10 Things Not To Do Before A Run

Running advice often comes in the form of active statements, like “Do this” or “do that”. Sometimes, however, making sure you avoid certain things can make a substantial difference to your run.
Today we’re going to be looking at what not to do before your run - 10 things that we can safely say runners are better off without.
Have you done any of these things and regretted it? Are there any tips you would add to this list? Let us know in the comments below. 👇🏻
What’s in this video?
00:00 - Intro
00:33 - Static stretching
01:22 - Taking on too much or too little water
02:35 - Eat a big meal
03:00 - Mistime your loo break
03:42 - Drink a lot of alcohol
04:07 - Forget to charge your fitness tracker
04:37 - Wear new kit
05:01 - Under-fuel
06:11 - Forget your mask
06:49 - Ignore your body
MUSIC licensed by Artlist:
• Portal by Oliver Michael
• Midnight Hour by Raw Deep Sea (feat. Yael Feldinger)
• Mr Garita by Randy Sharp
• Perfectly Messed Up by JAK
Research Links:
• pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15076...
• journals.lww.com/cjsportsmed/...
• www.healthline.com/nutrition/...
• www.runnersworld.com/health-i...
• bjsm.bmj.com/content/20/2/56....
• www.garmin.com/en-US/blog/fea...
• feetures.com/blogs/feetures-b...
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[@lorcantreanor6911]

Very useful tips. Few more would be: (1) Don’t forget to tell a friend or family member where you’re running and how long you’ll be roughly (2) Charge your phone (3) Bring a pack of tissues with you in case of bathroom emergencies

[@runningchannel]

All fantastic advice Lorcan, especially telling people where you plan on running!

[@mountaingoat3012]

Sarah is an amazingly natural presenter. Does she have a media background? My biggest error was eating tea and then heading off to gym for classes and I always felt sick. Now I eat after the workout.

[@FrancoisBothaZA]

She has, what we would say here, that BBC tone to her. I always wondered whether that comes naturally to people growing up in the UK or whether it's through training.

[@runningchannel]

Thanks! She's had a lot of practice but is definitely a natural as well. Yes eating before a workout can really mess with your stomach

[@neslihanesli4983]

Oskpdöxkskkdöööödldpğğfgö K mi

[@dhdavidholloway]

A very professional presentation given with a lot of confidence

[@jurgenwolfgang5932]

I've seen many experienced runners giving tips but the way you delivered it's precise & to the core of DOs & DONTs.

[@tilda3141]

Sarah is such a good presenter 👏

[@KennetDanielsen]

Absolutely agree!

[@gavinmaboeta6401]

And beautiful hair.. Wow

[@colinedward3147]

Yeah she is and looks like a pro runner at the moment, nice one.

[@mattmcc72]

Not sure if this is a Do Not Do, more a should do. If you're going to be using gels, take one 45 minutes before the run/race. In my experience, it seems to let you stomach know what is to come, before the blender of pounding the road. When I've gelled before a run, the mid-run gel's are easy. When I haven't, that first gel is every time, a pace killer.

[@paul78965]

Shave. Never have a shave the morning of a run. Sweat dripping into your open pours stings a hell of a lot.

[@Kevgti5]

Facttttssss 😂

[@liamroche1473]

One word. Electric.

[@runningchannel]

Ouch!

[@lauraemily138]

Love this video! The editing and presenting 👌🏻 great tips! I’m terrible for running a few minutes after having dinner and regretting it straight away 🥴

[@nivfroman4598]

Congrats Sarah for a fantastic presentation! Amazing what a long way you came since your earliest videos on the channel! A real professional!

[@runningchannel]

Thank you Niv!

[@daviddoody7345]

Great video, good points not to do. Really engaging presenter. Thank you. 👍😀

[@runningchannel]

No, thank you!

[@spdavis513]

Excellent video! Thank you Sarah and the crew behind the camera!

[@fcastle4]

Well organized and great presentation!

