Photo by Mr. T in DC, shared via Flickr.

I’m sad to say that I went about a month without running, from February 2 to early March. Not-so-coincidentally, I lost my job on February 3, laid off due to the economy. The Department of Labor tells me that my unemployment put me in good company, but I have to say, it was depressing to continue reading running blogs and feel like a failure for not keeping up with my running routine even when I have all the time in the world. Now that I have a new job and am getting back into the running game, I’m here to tell you that whether you were laid off, got super busy, or just got lazy, you can recover from a running slump.

The first step is like the first step of any type of recovery: Recognize that you have a problem. Simply having your training calendar posted on the wall may not work for you as it did in the past. Besides, looking at all the days you’ve skipped will only make you feel worse, and as your slump grows longer, facing it with eyes wide open may be the biggest challenge.

To avoid a “why bother” attitude, come up with a new training plan. Once you’ve acknowledged that you have fallen off the running wagon, think about the reasons why. In order to be effective, your new training plan must take these reasons into account. Make it realistic, and start off slow. Depending on how long of a break you took, your muscles may need some extra time to ease back into the routine. It won’t take nearly as long as when you first started running, but it won’t be instant either; listen to your body and try not to push it too hard too fast. At this point, it probably doesn’t make sense to make your new training plan for more than a week or two. Seeing all the days you’re supposed to go running may be discouraging, so plan just a few and then force yourself to go.

When you do get out there, make it the most positive experience you can. Wear your favorite running gear, run along your favorite route, listen to your favorite music, etc. You need to remind yourself what the joy of running feels like, so reclaim that. If you’re really dreading going out there, you could even ignore your new training plan - just make it a point to get out there for a one mile minimum. You can do anything for ten minutes or so, right?

Hopefully, once you get out there, you’ll remember why you started running in the first place: the scenery, the friendships, the cardiovascular benefits, and the idea that you can treat yourself to a little extra dessert that night without any guilt!

When I first started running, I didn’t intend to get serious about it. Until that point, I had only run in my high school gym class, and I hated it with a passion - I just figured I would give it one more shot to see what I was missing out on. Being a goal-oriented person, I wanted to know how far I had gone, not least so I could brag to my friends about running a mile or two. So to figure out the distance, I drove my car around the neighborhood, using the odometer to clock the length of my running route.

Since then, my mileage has become a little more precise. I now own a Garmin Forerunner, which is a GPS wristwatch that maps my location and can not only tell me how far I’ve gone, but also the elevation, ups and downs, speed, pace, etc. It’s a pretty high-tech device, and unfortunately, it also comes with a fairly hefty price tag.

Fortunately, for those of you who don’t want to shell out for a wrist-based GPS system, there is a great online tool that will help you to figure out your mileage: Gmaps Pedometer.

The interface is quite simple, and if you’re used to using Google Maps, it will be a piece of cake. Basically, you enter your address, and the technology uses Google Maps to find the spot and zoom in. Click on the “start recording” button, double click on your starting point, and then just click the points on your run where you turned - the system will connect the dots and calculate your mileage as well as the elevation changes. You can even opt for a straight point-to-point connection, or let the magic of the software figure out the most likely path you took to get there using roads and sidewalks. Did you run to a point, turn around, and run home the same way? The handy “complete there and back route” will retrace all your steps taken thus far, saving you the trouble of clicking your way back through.

Once you’re satisfied with your route, you also have options to view elevation maps, estimate calorie burn based on your weight, or save the route to a permanent URL for future convenience. I like to keep my own running log in Excel, so this feature is especially helpful if I want to go back and see the path I ran two years ago (yes, I can be a bit crazy like that). Essentially, Gmaps Pedometer is a free version of a Garmin, giving you most of the same features with just a little more input on your part.

What are your favorite online running tools? Leave a comment and let me know!

Photo by mikebaird, shared via Flickr

At the beginning of the year, you get all excited about your training. You have a plan to run faster or farther than ever before, and you’re sure you’re going to stick to your schedule. You do the first few weeks of fartleks and long slow distance, but then after a time you get bored. You realize that running is taking up a lot of your time, and it’s kind of antisocial.

