Weight loss is a problem that plagues many people. It can be very hard trying to determine the best approach to tackle the problem so you need to think about this very seriously. Many diet pill companies promote specialized pills that aid weight loss and magically make the weight disappear. Unfortunately, these claims are false, and there is no easy way to lose weight.

The answer, however, is quite simple when it comes to slimming. Lots of aerobic exercise is the best way to shed those unwanted pounds and running can be one of the best exercises you can perform. This article will give you some ideas on how to utilize your running workouts to lose weight.

The first thing you need to do when preparing to start a new running program is to find a good pair of running shoes. Inexpensive shoes will never hold up to the constant wear and tear of a running regimen. You must be prepared to spend the money to get a good quality pair of running shoes. A good set of shoes will protect your feet and give you good balance while running. Wearing the wrong type of shoes could lead to knee and foot problems. A good quality shoe store will have trained salespeople who will be able to measure your feet and determine the exact size for you.

When starting a running program it is always important to set a schedule and stick to it. This is the only way you’ll be able to lose weight through running. Many people do not stick to their schedule and end up only exercising sporadically. You must have a routine which is set in stone and followed rigorously. To receive the best benefit from running you should try to run 3-4 times per week for at least 30 minutes.

You’ll be surprised how fast the pounds start disappearing if you can stick to a schedule. For those who like numbers, running for 30 minutes (average pace) can help you burn up to 365 calories (10 minutes /mile). If you exercise 12 times per month then this will save you 4380 calories which is 1 1/2 pounds.

Another important factor when running is wearing the appropriate outfit. This can actually be quite tricky depending on the season. When running outdoors in the winter it is easy to place too much clothing on which will end up causing you to overheat during your run once you are warmed up.

It is not easy to shed clothing and carry it with you while you’re running. You may have to dress lighter than you normally would and count on your body warming up after a few minutes into your run. Also, when running outdoors in the summer it is important to remember to apply sunscreen. Of course you can forget these problems by simply finding an indoor track to run on or even better finding a treadmill that will suite your needs.

A guest post by Alex C. Alex has a weight loss blog where he shares information on how to lose weight healthy and easy.

This is a guest post by Kate McDowell, a running-obssessed computer science major at the University of Virginia and writer of the blog 00kate.com

There are two kinds of runners – those of us who have been injured, and those of us who will be injured. Until last December, I was a proud member of the latter group. I’m young! I thought. I listen to my body (except when it’s being a weenie)! I’ve read so many Runners World articles on how to stay injury-free that I could write the book!

Not so.

Hindsight is, of course, 20/20. I now see that training for a marathon less than a year after I had begun running meant I should have trained very conservatively, something I did not do. I ramped up my mileage to 40 a week, and not enough of those miles were recovery miles. I didn’t replace the calories I was burning each day, and neglected my calcium intake. I didn’t supplement my cardio workouts with strength training to prevent injury.

Ultimately, my injury was preventable. Some are, some aren’t. Either way, once you’re injured, you’re going to have one question on your mind: What now? Here’s what I wish someone had told me when I was recovering.

Do what you can. Be creative! You may not be able to do weight-bearing activities, but what about swimming? Take the time you’re off of running to work on flexibility or strength, things that usually take a back seat to running. Make sure to listen to the limits your doc lays out for you, though. The last thing you want is to prolong the time you can’t run!

1. Take a step back from the running community for a while if it’s too painful.
The first few weeks of being injured I couldn’t bear looking at my friends’ workouts on DailyMile.com (a great site where athletes hang out and track their fitness!) Taking a little break from the running world helped me to stop obsessing over what I was missing, and prevented me from pushing too hard to recover.

2. Find a good doc. Getting a doctor who can properly diagnose you is key to fixing the problem. It wasn’t until months after I was told – by the ER nurse, my primary care provider, and my physical therapist – that I had torn or severely strained my hip adductor that I found out via X-ray that I actually had a stress fracture on my pelvis.

3. Find a physical therapist. Working with a physical therapist who is familiar with running injuries is a great way to recover faster and prevent future injury. I started at a bad clinic – a different therapist each time, the same exercises that didn’t feel like they were targeting the problem area, and no feedback as to what might have caused the injury.

Finally I switched to a therapist recommended to me as a specialist in sports injuries, and he talked with me about my fitness and racing goals, did a thorough analysis of my running gait, and pinpointed specific bad habits that were putting unnecessary strain on my hips.

