Your favourite dog trainer—Kendra—knows everything there is to know about canicross, dog training and jogging in the country—but she thought you might benefit from some running tips and tricks from a marathon/triathlon athlete and coach. That is why I am sharing my favourite running/jogging tips specifically geared to her amazing ZENFULdog Training canicross teams to potentially facilitate canicross training!
*(not everything advised here can apply to canicross running but can rather be helpful for solo training runs (between canicross sessions) or in teams with other human runners)
Meet Your Coach—BJ
Most of you know me as Kendra’s sister and as your regular blogger who blogs about everything ZENFULdog. What you might not know is that I was a marathon and triathlon athlete and a marathon and triathlon coach. When illness struck in 2013, I was chronically disabled and I became an adapted athlete and adapted marathon and triathlon coach. Since then, I have successfully trained dozens of amateur athletes, both differently-abled and able-bodied, to make it over finish lines with smiles on their faces.
Endurance Sports
Many people feel justifiably intimidated by long-distance and endurance sports. The endurance world bombards us with bumper sticker clichés about motivation, willpower and success making most of us feel like we shouldn’t bother.
I have great news for you. You can absolutely train for long-distance runs without being an innately motivated individual and without innate willpower.
In fact, if you are the kind of person who can convince yourself (even temporarily) that you won’t eat that last cookie even though you know you will—you have what it takes (just as much as the person with innate willpower depriving themself of the cookies)—because you have the ability to trick yourself. This is a trade secret that nobody talks about. If you do not love to run and you are doing it anyway—first of all, kudos— it takes someone extra special to run when it is not in their nature. Secondly, use your ability to trick yourself to not just run—but to enjoy it, too!
Fake it ‘til You Make it
Tricking your brain by tricking your body sounds a bit insane but it works. The first step is posture. Standing tall like a tree (yoga-style) with your hips and shoulders aligned and making sure not to slouch tells your brain that you are not tired even if you are.
Adding an extra bounce to your step will further convince your brain that you are full of energy to run.
The next trick will probably annoy you to read, but SMILE. It sounds silly and cheesy but it works. Even a half-smile will send a message to your brain that you are having a good time and your run will get easier. Yes, smiling like an idiot sends signals to your brain and body that you can keep going and that you are having fun even if you are not! The good news is that the run getting easier does end up making it more fun.
The second component of tricking yourself involves your thoughts instead of your body. It is called, annoyingly enough—P.O.T.—Positive Outlook Thinking. Most endurance athletes use this one. Basically, no matter how negative you feel about your run/jog, you try to only think positive thoughts which tricks your brain into believing that you are enjoying the run and it will become easier. If you catch yourself thinking something negative like “I am too tired for this,” you just quickly add a thought that validates your feeling and then turns it positive—“yes, I am tired AND I CAN do this!” Again, I know how cheesy this sounds, but I promise that it works.
Finally, on really difficult runs, you may have to resort to ‘next points’ to trick your brain. This means picking a point that you know is coming up on your trail and telling yourself that you just need to make it there before you can take a break. Ideally, when you get to that spot, you will pick the next spot and so on and so forth until you realize you have come so close to finishing your projected run that it becomes easier to simply finish it. Basically, with this trick, you have fooled yourself into jogging past the infamous ‘endurance wall’ that you hit.
It is also valid to actually stop at those points to walk or at least slow down to a near-walk. Walk breaks and jogging very slowly during long runs are accepted and applauded ways to make it through. Jogging as slowly as possible is slightly better for the joints and the morale but both are legitimate coping strategies.
Timed Training
Another mind-over-matter training trick is to try ‘Timed Training’ instead of traditional ‘Distance Training.’ To do this, simply time a couple of one-kilometre runs to get an idea of your average time to run/jog a kilometre. Then, simply plan your training runs by time instead of distance.
For example, if your average run-time for a kilometre is 10 minutes and your goal is to start by running 2 kilometres—you start by running/jogging for 20 minutes. If your end goal is to run/jog 6 kilometres, simply increase your runs by 5 to 10 minutes each week until you reach 60 minutes (whichever is more comfortable for you).
Why? If you can run/jog for 60 minutes, even if it is not exactly 6 kilometres, your body will easily be able to make the transition to 6 kilometres as needed because it has memorized a 60-minute run/jog. Our bodies’ memories are a fascinating and useful tool.
Timed Training is a celebrated tactic as it is proven to be much more motivating than training by distance. For example, if you are having an off-day and your 30-minute run is far less than 3 kilometres, all your brain and body know is that you successfully completed your 30-minute run/jog. This keeps your brain and body motivated to keep training!
Dos and Do Nots of Endurance Runs
DO run at a pace at which you can comfortably hold a conversation (even alone—you can just try talking to yourself). If not, you are going much too fast for a long run.
DO try to start at your slowest pace and increase your pace slowly and steadily as you go along on your run/jog (or maintain the same pace throughout).
