Running Club
From OSU Wiki
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Trails and Paths
Oregon State University offers some beautiful and scenic routes to enjoy while out on a run. It is obviously important that we all maintain a high level of physical fitness and what better way to do this than by running. As OSU students, we are fortunate to have some outstanding places to run. Check out the Trials and Paths Wiki. This wiki will give you a brief description of various locations as well as directions to them. If you are a runner or even just some one who likes to get out and break a sweat, some of these trials and paths are a great scenic, relaxing, and clean place to let some stress out.
Shoes
An important aspect of running is proper footwear. Depending on what type of terrain you plan on training on will determine which type or types of shoes you should ware. Also, everyone is different in the way that we run. Some people under pronate and some over pronate, for those of you who do not understand what this is, please check out runners world site There is tons of awesome information that can help out individuals who are beginners and even the experienced. Just like every other sport, once you have the proper gear the easier things become. It is also extremely important in terms of injuries. If you’re not wearing the right shoes your body will be the one that suffers.
Proper Hydration
No one should ever have to tell you to drink water. By the time you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated. On the other hand, you really can not drink enough water (you can but it is in extremely large amounts and is quite rare). When you are running your body is rapidly loosing water through sweat as well as mass amounts of electrolytes. The extreme case of dehydration, although rare is death. So this is with out a doubt a very important aspect to running as well as maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Nutrition
Proper nutrition is very essential to the efficiency of your runs. Especially today, everyone fears carbs thinking that if you do not eat them you will not gain weight. Well in the life of a runner, carbs are your best friend. Carbs are what give you that energy you need to endure longer runs. In terms of carbs, whole wheat is your best option instead of something like enriched white flour. Your body burns through the whole wheat carbs a lot slower which will give you longer lasting amounts of energy. So it is extremely important that you fuel your body with the proper nutrients, otherwise you will not see the performance that you expect.
Long Runs
When you start out, as with anything else, you should crawl before you walk. So as you begin to progress into your running you will build upon your runs increasing the time and distance that you run for. A long run for some may be 3 miles and to others it may be 10 miles. Either way you have to properly prepare yourself for what ever it turns out to be. For your runs lasting over 60 minutes you need to ensure that the night before you have properly hydrated yourself by drinking plenty of water and maybe even some Gatorade. Also you need to ensure that you have had a good meal with lots of carbs so you will have plenty of energy on the run. As you progress further you will be running for longer periods of time. This means that you will need to give your body some form of carbs every 40 minutes approximately to ensure that you have energy to continue with your run. There are these little packets of gel that is completely pack with carbs and is easy for you to consume while on the move. You can find these at any sporting goods store and brands such as Cliff, Power bar, and GU make these products. If you are not familiar with them, once you try them you will understand their significance in terms of energy.
