running tips

Hitting the open road has many benefits over running on a treadmill — fresh air and sunshine, gorgeous scenery to prevent boredom, and you can also run with your four-legged fitness buddy. You also have more freedom of movement to incorporate muscle-toning moves into your runs, and here's how.

• Run baby run: While running in general will tone your legs and booty, adding sprinting intervals is even more effective. Incorporate 30- to 60-second bursts throughout your workout and you're sure to feel your lower body working. Since you're outside, you can use landmarks to motivate you such as sprint to the stop sign or until you see five red cars, or if you're on a track, sprint the straights.
• Walk this way: Sprints aren't the only type of interval you can include. When you need to catch your breath after a sprint, throw in a few sets of walking lunges to target your glutes, quads, and hamstrings.
• Head for the hills: Find a steep hill in your neighborhood or in the woods and do hill repeats. Run up the hill then back down to target all the muscles in your lower body. If you need some motivation, try this hill repeat workout to build muscle and endurance.

Keep reading to learn three more ways to build muscle on outdoor runs.

Even with the best intentions, it is sometimes impossible to avoid running well after sunset. If running at night is unavoidable, protect yourself in the dark by following these tips.

• Run in familiar, well-lit areas: To ensure a clear running path, find an area that's lit by streetlamps, or hit up an outdoor track. If you want to experiment with a new trail, do it during daylight hours; sticking to your usual route will help avoid unseen bumps or potholes.
• Make sure others can see you: It's important to be visible to drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, and other runners on the road. Wear bright colors and reflective gear, and for extra caution, wear a headlamp or attach a blinking bike light to your clothing. Get started with our picks for reflective running gear.
• Be aware (and ditch the playlist): Because running at night cuts down on your line of sight, make sure you can hear and see clearly. Go running without an iPod or MP3 player, and make eye contact to alert others of your presence. This is especially important to do with drivers when you're crossing the street.
• Carry safety essentials: Keep a cell phone with you in the event of an emergency, and always carry identification and an insurance card in case you sustain an injury.

Check out even more nighttime running tips after the break!

Beautiful scenery, a higher calorie burn, and a toned lower body are just a few things to look forward to when you start running outside. But if you don't play it safe, then you can just as easily be looking at a slew of new injuries, frustrations, and unmet expectations. Stay safe and make sure that your first outdoor runs are your best yet with these tips.

No. 1: Pick the Road More Traveled
When starting out, the last thing you want to worry about is getting lost. Before even lacing up your sneakers, do some research: ask friends where they like to run, use online running forums to find popular routes, and check to see if your park has designated trails. The more popular and visible the trail, the better. Well-used routes tend to have clearly defined pathways, they are often well-lit, and there's safety in numbers by choosing a trail that's populated with fellow runners. If you're feeling nervous, then opt to walk the route first, or ask a friend to go running with you. Wherever your run takes you, make sure to follow these basic running tips that will help keep you safe and out of harm's way.

No. 2: Start Slow (and Soft)
Aside from having to deal with what nature throws at you, running without the momentum of a treadmill is also more taxing on the body. The muscles have to work harder to push the body forward, and the joints take more of a beating from running on uneven (and harder) terrain. When you first begin running outdoors, don't expect — or even challenge yourself — to run as fast or as long as you do on a treadmill. Give your body time to adjust by gradually replacing treadmill runs with some that are outdoors, and keep your first few runs on the shorter side. You can pick up the pace and add mileage as your body acclimates. To make the transition easier on your joints and avoid injury, start by running on softer surfaces like grass, a track, or a wooded trail.

See the last running tip after the break!

There's something comforting about setting out for an outdoor run; it allows you to clear your mind, breathe in fresh air, and notice your surroundings. If you're running for fitness, however, then don't get too comfortable; make sure you're switching up your route regularly.

Following the same route all the time is bad for your running routine for a few reasons. For one, you may become bored and slack off. Also important: running the same route all the time can actually cause imbalances in your body that can lead to injuries, since you are training your body to react to your route's particular uneven surface. This can cause an even bigger setback in your running workouts.

One easy way to switch up your routine is to make sure you run your normal route backward every other week. But if you're training for a long race, then it's especially important to go one step further and find completely new routes to add to your runs. You need to train your body to be ready for any type of condition, like steep hills or windy corridors, to ensure you're prepared for your race route. Incorporating new routes into your routine also helps you mentally prepare when it's race day, since you won't be discouraged by the unfamiliarity of the course.

If you know you need a new running route but aren't sure how to find one near you, then use crowd-sourcing route apps like MapMyRun or a site like Walk Jog Run.

Do you always run the same route?

When it comes to marathon training, nothing can be more daunting than that weekly long run. In the midst of marathon training myself, I asked running coach and Sports Club/LA trainer Ben Hwa for his best advice for tackling a long run; here are his tips to keep in mind the next time you're gearing up for that 18-miler.

1. Go easy: "The purpose of the long run is obviously to run long! Don't try to race yourself and attempt to figure out what you can possibly run for the race distance. Build endurance and learn what running (or being on your feet for that matter) for the duration feels like," Ben says. Don't worry about your pace; you can focus on that when you do your interval and tempo runs during the week.
2. Eat more: Marathon training takes up a lot of your time as well as a lot of your energy, so make sure you have enough fuel to get you through those long runs. "Eat a lot," Ben advises. "If you're going to be exercising for a few hours, it's imperative to have enough energy stores to make the distance. If your stomach can handle it, it's much better to be in a calorie excess than deficit."
3. Have fun: Fitting in a long run every week can start to feel like a chore, but it shouldn't. Focus on making it fun instead of trying to hit a certain time, Ben says. "[It's] hard enough just to finish the darn thing. Don't make it even more difficult by trying to run it as fast as possible."

