#1- Good Shoes, this is the most important piece of equipment, spend the money and do it right. I go to Athlete's Foot in Duluth, they're amazing and they ship my shoes to me every year for free!
#2- A reason- You need to have a reason as to why you're running, otherwise you'll question yourself.
#3- Support- you need a good support system. Either a running partner, someone you email or call, or a dog. You need accountability!
#4- Motivation- sometimes a new running outfit or a new pair of shoes will do it. This changes, I guess I should change this to... #4- search for motivation
#5- A balanced Diet- whatever you put in your body is your fuel. I'm not saying I'm perfect, but when I do decide to splurge on beer and pizza, trust me, my engine knows it!
#6- Sunglasses- The sun can be a killer on long runs, protecting your eyes is important
#7- Sunscreen- Yes being Tan is nice, however skin cancer is not! I got burnt on my 16 miler last year, I didn't even think about it... lesson learned! OUCH!
#8- Schedule- I think this is one of the most important and unnecessary things when running. Often times people put too much emphasis on a schedule.., so 0500 runs or trips to the gym get overwhelming which leads to them becoming non-existent. Here's my schedule. Get your run in today, at some point., if it's morning, great, afternoon, or evening. I just have to get it in at some point. Period. It's less stressful this way!
#9- Drink Water!- this is going to be a personal goal of mine this training season, I am pretty good at drinking, but I could be better!
#10- (which should be #1) LISTEN TO YOUR BODY- if you hurt... stop, if you're thirsty... drink, If you need to evacuate on the trail... bring toilet paper. If you're hungry... eat. If you don't feel right... stop. Listen, it will tell you what it needs!
