Nine Smarter Ways to Run Smarter

On my Twitter feed, someone posted this link to active.com (a website I've never heard of, but it's ablaze in giant side banner ads for Powerade... the official sports drink of Coca-Cola) about ways to run smarter. I was intrigued by the link, so I clicked and what I found was just vague (see also: terrible) advice for runners.

My guess is that anyone who travels over to active.com isn't the most active person on the planet. They're likely people trying to get or stay active. So I was a little pissed that this site would put out such out-of-touch running advice for people who don't know better. That said, I'm going to do YOU (yes you) a service and list of my Nine Smarter Ways to Run Smarter.

No bullshit.

Road Running:

1. The site's first rule is for runners to "hit the sidewalk." This is a good and bad idea, depending on your geography. If you live in say, New York City or along a highway, then yes, running on the sidewalk is probably your best if only option. But then again, this is also a problem because sidewalks in major cities tend to be cluttered with everything from overflowing trash bins, hot dog vendors, and PEOPLE, homeless or otherwise. Sidewalks are used for exactly that, walking along the side of a road. So unless you're an artful dodger and have super sturdy ACLs, stay clear of the pedestrian walk way. If you live in a city, find a park that's nearby and walk to it as a warm up. If you live along a highway, maybe take up trail running or drive to a local high school track. Running on sidewalks is just as dangerous as running in the road.

2. That said, if you live in a suburban or less built up area, running on the road is perfectly fine. Just stick to the sides, usually well within the painted breakdown area. And run against traffic so that you can see on-coming cars and be able to make the necessary actions to avoid becoming an oversized dead squirrel in day-glo yellow.

3. Avoid running during peak traffic hours. Less cars is good. Usually between 8am and 11am is the best time, as most people who work are at their place of employment by then, and it's before the noon lunch break. In the afternoons, usually between 2pm and 4pm are ideal. If you like to run at night (you're braver than I), anytime after 6 or 7 will probably be ok. Just understand that it's night, and not a lot of people will be watching for a runner on the sides of the road.

Track Running:

4. If you're running on a local high school or college track, just be aware of the rules and times posted. The article mentions how some tracks have alternating directions of travel based on the day (this is to minimize track wear and tear) so just adhere. If there's a practice going on for the home athletes, come back later. As a former high school track kid, I disliked the group of old ladies who just showed up at 3pm twice a week to walk around the outside edges of the track. Just don't do it.

5. Don't run on the inside lanes. They take the most abuse on any day and are a bitch to fix. The track is measured by the inside lanes, so think of it like this: If you run the middle to outside lanes, you're adding a little extra distance to your work outs, which has two benefits: one, you can either quit earlier, being that you made your predetermined distance, or you can get maybe an extra mile or two in the same amount of laps you'd normally run.

Trail Running:

6. I don't have much experience with running trails, but I seem to know more than the active.com article. In the article, they suggest following the established direction of the path marked at the trail head. Don't bother, because half of the people you encounter running on the path will be coming from the opposite way, making this bit of advice as moot. Just don't do anything crazy, like run off of the trail and damage the nearby vegetation. It's boorish and makes you look like a dick.

7. The article also suggests waiting 30 seconds to pass someone if the trail is too narrow. Are you really going to count half a minute in your head before you politely ask to pass? Ok, and while you're at it, what's it like to get spit on everyday? The reality is, if the trail is too narrow, just wait for it to open up to make your move. It's trail running, you're supposed to be enjoying the outdoors. If you're in a rush, stick to short road running loops in your neighborhood.

8. If you're in a head-on situation with another runner, and the path is too narrow for both of you, just come to a walk and let the other person squeeze by. They'll probably do the same. Remember, the idea of trail running isn't to go out and run six miles as fast as you can, it's to enjoy the trail and the surrounding area. If you come to a walk a few times to let people go, so what?

9. Last but not least, if you run with a dog the article suggests keeping him or her close by on a tight leash. This sounds like a terrible time. If you think the trails are going to be packed (weekends, summer time, etc) just leave Fido at home. Mid-day, mid-week trail running will see less people, and allow for letting puppy-wups off the leash, which is more enjoyable for everyone, as long as your dog is trained in running and not a total spaz like ours is.

So these are my "smarter" tips for running, but this is really just the tip of the iceberg. If you want more in-depth training tips, consult an expert you may know personally, or buy a book. Websites are hit-or-miss.

And I'm always available to answer your running-related questions.