Those of you who follow me on Snapchat (and you should), know I love running.
I
share beautiful pictures of my runs. Sunrises, beautiful golden/green
hills (depending on the time of the year), animals, everything. The
level of appreciation I feel when I run is off the charts. There is so
much beauty in the world, just begging us to notice. Man, I sound like a
hippie. Damnit.
I
just know when I crest a hill, when I see all of South San Jose from
the top of Santa Teresa Park, I am filled with appreciation, feel I can
do anything, and that the world is a beautiful place.
I swear I am not a hippie.
There is no way you believe me, I can feel it.
Anyhoo.
I
have been running since I was 16. Consistently from the ages 16–22, not
so consistently from 22–32, and then coming back to my long lost love
from 32-present with a better understanding AND appreciation for it.
I share this with you because I know how amazing it is, and I hope it can be amazing for you as well.
Judging from the questions I have been getting about it, I am doing something right.
Victory!
So, where do you start?
This really depends on where you are starting from. Have you ever run before? What are your goals?
I think the first thing to do is look at it as….
A Lifestyle
I hate diets. I think they are stupid. Just eat right.
What happens when you lose that 40 lbs? Get fat again? No! You should eat well to maintain your health! Duh.
When
you are just starting out, have goals to keep you motivated: 5k, 10k,
marathons, accountability partners, aka — other runners, etc. But look
at it like a new part of your life. This will allow you to view it less
like work, and more like a part of you.
Your New Mantra: “Running Is What I Do.”
Ok.
Now that we have that established, there are good ways and bad ways to
run. Maybe not good and bad, but smart and not quite as smart. I am
going to teach you the way that will promote a healthy development of
your body, and set you up to be a lifelong runner, not one that breaks
down over time because you have not taken care of yourself.
The MAF Method
This
changed the way I ran, completely diminished my injuries, and made me a
better runner in the long run (no pun intended, well, maybe a little).
What
is it? The heart rate at which you will be using fat as a fuel source
instead of sugar. This is good for the reduction in your belly and
booty, a better, more sustainable fuel source, and is easier on your
body.
Think of
the sugar burning HRs (heart rates) as RPMs in your car (hopefully this
analogy works for you). Your car shifts gears once the RPMs reach a
certain level. If you don’t change gears, the RPMs are too high, and it
is hard on the gears. Make sense?
If
that doesn’t work, think of making rice. Sometimes it gets too hot and
the water boils out from under the lid and you have to turn it down. Is
that better?
This
is like your body. You don’t want it to boil over, you don’t want to
run the RPMs too high, or its tough on your “gears.” Running with the
MAF method allows your body to be functioning at the ideal temperature
and heart rate.
How do you get it?
1. 180 — your age = your ideal heart rate (your peak heart rate).
2. Peak HR — 10 = Your ideal, fat burning, good for your body, HR zone.
3. If you are in shape, you can add 5–10.
Example: I am 37.
180–37 = 143
143–10 = 133
My ideal HR zone is 133–143. Add 5–10 because I am in shape = 143–153. Boom. Done.
As
long as I keep my HR in that zone, I am a machine. It is easier on my
joints, it is burning fat instead of sugar, and it will allow me a
longer, healthier running career.
You
will need: A heart rate monitor. I use Garmin, but there are tons of
options out there. Just remember that you get what you pay for (so don’t
be too cheap).
FYI
When
you start this, you will feel slow. Your heart rate will be up in your
range, but you will not be moving very fast. That is perfectly normal.
As you continue to run, you will be going faster and faster in that same
HR zone. Don’t be impatient and push through it because you are letting
your ego get in the way of health. The speed will come, but you may
have to do some walking to keep your HR down (especially on hills).
Pick A Route
I
LOVE hills. I only run hills. I want the view. It helps start my day
with the proper perspective. It allows me to see immense beauty every
time I run (there’s that hippie crap again). It is the perfect way to
start my day.
Luckily,
I live in an amazing city to run. There is ZERO personality in San
Jose, but there is really good/diverse food, and lots of great running.
So
where is there beauty near you? A park? A trail? Hills? Where is it?
Run there. Treadmills are effective, but we are talking about love here.
You can’t fall in love with running on a treadmill. Get outside. Be in
nature. Run in beauty.
Recovery
If
you are going to be a runner, you are going to have to take care of
your body. You need to eat right and sleep well so your muscles can
recover, but you also need body maintenance.
I
will address weight training, diet, and sleep another time, this is
more for the couple tools I use to make sure my muscles and tendons are
healthy.
You will need two things:
1.
A lacrosse ball: Just sit down and roll your feet over the ball. It
loosens up all the tension in your feet, which allows relief on your
calves, which allows relief in your quads, etc. Very important. You will
feel the difference the second you start using it.
2.
A foam roller: Use it to roll out your: calves, quads, and back. You
are going to get tight, especially in the beginning. Stretching may
cause more damage that good, so I recommend rolling out. Great for your
muscles and your tendons.
This Is It
This is what you need to start your running career. It is an amazing sport. Hard work and beauty all in one.
If
you have any other questions. If you need more specifics. You know
where to find me (and in case you don’t know where to find me I attached
links to all my social media below).
Happy running!
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