[@stuartdunn555]

Loving the videos keeping me sane off work with covid can't even leave house, need to get stuck into training, keep up the good work everyone! ❤

[@manutd9899]

Thanks Sarah! Well done.

[@michaelrheiner2415]

Always good stuff and without question the team at TRC is the easiest to watch, and learn from without coming off as pretentious or just another running snob! One of these days you are going to have to mention that generally speaking, older runners are always dealing with niggles here or there. If we only ran when we felt good, many would never run at all. It’s all part of aging and learning what is an injury, what’s normal, and how to manage discomforts and strains while also following a training schedule. All of you are young…..at some point you’ll be living with what me and my 50+ something friends deal with daily….thriving after 50!

[@runningchannel]

😂

[@puertadelaestrella]

Forgetting to take Imodium (Loperamide Hydrochloride) before the run or race if you suffer from IBS (and take an extra pill along for marathons and ultras.)

[@vuktvblogsrun8821]

I always love Sarah.. Thanks for sharing I'm a beginners in running at my age 45..my first marathon will come here at Saudi Arabia on march.. Hope I finished the course.. Love u from Philippines.. 🇵🇭✌️❤️

[@dannyalden6660]

Love the videos guys.

[@johnvore]

Great advice all around. You are doing a great job making these KZbin videos. Plus I think you were wearing the Mizuno Rebellion shoes. These are my new favorite shoes. They have replaced Nike's, New Balance Elite v2 and everything in my rotation. They are very fast on pavement and work great on trail running. I PR almost every time I put them on.

[@MsTeddyBearza]

Practicing with gels is a must! I took your advise of "nothing new on race day" and tried a new gel on a practice run and it gave me such an upset stomach, if it was race day I wouldn't of been able to complete the race 🤢

[@Alex-lp6bg]

The quality of the videos have improved a lot! Keep it up!

[@runningchannel]

Thanks Alex!

[@sagetakeda]

Great piece of advice. And Sarah is fantastic, so natural.

[@Kelly_Ben]

Great tips! I've got to say I've bucked the "no eating" rule, and it's paid dividends!! While training for my first 50k, I tried out running after all sizes and types of meals, and time between meal and run, to see what my stomach would be able to handle on race day. (No to spicy and acidic, yes to everything else!) Before this "stomach training", I'd wind up skipping runs now and then if my schedule didn't allow the "proper" wait. I now know I can happily run easy runs on a full stomach, no waiting required. I certainly wouldn't do this when speed matters or exertion levels will be intense, but for easy runs, or training for longer efforts, it's absolutely worth training your body to run after eating. (Especially for people with tight schedules!)

[@runningchannel]

Thanks Kelly😊 The main thing is to listen to your body, if you feel good after eating a large meal then great! (We are a bit jealous though)

[@Kelly_Ben]

@@runningchannel I'm very lucky to have a strong stomach. I just never would have known that if I hadn't tried! 😆

[@havardhanto5449]

You've outdone yourselves with the presentation and the camerawork on this one!

[@runningchannel]

Thank you Havard, really glad you enjoyed the video

[@martinhazlewood1192]

great to meet you face to face today at the Running show. Great tips as well Thanks Sarah.

[@runningchannel]

Thanks Martin, hope you had a great time!

[@federicocomito6815]

Great editing!!

[@runningchannel]

Thanks Federico!

[@jamesperry5294]

I really need to think about doing all of these. It's easy to just not think about anything and head out.

[@alexsouthey733]

Awesome video!

[@runningchannel]

Thanks Alex!

[@richt9862]

Smashed this video Sarah!

[@runningchannel]

Thanks Rich, we think she did too :)

[@DevonPixie1991]

Can speak from personal experience that ignoring the body when ill backfires - I had a cold a while back and I was determined to go to parkrun so I went - prolonged my recovery by 2 weeks

[@rushtonian]

Hopefully you didn't infect others

[@DevonPixie1991]

@@rushtonian outdoor sport is a low risk activity for infection

[@rushtonian]

@@DevonPixie1991 ordinary but appears you had a significant amount of time off afterwards. Just saying.

