20 Amazing Top Tips for Terrapins.
I’m always being asked (about 3 times) how to best get into running, so rather than repeatably make up things on that exact spot I decided to put them down on not physical paper.
I lost 2 stone and went from only running 5km slowly to nailing a 30miles ultra run this past weekend in the space of 120 days!
contact me on 0800 mills@ustwo.com, TWOTTER or my GRAM if you want me to be your Krakabusi coach #LOL
1 All or nothing. Don’t for one minute think running is something you can do here and there and half heartedly, and unless you actually can’t don’t think you can’t run. Terrapins acknowledge that there is black and there is white. Grey is not an option. When you make the move to running heaven you go all in and it becomes your religion. Get yourself Strava and get out onto the streets and run for as long as you can, hell even walk/run/walk/run.. the key is to get something down. Then repeat the next day. I like the idea of 6/7 days of running per week. Trust me you won’t not be able to do that if you embrace the inner terrapin.
2 Go the distance. Think of a race or distance that you think is well beyond you, then rather than sign up for it, sign up for one double the length. You need to set yourself lofty goals, it’s the only true way to get into the mindset. By taking on something that scares you you’ll have no option other than to train like crazy. Fear is a wonderful driver in my mind.
3 Tell the world you are going to do it, make it public. Tell anyone who cares, put it in your signature on email, tweet about it, write a medium post. The key here is for you to make sure everyone you know knows you are taking something on that they won’t expect you to have done. If you let them down then you let them down.. don’t.
4 Weigh yourself and take a photo of you at this start point. The beauty of the all in mentality is you’re going to see incredible fitness gains that will be coupled with physical re-sculpting. You’re never going to go back to that weight and you’re never going to want to see that pic again (except do look at it because it’s gonna be unreal.
5 Buy yourself tiny shorts. Yes, tiny.. why? because running is about many things but for me, and you it needs to be about legs. Legs are useful in running and the leg is going to change and look even more awesome. The small short means you are able to see the stride and see the wow. Kissy kissy. I also buy myself long socks that I then pull down slightly like footballers do when they train. Makes me feel pro.
6 Take sides. Choose a brand of clothing, running is about the freedom and the great outdoors but that doesn’t mean you don’t want to choose a brand. You’re going to naturally go for NIKE until you see the prices they are trying to get away with for their new running gear, and then you’re going to get them anyway. It’s important to look fresh. The key here is to feel like a pro. That mindset will help you run like one.
7 Stop drinking alcohol — and I don’t mean for January, or for a week, I mean 100% stop. Do professional athletes drink? no they don’t. Remember this isn’t about half hearted, this is about doing everything you can to optimise your running so that you become ultra. Your mind is going to become so clear over time and this exclusion is one of the key reasons.
8 Nutrition reboot. Go as close to Vegan as you can the day you decide to take the plunge — (for me that meant no more meat, — I’m still eating fish as I never used to eat it (because I ate cheeseburgers all the time) but I ditched dairy, milk is for baby cows.. get Almond milk (the ones with just almond + water + tiny bit of salt) oh my gosh yes. Goes without saying you ditch processed food. Utter shite. Watch this and then tell me you want steak.
9 Zero Sugar — fuck me it’s so bad for you — no more puddings, no more ice cream, no more chocolate — not even a treat.. treats are for toddlers, and you’re going pro. Trust me it’s the sugar that is the reason you’ve got those love handles. You don’t need sugar infusions to run long distance, you need natural sugars like nuts and berries. there are so many documentaries on Netflix about food and health. They don’t make this shit up so watch them and realise that change is a necessity.
10 Eat like a pro — and I mean the pro ones, not the ones drinking gatorade. Although chemical mixes concocted in a science lab are probably useful the true runner eats natural. You’re aiming to connect to yourself, you’re own life and the world around you. Choose natural. Obviously I only fuel with TRIBE because it’s 100% legit. Before, during and after. These bad boys for life have us runners covered.
11 Mimick your heros — copy everything they do, watch videos about their training and use that to fuel you. I just ran for 30 mins on a treadmill just so I could run with two dumbbells in my hands. I saw it on a film I saw.. I simply had to replicate. Aspire to be like a pro and use the jealousy inside you to make you hungrier. You’ll also notice you start buying the brands they endorse.. The genius here is you’ll realise product endorsement works. Embrace it.. you’ll feel more pro. This film really inspired me, and once you see this YouTube will show you others.. go down that rabbit hole fast. I am also completely in love with http://www.timothyallenolson.com/
12 Get up early, like 5am real early (remember you don’t drink now so zero excuse) running before work, before life has awoken is the most rewarding time of your life. You’ll feel so satisfied and so superior knowing that most humans are asleep. That morning run is going to fuel your day. You can’t appreciate how good you will feel until you do this. Running in the evening is wack.
13 Buy running shoes that look amazing, not only that fit well. You’re going to be out and about for hours a day and coupled with that Nike (or NB as it’s got a new range that’s dope since they sponsored the London Marathon) Tight t-shirt, those tiny shorts those long but rolled down socks you want a slick pair of trainers. My opinion after trying every style is that it’s total bullshit that the best shoes look the worse.
14 Unleash the Dagobah — you have to unleash in the morning, pre run trust me. You want to be as light as you can. It’s critical that you are not carrying any extra load as you pound the pavement. Make sure you get into a regular cycle of something like a 6am Dagobah plop drop.
15 Sippy Sippy — you don’t really need to drink water while running (you also don’t need to drink chemical laced running drinks) for anything up to 5miles imo. But after that you’ll want to be replenishing the well. If you weigh yourself before a long run and after (assuming you don’t drink water on it) you’ll see that you lose weight through sweat. If you don’t drink water during (if needed) and after, you’re going to feel rough as fuck later in the day through dehydration.
16 Embrace the community — look how many running events there are each day! it’s jokes. It’s the most fun IMO running on your own but the competitive running morning is where it’s at. The sense of community is electric. The energy post run will be unreal. it’s a drug that cannot be beaten. Sign up to as many as you can.
17 Listen to podcasts — music is good, nothing is also good if you like ultra zen. But podcasts are where it’s at. You can both get ultra fit and ultra intelligent and worldly at the same time by listening to amazing podcasts. I mainly listen to podcasts on… running!! The Forward, Joe Rogan, Rich Roll, School of greatness, Stages, Ultra runner, The True Geordie Podcast to name a few (except most of them are not running exclusive)
18 Rest — this is the part I am useless at, but it’s also one of the most important. The best thing about the long run is the bath after. The endorphins will be shooting through you and you can live tweet about you being in the bath feeling high while actually chilling the fuck out.
19 Banana Rama — after you finish a run and if you’re not willing to part with money for TRIBE after care nutrition then get a Barry Banana down you asap (within 15 mins of finishing) — You need to replenish your carb stores as well as eating protein (Voila! that’s also where TRIBE come in.
20 Find wood — I wrote this but nobody fucking read it! trust me it works! In fact I have written in depth about running and all it’s postive wonder here (again nobody reads but I don’t mind because it’s for me!)
