I’ve debated putting this post up because it may bring up a little unease or irk some people…but here goes. There is something I like to call the Runner’s World vs. Running Times advice. More correctly, you give different advice to different people, right? Well…I think you’ll see what I mean.
Here are 10 Things You Won’t Find in Runner’s World but are just the truth:
1) All the gear in the world won’t make you faster. Yes a tricked out watch can keep you honest with paces but don’t get sucked into believing you need every new piece of gear…I’m pretty sure there were world records set back before Garmins.
2) All the ab specific work in the world won’t give you a six pack. To get abs like Shalane Flanagan you first have to do enough calorie burning cardio to get you lean enough to see the abdominal muscles. The abs are a particularly hard spot to see results because of that blasted adipose tissue over the muscles that you have to get rid of first.
3) All the post run/race recovery tricks won’t prevent you from ever getting sore. Yes there is a HUGE window of recovery to eat within 30 minutes after your workout that you need to take advantage of, but after any really tough effort you’re bound to be sore. Being sore is like the reward for pushing yourself…it means you done good.
4) Runners are achey, sore in spots, hurting somewhere nearly all the time.
Just saying.
5) There are no ‘quick fixes’…anytime you read ’10 Things to Make You Faster WITHOUT Trying’ is misleading. Yes, of course tying your shoes tighter or wearing shorts that don’t chafe will make running more comfortable and you’ll probably end up going faster, but it’s still going to be you working.
6) You CAN get faster it just takes some hurting. Really anyone is capable of improving, you may hit plateaus and get stuck in pace ruts but you can push yourself out of them. It’s just a matter of well, pushing…it’s possible it just takes being uncomfortable to get there.
7) Toting a water bottle, mid-run fuel, and a fanny pack is a necessity for a run regardless of distance. Going for the Western States 100 miler, yes…a four miler around the block, no.
8) Just because it’s new, it’s cool, there’s hype you should try it. I’m sorry, no amount of commercials, movies or books are ever going to get me in a pair of Vibrams.
9) Any single food is a miracle food and sure fire to make your running dreams come true. Yes, berries have loads of antioxidants and I’m certain we can all benefit from eating them. I’m sure they will improve my health and the trickle down effect holds that my fitness could improve too…but there is no magic bullet to PR’s.
10) Rest is always the answer. I could get in a lot of trouble for saying this but here goes. Truth is like number 4 states sorenesses and aches come with the game…it’s just a matter of gauging the degree of hurt. If you didn’t run for each and every time you were uncomfortable you’d never get one in. It’s a matter of learning the difference between injury pain and the pain of just running consistently. That said, even all the rest in the world won’t take care of certain injuries and you have to do other proactive measures: icing, massage, treatments, etc.
I toss it to you guys now, what would you add to this list?
I am totally with you in that you’ll NEVER catch me in a pair of Vibrams or any other barefoot wanna be shoes.
thanks for making an appearance cranky!! seriously, when i wear the Vibrams i’ll also be sporting EasyTone Clothing. 😉
“I don’t have speed,” is a reason to DO speedwork, not avoid it.
Original premise was True advice you wouldn’t find in RW. First six followed this pattern. 7-10, however veered to Untrue advice, (such as presumably MIGHT be in RW, then explains why it is false.
thanks for stopping by the comments! good catch, on that one i was guilty of a little writer’s perspective faux pas!! 😛
you should get a job editing 🙂 you’d be great at it
Oh runner’s world vs. running times.. I never actually look to the magazines for much advice. My favorite part is the interviews and stories written by other runners and about other runners. I totally agree on pretty much all of these! One thing I’d like to add regarding abs is that you don’t NEED a six pack to be a good runner! You should work out with the intention of building total core strength in the hips, glutes, and abs to be the strongest runner you can be! Of course I don’t think telling people that is nearly as pretty as telling them they’ll have a six pack!
great point about abs not being a necessity…and the truth is that some people are just genetically blessed and better apt to get them!