[@DevonPixie1991]

@@rushtonian that said once I was fully recovered I went back to parkrun and got a PB

[@rushtonian]

@@DevonPixie1991 fair play 👏🏼

[@timeonfeet]

Like a checklist of everything I've ever done before my previous races :)

[@runningchannel]

We've all been there 😂

[@victorhit1155]

Sencillamente fasssscinante. Correr es VIVIR!

[@OllyShawlive]

Remember having to walk a section of my (at the time) regular Hyde park run through a little too much wine! Amazing the effect it has.

[@benleeves1408]

Nice LUTS. Whoever shot and edited this please keep them on. Pro level ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@unsaturated8482]

beautiful video.

[@raymondtuason5902]

big thanks Sarah

[@martincooper162]

Love the video!! Great information and very concise. However there's one small mistake at 2:08 Overhydration causes hyponatremia and it's dehydration the causes hypernatremia

[@hairyairey]

They sound very similar and I've heard this mistake made before. Probably done it myself.

[@andersonteo4879]

Isn't hyponatremia means low sodium content in the body? To come to that, then excessive water is needed to dilute the sodium in the body, so overhydration should be correct.

[@martincooper162]

@@andersonteo4879 You're 100% correct. But in the video, it's mentioned that hypernatremia is caused by overhydration. Like John said, they sound very similar and it's an easy mistake to make

[@kathydriscoll8189]

My suggestion is to avoid greasy food the night before a race. Sarah you always do such a wonderful job getting out information to our fellow runners. Thanks for all you are doing.

[@runningchannel]

Thanks for the lovely feedback Kathy! Avoiding greasy food before a run is great advice

[@nicmarlow6388]

I always use my neck buff as a mask if i'm out and about, saves having to take extra things with me :)

[@missingmimic]

As a crack of dawn runner I was heading out on an empty stomach and finding halfway into it I had urgent need of the "loo" as they say. I kept seeing about going before you run bc the motion can stimulate the urge to go but tbh I never had to go first thing a.m. now I have found just a few bites of something before I head out helps start everything up and I can head out not worrying if I'll need the Porta potty at the pond ✌

[@jcolumbiap]

I like experimenting with having my last meal so many hours before a run. My best results so far is a big breakfast the day before and snacks till about 4pm. The next morning everything moves well on the warmup run!

[@niceguyjayson]

Great list! I'm wondering about running with a cold. Contemplating what to do with my long run today as I'm getting over a cold!

[@markvernout3157]

Not speaking out of my own experience, but from a family member's. My sister contracted a serious heart condition after going for a run while recovering from a minor cold. Take care not to over-exert yourself and be aware that it will be a risk you are taking. The last point in this video was exactly on this, DO NOT ignore your body. I despise postponing my runs for illnesses, but sometimes it's a sacrifice worth making in the long run (pun intended). Good luck on your recovery my friend and hope you stay healthy regardless of your decision! :)

[@runningchannel]

Take it easy and listen to your body. If you're still unsure talk to a medical professional :) Hope you recover from your cold soon!

[@parsoniareigns]

Very polished and professional presentation. Delivered in a coherent, concise manner. Carb v Keto. Sugar V Fat fuelled running needs to be examined. Well done Sarah.

[@runningchannel]

Thank you for your support and the great feedback. We'll definitely look into all suggestions

[@marconardin]

Thanks, I didn't know I had to charge my running watch in order to use it during a run

[@RobustArid379]

i'm always learning to learn this jog sport. the body is unconstant performance variant state of change.

[@trailheart1863]

Don’t try for a PB at a very crowded popular venue, just have fun and get your finish line bling.

