A Beginner’s Guide to Running
Success is much easier to attain when given the proper tools in preparation. Running has a relatively low barrier to entry compared to other forms of physical activity- grab some shoes and get goin. IT is an easy skill to train no matter where you are in the world- it won’t take up space in your luggage. Running is a moving meditation that can be both individual and social- there are many health markers that benefit from the act of running.
The physiological value of the sport is undeniable but still, running can get a bad rap. The high impact of running can lead to skeletal-muscular issues, lack of knowledge around ventilatory thresholds can lead to overexertion, and highly competitive folks may find comparison the thief of joy.
I’ve always been someone who ran, but I’ve only recently dubbed myself a runner. For years, I would embark on an annual (semiannual at best) run in the hopes that one of them would be the one to make me fall in love. I’m not sure why I persisted, but at some point, it worked. Through self study and errors made, I felt the invaluable gift of accomplishment become a motivator to keep going. Since then, I’ve become a run coach and gotten certified in nutrition for endurance sports to support the athletes that I work with.
Knowledge is power, so I’ve compiled a high level list of tools that have helped me to experience success via increased skill- it’s a positive feedback loop. I hope that a bit of a leg up can encourage that sense of personal accomplishment for y’all who may be interested in developing the skill.
“Precovery” and Nutrient Timing
Run prep doesn’t begin after you’ve laced up and hit the road. Sleep quality, nutrient strategies, and allostatic (stress) load lay down the groundwork for the run experience well before you’ve thrown on a pair of shoes and shorts. Establishing a solid routine and setting expectations relevant to these factors is base-line for successful skills development.
Precovery for amateur running does not have to be a big to-do. Instead, keep the basics in mind: fuel properly, rest plenty, and reduce stress load. You can find specifics about threshold training across the internet, but, unless you’re in it for sport-specific training, those details can muddy the water when the intention is to begin.
Nutritionally, carbs are faster acting energy, fats are highly concentrated energy. Eat a balanced diet including nourishing fats, fiber/veggies, and protein. Each of these nutrients act as building blocks to your body and it’s system operations. Give your body some time to digest the foods it’s consumed or intentionally consume easier to digest options (smoothies versus full fruits) so that you don’t end up cramping up in the run itself.
On-The-Run
Just start! running is different from walking in that running includes going airborne intermittently between steps. For a moment, on a run, you’re flying. Pace doesn’t matter, time doesn’t matter. Instead, move within a context that feels sustainable- just go and grow from there.
Your body will tell you when you need to slow down or if it’s time to speed up, you just need to read the signs. Without getting too in-depth about the details, our body leverages the resources it has to begin and maintain motion. At high speeds, the body will deplete fast-acting/fast-replenishing energy sources (carbs). At lower, longer-duration speed, the body can lean into it’s more concentrated sources (fats).
Your heart rate and breath rate are vital indicators for the systems at play and how your resources are being managed. Information on Ventilatory Threshold metrics can be found across the internet but, again, as a newbie to the sport, that information is likely to complicate something that can be identified innately.
Keep it simple, signs of excess will show up as extreme breathlessness, cramping, nausea, and painful pounding heart rate. Listen to the body and let go of expectations, your runs will improve with practice, not by force. Be present and enjoy the dialogue between body and mind.
Afterwards
When the distance and the pace don’t matter as much, the act of running is the joy itself. You’ve gotten up and gotten it done- the rest is details. After your run be sure to refuel by giving the body adequate nutritional value (whole, un-processed foods will do). Exercise is an appetite suppressant as the body shunts resources away from the visceral core and out towards the working extremities- so be mindful of how soon before/after your consuming foods keeping an eye on the time it will take to digest the foods. In the immediate hours following a run, hydration and nutrition not only support recovery, but can act as the precovery for the next bout of physical activity.
Movement should be a gift, not a punishment- our bodies feel our intentions and, much like a child, can sense when the vibes are off. As a result, the body responds accordingly, our self image can either subdue or contribute that stress load. Stress layered onto stress suppresses immune function and recovery initiatives. Love your body, enjoy the ride, take off the expectations, and allow yourself to just try a few times.
