Do you get bored while running?

If you happen to become bored during your run, don't start to over think and stress yourself about how much you have left. Try singing a song that you like or had recently heard. The faster the song, the better because it'll pump you up. Another technique that can be useful but weird is solving problems in your head. All you really need to do is think about something that is not related to running and you'll be fine.

Running in the rain is...

Running in the rain is awesome and will be the best workout you'll ever have! Yes there may be puddles and your shoes might get soaked or you might lose your shoe in the mud, but have fun with it. Be serious about the run but at the same time, have fun and enjoy not having the burning hot sun on you the whole time. The rain cools you down a lot and it makes it less boring too. If you're running with your team, then make it a fun and different practice. For example, because it had poured and there were puddles everywhere at DCS, the cross country team decided to run through all the puddles, tackle eachother, and at the end of the workout, they ran straight into a huge puddle! That had to have been the best practice ever! So have fun and don't be so serious in times like these.

Are power bars good for you?

Power bars are really good for you! They contain carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and minerals as well. Sometimes they can taste nasty or they can just taste like nothing at all. Either way they help give you energy and vitamins that are good for you. Just don't have one right before your run because you shouldn't eat anything right before and it won't do you any good.

What should you do if you don't do as well as you had expected to do?

If you don't do as well as you had expected, then you have to train harder. I don't mean to go the next day or even after the race and do a track workout or something difficult. The next day, do a 5-6 mile run at a good pace. Try doing longer distances for practices and while you are doing them, do some surges that will also help you with your speed. Be consistent and don't slack off. Doesn't matter how tired you feel, how many cramps you have, or if you can't feel your legs. You have to push yourself so your body can get used to the feeling and you can help your endurance and speed.

The day of a race you should...

The day of a race you should eat something healthy for breakfast like otmeal or a peanut butter sandwhich. Drink plenty of water throughout the day but don't drink a whole water bottle right before the race because that can give you cramps and that won't hydrate you. For lunch, eat a snadwhich with wheat bread and have a banana. Try not to eat any chocolate or unhealthy snacks throughout the day no matter how hungry you are. If anything, have a protein bar such as a zone bar that is very healthy and has flavor unlike other protein bars that don't taste like anything. Doing all this can help you for your race that day.  

Use a watch!

Using a watch while you run can be very useful. It allows you to see your mile times, if you need to pick up the pace, and if you are reaching your goal of what time you want to be getting. Don't be looking at the watch every minute because then you'll be focusing more on what time it is instead of how you are running or catching up to the person in front of you to pass them.

The day after a race you should...

The day after a race you should rest and re-energize. If you want, you can do an easy 25 minute run but nothing intense since it's the day after a race. You have to let your body rest because too much of intense exercise day after day can cause an injury. Personally, the best thing you can do would be to not run and just drink a lot of fluids and healthy foods. Then, when Monday comes, you can begin your hard workouts again.

The day before a race...

The day before a race you should do an easy run. Run for atleast 25 minutes at a slow pace. Don't go full out because you have a race the next day and you want to save your energy. Also, eat very healthy and hydrate! From the beginnng you should be eating healthy, but the day before, try to eat pasta with some chicken and a salad. You might not be in the mood to eat that or something healthy, but it will really give you energy and power.

Injured?

If you've had an injury for a long time now and you've never gotten it checked out before, go get it checked. It can be extrememly painful to be running with any kind of injury. It's important to get it checked because for all you know, you might have to get surgery and may never be able to run again. Don't look at an injury as an excuse to get out of running, look at it as a lesson to change your running habits--the way you're running, what kind of shoes you're wearing, or where you run (concrete, grass, rocky areas, etc). So don't wait anymore and go get it seen before it's too late.

Can doing ab workouts help you?

Yes, ab workouts can help you in your training. By doing abs, you're working out your core muscles which can prevent cramps. You'll also become more fit and you'll see that you can go on longer. In your spare time, if you're not able to run that day or even after your run,  do an ab workout. A good workout would be 30 crunches, 25 sit-ups, 30 bicycle crunches, lift your legs 6 inches off the ground for 30 seconds, and bridges for 45 seconds which is holding yourself up on your elbows. Keep doing these and you will see a difference.

What's better to use in a race, training shoes or spikes?

Running with training shoes in a race is horrible! Never do do that! They weigh a lot compared to spikes because when we train, we get used to carrying all the weight. So in a race, we go much faster with spikes since they weigh a lot less. Spikes also give you a good grip since they're not flat. Always run with spikes in a race and you'll see what a difference they make.

Don't kill yourself while you're training.

While you're training, you're workouts don't always have to be hard. Mondays and Wednesdays can be the hard speed workouts and Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays can be the long but easy runs. You don't want to over work yourself either. Your body can't take all those hard workouts everyday, thats how people get injured sometimes.