How to Have Fun on a Run

Running stinks.

It's always either too hot or too cold.                 

It hurts!!!!!

It takes up valuable time.

It drains your energy.

How can this guy possibly say you can have fun running.

I used to share many of your same dilemmas. I know what's going through your head right now. It's impossible to have on a run, right. Many times, i share these thoughts. Running does at times stink, but you can make a lot of runs fun using some simple tricks. I didn't think that running could be enjoyable either, but I am here to tell you that it's not impossible.

Have you ever noticed that person that's outside running and smiling, looking like they're having the time of their lives. No? That's because there's not any. Some people sometimes grin or even smile on occasion, but typically most people look like they just want to kill themselves. This is the first thing you have to conquer to make running enjoyable.

Try to fake being happy!

The more you act like you're in pain, the worse your form will get and the more you will be in pain. You have to believe that running is good for you and that you can be happy on a run. Although it might seem inconvenient, smiling helps a ton. Smiling has been scientifically proven to release endorphins which raise your pain tolerance levels by taking up space in the brain and distracting your thoughts. If you can get it in your head that you enjoy running and being outside, enjoying nature, and smile then you've overcome the biggest step.

Yes, science actually approves enjoying running.

If this seems hard to do and you are running in a group, you can play running games. I have sometimes used running games on my runs and they help a lot. They also help distract you from the pain in a competitive and enjoyable way. Most of these may seem childish and embarrassing at times, but when you're on a run and your legs and lungs are killing you, you'll take almost any kind of escape.

These games include seeing how many people you can get to wave at you from their cars, trying to find slug bugs to hit your neighbor, or trying to kick a ball or a can to keep it in front of you while you run. Running games are pretty much anything you can think of to distract you from the pain. In the winter time, my team and I even have snowball fights over long stretches of road.

One of the most essential steps is having a purpose in your running, whether it's to become healthier, lose weight or prepare for a race. You have to set goals and actually try. I hated running as a freshman. That was because I never actually tried. I would just show up to practice and think that i would become fast just by showing up. No, you have to want something and actually try for it. By doing this you will see results and running will no longer be such a gloomy thing, but a gate to something better.

I've talked about the first thing you have to conquer, but this is a step that comes before that. It seems pretty basic, but I've seen people not follow it and be miserable. You have to be prepared for the run. By this I mean that you have to dress appropriately, eat right, and don't eat too much right before you run. I f you don't follow this rule, you will be miserable no matter how happy of a person you are. If it's freezing cold, don't go out in just shorts and a t-shirt. Don't be that guy that thinks he's so cool because he can run in sub thirty weather without a hat, jacket, gloves and, on rare occasions, a shirt.

 News flash, you're not cool unless you're talking temperature wise.

Also don't wear too many clothes. It may seem freezing, but running warms you up and if you wear too much, you will sweat until your body thinks that you are adequately cooled off. Once your body is cooled off, your sweat will freeze.

This is torture! Trust me, I've been there.

If you follow these tricks they will help you have actual fun on a run. It is not impossible. I promise.

              

How to Conquer One of the Biggest Time Wasters and, to Some People, Fears

To new comers it can be a pretty scary thing. To experienced fliers it can be upsetting how long new comers take. I am talking about an airport. If you're nervous about going through the airport for the first time or need to know how to get through it faster, this is the post for you. People spend hours trying to get through airports when really all that time can be saved by everyone following a few simple suggestions.

The first part of the airport is finding your correct terminal. Aviation companies can be in different terminals than others, depending on the size of the airport. Obviously somewhere like LAX or Dallas International Airport are going to have more terminals than a smaller airport such as Provo Airport. Get transportation to the terminal assigned to the aviation company (such as Jet Blue, Delta, United or South West) that you are flying with.

Once you are inside the correct terminal, the second part of the airport is usually checking in your bags and printing out your boarding pass. Boarding passes can be printed off at home or at a computer next to where you check in your bags. Make sure you have all the information you need before coming to the airport, such as your boarding code (used to print off your boarding pass).

The third step is going through security. This is the most feared and time wasting part of the airport. To save time, make sure all of your electronics are out of your bag and your liquids are less than three ounces and in a Ziploc bag. Hours could be saved by people taking off their shoes, belts and watches before they get to the security tables and scanners. This will save people time, help people make their flights, and in some cases, lower the time it takes to get through the airport by more than half. Make sure you also have everything out of your pockets, and all metal items removed from your person. Prepare ahead of time to put your small appliances into a bin that will be given to you at the security table.