Breathe Better, Live Better
How Breath Works
Breath serves as the perpetual dance between Oxygen and CO2- these two opposite forces balance pH levels in the blood, support brain functioning, metabolic processes, and nervous system regulation.
As with all opposite forces, the balance comes from the conflicting qualities that contribute to homeostasis. With the breath, Oxygen serves as the energizer- it builds heat and lightness (getting light headed). In contrast, CO2 is a depressant, it cools and grounds.
When the body senses too much CO2 building up in the blood stream, it will signal the respiratory diaphragm to contract which, in turns, triggers and intake of air into the lungs. Once in the lungs, Oxygen reaches the vast surface area of capillaries and alveoli, teeming with vessels and capillaries, to shuttle Oxygen into the blood.
Thought CO2 gets a bad rap, it’s active participation in our everyday health should be celebrated. Because CO2 is a depressant, it down-shifts an accelerated nervous system by relaxing the smooth muscle tissues like those within the heart. In addition, an increased CO2 build up within a breath cycle may support more efficient Oxygen reuptake- this is how breathwork works!
5-minute Practice
Box breathing is arguably the easiest breath practice to follow. It regulates the nervous system through equal in breaths and out breaths with equal retention in between.
Set a timer for 5-minutes and, if possible, pull up a metronome app. Using common time, close your eyes and let the rhythm guide your pace as you breathe in for 4-counts, hold for 4-counts, breathe out for 4-counts, and hold for 4-counts.
If you feel your mind wander or you notice you’ve dozed off, realign and return. The process is the destination.
Soft Shell Tortillas
Makes about 6
what you’ll need
1.5 c Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
5 tbsp Salted Butter
0.5 c Hot Water
how you’ll prepare it
Combine “dry”s.
Add butter + water.
Knead for 5 minutes or until dough is smooth and bounces back.
Let sit for 10 min to rise.
Cut into 6 pieces- flatten/rollout.
Lightly fry in drizzle of oil (your choice) until bubbles appear- flip and repeat.
Let cool on paper towel.
ways you can consume it
In tacos, as a quesadilla, with some peanut butter on top.
Mindfulness for Beginners
What is MBSR
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a practice in being aware as moments unfold. MBSR offers an opportunity to leverage the tools we have on-hand (our consciousness) to be unhindered by both the anxieties of what has been and the concerns for what will be. In an over-stimulated society, practicing mindfulness through the easiest framework possible can feel like a breath of fresh air.
How the Body Handles Stress
When the body absorbs stimuli, our sense systems identify the threat’s potential and proceeds accordingly. When talking about stress response, the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is our central driver. The hypothalamus is the systems central operation controlling temperature, hunger, and heart rate. The pituitary gland recieves signals to start production and circulation of hormones to the body and the adrenals via secretion of the stress hormones necessary to prime our bodies to react.
Our two most common stress hormones, cortisol and adrenaline, serve the purpose to get you up and going as well as keeping the system on alert after initial response. When that initial adrenaline pump fades away, the cortisol of the body continues to pump through the system supporting circulation, respiration, and musculoskeletal alertness.
Because we are constantly on-guard and assessing the stimulus around us, high or recurring systemic cortisol is not an uncommon experience. We are, essentially, trapped in our fight or flight response by the design of the society in which we live. So how can we return to grounding in a way that is not daunting and that is accessible?
4-Fast Tips to Ground
Take Inventory of the Present Moment
We are one set of eyes in a vast universal experience. All at once, this moment unfolds for and impacts an un-quantifiable number of other humans. Sometimes simply taking a second to take inventory moment over moment can be enough to return to the now and peel away from the concerns of what was or what will.
Observe Judgments, Emotions, & Resistance
As the seer, it is our ego’s contribution to keep us narrating, identifying, and affiliating with the concepts that come to mind. Pattern recognition is an important part of operating efficiently in the world that we exist in. While wonderful and with purpose, pattern recognition at all times is exhausting. The practice of noticing patterns can be enough to cut off intrusive thoughts and repetitive inner discourse.
Engage With Their Implications
While we dialogue internally between our observer and our narrator, having taken inventory and observed the narrator’s contributions to the present response to the present moment, we can begin to realize what is us and what is not us. More often than not, so much of what we assign to us is, in fact, not us. We are the sum of those that we interact with the most- the people, places, and things that operate around us have such a significant influence on our concept of self. Just taking the step back to see the historical pattern play out can also be enough to cut off overthinking or unproductive internal rumination.
