15 Running Hacks to Make Running Easier + our GOAL with the kids.

Brooke asked for a locket for her birthday and it makes me happy when she wears it.  She asked for a picture of us to go inside so on one side is a picture of my nose and left eye (that is all that could fit;) and her face is on the other side..

I have been using Andrew’s wireless headphones and I’m in love.  They don’t even move when I am running.  They also don’t get caught in my lip gloss (I put on a thick layer of lip gloss before each run because dehydrated lips drive me CRAZY during a run) or my necklace (because taking off my necklace before a run requires too much work).

I attempted a self-timer photo while I was out but it didn’t work out that well…  Maybe the blur effect makes it look like I’m running a 5 minute mile though?

Either I felt faster for my run or I had to be back by a certain time… I think it was a combination of both things.  I was happy with the 9:04 average!

After getting a bunch of work done at home and around the house, Brooke and I had a date to go see Leap!  Tuesday’s are really cheap at the movies here and a big air conditioned room with recliner seats were calling my name.

I don’t think Brooke stopped dancing around for a full two hours after we watched the movie.  At the end of the movie she said, ‘Good job mom, you didn’t fall asleep.’  I guess I might be known for sleeping a lot lately these days.

Beretta always gets the biggest hugs when we get home.

Dinner of champions… thank you Andrew for bringing home the Cafe Rio.

Brooke went to bed and we hung out watching TV.  We don’t look tired at all;)

PS this is a random thing we are doing with our kids right now (aka we just started it).  I’m a big fan of going to Disneyland once a year.  Andrew and I decided we would have the kids earn the trip this year and so far so good.  They get a jelly bean in the jar for big chores or doing a good job listening to us or doing something kind for someone else etc.  We’ve got a ways to go but they are excited about it!

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I love life hack articles or videos.  I always get sucked into them because they are the best ideas and they make me wonder how I went so long in my life without them:)  Over the years I’ve come up with some running hacks and most importantly, I WANT TO HEAR YOUR running hacks so that I can copy you!

1.  Start your long run near a gas station so that when you finish you can pop in and get the largest ice cold drink (whatever is your favorite) ever.  I can’t tell you how many long runs were motivated in the last few miles by knowing that I was just moments away from some sort of delicious drink.

2.  For every negative thought about yourself that pops into your brain while you are running … come up with five positive thoughts. I started doing this a year or so ago and goodness does it help!

3.  My coach didn’t love me doing this one ha but it worked for a few races for me and long runs for years… I love candy (and candy is cheap and easy) so I would use it as fuel every now and then during a run.  I’ve tried—>  twizzlers, swedish fish, gummy lifesavers, mike and ike’s, jelly beans, starbursts and mambas and they all did what I needed at the time.  Now Shot Blocks and Huma Gels are my favorite but every now and then I’ll sneak in the other stuff too.

4.  Feet problems?  Sore feet after a long run?  A few things that I do= freeze some golf balls and use those to massage your feet (put the golf ball on the ground and roll your foot over it).  I also don’t sleep on my stomach to avoid having pointed feet all night (which I think causes feet problems with my running).  I also SWITCH my shoes around throughout the week.  I rotate between three different pairs of shoes (the Launch, Glycerin and Pureflows) to help my feet gain strength in different places… different shoes require different muscles to work more than others so switching them up gives your feet a workout too!  This might help to reduce your chance of a foot injury too!  You could also try to tie your shoes differently like in this post.

5.  If you run with your car or house key, I suggest tying your key to your shoelaces.  I have lost my car keys many times over the years (and one time in the mountains and weirdly enough a friend found it a few days later?!) but once I started tying the key to my shoes, I have never lost one since.

6.  If you are anything like me and hate more than anything to have cold hands during a run in the winter (I swear if my fingers are cold, it is literally the only thing I can think about the entire run)… USE HAND WARMERS.  I put them in my gloves and they keep my hands happy the entire time.  They add up over time but the splurge is worth it to me and my running:)

7. Ever get a weird feeling about a way you are about to go on a trail or road?? I get that feeling sometimes so I go the other way.  Intuition or paranoia?  I don’t know but I always listen closely to those feelings I get while running.

8.  Running a hot race where they offer little packs of ice?  I am convinced that those packs of ice are actually meant to put put in my sports bra because it is amazing how quickly those cool down my core body temperature!  Put your phone/electronics in a ziplock back too for these hot races so you can poor water on yourself too!

9.  This is a new one that I’ve learned but one I’ll use for the rest of my running.  If you are feeling bored with your running lately, switch up from listening to music to listening to a podcast.  I get SO excited for new podcasts that I find or when a new episode comes out from my favorite podcast.  It gets me out the door and running because I only let myself listen to certain ones while I run:)  My current favorite podcasts are here and add Super Soul Conversations to that list too:)

10.  Take some time for injury prevention because otherwise, injuries will take time from your running.

11.  A hack that is silly but it took me years to learn… if you want to enjoy early morning running more—>  GO TO BED EARLY and turn off all of your distractions at night haha.  Your morning run will feel so much better if you aren’t scrolling IG the night before until midnight ha.  So simple yet so hard to do:)  If you are still having a hard time getting out the door to run in the morning… do not think about anything running related until you are actually running.  Avoid all thoughts about it and before you know it, you are going and feeling some endorphins start to kick in.

12.  Have a long run coming up and not loving the idea of looking for water fountains or carrying a water bottle?  Josse and I used to plant water bottles along our long run course the night before to have and it was SO nice.  Bonus hack that I’m not sure I will ever do again ha… save money on buying ice for ice baths by sitting in the freezing cold river in Utah in February.

13.  I try to eat more iron (get tested too while you are at it)… as a runner and a woman I try to get in plenty of spinach, broccoli, red meat, beans, baked potatoes etc.   My running feels so much better when I do!

14.  Run places.  If time is limited and you need to fit in a run you can run to do an errand you need to get done.  Every time my car has to get fixed you better believe I show up to the car place in my running clothes and go run while they work on the car.  Last year I would drop off the kids at their school, park there and go for a run.  My sister and I one time when she was living in Wyoming would run to the grocery store and pack up the groceries in the bottom of her running stroller and run home or we would run to Blockbuster to get the next season of Alias on DVD:)

15.  Andrew and I did this last Christmas break while on vacation together… we would run to a beach or place that we really wanted to see, grab some breakfast or lunch and take an Uber back to the hotel.  Point to point courses are my favorite and Uber makes them possible;)

PS one that I’ve read of that I haven’t tried… shower in your running clothes after your run (for the first few minutes of your shower).  Rinse them out and then lay them out to dry!  This way you don’t have to wash them as often and they don’t stink up your house?  Has anyone tried this?

PPS another one I’ve seen… has anyone tried this?

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I WANT TO HEAR YOUR running hacks!  Things you do to make your running easier/more enjoyable!?!  I really want to hear these!

Disneyland fans… how often do you go?  My parents took us every summer so I blame them for my yearly need to go.  

Parents reading… have any goals that you are working on with your kids?

Have any shows that you are really excited about starting to watch this fall?