Welcome! I’m Caroline
follow me
Subscribe By Email
Search The Little Things Blog
Follow Me On Bloglovin’
Categories
Archives
April 28, 2014
There are a few changes in training that I’ve made since late 2013/early 2014 that I think are making a huge difference in my training and races. Because they’ve become a big part of my training, I thought I’d write about them:
- Regularly taking fish oil. I take a fish oil capsule (I’m not sure I could stomach it in liquid form) 3-4 times a week in the morning.
- Magnesium supplement. I take this probably two mornings a week just to bump up my magnesium intake just a bit. You want to be careful about this and talk to your doctor first, as too much magnesium can cause kidney problems.
- Specific calf stretches. I thought that this was playing into my cramping issues on longer training runs and in races, so I specifically did a few stretches for my calf muscles every single day (probably 5-7 minutes worth). I can tell a difference even when I walk around because of this.
- Salt packets before the race and in the middle of training runs. Salt is the name of my game! I took a salt packet before any longer training runs and in the middle of each training run. On race day I took a salt packet before and had six margarita flavored shot bloks during the race (this flavor has extra sodium!). This also leads to more drinking, which is excellent for hydration (and just to clarify- more drinking means water or gatorade 😀 )
- Wrapping my ankle with an ace bandage after each long run and after barre workouts. I did this some in the fall, but I was really dedicated to this during this past training cycle. I definitely didn’t want that tendinitis to flare back up again.
Other things I stayed committed to that I started doing last year:
- Ice baths and regular icing each week
- Foam rolling and using the stick
- Stretching after every single workout
- Planks and weight lifting- we need strong muscles all over to run well!
- Compression during and after long runs
And of course, these are helpful too- How I Stay Proactive in Trying To Avoid Injuries
Now it’s your turn to share! What’s something different that you’re doing in training right now?
Disclaimer: As always, I am simply sharing what I am personally doing in my training. This post shouldn’t be taken as professional advice. Talk to your doctor and/or a trainer before starting any exercise program, or if you are struggling with injury.
