trail was teeming with people and their dogs. The dusting of snow covered the trees and streams. Weird, alien looking sappy icicles hung from limbs. I was glad I put on snow boots instead of my runners.
If I had been cleared by the doctor, running it would have happened. Maybe. My advice for running in the snow, good shoes with good tread. I love my Saucony trail runners for slicker weather. The better the sole, the less likely to fall.
The best part of getting out on that snowy trail was the quality time. We kept a good speed, enough to build up a sweat. We hoofed it up the hills while laughing at how out of shape we all felt. If I’m being 100% honest, our out of shape is still really good shape. My girlfriends run 50+ milers and talk about sub 4-hour marathons. I look up to them.
Getting on those trails in the snow helps with stability and balance for sure! It’s another way of cross training since I’m not running it. I always go back to the basics. Balance is my number one! Without good balance, you have no base.
The Liberty Lake Loop in Liberty Lake WA is so hilly. In the 6-ish miles we did there was almost 1,000 feet of elevation gain. If I had not gotten lost on my way there we would have done the full 9 miles. It was too close to getting dark and I was starting to slow down (first adventure after having major surgery).
So next time you’re on the trail, try hopping from spot to spot. Work on that coordination and balance. It could keep you from sliding into your tush on the ice. Which there was plenty of on the trail.
Now the good part: Review of my new water pack.
My husband got me a new Geiger Rig for my training runs and longer races. It’s beyond comfortable with its waist strap and air flow back. I have always poo pooed the idea of having pressurized water squirt into my mouth. To be honest, after using my new pack last week, I love it. It quenched the thirst and I could use the mouth piece even with my invisalign braces (they make it hard to bite down). I was able to rinse off my hands.
The new pack comes with a rain cover and fully adjustable straps. I was able to quickly get the fit right. It did not bounce around when we picked up the pace. It has enough space for my wallet, all my snacks (see my post about what I eat on the trail), 2-L of water, and has a loop for my new bear bell.
I have a feeling it will be the only pack I use when on the trail. However, on 100 degree days when I’m just out running with friends, I’ll stick to my smaller pack. Those are shorter runs that I don’t carry my wallet, bear stuff, or snacks. Okay, I always have snacks and there’s just enough room in my smaller pack for a snack. Keep your eyes peeled for my nutrition off the trail post coming this week.
I’ll leave you with this thought today: Find that group of friends that make you not want to bail even when you want to bail. That take it slow with you and laugh at your shenanigans. Fill up your water pack, grab those snacks, pack a headlamp, and get out there.
You may be asking, “Where do I even start with trail running?” Well, you just put on shoes and go run. That’s it. I kid, I kid. There is a little more to it, but those are the basics.
Okay, in all seriousness, there is not that much to it. I do recommend finding a good shoe first. Find one that you fill comfortable in and that gives you good grip and stability. I do not have a specific recommendation because everyone is different. What works for some, will not work for others.
I am a barefoot runner but, on a trail, I go a little less minimal. I really like my Merrell’s for on the trail. They have a little bit thicker of a sole which is very nice for stepping on sharp rocks. On the road I wear my super goofy looking, nothing to them, bright orange shoes. If I am just out disc golfing, I wear my Soucony shoes that are more of a hiking boot. I also wear those when I am doing a backpacking trip or rucking.
You will want your shoe to fit just right too. I have lost more than my fair share of toenails on the trail because of improper fit. Stumps and rocks are evil and must be kicked as you fly down the mountain side. That is honestly how I have lost a few too.
Go find a running shoe store in your area, they will be able to properly fit you based on your stride. It took a few different types of shoes before I found the right ones. I used to get really bad shin splints and my knee would hurt. Then someone recommend I try barefoot because of how I run – 100% on my toes. I only start to heel drop when I am exhausted, that is usually when I stop. But finding that right pair of shoes can make a dramatic difference.
Great, you have your shoe situation figured out. But what now? Well, how long would you like to be on the trail? If it is a short run and fairly populated, you are all set. Which is what I recommend for your first time out. I do not recommend exploring off on a trail that is not marked or populated your first time. Unless of course you are experienced outdoors and just have decided to turn it into running.
One other thing I do recommend is water. Whether you have a water pack or hand carried water bottles, it is a good idea to have water with you. Your short run could turn into a longer one if you are feeling up for it. I love my water packs. When I am training, I typically go with a heavier pack so that on race day my body is used to it and can move a little faster with the lighter pack.
There are so many water packs to choose from. This is another trial and error one. Since everyone is different, you will want to potentially try a few different types. Check the return policy on them before you buy, just in-case you need to return it. My husband likes the water reservoirs to have pressure, I do not. I do not want water spraying into my mouth. I like the gentle stream. We both prefer to carry at least 2-litres of water. On a really hot day, we can go through that much in an hour. But on a cooler or rainy day it makes it so we can stay out longer.
Finding the right backpack to hold your water reservoir can be fun! My husband likes the smallest ones he can find, and I like them with a little more to them. I want to be able to put snacks, my ID, eye drops, Chapstick, and tissue. Basically, I use it as a purse. If I am on a remote trail or a longer run, I must have bear protection and the bag needs to have easy access for me to get said bear protection.
Snacks, I love food. I eat 5-6 small meals per day when I am training for a race or if I am working out 2-3 times per day. When I am on the trail, I consume every 30 minutes, alternating between protein and fruit. I have found I run so much better when I do it this way. I prefer using fresh fruit, but those can get squished and then icky. If it is huckleberry season and I happen to run by a bush, you better believe I am eating them straight off the plant.
For my snacks I try to stay as far away from processed as I can. The Rx Butter is my absolute favorite for protein. It goes down a lot like the GU Packs, but it is made from eggs and nuts. I used to use the GU types of nourishment, but it never made me feel very good. So, I attempted to make my own with zero preservatives. Those made me feel FANTASTIC, but they were messy and sticky which is not fun during a race. I made my own fruit chews too, those only got messy around mile 21 of my marathon. They were made with fresh blueberries and strawberries from my garden. Zero preservatives again. I kept them frozen until the day before my race.
Now you have your shoes, your water pack, and your snacks. You have also strengthened your calves and increased your balance. What next?
Do some research of local trails in your area. Find a group of people that run trails in your area too! Running with friends is always better.
In Spokane, WA a really good one to start with is Bowl and Pitcher. The trail is well maintained, it’s popular, and a great beginner route. Plus, the views are spectacular. The picture is of me and my dog Dexter 7 years ago at Bowl and Pitcher. I say my dog, he is my husband’s dog. That picture was when we first started dating.
Trail Running and Wellness 