Though true, people who run a lot or triathletes like me have to get used to working out while sore and we must learn the difference between acute injury pain and the chronic pain that comes with the territory, that shouldn’t be misinterpreted to encourage training 7 days a week. At least one day should be devoted to rest. Not light workouts. Rest. Nada. The rest days are when we get stronger. I think the list you made is a good one.
thanks for the comment, scott, and u are right as for many athletes a day off is part of the training program! 🙂
your blog is the best. it’s one I will still read every single day even while trying to de-tatch from the blog world a bit because this is just awesome and hilarious and so true! I subscribe to RT and my mom subscribes to RW, and I read both for entertainment….and I’ve alway thought that RW was geared more toward beginners and weekend warriors. Even their shoe reviews, I can’t trust because its like “your testers aren’t running as far or as fast as me…” and yeah. They seem to want to make running sound like a frolic through a field of daisies…but I actually LIKE to hurt. not injury-hurt, but I love feeling sore and exhausted and bottomless-pit hungry! I like to know that my hard work is paying off. And nutrition….well I used to be a freak like that but you know what? some of the best runners I know would be a nutritional abomination to the people at RW. Also, did you see the commercial for the new Wildlicious Poptarts?!?! I totally thought of you haha, they look AWESOME and I might just have to try them out 😛
awww, thanks so much, kate!! i really apprecaite that u’ll still be popping by here as i love having u!! use the de-plugging time to take care of urself and always STAY POSITIVE…mkkk! 😉 also, when u do get back to blogging be sure and let me know so i can get back to blog
stalking reading u. 😉My husband got me a subscription to Runner’s World for my birthday this year and I told him don’t renew it! It’s kind of cheesy!
haha…cheesy is SO the perfect word!!
I think that all the ‘aesthetics’ such as the revolutionary new running shoe, speedster shorts, or brand new magic food are great contributors for your state of mind… help you, help your mind, push past its current limits. That being said, I 100% agree with you – getting fast is not in what you acquire with $$ but working your ASS off. 🙂
thanks for stopping by and the comment!! and i’m gonna love ur parting words…so true! 🙂
I love your 10 bits of advice, because I think sometimes we do play into the hype of what the new best thing is and what will make us run faster. I agree with you on the rest too, I just took today off because I’m feeling sick. Anywho, I really love this post 🙂
haha…glad u enjoyed. 🙂
Great things listed; one of the main reasons I stopped subscribing to Runner’s World.
thanks for the comment and awesome to hear u’re totally on the same page. 🙂
This is quite true. A good reason why they need to rename the magazine “(New) Runner’s World”. As a competitive runner, I don’t need to read continuous articles on how to run my first 5k.
you know what as I new runner I was LOVING RW – but I can totally see your point 🙂 it IS more catered to new runners.
haha…i like ur new mag title, maybe we should write that in as a suggestion…think it would make it in the ‘your comments’ page? 😉
i think this is kinda implied in everything you said but i think the one thing that bugs me about print media is that the point often comes across that everyone is the same and that this will work for EVERYONE which is definitely not true. running is the same as anything else and we have different strengths, experiences, loves, hates, etc.
so true julia!! training has to fit the individual! 🙂
LOVED IT – and I subscribe to CAITCHOCK – not RW 😉
seriously, ur comments made my night!! thanks so much, and i’m ALWAYS happy to have a subscriber with some speedy legs and is wicked with a spatula too. 😉
This post just made my day. Love it.
My favorite thing like this is that you have to run faster to race faster. Plain and simple!
glad u liked! and so true..work for it baby! 🙂
I tend to think that Vibrams are for the people who were looking for an escape clause anyway. Or at least, I totally was. I grew up in the country. I *hate* shoes. I used to wear long skirts so I could sneak into stores barefoot. People at front desk of my res are always “Where are your shoes?” It’s like they’re reading from the same cuecard.
So when I found *something* *ANYTHING* that let me be basically barefoot without having to worry about stepping on a crack needle or a thistle (depending on where I am), I was all over it. But if you like your shoes, wear them. Breaking yourself into barefoot isn’t really worth the effort or pain. There’s enough pain when you’re running. You know?
I don’t know why there has to be such a cult about it. *sigh*
thanks for ur shared insights!!
Great advice–all very true! I admit at 9 years old I was already a Running Times girl!
haha…why doesn’t that surprise me?? 🙂
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