11 Questions Every Runner Should Be Able to Answer

11 Questions Every Runner Should Be Able to Answer, the article.

Why are you running?
I run for so many reasons:
1. To challenge myself.
2. Mental clarity that a hard run brings.
3. To encourage healthy eating.
4. My parents both are plagued by conditions caused by obesity. I run to avoid those illnesses.
5. I love the simple act of moving under nothing but my own power.

How many miles have you run per month in the last 3 months? How does that compare with what you averaged last year?
135 miles. Up about 10 miles per month from last year, so basically the same.

What injuries are you susceptible to?
IT Band. My hip muscles on the right side were rearranged in my cancer surgeries (they harvested part of the Illiac Crest to add to my arm bones) so they are naturally weaker and set me up for issues related to weak hips.
OVER-TRAINING is a big one. I have had a hard time figuring out where my limit is and not going beyond it.

When do you need new running shoes?
It depends on the shoes I'm running in. Usually I can tell when they're wearing out and I'll change them. This happens about 300-400 miles in road shoes for me. Trail shoes last longer, usually 500-600 miles.

Who is in your running support network?
All of you!! My biggest cheerleader is my husband. Without his own passion for running and chasing down his PRs, I wouldn't have developed one of my own.

What training phase are you in right now (and when does it end?)
I'm in the rest and recovery phase!!! :) I'm enjoying the freedom to run how much I want and how fast. Today I ran twice. First, 4 miles at a moderately challenging pace by myself and then 3 miles easy with Matt. Structured training resumes in January.

What are the top three “little things” that you do to prevent injury?
1. Strengthening : Crunches, plank, oblique bicycle moves for the core. Hills (uphill and downhill) for balancing my leg muscles. I also like to do leg lifts (those granny style ones while laying on my side).
2. Stretching : Active stretching before a run and foam rolling after one. I also do further stretching in the hot tub.
3. Trail running. I credit most of my improvement and staying uninjured with running hilly ass trails.

How do you stay motivated when you don’t want to run?
I try to figure out why. Am I over-trained? Am I bored with my routes? I try to change things up as much as possible so things don't get stale.

When is your next race?
My next races come on three consecutive weekends in January : 5K, half marathon, and 8.3 mile race. None of these are tune-up races or "A" list races, so they will all be fun and low-key :)

How are you improving on your past training in order to get faster?
Trails, trails, trails. The hillier the better. I'm not a big fan of conventional speedwork and have had the most success with running trails. Less risk for injury and when I hit the firm pavement again, I feel like I can fly. Hubby and I create our own training plans that put more of a focus on the tempo runs and running long more frequently than most plans. This seems to work the best for us.

How have you invested in your knowledge of the sport?
I've read a lot of books, but mostly my knowledge of what works for me comes from getting my butt out there. So many books are preachy and give the same advice to everyone. I like to figure things out on my own.

I'm active in my local running club and have some pretty big goals for myself as a lifelong runner. My ultimate goal : to run a sub-3:30 marathon and a sub-1:35 half. This will take years of consistency (and remaining uninjured) to achieve, so I'm definitely not going to rush it. :) I'm just going to get faster slowly and enjoy each little PR along the way.