Each session after that, the therapist introduced new exercises, saw how I was progressing with the ones he gave me, and constantly pushed me to do each exercise perfectly to strengthen the muscles that weren’t supporting my hips.

4. Don’t give up! Being injured sucks. Fitness is lost. Speed can vanish. Races aren’t run. Goals aren’t met. But you know what? It all comes back. Better to be injured and learn from it than to spend years being held back by bad habits.

Learn from your mistakes. Maintain what fitness you can, and use this time to explore the world of fitness beyond running. Stay positive and listen to your doc and your physical therapist. And when you’re ready, go out for that glorious first run! It’s like falling in love with the sport all over again.

Injury is a runner’s worst nightmare. We dread a day when we are not able to lace up our favorite running sneakers and take on a long run. So why don’t we do more to prevent it?

Throughout my running career, I’ve faced anyone’s fair share of injuries, most notably a serious cause of shin splints that kept me on the bench for nearly two years. Upon returning, I promised myself that I would never take running for granted and would perform the necessary actions to prevent injury. My first step was to buy a high-density foam roller and I will never look back.

Foam rolling after ever run may be one of the best decisions we can make as runners (besides listening to our body and giving it necessary rest). A foam roller is designed to provide an inexpensive and easy way to achieve the same benefits as a deep-muscle massage. It is especially valuable to runners because it increases flexibility and decreases muscle tension, helping to prevent injury and improve performance. Often times, injuries are due to an imbalance or deficiency in muscles that cause pain in other areas of our body (such as our knees, our shins, etc.). Foam rolling can help reduce these imbalances and deficiencies.

There are so many different foam-rolling exercises. Here is my typical post-run foam rolling routine:

Calves – To do this, sit with the foam roller under one calf, with the other leg on top of it. Support your body with your hands on the ground behind you. Then, roll slowly up and down the calf muscle, paying special attention to anywhere that is extra tight. Repeat on the other leg.

Hamstrings – Sit with the roller under one thigh, stacking your feet on top of each other with your hands behind you on the ground. Then, slowly roll up and down the hamstring from the top of your knee to the bottom of your hipbone. Repeat on the other leg.

Quadriceps – Flip over and lie face down with the foam roller on your thigh and elbows to the ground for support. Once again, slowly roll up and down the quad from the top of your knee to the bottom of your hip. Repeat on the other leg.

IT Band – Already facing down, shift your weight to the outside of your quad muscle and roll slowly up and down. Repeat on the inside of your quad muscle and the other leg.

In order to get the most out of your foam rolling, follow these easy tips:

- The slower the better, focusing on areas that are tight, reduced motion, or painful.

- Perform the foam roller exercises after you’re muscles are warm or post-work out.

- The most ideal time to foam roll is right after exercise prior to stretching.

- Avoid rolling directly over bones or joints.

I truly believe foam rolling has made a significant difference in my running performance and has helped prevent injury. No matter how rushed my work out is, I always allow time for foam rolling. So what are you waiting for? Get rolling!

This article is written by Caroline Winn. You can find more about her runner experience and story at http://sunapeegirl.wordpress.com/

Having access to a treadmill is a true privilege. Compared to running outdoors it is easier on bones, joints, and it is private, which is a fabulous thing at 6AM. The only drawback to running on a treadmill is that too many people fall into a routine, the same speed, time and incline for every single run. Fortunately, this is a problem which is easily solved with smarter running technique and awareness.

The problem with developing a monotonous treadmill routine is that results never progress. The body adapts quickly to an imposed demand on the lungs, heart and muscles. Once the demand is no longer a challenge, changes in the body can no longer be achieved.

Here are Three Tips for Progressive Running Results on the Treadmill:

1. Change time, incline, distance and speed often.

Aim to never have the same workout two days in a row. If you run a steady state jog at 5.0, run a steady pace at 5.1 next run. Even the slightest change will make a difference. Change routines from walk and run intervals or from a 1.0 incline to 2.0. Always keep the body guessing.

2. Push a Little Harder

We all know the phrase “mind over muscle.” It means that the mind can overpower physical limitations. Psychologically speaking, if you always run 30 minutes, eventually at around 30 minutes, you will feel fatigued. Same goes for the same speed, distance or incline. Always try to push a little bit harder, even by a minute. One technique I use is the “just one more song” tactic. I’ll hit my psychological barrier but jog, even if very lightly, for an extra 3-5 minute song on my MP3 player.

