12 Days of Fitmas-Day 8: Do A Little Research

On the 8th Day of Fitmas…

DO A LITTLE RESEARCH

I want to preface this post and really the 12 Days of Fitmas, by saying I am by no means a health/fitness professional. All of this is stuff I’ve learned and stuff that has worked or not worked for me.

That being said, when I became serious about running and getting fit, I did some research. A big misconception about running is that you just get up and go. But wait! There are few things I recommend you do a little research on before you get started:

  1. Get your feet looked at. I don’t mean by a doctor although you could do that too. I mean, head to your local running store and get fitted for the right type of shoe for your feet and running style. A lot of injuries stem from not wearing the right shoe and all of that can be prevented if you go and get the right ones. This is the first piece of advice I give to people who want to start running.
  2. As the weather gets cooler, research clothing appropriate for your area’s weather conditions. There’s a lot of gear involved in running that most people don’t realize lol!
  3. When looking for race to run, do a quick search for coupons and/or deals. A lot of times you get a percentage off and race prices can go up after certain deadlines.
  4. Before your race, familiarize yourself with the course, where water/food stations are located, the weather conditions for the day, and where your loved ones can meet you at the finish line.
  5. When you think you have an injury, limit your google researching. Dr. Google can give you a direction of what it might be, but it won’t officially diagnose you.
  6. Look up websites where you can map out your runs before you head out. I like mapmyrun.com but there are others. I personally like having a route before I head out.
  7. Before you invest in a GPS watch, do some research of different ones to make sure you get one that does what you want. I wanted something basic so anything that told me my heart rate I eliminated from my search.
  8. When trying food to eat while you run, make sure you try out different kinds before you commit to one for a race. Do a little research on the kinds of refueling you want.

    There’s quite a few things that could be added to the list, but I want to know from you:

What are some things you did research on before you made a purchase?

What are other things you’d recommend a new runner research?