1 Running advice from someone who should not be giving running advice

When I was in high school you couldnt pay me enough in alcohol and english essays to run. I cheered for four years and we had to do these wonderful little numbers called 'fun runs' every.single.day. before practice. I think they called it that just to make them that much worse. Because running and fun should never be tied together ever. ever. I continued to think this way for much of collage but did on the occasion hit the gym for a run or two. 

It wasn't until a little over a year ago that I decided that I was just going to start running. I used to read other peoples blogs and hear people say 'I used to hate running blah blah but then I stared to devote time to it and now I LOVE IT ZOMUHGOD' and Id laugh and say no way. no way jose. that is a lie. But one day I said to myself 'self lets just run.' And so myself and I went out for a run. And it wasn't awful (le gasp) 

Then I continued to run 3-4 times a week. And slowly it got easier. And my little neighborhood loop expanded. My times cut down and I didn't actually feel like I was going to literally keel over and die after every run. 

I dont know what it was, my mind set or the fact that no one was forcing me to do it, but I actually started to enjoy running. Yeah I said that. 

So here my friends are a few tips from me, the non runner, that Iv collected that seem to help me out.

1. Jam out - music is like my #1 most important thing I need. If I dont have the music then I hear my head thinking and it's yelling at me to 'for the love of god stop running!' So yes if you find yourself having that same voice in your head then grab some head phones and jam out to something upbeat. May I suggest 80s cardio on Pandora? 

2. look good - Running attire can get pricy but if your serious about being serious then it's ok to splurge. Running shoes are probably the # 1 thing and the most expensive but so worth it. I bought mine in December and they are already pretty worn because they have gotten so much use. So if you actually plan on committing time to running then it's so worth the cost. Also if you have large ladies then a proper sports bra is a must. Its hard to focus with those things hitting you in the face. Then there is the not so necessary but kinda necessary items such as colorful running tops and shorts. They make me feel like I look like I know what Im doing and my friends running is 80% mind. (not an actual statistic) 

3. Just say no - Remember that voice in your head I mentioned in #1? Yeah don't listen to that. This is probably the hardest thing to do. I find that when running there are three parts of my body all telling me something and almost always at least one of them is yelling at me to stop. 

Legs, heart, and head. 

Some days my head is all 'yeah lets do this' pep talky and what not and Im like this is gonna be a great one and then I take my first two steps and my legs are like 'HAHA not!' They turn into jello mode and Im like ugh this is going to be a rough one. 

Sometimes my head and legs are in sync and my heart is like 'can't breath going to die, or pass out, please stop' 

And somedays my head is just like, 'too tired not today maybe tomorrow' 

But whatever combination I encounter I always just have to push through it. You can't listen. You push past the jello legs because by mile 2 they seem to strengthen up. 

You push past the shortness of breath (unless you actually think your going to die) and sooner then you know you will be able to push your distance further then you ever thought. 

And most importantly you have to push through the things your head is telling you. This is why #1 is so important to me. As soon as I find myself thinking bad thoughts I zone out and sing along to the music and the thoughts go away. You have to push yourself in order to reach your goals. 

4. Dont Cur- You can't care what you look like to the people passing by. I know people might find this a major concern, I never really had this problem but you just can't care. Have you seen this passing around pinterest? 

Yeah I totally look like the bottom half of that. Just feel good about yourself and that you are getting out and exercising and thrive off that. who cares what joe schmoe driving by is saying. do you think that little girl cares? she doesnt.

5. Involve your kiddos - Obviously this goes for people with kids only but dont use having kids as an excuse. Mikey and P got me a jogging stroller for mothers day and it's been great. P loves going for runs. We jam out to Taylor Swift and do a quick jog around the hood and we both really enjoy it.

6. Track yo self - Get an app on your phone or buy a pedometer or gps. If you are able to track yourself and time yourself you can push yourself even further. Set goals to beat your past times. Take a walk around the neighborhood and track it so you know just how far your running. I suggest endomondo or nike + gps 

I know most of this stuff is probably obvious but sometimes reading it from another non runner helps you to actually believe that you can start to make it apart of your daily routine too. I have a few more tips but im too tired right now so Im calling it a night. This is where I start making delirious comments that make no sense. Ill be back with part two soon! Hope this helps and inspires you! Happy running!