3. Practice all types of running progress

Some people run for speed, others time, distance or just as a fantastic cardiovascular workout. Whatever your running specialty is, it will improve by training in all areas of running fitness. If you are a runner that covers 5 miles a day, try doing a fast 20 minutes. If you run simply because it feels great, then you will keep your mind and body interested by switching up training styles.

Running is amazing for a fit physique, clear mind and a stronger cardiovascular and respiratory capacity. Get the most out of your workouts and continue to improve by using these three techniques, and let the ongoing results fuel your motivation to be a better runner day after day.

Kaleena is a personal trainer in Toronto. Read more of her articles at http://www.kalisthenixfitnessblog.com

We had the chance to meet Pamela Blaikie, a very active runner and inspiring blogger.

She is running the Reykjavik Half Marathon in August in Iceland as part of Team Diabetes who raises money for the Candian Diabetes Association .

Pam committed to raise $6,100 for team and she is working hard to get there. If you would like to make a donation to her fundraising, you can do that by following this link: click here.

Any help is appreciated

RunReviews Team

For a runner, turning 40 can be a bit unsettling. After all, this is the age where things start to go downhill, right? Times get slower, aches and pains become more prevalent, and the question of just how much longer you can keep on training like you always have looms large.

But with a few tweaks to the type of training you’ve always done, the running party doesn’t have to end. In fact, it could just be getting started.

I run with a group of women who prove this to be the case over and over. Most of us are in our 40s and a couple have even crossed over into their 50s. And yet these women continue to train and race strongly. Some have even set a few PRs in their 40s, me included.

I will say this—most of us don’t train or race like we did 10 or 20 years ago. We have made adjustments to accommodate the changes we admittedly face as master’s runners. But here’s what we’ve found to be successful:

- Take more time to recover after races–It used to be that I could race long on a Sunday and be back on the track doing speedwork two days later. That’s a thing of the past—I know recovery takes longer now, so I give myself an easy week following a race. This means no speedwork and reduced volume. By the second week I’m good to go again.

- Strength train—You begin to lose muscle mass in your 30s, so to balance that out, make sure strength training is a part of your regular regimen.

- Tune into your body—It may be cliché to say “listen to your body,” but it works. Several of my friends who have long track records without injury take themselves off the roads for a couple of days if something is sore or hurting. Those couple of days off won’t hurt their overall training, but it may keep them out of the doctor’s office.

- Keep the amount of speedwork you do in check. A day, or maybe two, per week of speedwork is really all you need to stay competitive at the master’s level. Any more than that and you’re risking injury.

- Cross-train—Throwing in some sort of exercise like swimming or cycling can balance your muscles and give your body a needed break from the pounding. I find there’s nothing like a good swim to loosen me up when I’m tight.

- Get a massage now and then—When it seems that all of my normal tricks are failing to loosen me up, I know it’s time for a massage. It’s great maintenance and I can think of many times it’s kept an injury at bay.

- Always take a day off each week–Let your body rest completely at least one day each week. It will give you both a physical and mental break.

Clearly, the day is looming for all master’s runners when times do start to fall off from where they were when you were younger. My friends and I always joke that when we enter a new age group now, we get to start over with a new set of PRs. For the most part, however, you can continue with a healthy, fulfilling running and racing habit well into your later years.

Happy trails my fellow master’s!

Amanda Loudin is a Maryland-based freelance writer and master’s runner. You can follow her running exploits on her blog at www.misszippy1.blogspot.com

Motivation is a fickle beast that pops up when we least expect it.Seeing a runner charging along while you’re driving can make you want to leap from the car and run along with her. But then, when it’s time for your own scheduled run later that day, motivation is nowhere to be found.

Over the summer, I got to talk to a few sports psychologists while reporting on stories on the topic. Their tips revolutionized the way I view motivation, and taught me low-motivation days are no accident.

My biggest mistake: I’d been sitting back and waiting for motivation to strike me. But, as Peter De Vries put it about another of my pastimes: “I write when I’m inspired, and I see to it that I’m inspired at nine o’clock every morning.”

Here’s how I see to it that I’m motivated before every run:

1. Identify negative thoughts. Sports psychologist Alison Arnold says negative thoughts can be sneaky. We know better than to tell ourselves we’re about to have a crappy workout. We’re more likely to make definitive statements about our performance: “I always get tired around this point,” or “I always get hurt in the winter,” Arnold says.

