It's time to run outdoors again

By Michele Batz

With spring in the air, people are venturing outside to get their daily dose of exercise! Rejoice, celebrate this freedom we have to go anywhere we wish, dream up new personal goals and be able to use our voices to express that freedom!

If you have been exercising indoors on the treadmill, you will find a vast difference running or walking outside. Yes, you will feel a little different. You will feel a little sluggish, maybe and little off balance while you are running on the road. But guess what, this is normal!

The treadmill in a way, has helped your forward movement, even at times that you thought the run on the treadmill was taking forever! And when you run or walk outside for the first week, your body will make adjustments since you do not have that tread moving underneath your soles. Stick to it, slow down if you feel uncomfortable and take in the surroundings that are developing right before your eyes. The grass is turning green, flowers are coming up and their that freshness in the air minus the summers' humidity. So, rejoice, share your outings with family and friends.

Adjust to outdoors

Give yourself time to adjust to the great outdoors. We are our own worst critics! We judge ourselves constantly. Why? Be kinder to you, if you do not start, who will? Are you ruled by other people's judgments of you? If you are, stop this spring. Live your own life, applaud your efforts everyday and take those negative self talks out of your mind.

Think positive, live positive and good things will come your way. Motivate yourself by creating a space in your home, just for you! Make it your own, be creative, be wild, be daring — be yourself.

Here is some advice from Liz Applegate, author of Eat Smart, Play Hard. Excellent resource book for everyone! You know how I feel about diets, they do not work! Adjust your eating by cutting back, moving more and your weight will come off and you will have more money in your pocket to purchase this great book.

Liz states, "What you should eat during exercise depends on the kind of exercise you are doing. The livelier the sport, the more you must pay attention to how you eat. Here are some specific tips for some different types of hard play." (I must include one of them in today's column, these are so important.)

Running is both intense and bouncy, which makes fueling during exercise difficult for many people. It also requires little in the way of equipment, which makes carrying food a slight logistical problem. Fortunately, there are several solutions. Dress smart. There is a wide selection of sports apparel and accessories on the market that make it easier to eat on the run.

Stylish shorts

Stylish shorts from Race Ready come with convenient pockets for easy storage of your energy gels and bars. You can find these shorts at most specialty running stores or online.

Cycling jerseys have pockets in the back for easy storage of gels, bars and even house keys. Be sure to look for a lightweight shirt, since cycling jerseys generally run a bit thicker to shield cyclists from ride-induced wind.

A wide selection of versatile fanny packs provide expanded carrying capacity for those on the go. Specially designed hydration waist packs can tote and even deliver water and other fueling fluids. As for comfort, the Camelbak, Nathan and Ultimate brands were given high marks during a Runner's World magazine test. You can find these waist packs online or at specialty running stores.

Stash your food. Some runners drive their intended course a few hours before a run to stash water and sports drinks bottles along the way. Afterward, they drive the course again to pick up their trash. I know one runner who buries his water along a route every other week or so. The water stays cold, strangers can't steal or tamper with the bottles, and the drinks are conveniently there when needed.

That's right, have fun on your runs and walks. Use your imagination, bring the child out. Why do we have to be so serious all the time? Enjoy life, run or walk as far and for as long as you want to! Just leave a note for the family, telling them where you went and what route. Just in case. •

© 2004 Michele Batz

About the Author
Michele Batz has an extensive 25 year career in sports education. She writes her own column for a Chicagoland newspaper and for eFitness.com and eDiets.com. Her book — What's Holding You Back? A Woman's Beginning Guide to Fitness is available through Amazon.com.