Explore Opportunity to Step Into New Patterns
I often refer to this yogic concept of Samskaras- these wheels of suffering that we persistently ride on. Suffering (Dukkha) is inevitable, we are a logical narrator tacked on to an irrational animal form- both the horse and the rider- a match made in hell if I do say so myself.
Choices are made for us (both external and internal) when we lack the practice of awareness to find which choices we can in fact choose for ourselves, we become stuck to this treadmill of the same stimulus leading to the same outcome further ingraining our patterns and our suffering.
By this point, perhaps headway has been made, perhaps how you began is how you remain. What is worth noting is this- if you’ve taken the time to observe, to dis-associate, and to explore new oprtions- you’ve done the practice. It is a practice not a perfect because it may not be the first nor fiftieth time that yields a breakthough, but it may be that fifty-first, ya know?
Simply trying is the first step- failure, missteps, disappointments are inevitable- but sitting put and accepting the outcomes without agency will certainly yield no progress.
April in Your Body
April showers bring May flowers, and this month ushers in a cool and damp climate to prepare us for the upcoming Summer. By now, our bodies sense the approaching lighter season, keeping us alert and energized for longer days. Known as "Spring Fever," we embrace the season of outdoor activities and warmth.
Similar to a lake thawing and coming back to life, our body's fluids are still recovering from the Winter. After months of consuming nourishing, grounding foods, our circulation may still be sluggish, which can heighten feelings of frustration and tension.
The liver, considered a "heat" organ in both Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), is responsible for cleansing the blood and promoting circulation. By incorporating bitter greens and astringent tastes into our diet, we can help clear Winter stagnation and invigorate our tissues.
Qualities of the Season
Spring is Kapha Season, characterized by qualities such as murkiness, moisture, and warmth. To maintain balance, we focus on consuming foods and practicing habits that counter these qualities, such as favoring clear, light, and dry foods, as well as incorporating astringent, sour, and bitter tastes.
Daily/Practices
Where we spent the darker season nourishing and massaging our bodies, Spring- in particular April- becomes a season of Dry Brushing. Dry brushing helps to stimulate the circulation of the lymphatic system and support healthy blood flow.
After being pent up in the Winter time, the season is finally ripe to get outside! We are of nature, so opportunities to return to nature come with so many benefits. Earthing, for example, is a wonderful opportunity to quite literally reconnect with mother earth. The practice of being bare-foot and connected to dirt has shown value in immune and mental health. Additionally, in being outside, we have a unique opportunity to give our eyes a rest, to focus on a distant point, and find space to meditate and be mindful.
In the season of being outside, returning to activity, and cultivating heat in the body, it’s important to remember routine, to again keep your feet on the ground. While the initial vibrancy of the season is compelling, we perform our best when consistency remains a central tenet.
Diet Staples
Bitter greens help drain the heat from the body- though April can still be quite biting and cold, our bodies know as nature knows. Too much heat build up can lead to rashes, anger, irritability, and other liver conditions. Clarity can be supported by incorporating diuretics like corn, kale, celery, cabbages, and collard greens. Dandelion, radish, mustard greens, and arugula are all helpful in releasing stored fat and liquids from the winter season.
Sweet and astringent fruits can continue to support healthy blood like apricot, cherries, oranges, and other citrus fruits. While the seasons shift, all tastes and all qualities can and should remain present in different ratios.
Other astringency can be added into the fold via grains like buckwheat and millet as well as beans, raw veggies, and sprouts.
Nature provides what our bodies need each season and in a time where we’re so disconnected from nature, it’s easy to miss out on important signals.
What’s it all Mean?
We are of the earth around us and each season offers new opportunity to continue to practice the art of being a subtle and persistently evolving piece of the puzzle of life. Each day- each moment- brings forth a chance to be better and do better for our self and our legacy. Bad days can come, but our awareness and self acuity offer evergreen chances to show up for ourselves and our communities. When in doubt, resources abound— reach out to (me!) your friendly neighborhood Ayurvedic Nutrition Coach.