Letting your mind focus on pain that might be quite real – “My knee is killing me” – counts, too.

When I stopped to think about this, I realized that I really never give myself a break from a barrage of sneaky negative thoughts. Regulars in the chaotic, crowded happy-hour that is my mind: The tendonitis in my ankle hurts, and it’s only a matter of time before that makes my old hip injury flare up, too. I’m not sure if I can keep up with my running group tonight because I’m tired/sore/wimpy.

Sheesh. Maybe we should try a different bar.

2. Substitute positive thoughts – or at least neutral ones. Arnold says not to sweat it if positive, sunny thoughts don’t ring true at first, and suggests taking “one step up on the feel-good scale.” My positive spins: My hip and ankle problems have made me a stronger runner and overall athlete thanks to months of physical therapy. I am running with my doctor’s OK, and am playing it safe by sticking to low mileage for now.

As for keeping up with my regular pace group: This has never actually happened with my regular gang, so it’s a bit of an absurd worry. But if it did, I know most of our group-run routes, so it’s not a big deal if I fall behind.

3. Channel your passion. Every runner should have a long-term goal they’re passionate about and should remind themselves of that goal often. A runner training for Race for the Cure might repeat “cure” during speed workouts. A runner training for a marathon might hang a course map on the refrigerator, tape a motivational quote to the bathroom mirror or create a billboard with inspirational magazine cutouts and photos.

I have a little bulletin board with ads for upcoming races, pictures of places I’ve run in the past and running ads I find inspiring. My favorite one: a Brooks ad featuring a stick-figure runner smiling, with the caption: The longer I run, the smaller my problems become.

4. Find a mantra. I like to remind myself that, after a run, I feel both powerful and graceful — feelings that can be hard to channel in the painful heat of the moment. So I repeat: Strength, power and grace. Also, a runner who has qualified for the Boston Marathon a few times over shared this mantra, which she uses on hills: this will make my tushy less cushy. It sounds silly. But during your next tough race or speed workout, ask yourself: Would I like my tushy to be less cushy? See if it doesn’t make you pick up the pace.

5. Express gratitude. Sports psychologist Kay Porter suggests thanking your body as if it’s a separate person. So I give my body constant shout-outs during hard workouts and races, and promising it an ice bath, a protein shake, a good dinner out, a post-race massage. I also express thanks that I can run at all, which is something I never want to take for granted.

Amy Reinink is a Silver Spring, Md., based freelance writer who blogs about her training adventures at her Web site, amyreinink.com.

Amy Reinink

There is a gym close to where I work.

It’s a Secret Gym in a quiet, small room with soft, green carpet that’s been freshly swept. It is filled with equipment just waiting, waiting for someone to use it. It is Wonka’s workout factory.

The Secret Gym’s walls are lined with resistance bands in every color of the rainbow. There’s a BOSU, which I’d never seen before, and an exercise ball. There are weights in every size plus a weight machine, and a bike, a stair climber, yoga mats, a step for aerobics, cubbies storing perfectly folded towels, music and current gossip magazines! And, oh yes, there is a treadmill.

The room has two mirrored walls on one side and windows on the other. It is bright and clean. And empty.

Nobody seems to know about this gym. Nobody, that is, except my co-worker, who shared it with me today. I have no idea how she found this place.

Today, I joined her during our lunch hour where I swished the pages of a glossy, lightly read, OK! magazine and ran two miles on a newish, and slightly squeaky, treadmill
.

There’s something to be said for treadmills. I knew how fast I was going, my pace per mile and how far I ran. I started slow because it has been years since I ran on a treadmill and I was scared I might fall on my face. I slowly increased my pace until I was doing a 9:20-mile for the last quarter-mile. After two miles (about 22 minutes), I slowed the machine to cool down and walked for another quarter-mile. I liked being able to experience what fast (for me) felt like. I know this is why people have Garmins.

I was extremely sweaty after my workout because I had planned on running outside, so I only had my tights with me. Since it’s been in the 20s here, I brought a turtleneck with me and my running jacket. Luckily, I had a clean short-sleeved shirt in my gym bag, so I didn’t have to run indoors with a turtleneck on. That would have been really hot…and weird.

