Heather Fell: Do you want to make your next run easier? Well, listen up. Running is an effort
and sometimes it's much of an effort that you don't even ever get out the door. What if I told
you I have seven tips to make your next run more enjoyable? Yes, it is true. These tips
could be a game-changer. [music]
I'm going to start off with an obvious tip. Plan your route wisely. It's best to avoid
killer hills, soft ground, or uneven terrain if you want to make your run
more easy and if you think about it running on the flat, you'll be able to keep your heart rate under
control and you'll also be able to go faster for the same amount of effort as you would do if you
were running uphill. Then think about the surface. If you go for something smooth and hard like
asphalt, it's naturally going to be much easier because you're not going to have to concentrate
on where you are going and you're also not going to have to pick your feet up quite high. Mud,
long grass, and soft sand also worth avoiding if you're trying to limit the amount of effort for
your run as that is going to naturally zap your energy for that same pace you're going to be going
forward. You might even want to consider how busy it is where you're running and the area around you
because if you're having to constantly stop and start to get past people or let people pass you,
it's naturally, could it be more tiring? [music]
If you're a cyclist, I expect you to do this already, but actually checking
what the weather's supposed to be doing for that day can help you
prepare for your run ahead. I know I'm starting to sound very British,
but I personally am a little bit obsessed with the weather that when it comes to working out my
training so much so that I will actually move my run to a period of the day when it suits me more.
If you are someone that lives somewhere where the weather changes all the time, like here in the UK,
then it is worth just keeping an eye on that and working out when the conditions are preferable to
you. For me, that's anything avoiding the rain. You can also use the forecast to help you dress
appropriately. There's nothing worse than being too hot and having to take off loads of layers.
You end up either tying them around your waist or carrying them in your hand. The same goes
for the opposite. If you're too cold, then you're going to find it hard to run easy as you probably
naturally going to speed up just to try and keep yourself warm. This might be a little extreme and
maybe best left to the cyclist, but if you're really obsessed and you want a really easy run,
then check the wind direction. If you're doing a loop that's sheltered for one section and exposed
for the other, make sure you run with a tailwind on exposed, but I think you go for the shelter
when you've got a headwind. [music]
Music is something that some people swear by when it comes to running. A lot of my friends
will only run if they've got their headphones with them and there's no physical effect,
but it's a psychological effect that can help make your run easy. It's how it feels and you
might want to think about what tracks you've got. If you are doing a really easy light run,
then maybe you don't want some heavy metal music, because that could end up motivating you and just
making you run faster and faster without even realizing it. If music's not your thing, then
maybe having some company, getting a friend to run along with you and
that distraction technique will still at least make your run feel easier.
Running is going to feel harder if your stomach is empty or complaining that you're hungry and
you don't have the adequate nutrition, the same goes to the opposite end of the spectrum. If
you're really full, then it's going to be pretty uncomfortable to try and run. You want to plan
ahead when it comes to your fueling. If you're having a big meal, try and leave two to three
hours, at least, until you do your run. If it's a snack, then that's around 30 to 60 minutes,
obviously, depending on what you've eaten and what run you've got planned. If you're really
tight for time or you've forgotten to eat and don't have enough time to digest it, then even
grabbing a few sweets on your way out the door will give you that psychological added benefit
and also a little bit of added calories. [music]
This flows on quite nicely from what you eat as when you can run is quite often
dictated by what you've previously had nutrition-wise that day. Also, do consider
just when you're naturally more awakened when running would suit you, you get some people who
love to go out early at the crack of dawn and clear their head before they start work. Others
who prefer an evening run when they're letting off steam from the stresses throughout the day.
When you run to feel easier, how about trying to leave your watch at home?
Not everything has to be put online and shared, and it might sound daunting to run without a watch
but when you leave that pressure behind of other people knowing how fast you run or how far, it
might suddenly just feel that much easier and you never know, you might even end up running faster
without knowing it. Not that we'll ever know. On this point. If you do want to run with a watch,
then do your best to not look at it. Forget about the speed. If you want you to run, to feel easier,
simply slow down. It's not always a bad thing and also the length of your run,
the longer you're going to be running the harder, you're probably going to find it. Don't be afraid
to shorten it every now and then. [music]
This final one is more of a psychological tip. It's one that will help your run seem easier,
or at least be easier to get going in the first place. Give yourself some incentive
for the end of your run, whether that's just the thought you're going to have a hot bath when you
get home or you've got a nice meal to look forward to. You could even take it a step further and do a
point to point run, knowing that you're finishing somewhere you want to go like a friend's house,
for example. I think I should end this video with an apology as if you follow all of these tips,
you are going to struggle to have any excuse, not to go for a run.
Although I can still think of one or two, I'm just not going to share them with you. Well, hopefully,
you have enjoyed it. Give us a like, and remember you can follow us on social media and you can also
subscribe to us here on YouTube. [00:05:54] [END OF AUDIO]