Welcome to Explosivelegs. I am Chris Serbiak and I help athletes get faster and stronger. Subscribe via RSS Feed to receive updates!
Are you stuck running the same times over and over again? Are you losing passion for running? It happens to everyone. There will be a time after you first begin training that you will feel stuck. Your times will stay the same or even get slower. You wonder what your problem is and you start critiquing your diet and training regimen. But odds are, your problem is not physical. It’s mental.
Running is a mental sport. Yes you have to train and use your legs, but your mind controls your body. Running is especially mental because you are racing the clock or competing against the tape measure. If you say to yourself before a race “Oh, I’m going to do terrible today. I can’t run a faster time”, then you have little chance of doing well. Your thoughts have real, and they create your actions.
The best solution and mindset is to envision yourself running faster and a world of endless possibilities. You want to have no doubt in your mind that you can do better. The ability is inside of you, and you just need the unconditional belief. If negative thoughts are clouding your mind, then your body will take notice and not perform at a high level.
A lot of athletes overlook the mental aspect of running, don’t be one of them.
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Headphones can make a large difference in running performance. Good music quality puts you in the right mood to run and give your best effort. In a long distance run it will keep you moving and focused. In a sprint it will give you that extra push and determination. I have tried out many headphones, and these are the best ones I’ve found.
These products are all earbuds. Of course you can get better quality with big, bulky, over the ear headphones- but they are not practical for athletic performance. These products also had to be under $100 they are going to be left out, beaten up, covered in sweat, misplaced, and possibly stolen.
Each product was worn outside on the streets, trails, and tracks. Both long distance runs and sprints were covered. They were also used for weight training exercises as well as pushups, sit-ups, and jumping jacks. At home use also had an effect on the rankings.
5. Philips Flexible Earhook Headphones SHS3201/28
Very affordable. The Phillip’s are highly efficient and can extend the battery life of your device. They stay in place during your every workout. On the downside they aren’t the best looking and the hard plastic can get a little irritating.
4. Skullcandy Chops Hanger Earbuds
Good value. Other earbuds have more bass and range for sound quality, but the Skull Candy’s are still decent. They are comfortable and always stay in place.
3. Sennheiser PMX 680 Sports Earbud Headphones
2. MEElectronics M6-BK Sport Sound-Isolating In-Ear Headphones
1. Bose® IE2 audio headphones
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Energy drinks are everywhere now. People are drinking them at schools, offices, and gyms. The popular energy drink Red Bull has set up tents and giveaways at many sporting events. Everyone, including myself, is looking to increase athletic performance. It’s only natural, and an energy drink before a race seems like a good idea. But is it really?
The main difference between sports drinks (Gatorade) and energy drinks are caffeine. Energy drinks have caffeine as well as other herbal stimulants. Carbonated beverages like energy drinks also can cause nausea, burping, and a bloated stomach. By comparison, you wouldn’t consider drinking soda before a race.
Caffeine also makes you lose fluids through urine as well has having a laxative effect. You don’t want to lose more urine if you have been sweating beforehand. You surely need to know where a bathroom is at all times if you are considering an energy drink before a run. Besides worrying about where the bathrooms are, high amounts of caffeine can lead to dehydration. Keeping hydrated is a problem for most runners and caffeine can only make the problem worse.
There are other side-effects to having excessive caffeine which include: headaches, anxiety, sleep deprivation, hypertension, and increased heart rates. More about this can be found here.
It’s easy to look for a quick fix, but there are much better ways to increase performance. Of course you will see athletes drinking energy drinks but they are usually being paid to do so. These athletes got where they are because of training, not because of energy drinks. Energy drinks before runs could be worth a try, but it will probably do more harm than good.
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