[@CED99]

Hypo (meaning low) natr (referring to natrium, which we now know as sodium) aemia (meaning presence in blood) Low sodium presence in the blood Shout out to medics or Chubbyemu fans

[@HS-fm9kv]

Its the height of summer where I live, and the silly season/ holidays.... Whilst not drinking before running is an obvious no-no.... It is hard to implement when there is nothing better than a few cold sundowners at the end of a summer's day... added complication the best time to run is very early morning / before sunrise/ gets too hot!

[@kevinodonovan1593]

Do not forget to use anti chafing on longer runs, do not forget to wear hi-vis when it's dark out

[@runningchannel]

Great Tip!

[@mountaingoat3012]

Vaseline is a runners friend

[@herrwabbaloo937]

@@mountaingoat3012 I coat my lips with Vaseline and also put a glob on each cheek so I can relube my lips during dry/windy conditions. I’ve run overseas in desert environments, and having dry lips a few minutes into your run sucks! I learned ONCE, the hard way, never again.

[@mountaingoat3012]

@@herrwabbaloo937 I only put it ion sensitive areas (Nipples and inner thighs). I don’t suffer from dry lips in the UK thankfully

[@os2171]

Love your voice and accent.

[@marvinbayawalcantara7488]

Forgetting to bring cash for a Long Run... likely I got a phone to call to my wife to pick me up 🤣🤣🤣

[@BillyBoMagicShow]

Uber?

[@taylorlayton4508]

yeah i got $20 stashed in my long run pack I never move in case I blow up and want to stop in for snacks someplace warm.

[@marvinbayawalcantara7488]

@@BillyBoMagicShow sorry mate we dont had UBER in our Province🤣

[@FrancoisBothaZA]

My buddies and I are actually 'calibrating' the effect on the body of a bottle of wine the night before a run. So far we're postulating that for every bottle, you can subtract 15km from your run to reach the same level.of exhaustion. Caveat: this requires you to be as drinking fit as you are running fit.

[@runningchannel]

Thanks for the research Francois! We think we would be able to run 0kms after a bottle of wine!

[@colinlittlewood9613]

Don't forget to look after your feet! Microporous tape is my cheap and easy way to avoid blisters, when teamed up with good socks and shoes that fit will I've found it is very effective.

[@Scott-fi6ml]

1. Make sure when you are out running that if you are not carrying any water that there are water stations along the way so if you need a drink or fill your water bottle you can so. 2. Never wear closed in shoes hours before your race on the day. Even if it is a small or big race or running event. The reason for this is to allow your feet to have breathing space other wise if you wear shoes before your race or running event your feet will start to feel sore and you will get blisters or feel great discomforted. It is best to wear open footwear to allow your feet to feel relaxed and takes away less pressure on your feet hours before you are to get ready for your race or running event.

[@TheFossburger]

Dang those new shoes are fresh af

[@utpalkalita7311]

Love from Assam

[@lexington476]

7:44 correct, nothing new on race day. I was doing a 40 km time trial one time probably about 12-15 years ago now, well I had ordered some superlite super fast inner tubes and tires, and they came the Night Before the Race. So of course, me being young and foolish at the time, I put the tires on the Night Before the Race. Well about 10 km into the race, that front tire exploded out the side 😀😃😄... DNF. I didn't go down or anything, but my nice tube tire were over ruined. Since that was the first time I rode those tires, I did send a picture of the busted tube and tire back to why I bought them online, and I don't believe it or not they sent me a new set. I actually rode those same tires for several more years, never had another incident. I think probably what happened in my haste to put them out of the night before is I folded over the tube and once it got warmed up it went poof 🙂.

[@Ariegi854]

This purple jacket is amazing 🤭

[@davidlikes2run]

I was the 100th like!

[@barryalexander2909]

Don't get lost. I ran a new route after moving to a new town and thought I had memorised the route. After a slight detour, my planned 8km run became more like a 15km run that I was not physically or mentally prepared for. I was in bits for a day or two afterwards.

