1) Have a winning attitude - You have to have a winning attitude to achieve your goals. Without the winning attitude getting to the end of your street can be a challenge.
2) Warm Up - I can't stress enough how important it is to warm up before you go on a run. Some say jog a half mile, and others focus on stretching more. Personally, I warm up my muscles a little bit my jogging or dancing around the house, and then I stretch. You don't have to do the same thing everyday, spice things up. Yoga or WiiFit are other great ways to get warm and lose before a run.
3) Be comfortable - Comfort is key, especially when you're just getting into running and when you're racing. Comfort ranges from your socks and shoes to your sunglasses. My high school cross country coach even had the awkward "make sure you're wearing the right kind of bra" conversation with us. Everything is important. You don't want blisters or other injuries just because you wanted to look good in your matching outfit. Trust me, how you look doesn't matter at the end of the day.
4) Be Prepared - Being prepared covers everything from sunblock (yes, wear it) to warm or cool enough cloths. If you have asthma or other health conditions have an ID with you just in case if you're going on a long run. In cold weather make sure you have a hat and gloves, and in hot weather sun block and a hat/sunglasses to block the sun.
(Race Prep is a whole different ball game that I will come to on a different day)
5) Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate - This should be an obvious one, but it's something I know I struggle with...so I know other people struggle with it too. No matter how hot or cold, sunny or rainy hydrating is the most important thing you can do for your body. If you're in the Arizona in the summer then you HAVE to drink way more water. My crew coach in college told us 100 oz is the minimum amount of water athletes should be consumed.
6) Maintain a positive attitude - Maintaining the attitude will get you through your training from start to finish. Weather is a pretty big challenge to over come, but once you build up a strong mental game you'll be passing people like crazy. I play games to get myself through tough weather challenges. I ran a half marathon in the rain, and I told myself that the rain was worse for everyone else and that it was just there to keep me cool. For every race I ran in high school I ran into a head wind, and convinced myself that everyone else had to deal with it but me (and to this day, wind doesn't bother me).
7) Focus on breathing - As a former asthmatic this is a very important step for everyone to focus on. There's the classic "breathe in through your nose, and out through your mouth" line, and that works for some. For others it's a matter of running enough to build up stronger lungs, like me. Breathing is more important than how fast you're running, so give it some thought. The oxygen will not only keep you from passing out, but it makes your muscles happy too.
8) Know your goal, and have a plan for getting there - Your goal can be anything from wanting to lose a few pounds to wanting to run a marathon. Start with something attainable. You're not going to wake up and be able to run a marathon if you haven't been training previously, and you aren't going to lose 20 lbs after 5 or 6 runs. Set an attainable goal, and have a plan for getting there. For big goals, like a marathon, through in mini goals along the way like a 5k, 10k and/or a half marathon. Achieving little goals on the way to a big goal build your confidence, and you'll crush your big goal.
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