Jogging Tip 5

The last Tip

Routine makes Habit

The best thing for me has been to find the perfect time of day to jog and to stick with it.  For me that means getting up early and going before anyone else is awake.  It is perfect for me. I used to go in the evening after the boys were in bed, but I was starting to get resentful of my exercise time.  It was taking me away from my couple time/ alone time in the evening.  Plus, if we had something going on in the evening, I would skip the jog.  If I go in the morning, it isn't very likely that I'll have a good excuse to skip.  It also gives me some time to think about the day ahead, what I need to accomplish, errands that need to be run, strategies for not going crazy. 

Overall, the reason I wanted to write these tips is because I have fallen in love with jogging, and I wanted to share the love.  One thing I've learned about myself is that if I want to lose weight, and keep it off, my life is going to have to include exercise.  My metabolism is pretty slow, I need to burn what I can.  I'm not seeing any weight "melt" off - I still need to get my eating under control.  I think I'm doing pretty good, but I know I could do much better too.  And weight isn't the only reason.  I have some blood issues that make me more susceptible to having blood clots (another post for another day) so I need to keep my heart and arteries healthy.  It's all about being healthy.  

I promise some picture posts coming soon.  Those are always more fun. :)

Jogging Tip 4

Edited to add links and fix spelling mistakes.

Good Programs

One thing that has really helped me stay motivated are the programs I use on my phone.  I have used Endomondo and Cardio Trainer.  I really like them both.  Endomondo is found on just about any phone, whereas Cardio Trainer is just on Android (I think).  They both do about the same thing.  You start your workout and (if you have GPS turned on) it will track your route.  At the end of the workout it will tell you how far you went, how fast you went, how many calories you burned, etc.  I've found that they aren't always completely accurate with the distance, but it is usually pretty close.  I love having those stats readily available.

There is also the ability to share information - I think Endomondo especially has a large group of users who share workouts and have challenges and what not.  I'm not into that, but if you are, it would be a great tool.

Oh yes, and they are both free as well.  I think there is a paid version of both, but they don't add a whole lot more content that I've seen.

There are also many other programs out there that will do similar things, you just have to find the one that is right for you.

Now, what if you don't have a smart phone?  Take your car and find out how long the route is!  For me it helped knowing just how far I was going.  And I am sure there are sites around these interwebs that would be able to tell you what kind of mile you averaged and how many calories you may have burned if you plug the numbers in.  I love that technology has provided us with these tools!

Jogging Tip 3

Use the right gear for you.

Jogging is great in that, really, you don't need anything except for a good pair of shoes.  And actually, you might not even need that - (google bare foot running sometime.)  But there other little things that help make it more enjoyable - at least for me.  I have my shoes, which I've already talked about here.  I still love them. In fact, they were the only shoes (minus a pair of flip flops) that I took to Colombia.

Light.  I run in the early morning, so I just recently bought a head lamp.  The first one I bought was cheap and only turned on half the time, so I took it back and got a new one.  I haven't actually used it yet and it seems a little chunkier than I would have liked, but I think it will do fine.  I need some kind of light - especially as the days get shorter.

Music Player and Headphones:  I use my phone to play music while I run.  It also keeps track of my route, how long I run, and how fast I go.

Arm Band:  I just recently bought a nicer arm band for my phone.  It's great.  Before I was using a phone holder from a backpack that had a loop in the back.  I put a handkerchief through the loop and tied it around my arm.  Resourceful - yes, Comfortable - not so much.

And that is all.  There are many other things out there geared for runners, but so far this is what I have found to be helpful to me.  And I still just run in Tshirts and shorts - no special clothing for me.  Although I hear the UnderArmor stuff is good for when it gets cold.  I'm going to be outside as much as I can, so that might be helpful.

Jogging Tip 2

MUSIC!

When I first started jogging I mostly listened to podcasts.  I was, at the time, well and currently I suppose, addicted to the show Lost; and enjoyed listening to podcasts about said show.  Unfortunately the show ended forever in May. (bittersweet)  So that was also an end to the endless stream of Lost podcasts.  (My favorite show is still going - just not as frequently - and they are starting a rewatch in Septemeber - Yay!)  Annyways - back on topic.  So I was out of podcasts and decided to listen to some music.  What a difference!  I couldn't believe how much of a difference it really did make.  I listen to a Pandora station with dance, techno, house, and trance - so stuff with a pretty heavy bass beat.  The music seems to push me forward sometimes.  Maybe it's the band nerd coming out - I have to stay "in step" with the music. :) 

Maybe this a pretty obvious thing, but I really never realized how much of a difference it would make.  I even think it is better than running in front of the TV. 

3 more tips to go - then I will stop yapping about this jogging thing.  For a little while anyways. :)