Does that sound like you? Maybe the cure for your running blues is a good training partner.

There are lot of sources for finding a running buddy. First, try your spouse or significant other. Chances are, they’re sick of you going off for hours at a time anyway, so if you could include them in your runs, you’d get to multiask by getting in your exercise while also getting in some quality time. The trick here is to make sure that you aren’t forcing them to come with you - be clear that you’re just trying to share your love for running with them. With any first time runner, try to make it easy and fun by taking flat routes through scenic places. Doing laps around the track or hillwork is not advised if you want to get someone to love the joy of running!

Local running clubs are another great source to find a training partner. Many running clubs will host group runs that allow you to meet other members, and if you find someone at a group run who’s about your speed and style, you can invite them to go on separate runs at times convenient to both of you. Some running clubs will even offer “running personals” on their website or in a newsletter - short ads by people looking for running partners. If you’re seeking a partner, write your own ad and be sure to include the pace and distance you like to run as well as where you typically train. You may not find an exact match, but sometimes going with someone a bit slower than you can help you to work on your form, or with someone slightly faster can make you push yourself to new limits.

But if chatting on the run isn’t for you, perhaps you need a four-legged companion. Many dogs, especially larger ones, make great training partners. However, as with human partners, be sure to ease your dog into a running routine gradually. Unlike a human, a dog won’t complain about the soreness s/he is feeling, so it’s up to you to take it easy enough on your dog that aches and pains don’t become a problem. Check with your veterinarian to be sure that your dog is suited to running before you try going out with them. And even if your dog isn’t a sporty runner, they can still accompany you on long walks to keep your muscles toned without getting your heart rate up. Every little bit helps!

Photo by Sami Taipale, shared via Flickr.

I have been a runner for 15+ years, but I have only been a true “yogi” for a year. And I have to thank my new yoga practice for the recent edge and faster splits that I have uncovered in my running in the past few months. Although the two lie at different ends of the sports spectrum, a runner/yogi can get amazing race results while maintaining an injury-free, flexible and healthy body.

Running provides the obvious health benefits such as improved cardiovascular fitness, increased muscle mass, prevention of osteoporosis, but most runners will confess that overcoming injuries is a constant uphill battle. And yoga helps to balance out your body by increasing range of motion, improving posture, maintaining flexibility in major running muscle groups such as hamstrings, quadriceps, hip flexors and glutes. In addition, yoga can be a great addition to your running program by strengthening your core and preventing common knee and lower back injuries.

Yoga also provides a mental outlet for runners, and it allows your mind to calm the brain chatter in a different way. Yoga teaches the proper way to breathe, with long inhales and longer exhales. Although this type of breathing may not be effective during a hard run, I started to use these breathing techniques to calm pre-race anxiety or tune out other runners’ conversations during a race. It brings a whole new level and mindfulness to your running.

Since yoga and running have vastly different benefits for your body, I would encourage you to try to strike a balance with both “sports” in your life. For me, it feels ideal to run four to five times per week and practice yoga 2-3 hours per week on the off-running days. But if you can’t manage to squeeze in yoga classes every week, consider trying just 10-15 minutes of basic yoga stretches after each run for the same great benefits.

Photo by lgh75, shared via Flickr

With January coming to an end, it’s time to reflect: Have you kept your New Year’s resolutions?

Over 88% of Americans make at least one resolution at the start of the year, but statistics show that less than 20% are successful in achieving their goals. However, that doesn’t mean that goal setting doesn’t work - it just means you need to approach it in a new way.

Focus on one thing at a time
It’s easy to think of your first resolution. Maybe you say, “I’m going to lose 10 pounds by the end of the year!” Feeling proud of yourself for stating your intent to make a change, you think that if one change is good, two would be even better. Before you know it, you have a whole list of resolutions you’re “definitely” going to achieve in 2009. However, by spreading your focus, you’re going to be less likely to achieve any of them.