So the mileage was not what I had planned because we had to drive to the Secret Gym and change and then change afterward and drive back. But that’s fine with me.

Now I know how to get there. But don’t ask me for directions.

I won’t tell.
*** This article is published on RunReviews with the approval of the author.

Kerrie T. is the author of the blog, Mom vs. Marathon.

Yep. It’s what you think.

Two years ago, when I was new to “winter running”, I headed out on a 20 degree afternoon for a 5 mile run. At the turn-around, I turned back into the slight breeze. I was about a mile and a half from home when “something” started to feel “weird”. Here’s where the lovely run turns south.

“I think the tip of my bishop is frozen”, I thought. I didn’t know what to do. So I just kept running. I didn’t have far to go.

As the minutes wore on, I realized it was getting more and more numb. I was starting to freak a little. I’ve seen photos of what bad frostbite does to fingers. I did NOT want any of that for my John Dillinger.

I was only wearing thin “swishy” pants with boxers underneath. My legs were plenty warm. But my wombat was freezing his one eye off. I did all I could to get home ASAP.

I got through the door and dropped trou immediately. My third leg didn’t look too swell. It was all small and red. Bright red. Not a natural color. I held him in my hand as I called my wife’s cell phone – she’s a doctor. As the phone was ringing, the sensation was starting to come back. It was JUST like when you lose feeling in your fingers, but in this case, that raw and burning feeling was down there!

I told my wife what was going on. What did my loving wife do? She started laughing: “Oh, this isn’t supposed to be funny, but I can’t keep from laughing!” It WAS funny – to everyone in the world except me. Thanks Hun. I was coddling it in my hands. It was numb clear down to the base. I was whimpering. I was just like a little boy who found his little pet mouse dead, and was carrying it around as he was crying. Wait, I suppose I shouldn’t have referred to it as a “little mouse”. Oh well.

For about 10 minutes, I was not a happy camper. It was like holding an ice cube in my hand. I didn’t know what to do: “Do I run it under hot water? Do I take a bath? Do I cut it off while it’s still numb and save myself years of expensive and painful tallywacker rehab?” I was lost. I was, well, like a boy without his pixie stick. Literally.

When that hot, burning, regaining-feeling sensation had passed, I took a shower. After the shower, my little buddy had a red ring around him. It looked like an STD. I got an STD from that whore, Mother Nature. She got it from Father Time, who probably got it from that weekend he spent with Lindsey Lohan.

About 2 hours after the run, my kielbasa was back to normal. The redness was gone. The weird STD-looking rash was gone. Function had returned.

This taught me to make sure to insulate DOWN THERE during colder runs. And if it’s just too cold out, I should just stick to the treadmill.

This is a guest post from Steve Stenzel, AKA Steve in a Speedo. The photo of him below is not from the run detailed above – it’s from a 10K race in 25 below windchill. You can find out more about Steve reading his blog: http://iwannagetphysical.blogspot.com/.

Whether you’re a seasoned athlete training for your next big marathon, or a casual runner hoping to set a 5K PR, there are 3 different
training runs you can be doing to get the most out of your running.Try doing one of these following runs each week:

1. Long Run
This one’s a bit of a no-brainer. You need to get in some quality time on your legs. For a 5K race (3.1 miles), shoot for a long run somewhere between 4 and 6 miles. That will help build the endurance you need to sustain that length of a race. For a half marathon or a marathon, you do not need to run the distance of the race; that could lead to injury or excess fatigue.

2. Tempo Run
Your long runs teach you to run LONG. Tempo runs teach you to run HARD. These are shorter runs, but they are nearly “all out” effort. For 5K training, these will be 2 to 4 mile runs, and for marathon training, these might be 5 to 13 mile workouts.

3. Speed Work

Intervals of some sort will teach your body what it’s like to run while fatigued. If you have access to a local track, utilize it for these workouts. Try 3 or 4 half-mile repeats (with 90 seconds to 3 minutes of rest between) to get started. Build up to 6 repeats over the course of a month or two. Some weeks, try shorter repeats (quarter mile) in greater quantity. Other times, try 2 to 4 mile
repeats.

In between these workouts, make sure to rest. Your body needs rest in order to recover and build muscle. Listen to your body: some people can run every day while others can only run these 3 runs each week.

This is a guest post from Steve Stenzel, AKA Steve in a Speedo. You can find out more about Steve reading his blog: http://iwannagetphysical.blogspot.com/.