[@Alastair510]

second time I did a half, work got in the way of training. Almost no running 6weeks before the GNR. So I took some long-chain glucose powder with me, the sort you mix up to make an sport drink. Figured that half way round, I'd pour it into a bottle of water from a feeding station. About 9miles in, flagging a bit, grabbed a bottle, then proceeded to try to tear open a packet of white powder and pour it into a bottle, on a windy day. Powder went everywhere, but mostly round neck of bottle. When I drank, I had a nose coated in white powder . . . . Police were killing themselves laughing.

[@kotrynasiskauskaite4995]

That watch battery thing. My watch literally died on last race lol 😂

[@m00st]

Ran my 10k PB in a race after an evening in which I drank more alcohol than normal (when not running a race the day after) and I tested positive for COVID 3 days later… but still I can attest to this, drinking alcohol the night before an important run is a bad idea ☺️

[@xXAnthony619Xx]

I had a bout of overhydration when running in 95 degree temps on a trail half marathon run. I basically felt like drinking a ton of water but in all honesty I probably just wanted to cool down.

[@runningchannel]

That sounds nasty! Hope you didn't feel too awful afterwards

[@markdenney7977]

Good video! I tend not to use gels. I use jelly babies. 1 every half hour of running.

[@runningchannel]

Thanks Mark! Jelly babies are a great alternative to gels

[@njsfer]

The fueling before a race is very personal. I use to do 20k+ trail runs on Sunday mornings that take more than 2h. I only drink water before going out of home, never hit the wall even when I ran 25k+ with 1000m+. This week I woke up, went for a fast 21k, did it in 1h31min with 300m of elevation gain, didn't drink any water nor ate anything, before neither during. And I wasn't even thirsty in the end, the weather was sunny and warm (16ºC).

[@runningchannel]

Agreed, it all depends on what suits you and your body (would probably recommend water though)

[@angryoldmanrunning7014]

Practicing using gels and drinking electrolyte drinks is paramount to a successful long race. Opening them on the go can be challenging, especially with sweaty hands.

[@kingrofty]

Was so worried she might say you can't have a smoke before you go for a run! 😄

[@runningchannel]

Well that's not something we would recommend either.....😅

[@jonesynet]

I thought the thumbnail was going to suggest "don't throw up before a run"?

[@RobDickson69]

Avoiding alcohol the night before is, of course, a good idea, but my half marathon PB is from about 3 years ago and it was after a night out!

[@runningchannel]

Wow Rob that’s very impressive! (What’s your secret?)

[@RobDickson69]

@@runningchannel I guess it helped that it was the quite flat Bath Half. Also, have a glass of water with each beer.

[@ahmedyoones]

I need to know how to run without hurting my knee (meniscus and ACL)

[@gabrielledatascience]

Mini tip: if you have pretty timely bowel movements, just chugging a fresh glass of water soon as you wake up lets you use the bathroom as soon as possible. Super useful if you workout in early mornings

[@ashokkumarsudarsanam5908]

♥️

[@GodCee360]

Peace. What about drinking water during the winter? It -33C in Montreal and I take my bottle of water but I'm not sure if I'm supposed to drink in these cold temperatures.

[@runningchannel]

That's a tough one, not a situation we're too familiar with here in the UK. Probably best to ask a medical professional about that one. Please let us know what you find out though!

[@GodCee360]

@@runningchannel Thanks for the reply. I'll let you guys know as soon I found out. Keep up the great work.

[@sbyrstall]

I learned to never have spicy foods. Yipes. 😂

[@timothyney8963]

So glad I used practiced fueling during training because I tried one of the gummy’s and nearly choked😅 went to hell’s every since

[@taylorlayton4508]

My Garmin gave me a 5.0, overreaching, yesterday because of a hungover run.... alas.... Sometimes running is the priority, sometimes having a few (too many) drinks.

