8 Ways to Spring Clean Your Run

Don’t you just love that feeling of newness each spring?  You feel refreshed opening up the windows and stepping outdoors.  It’s a whole new world of possibility and a fresh start each time it happens.  You may be giving your home a deep cleaning, cleaning out the garage or donating items from your closet.  But you should also think about spring cleaning your active lifestyle, too.  This is a great time to spring clean your running adventures.  Here are eight ideas for spring cleaning your run.

New shoes.  You’ve heard it before – running shoes only last for 300-600 miles per pair.  This goes for running or walking.  Have you been hitting the gym all winter and pounding miles out on the treadmill?  Even if you’ve taken a hiatus over the winter, try to recall how much running you did with your shoes last fall and calculate when they are due.  If you are running or walking 25 miles per week, you should be investing in new shoes every three to six months.

Go through the sock drawer.  Just like running shoes, your socks wear down.  While you are cleaning out the rest of your wardrobe, this is a great opportunity to go through your sock drawer and clear out any worn-out socks.  Heals and toes ten do get worn down and thin.  You may even notice a hole or two.  Toss them and keep yourself blister-free.

Update your playlist.  Plug in that ipod and refresh your playlist.  Add a few of your new favorite hits and add a few oldies that “bring you back”.  A half dozen new running tunes will quickly motivate you over a two mile run.

Explore more.  Did that same 5K loop around your neighborhood get old last year?  Try out some new trails and routes.  Drive to a local park or trail head.  Run your route backwards.  Exploring somewhere new on foot can be super exciting and help time pass by.

Make a plan.  Feeling a little lost after the winter?  If you’re not sure where to start or how quickly to ramp up your mileage, hire a running coach for guidance and accountability.  Having a plan and built-in accountability partner can keep your momentum going and give you a goal to work towards.

Get charged up.  Has your watch or ipod been collecting dust over the winter?  Make sure your gear is all charged-up and functioning properly.  Get back into the routine of charging your gear after your run and making sure you are ready to head out the door the next time you have a run on your schedule.  Keep a station ready with your gear, water bottle, gum, nutrition and other running essentials.

Invest in some quality water-resistant, water-proof and wind-proof running gear.  The springtime weather can be pretty unpredictable.  You can pretty much run in any kind of weather if you have the right gear.  Dress in layers and make sure that you have an outer layer appropriate for rain or wind, if weather isn’t ideal conditions.

Protect yourself.  Even if the temperature isn’t scorching, make sure that you protect your skin.  By wearing sunblock and a hat or visor, you will protect your pretty face from the UV rays you encounter on that next long run.