The Tip:
Maintaining natural hair, braids, locs and more while still making running and fitness a priority can be a challenge, but it’s not impossible. Resources like RUNGRL discuss not only the tips and products that can make it simple to maintain hair, but also discuss the deeper nuances around the experiences of Black women in fitness. Finding the right hair products to refresh hair between washes, as well as techniques to refresh the scalp and preserve straightened hair through a workout can all mean easier transitions and less worry about how the next run will affect hair health.
Dominique Burton, marathoner and RUNGRL co-founder, says learning to maintain her locs made a huge difference in how she managed her workout schedule.
“Getting familiar with protective styles and learning more about the products I can use in between washes has really helped me maintain my workout routine,” says Burton. “Instead of scheduling workouts around when I’m getting my hair done, I can confidently stick to my training plans and not have to worry that my hair will be damaged.”
Your Race Goals
For many, getting that medal at the end of a long, hard training cycle is a tangible representation of all their hard work. While virtual races can be an amazing experience, with the excitement of big races postponed for the foreseeable future, it can also be hard to muster up the same motivation to get out there and train for months at a time.
The Tip:
You don’t need a piece of hardware to prove your dedication. The same way that you train for a big race can be applied to new goals like nailing a faster 5K time or growing your strength for better trail runs or obstacle races. These alternate goals can diversify your workouts and improve your skills as a runner overall.
Not sure where to start? Try reviewing how your last race training plan went. Was there something that you constantly struggled with? Was there a day that you had the most enjoyable runs or a snack that fueled you best? Would more cross training days have helped build your endurance? Examine how you can improve that plan and, ultimately, your race results. Working on updating a past plan can put you on track for a future race, and give you the motivation you need to simply get out there and run.