If there truly are multiple things you want to accomplish, start with one for the month of January, and really focus to make it habitual. After 30 days of ingraining the behavior, hopefully you won’t have to think too much about it for the rest of the year. Then in February, you can keep doing what you were doing on your January resolution… but add a new resolution to focus on for a month. Adding new goals in increments after succeeding at older goals is a much easier path to success than trying to change your life drastically in one shot.

Choose a realistic goal.
Remember that what may be easy for other people to change may not be quite as realistic for you. Everyone realizes that running at an eight-minute mile may be a slow pace for some and a fast pace for others, but don’t forget to take that into account in your goal setting! Instead of picking an arbitrary time you’d like to achieve in a future race, try to improve an old time that you’ve achieved in the past. You’ll have an easier time reaching your goal if you build on past success.

In a similar vein, it’s important to consider all of your past performances in setting a goal. Maybe you want to improve your time in a certain distance - let’s say a 5K. In your last 5K, you ran 24 minutes, so this year, you’d like to get it down to 22 minutes. Seems tough but doable. But what if you consider that when you ran 24 minutes, it was already a personal best by 3 minutes? Make sure that your new goal is based on an old standard, rather than a fluke time; otherwise, you may be setting yourself up for disappointment.

Don’t repeat old resolutions.
Did you make it your goal to run the 5K under 24 minutes last year, but could only get to 24:30? Don’t count that as a failure - as long as you improved, it made your goal setting worth it. However, it can be discouraging to reuse the same goals year after year. Try to think of a different resolution, perhaps one that will help you get to your original goal. For example, commit to doing a speedwork session at least once a week, or try to eat healthier and drop a few pounds so it’s easier for your body to move faster.

Set measurable results and a plan for achieving them.
One of the biggest mistakes people make in setting new year’s is making broad goals that can’t be checked until the end of the year. In the beginning of this post, I provided a perfect (and very common) example: “I will lose 10 pounds this year.” Rather than setting a yearlong resolution, try setting a goal for each week or month so that you’re constantly able to check in and see your progress. For example, you might say that you’d like to lose 1 pound each month, and that you’ll do that by going to the gym at least three times a week (this is also a great way for those of you who can’t resist multiple resolutions to tie them together neatly and still have focus). Every week, you’ll be able to see if you went to the gym as much as you were supposed to, and every month when you weigh yourself, you can see if you’re realistically going to hit that 10 pound weight loss mark by the end of the year. If you wait till December to pay attention, chances are you’ve already gained a few pounds and will have totally unattainable amount to lose (especially in a month that’s laden with holiday treats!).

Don’t be afraid to start over.
Many of you have broken your 2009 New Year’s Resolutions. Who cares? You don’t have to wait until January 2010 to set some new ones and get back on track. January 1st is not a magic date - you can make resolutions any day of the year or anytime you discover something about yourself that you want to change. The tips above can be applied whenever you’re setting goals.

How do you set and achieve fitness goals? What are your health-related New Year’s resolutions? Feel free to post your thoughts on this article and your ideas for resolutions in the comments.

I hope you enjoyed the holidays. If you were like me, you ate more than you should have, and now it’s time to shed the holiday effects. Let’s get back in the game with Week 2 and Week 3 training intervals for your 5K training.

Each of the workouts in this series can be downloaded, imported into your desktop BODiBEAT Station software, and used to load your BODiBEAT with music to match your workout activity level. You can find the Week 1 interval workout download here.

The second week of our series for the introduction to 5K training is designed to be a 26-minute workout with a 5-minute warm up at a pace of 128 bpm, and several intervals at a pace of 138 BPM and 128 BPM, followed by a 2-minute cool down.

The third week of our series is designed to be a 24-minute workout with a 5-minute warm up at a pace of 130 bpm, and several intervals at a pace of 140 BPM and 130 BPM, followed by a 4-minute cool down.

Here are the download links: 5k Week 2 | 5k Week 3

Import the training intervals to your BODiBEAT Station once you have saved the XML files to your computer. If you don’t know how to do this, watch our quick tutorial on how to import a workout into your training library.

I hope you will find these interval workouts a fun and rewarding way to work out and get you on your way to your first 5K.

Enjoy using BODiBEAT as your personal coach, keeping your Body and Music In Sync.