Do not take anyone's luggage through the airport for them, especially not through security. Tip number two, never talk about bombs or terrorist attacks in an airport! That one's a biggy!

After this it's quite simple; all you need to do is look at the signs above your head to see where you need to go to find the gate assigned to your plane. There will be electronic boards telling you which flights are at
which gates and the gate number should be on your boarding pass.

Wait at the gate until it is announced for you to get on and find the seat that was assigned to you.

Store your carry-ons overhead and have a nice flight.

If you need help with any of this at the airport, besides having a nice flight, security officials should be there to help you.

    

An Amazing Running Blog!

This website gives runners everything they need to know. From food and nutritional subjects to professional runners and beautifully planned running routes, this well organized blog has both beginners and professionals covered. It has inspirational stories and videos, tips on how to most effectively become a better runner, and interesting articles about common things and things that one has never even thought about before. This blog shortly and precisely covers it all.

One of my favorite parts about this blog is the title itself: runaddicts.net. Speaking as one who has become addicted myself, I know what it feels like.

When one thinks about addictions, they usually think about drugs, alcohol or other life destroying things or behaviors. This is not one of those things. This addiction does quite the opposite. When your done fulfilling your crave, you feel healthy, amazing, and productive. You feel like you have accomplished something that will greatly help you in times to come (such as races). You don't immediately feel the crave again, but deep inside you know you are going to run again the next day with your eye on victory.

Yes, that is what it's all about. Not fulfilling a humanly crave that overwhelms your body, but tasting accomplishment and victory. You want to improve yourself and be the person that people look up too and say, "Wow that guys a beast. I wish that I could be as fast as him."

This website helps people to fulfill those dreams, become healthier, and develop this healthy craving in their lives. It helps people to feel accomplishment, purpose and self-worth. This blog helps addicts like me improve themselves and find even more happiness in something they love.

http://www.runaddicts.net/            
                                                                

One of the Few Soccer Blogs

I lied.

In my last post, I said that it was what the blog was about that really matters. That was before I looked at the soccer blogs. I couldn't find very many, but the one that I'm writing about was one of the best that I found. That's not saying much.

I really care about soccer and I love reading about international competitions and specifically about the U.S. soccer team. This blog was all about that kind of stuff, yet it was boring. It just showed pictures and gave a one sentence explanation for each one. The background was white and plain and the post titles were like the rest of it, boring.

It might sound like I'm being critical, but I really tried to like this blog and prove the point to myself that it doesn't matter what the blog looks like, as long as it's about something you love. I just couldn't do it. The titles didn't intrigue me or draw me in at all.

One thing that I think it definitely needed more of was stories. Over exaggerated, suspenseful, tie-breaking stories that everybody loves. It needed to tell nail biters and give their stories some character, not just tell the facts. It needed to bring in some excitement, tears and emotions. It needed to show amazing videos and act like the impossible had been done.

It looks like soccer players are just too busy playing and practicing to make blogs, or at least that's what I hope.

If not anything else, I learned the solid fact that blogs aren't nearly as interesting if they're not about yourself.

 http://soccerlens.com/

Pretty Cool Blog for One of the Best XC Teams Ever

I love this blog, but I'm definitely a little bias. It tells the facts how they are, which makes my cross country team look pretty good. And yes, I'm a little bit prideful in my cross country team. 

This blog helps me relive all the great moments of something that I have worked really hard for. The triumph, pain, mud, heat and victory all came flowing in from just looking at the pictures or reading comments that are personally related to myself. The hours spent riding on the bus, travelling to other states, hours of practice every day (except Sunday of course), and bonding as a team and family can all be portrayed by few words: hard work, time, dedication, pain, triumph, victory, friends and family. All in that order. 

All though this blog might be kind of plain at times or isn't very creative, It helps me to think back on something that I really care about and have experienced with far more than five senses. 

It might have boring xc videos, and it might not tell any amazingly illustrated stories, but it gives one like me just enough inspiration to want to live all of it over and over again, pain and all. 

Overall, I think to one that hasn't experienced the blog like I have, they may think that it's spacing is kind of weird and that it has a lot of videos with no comments. The stories of triumph aren't elaborated on and are given plainly as facts, but I love it more than any other blog, because it helps me relive things I really care about. To me, it's not the the spacing or creative words or stories in the blogs that matter most. It's what the blog stands for, what pain and hard work has been put into the blog and its stories, and how it makes you feel. Whether it makes you want to stand up for a cause or inspires you to work hard at another amazing cross country season. For me, this is as close to a perfect blog as you can get it.

http://cavemanxc.blogspot.com