Before you go for a run, there are a few things you should do to get the most out of your run and to enjoy your time. We will share with you some of the best tips for what to do before a run so that you can get through the entire run and you don’t feel completely awful afterwards.
Hydrate
This is an obvious one, but it definitely needs to be said. A lot of people simply forget to drink some water before they go for a run. You can take a bottle of water with you to hydrate throughout your run as well.
There’s a tricky line you have to balance on here, though. You have to be careful not to over hydrate or under hydrate. It really is best if you can take your water with you, as you can hydrate as needed during the run. This helps you avoid the risk of over hydrating before your run, which some people do just to ensure they don’t get too thirsty while they’re out running. Having water with you also keeps you from under hydrating, which is a common mistake people make. They get so excited about the run that they forget to do one of the basic things before they start.
Hydrating is the most important thing you can do, if you’re looking for what to do before and after a run.
Stretch or Warm Up
You don’t want to go straight from inactivity to a full run. There are two ways you can warm up and prepare for your run. You can either do some stretches and even run in place, or you can start your run slowly. You can warm up in the run if you ease into it.
It’s important that you take a little time to warm up, as this will prevent muscle strain after you run and it will keep you from cramping up during the run. It helps to stretch out your muscles and make them more pliable, so you’re less likely to get a muscle sprain as you work out.
Use the Bathroom
You don’t want to have to stop your run to take a pee break, right? Make sure you check this quick item off your list before you go. For longer runs, some people try to initiate a bowel movement, perhaps drinking a heavy cup of coffee to help clear out their system before embarking on a run. You might not need to do anything so drastic, but it is a good idea to try to use the restroom before you head out.
If you are going to run first thing in the morning, you should give yourself enough time to pass urine or perhaps have a bowel movement before running, just to get that out of the way and ensure it doesn’t slow down or interrupt your run later on. This is definitely important if you need to know what to do before a big run.
Set Yourself a Goal
It’s good for your workout to have goals in mind before you start. Do you know where you are running to and how you are getting back? Do you have a plan in your head of how far you want to run and what you want to accomplish with your run? Maybe you want to run farther than last time or you want to get in a good run before you have to get our day stated.
What to do 1 hour before a long distance run is to have a clear goal in mind. Think of where your end point will be and what you will do after you finish running. If you just set out running just to run, then you may not be as productive. You might get more easily distracted, and you might not run as far as you would have if you had a clear goal in mind.
Plan Ahead
If you know you have a race coming up or you’re going to be running in a few days, what should you do to prepare yourself? What to do the weekend before a run?
This is a great time to prepare yourself mentally and physically. Make sure you’re stretching and doing at least some small exercise over the weekend so you don’t go into a Monday run unprepared. Unfortunately, a lot of people will rest up too much over the weekend, and their body won’t know what to do when they start running on Monday.
You also want to make sure you’re getting enough vitamins and nutrients in the days leading up to your run. It’s not a bad idea they pack on the carbs either. You don’t want to do this the day of your run, but the day before can be a great time to eat carbs, as they can provide long term energy for your run.
You also want to listen to your body in the days leading up to the run. If you’re not well, you should plan to cancel the run. You need to give your body time to recover from an illness and even something as minor as food poisoning.
Listen to Your Body
What to do before going on a run to make sure that you don’t end up in worse condition? You should make sure that you’re in good health. If you don’t feel well, then you shouldn’t run. You also want to make sure you’re not overly tired. If you feel like you need to go back to sleep, it may not be the best time to go for a run.
What to do tonight before 5K run? Take an assessment of your health. If you’re not sure that you can handle the run, then you may need to bow out. It’s a good idea to go for a short run the day before a major event like a 5K run. You may want to do this as well before medium length runs. If you’re wondering what to do before three mile run, it’s not a bad idea to do a short test run, perhaps the end of your street.
By doing this, you can figure out how your body is feeling and if it’s up to that longer run. It would be a shame to go to where you plan to do a lengthy run and end up not being able to get through with it. Also, if you start a long run but you don’t feel welcome and you may feel committed to it and you may want to keep going even when you shouldn’t.
It’s a good idea to just test your body out and see how you feel by doing a short run before you engage in a longer run later in the day or the next day.
Watch for Dehydrating Beverages
Some beverages actually dehydrate your body and make it more difficult to run at your best. What to do one hour before a run? Make sure that you’re avoiding beverages that can dehydrate you come on like alcohol, soda, in coffee. Anything with caffeine or alcohol can have a dehydrating effect on your body.
Instead, hydrate using something with electrolytes, like Gatorade, or water, juice, or an energy drink. If you’re hydrating during around, make sure you use one of these beverages as well rather than something that could be hydrate you.
What happens if you drink a dehydrating drink other than just getting thirsty? If you do it before or during a run, you can actually cause severe muscle soreness. Your body, and specifically your muscles, need hydration when you run so that you don’t end up sore afterwards. Dehydrated muscles can feel tired and achy when they don’t need to, if you’ve properly hydrated.
