Soleful’s Run Day Routine & Mindset
Warmup, cooldown, stretching, strengthening, cross training are all words we hear often when it comes to workouts but sometimes they are so commonly used they start to lose meaning and purpose in our running. At Soleful, we aim to bring the joy of running to others and we believe one of the ways we can accomplish that is to help explain what we are doing and why, the purpose each activity has within the big picture of our training along with the benefits it will provide in an effort to make it sustainable, manageable, and something we will stick with not as a box-checking exercise but as a component we know, feel and trust to be a true partner in our training. With that said, these are some run day routine and mindset recommendations from Soleful.
As we always say, we intend for training to fit your life not for your life to fit the training so we always build individualized, entirely customized plans with that at the forefront. The suggestions included here high level but are personalized from both our running and coaching training and our own experience and can also be adjusted to each runner’s specific schedule. Running and coaching are both art and science, the principles can carry throughout any training cycle or program but the specifics can adapt.
Morning Wakeup Routine
Set and stick with a realistic morning wakeup time every day, weekends included
Within 30 minutes of waking up, drink one full glass of water
Fuel Your Day
Whether you run in the morning or later in the day, fueling your day and your run is important for energy, focus and recovery
Be sure to continue getting hydration, which can include food, juice, milk and water
Set Yourself Up For Success
A routine does not have to be overly regimented to be successful it just has to be established
Everyone’s day, life, family, schedule and priorities are different, find an a.m. routine that works best for you and helps you get your day started as efficiently, effectively and stress-free as possible
When we take the guess work out of how our day will start, we are calm, prepared and organized
Breath, Relax, Move
Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, at various intervals in your day, remind yourself roll and relax your shoulders, unclench your jaw, relax your muscles and walk around some, even if you are feeling exceptionally calm you will likely find you are holding onto tension throughout your body and this relaxation technique is beneficial for the mind and the body in the moment and beyond
Hydrate Early And Often
Be mindful of the symptoms of under AND over hydration and be sure to drink water comfortably, casually and continuously throughout the day
If you feel thirsty, you are likely already dehydrated, staying ahead of that feeling keeps your mind alert, your body healthy, your muscles relaxed and keeps you ready for your run when it arrives
Wear Comfortable, Supportive Shoes
We tend to think about the shoes we are going to wear on our run but equally important is thinking about the shoes we wear when we are not running
While everyone’s home, life, social and work situations vary, we strongly recommend comfortable, supportive shoes at all times
With that said, we also encourage runners NOT to wear their running shoes for any activities outside of the run itself, doing so can deteriorate the stability and integrity of the shoe sooner than if the shoes are only worn on the run and also when the running shoe is used for activities other than the run itself it is not being worn in the same way and therefore can wear out in other areas sooner than it would, if at all, when worn only for the run
Running shoes provide tremendous comfort and support and if these are your daily shoe of choice, which is awesome from a rest and recovery perspective, we suggest buying a second pair, one for running and one for day to day
What we wear at home while relaxing is equally important and we recommend recovery shoes, such as slippers, basically always making sure even around the house your feet have support and stability
Changing seasons is a culprit for aches, soreness and pain arising in running when we suddenly switch to flip flops with low support in summer, for example, or new boots in winter and while these shoes do not necessarily need to be avoided they should be thought through in the context of the training program and plan and your upcoming running, racing or goals
Invest In Good Socks
Socks seem like such a small thing but they are actually huge and super important for comfort, blister prevention, keeping our feet cool (or warm) and dry and even recovery
Soleful is not directly or specifically affiliated with any brands for any particular item and we understand people have their personal preferences for what to wear but when it comes to socks, but we stand by Smartwool without hesitation and it is the only sock we will wear for running and primarily for recreation, rest and recovery, too
When home resting and recovering, whether actively or passively, compression socks are a great tool to help promote circulation and recovery, we do not recommend you wear these right out of the shower or to sleep but rather for a few hours during your day
Go-To Running Clothes
The brand, style, fit, color matter much less when it comes to what you wear running than how it makes you feel, if you are comfortable and confident in your running gear, you will feel more comfortable and confident in your run
Think through what you have, and what you need, in terms of running clothing and then get it organized in a way that it is easy to find and grab each day for your run, this small organizational tip saves time and makes the entire process of getting ready for a run much more fun
When You Run
While schedules and lifestyles will be in the drivers seat when it comes to our running schedule, within these parameters try to schedule your run at a time that maximizes your enjoyment of it, the more we enjoy the run, the more likely we are to keep doing it
Mindset Matters
We can only control what we can control, sometimes (often) our day throws us curve balls and while we cannot change that we can do other subtle things that help to set us and our run up for success
Shifting into running mode is a helpful way to ensure you are present for your run from the first to the last step, things that can help with this include changing into your running gear, filling your water bottle, having a pre-run nutritious snack, taking a deep breath, a light warmup and stretching routine
Stretching For The Run
Life is busy and the main focus for many of us is the run itself so we often limit or, more often, eliminate, the stretching component
Stretching is beneficial for a ton of reasons not the least of which is it helps us transition from our non-run day to our run day (back to mindset matters above)
Stretching should be a happy, healthy, enjoyable, relaxing part of the process, not a to do item to check off of a list
Stretching does not need to be at all demanding or time consuming
One to five minutes of gentle head to toe static and dynamic stretches help to get our mind and body ready for the run
Cooling Down From The Run
Similar to the start of the run, the cool down is a great way to celebrate what you just accomplished, to catch your breath, bring your heart rate down and reflect on what went well and what needs attention
A light one to five minute walking cooldown with static stretching helps you transition from the run back to the next thing in a smooth way
Post Run
Change out of sweaty clothes and into dry clothes as quickly as possible, this is for both comfort and recovery
Continue to hydrate early and often
Fuel within 30 minutes and, depending on the length of the run, again as necessary
Keep moving, gentle walking throughout your day and evening will promote circulation and recovery and offset muscle stiffness and soreness
Sleep
This is number one, the most important element of your running and training
Easier said than done, but sticking to a bedtime every single day of the week and the weekend will help set you, your sleep cycle, your rest, recovery and running up for success
See our blog post on the importance of sleep in athletes: https://www.soleful.run/stories/sleep-well-dream-big
There Is Always A Solution
All feelings are valid and we will never undervalue, diminish or ignore how or what you are feeling
We will focus on overcoming, building confidence and working through the inevitable speed bumps that appear throughout the course of training with a mindset that there is always a solution, it is okay if things do not go according to plan
We like to think of running and training as a map, there are many routes to your destination
In Summary
To the best of your ability, without it becoming a stressor, try to positively implement a set bedtime and wakeup time each day
Start the day with a glass of water and prioritize fuel and hydration throughout the day
Establish an easy-to-follow realistic routine for your day start to finish, key word being realistic, don’t let this be idealistic or based on what you see other people doing, for it to be successful it should be possible
Breath, relax and move throughout the day
Invest in running clothing and gear that makes you feel comfortable and confident and then reserve these items for the run specifically for both durability and mindset
Create a brief, simple warmup, cooldown and stretching routine that is as much about your mind as your body and is something you start to look forward to as a part of the run
You can almost look at each day like a mini race day, what would you do on race day eve, race day morning to make sure you are ready to go, implementing this on a fun, happy, low-key, smaller scale each day can set you up for the everyday start lines we cross each morning when we wake up
Run happy and healthy!