If the Color Run hasn't already come to your city, it's probably in the works. This popular 5K is sort of like a crayon box exploding. As participants make their way through the course, they pass through six different color stations — blue, green, pink, purple, yellow, and orange — where volunteers throw colored powder onto runners. As you can probably already tell, this is a fun run that welcomes all ages and athletic ability; but just because it's fun doesn't mean there shouldn't be some prep involved. After running it for ourselves, here are some insider tips on how to prep and what to expect when doing a Color Run!

• You don't need to be a runner: The Color Run is a beginner's dream: it's not timed, families and children are welcome, and there's a designated walking lane. Serious runners, take note: unless you are part of the lead pack or especially good at dodging crowds, you probably won't be able to run for time. During our run, the sheer amount of participants coupled with the stop-and-go color stations and the small size of the running lane made it difficult to consistently run any faster than an 11-minute mile. If you've never run continuously prior to the event, this is a great pace for a beginner runner. If you'd like to try and run the entire course, get started on a Couch to 5K plan at least two months before the Color Run.
• The earlier, the better: With more than 10,000 entrants, it counts to be early when it comes to the Color Run. Because registration fees increase as the day of the event draws near, make sure to sign up early (registration starts around $45). The week of the Color Run, pick up your bib packet in advance; otherwise, expect to be waiting in a long line when you arrive the day of the run. For those who are hoping to set a new PR, show up a few hours before the start in order to position yourself in the lead pack. If not, you'll be stuck behind thousands of people you'll later have to maneuver around once you make it past the starting line. But really, this run is not about going fast — take your time and enjoy the experience!

Find out whether or not that color comes out and even more tips after the break!

If you've been upping your normal weekly mileage with a long, endurance-challenging run, then you probably have both a renewed appreciation for running as well as a lot of sore muscles. Sometimes the best way to recover is scheduling a recovery jog the day after a strenuous run.

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) usually peaks a couple days after an intense workout; while anything too strenuous can make the pain worse — or lead to injury — doing light cardio can help repair and soothe the muscles.

Cardio increases blood flow to the muscles while also helping to provide much-needed nutrients. "It brings oxygen, protein, and iron to the muscles that you've been training and helps them recover faster. As the blood leaves the muscles, it takes some of the metabolic byproducts with it (like carbon dioxide and lactic acid) that may be causing DOMS," says trainer Harley Pasternak. Follow up with some well-needed stretching, which will help break up knots and increase circulation, to help further shorten the amount of time you experience DOMS.

So if you're planning a long run this weekend, then follow it up the next day with some easy cardio, like a slow jog, a leisurely hike, or a walk. Learn more ways to recover from DOMS here.

You've been running regularly for some time and have completed a few 5K fun runs. But now it's time to step it up and take this distance seriously. Here are some tips to help you beat your personal record when running 3.1 miles.

During Training

• Add speedwork: If you want to run a faster 5K, then you have to practice running faster. Coach Andrew Kastor recommends adding 80-meter sprints into your training schedule, and here's his plan for running a faster 5K in four weeks. Remember: sprinting can be hard on the body, so make sure to start off with shorter sprints and build up to the full 80 meters, especially if you're new to speedwork.
• Add short uphills: Hills require strength and endurance, so if you practice them during your training, then you'll develop speed and muscle power, and just as with plyometrics (jump exercises), hill sprints will increase flexibility in your muscles and tendons, which reduces your risk of injury. In your training, tackle shorter steep hills (about 6 to 10 percent incline). Sprint up for 10 seconds, and then walk downhill backward to avoid pressure on the knees. Repeat, eventually building up to eight 10-second sprints. It's a surefire way to stronger, faster legs.
• Incorporate strength-training moves that target your shins, calves, quads, glutes, and core: Running alone won't increase your speed. You need to strengthen the muscles that make you move so your actions will be more powerful and more efficient. Incorporate variations of squats, lunges, step-ups, calf raises, bent over rows, and these three booty moves from celebrity trainer David Kirsch.
• Become familiar with the route: Obtain a map of the 5K course, and if the route is open (like in a neighborhood or wooded trail), then practice running it to familiarize yourself with the hills, curves, and mile markers. Knowing the course in advance will give you confidence and an added advantage over runners who are tackling it for the first time.

Keep reading to find out what to do on race day to run a faster 5K.

Who doesn't want to be a faster runner? Whether you're a beginner or someone who's finished a few marathons, runners of all levels can benefit from practicing negative splits. When you first hear the term, you might picture those contortionists who do floating splits between two chairs, but I assure you it's nothing as weird or seemingly painful as that.

Negative splits simply mean running the second half of an interval or an entire run or race at a faster speed. Since you're running the first half at a slower pace, it seems you'd be put in the negative in terms of total time, but since you're reserving energy for a faster second half, you'll actually end up with an overall faster time. Here are some more reasons to incorporate negative splits into your workout.

• Running at a slower pace in the beginning of your workout or race allows your muscles and joints to warm up thoroughly, which can help prevent injuries such as pulled muscles.
• It gradually increases how hard your heart and lungs need to work, so it's less of a shock to your system.
• Mood-boosting endorphins will naturally be flowing in the second half, so you'll have increased energy that allows you to run faster without feeling much effort.
• Running faster in the end of a race puts you at an advantage psychologically. You'll feel more confident and have a sense of strength as you pass other runners by.
• They offer quicker postrun recovery.
• When consistently doing negative splits in training runs, you'll inevitably become a faster runner.

Now you know why you should be doing negative splits, but how do you start incorporating them into your runs? For some helpful tips, keep reading.