[@runningchannel]

It's all about balance

[@QuantumOverlord]

The big one is eating/drinking. Assuming you are running a shortish distance (

[@Stuart-Taylor]

Unfortunately I learnt some of these the hard way, especially not listening to my body. Went in to my first ever half with an injury as I kept trying to push myself rather than resting 😥

[@runningchannel]

Ouch! Really hope you took a few weeks off afterwards to properly recover. It's too easy to ignore an injury, but often resting is the only way to recover and improve.

[@Stuart-Taylor]

@@runningchannel yep all good now. You learn so much first year of running!

[@lexington476]

Note to self, don't have taco belt before a race. Yeah, years ago I learned that lesson very hard 😀...

[@fattysl26]

I mean, wow! That could not have ended well 😬

[@lexington476]

@@fattysl26 it didn't, and it hurt. At the time I was mad at myself. 15 plus years later I look back at it and it's funny how inexperienced I was 😀.

[@martinadams5893]

Headphones died two tracks into a 10k.

[@chloereynolds8519]

The Ice Age 2 reference casually tossed in got me cackling

[@runningchannel]

Glad you got it!

[@andrerangel5256]

Really.. I just got back from a 10k race with a pb. I could use it yesterday kkkkk

[@runningchannel]

Save it for next time!

[@whiplash231]

tell someone where you are going, and how long if possible.....or take your phone with you and send a location midway (when trail running)

[@runningchannel]

Very important advice, especially if you're running in the dark or trying out a new route you haven't run before

[@TP-ii8qs]

Run with a weighted Vest, I saw a women whos posture was so out of it, it was scary

[@danindahouse]

' Yes I would have run that race so much quicker had I remembered my mask'... Said no person ever.

[@andyps76]

Never bolus anywhere within a few hours of a run. Insulin sensitivity goes through the roof and there's nothing like a hypo to wreck a PB... Or much worse

[@paulcotterill7247]

What about don’t take painkillers

[@andreslinares6429]

One of the things I love about my Garmin is that it charges like in 20 minutes 😂

[@runningchannel]

That is a life saver when you wake up for a long run and realise you have a dead watch, 20 mins on charge and you're good to go!

[@andreslinares6429]

@@runningchannel sometimes even less 😂 I don't need a full charge for a run 40% and we are good to go

[@marcelinoiiitalam8585]

Massage. If youre not used to, dont. Instead of relaxing you it might make you stiff.

[@glenhammond1537]

1.Don’t tie shoelaces too tight 2.Don’t forget to turn on your strava beacon/tell someone where you’re going - especially if it’s a run hours long or out on the trails 3.don’t eat a heavy takeaway the night before a long run! 4.absolutely never ever forget to go to the loo before a run. The feeling of going never fades it just gets worse

[@Fish694]

I learnt 4 the other week after not eating before hand and having a gel a half way

[@runningchannel]

Shoe laces is a good tip!

[@bushmasterflash]

And the old favorite. DO NOT try to wear new kit on race day.

[@runningchannel]

Nothing New on Rae Day!

[@paultopham8626]

Don’t forget to enjoy your running!

[@tomthetaletellerphillips]

I ran the Virtual 10k world record attempt just 1.5 hours after a massive roast dinner... That was a mistake! I very nearly saw the dinner again 🤢🤮

[@justinjovi]

I can only imagine the looks that Sarah got from people when she stepped out of the bushes. She definitely acted like she used those bushes for what she was explaining in that segment.

[@runningchannel]

😂

[@tennam0075]

I'm a treadmill runner

[@googleboughtmee]

Is the thumbnail a photoshop or did Sarah have to pose next to a toilet 🤣

[@runningchannel]

It was a real toilet!

[@niekelshof]

#11 - do not forget to watch this video before your next run!

[@runningchannel]

Thanks! Really glad you enjoyed it

[@lesabegley2690]

Don't think about all the things you "should" be doing instead of running! This will kill the fun of the run and you may end up cutting your run short to go do those things instead.

[@ricfuel3772]

4:40 shoes??

[@runningchannel]

They are Asics Novablast London Marathon Edition!

[@avinashbhogun]

Procrastinate? Faff? :D