Being a healthy runner (cont)

     This is a continuation from my previous post, "Being a healthy runner," after realizing that much like in school, we get so into other things that we forget the basics of the actual subject we're learning. And running is a learning experience, which has to be self taught in order to master.

     I'm not one for typically writing everything I do down. I'm more of a picture person myself, in order to keep memories in my head longer. But you can't take a picture and tell yourself what it means after a run. Running involves numbers for miles and times and all the things in between, and I suggest you take into account the importance of keeping track. I can't say I reinforce this idea entirely, especially because I can't keep track of things for the life of me, but I see team-mates and coaches (especially coaches) recording their times for all of their runs. I can't say for sure, but I would assume this allows some self-reassurance for taking days to rest rather than trying to keep it all in your head.

     With keeping track of your numbers, keep up to beat on your valuable joints and muscles. Too often we let the little things go, like our toes for example. You can (yes, it seems strange) stretch our your toes, which actually play a rather large role in your running experience all together. 

     Something that goes overlooked is where we're running. Running the same route can be both good and bad for you depending on the reason you're running. Constantly running on the same concrete road can be really hard on your joints. Try running on trails and grass to mix things up. I have found that this also improves your ankle strength (which can help with ankle pro-nation, which leads to shin splints and so on..) by providing an unsteady path. If you already have ankle problems such as a sprained ankle, stick to a stable surface as the uneven surface will simply irritate your injury and push you back on the road to anti-recovery. As well as paths, you can practice strengthening your ankles by standing on one leg for as little a two minutes-or however long you brush your teeth, which will also encourage strength. 

     I hope this post was in some way a nice refresher to getting back to the basics. Sometimes we overlook things because they seem too simple. But if you think about it, your body is the only one you've got, so you have to take care of it. We learn as we go, but sometimes we learn and can't take stuff back. Take caution but also don't forget to live. :) (450)