Six things to think about on your run

In order to enjoy a relaxed and easy run it is sometimes necessary to occupy your mind with thoughts other than those of how the running is going so here are six topics for you to consider:

Plan your meals for the following day and work out which ingredients are going to help your running. What carbohydrates will you include to ensure you have enough stored energy for tomorrow’s run? Which proteins will you include to ensure you repair the damage done to your muscle fibres during running today? Which fruit and veg will you include and what vitamin and mineral content will they provide?

Count the calories that you are burning off in your run. On average we burn 700 calories per hour on an easy run. Work out how many that is for each mile and how many you will have burned by the end of the session.

Evaluate your work day. Ask yourself what went well at work today and if you would have done anything differently if you did it again?

Plan tomorrow’s work. Think about all of the things that you have on your list for tomorrow and then think out two lists: one with them in order of priority and one with them in order of when they have to be complete. Then you could try to mix the lists together in an order that you can work through the next day.

List the benefits of running and work out a strategy to sell it to one of your sedentary friends.

Imagine running in your favourite event or an event that you have always wanted to do. Think about your feelings at the beginning: the anticipation and excitement; the route that the event takes and the things you will see and hear as you run and think of the finish and how elated you feel as you cross the line.