DO NOT take off like a racehorse. Resist the urge to start quickly due to adrenaline. You want to pace and preserve your energy.
DO wear in new running shoes over the course of many shorter runs before attempting a longer run wearing them. DO NOT attempt a long run in brand new running shoes.
DO a bop/ DO NOT do a thump:
Not everybody knows this, but the correct running/jogging technique for long-distance is to bounce in a vertical movement from one palm of the foot to the other. The heels should never be flat to the ground unless sprinting a short distance or going downhill. Running is a vertical movement more than a forward one. You can use this vertical bopping to control your speed too. The more vertical the movement=the slower you can go.
DO look only one metre maximum in front of you at the ground when running/jogging uphill. This is another brain trick. When your eyes look directly in front of your feet uphill, your brain thinks you are on even ground and the hill becomes easier.
DO NOT run faster up a hill.
DO slow down going downhill and lean your body weight back into your heels to avoid any spills. DO go as slowly as you can without walking (or walk).
DO tippy-toe slowly on uneven ground such as tree roots and cobblestones to avoid rolling the ankles.
DO approach steps or levels with extra bounce (like a sidewalk). Jog up to the step or level as close as possible to do a vertical jump off one foot onto the foot closest to the step or level. This trick will save your knees in the long run (no pun intended).
DO NOT shame yourself on days when you walk a lot (or walk more than jog), cut the run short or just aren’t feeling it. You got out there and tried and that is all that matters. Respecting your body and its limits is crucial to keeping your body in good shape to continue doing things you love. We should work with our bodies, not against them.
DO remember that the first five minutes of any long-distance run/jog are the most difficult.
Hydration, Nutrition and Stretching
The internet is full of great information about hydration for endurance sports, what to eat to have the best run and which stretches are best for success.
I am here to tell you the little things that Google might leave out:
When you stop for water, throw some water on body spots that are the most refreshing and rejuvenating to your brain (that’s right, we are tricking our brains again). These spots are the wrists, the back of the neck, the back of our legs, our foreheads and our chests. Do not hold back, really shower yourself. It makes a big difference.
When you are ‘carb-loading’ the night before, remember that digestible carbs and proteins are your best friend and that you do not want to eat much more than usual as it will just weigh you down the next day.
Try to eat the same breakfast each day of a run. Our bodies are more inclined to reject digesting different fuels when already being tasked with endurance exercise.
Lightly stretch each joint before a jog with more focus on problem areas.
Lightly stretch each joint after a jog and rub problem areas with an open-palmed hand in a circular motion. Then ice problems areas for 10-15 minutes on and off when you get home.
Adapted Running/Jogging
So, adapted jogging? How, right? Sounds like an oxymoron, but it’s not.
Many people need to adapt jogging in order to continue doing this sport they have come to love. Whether you have aged into some mechanical issues, developed early mechanical issues from an adventurous life or have developed arthritis or another disabling, chronic illness—you will need to make modifications to this sport.
Running/jogging is a great activity for combatting depression and it’s free, so many people wish to continue jogging well past their ‘hay days.’ This is when I advise adapting the sport so that the depression-battling endorphins can be obtained with much less risk.
That is what adapted running/jogging is all about! We resist the toxic, competitive messages of the endurance world of needing to ‘push past limits’ or ‘limitations are meant to be surpassed’ and instead we acknowledge and respect our limits. Embracing and working with the limitations of our differently-abled bodies allows us to safely continue engaging in a sport we love without risking or causing more damage to our bodies.
Adapting your jog will differ depending on how disabled, elderly and/or symptomatic you are.
For example, you might want to have a support jogger to jog with you, especially when in public spaces. This person can keep you running in a straight line, tell you when someone is passing if you can no longer turn your head and balance you when needed (and pick you up if you stumble). Learning how to properly stumble without hurting yourself can be an adaptation technique for dizzy runners who have a higher risk of falling.
Adapting your jog might also look like running solely on even ground in forest-like settings (not many people) when your support person is not around, wearing a fluorescent shirt that identifies your disability so people around you are more careful and jogging with a mirror (or camera on your phone) to see behind you when you need to switch or cross lanes.
If you have spinal issues, there are stabilizing belts to support your spine while you exercise and if your feet need some extra support, there are orthotic running shoes and insoles for that.
Going as slowly as you need to go despite anything and anyone around you is another way to adapt your run and some adapted joggers/runners use reflectors and guide sticks to help them out too.
Final Thoughts
Even the most reluctant runner/jogger, disabled or abled, will eventually enjoy the sport due to the endorphins released. Certainly, with a community like ZENFULdog’s canicross to support you—you will thrive! Over time, our bodies memorize these tricks and implement them without us having to think about them. That being said, every runner has off days and off runs when these tricks will undoubtedly require extra effort.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out to me at bjmacwrites@gmail.com.
Don’t forget to follow ZENFULdog Training on Facebook where you can stay connected to your like-minded dog-loving community every day. Happy canicross!
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