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7 runner habits that make no sense

Practices that aren't necessarily bad for a runner, but they do make you think, "yeah, why do I do that?"

Runners are creatures of habit. Some of those habits are productive for training, and others not so much. Below are six runner habits that are extremely common, but when broken down, don’t make much logical sense. These practices aren’t necessarily bad for a runner, but they do make you think, “yeah, why do I do that?”

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Finishing your run at the exact kilometre or minute marker

 

Runners love to hit either 70 minutes or 15K on the nose, but the truth is, a few minutes or metres over or under won’t make a real difference.

Running the same route over and over

Photo: Holiday Run

It’s easy to get into one specific route, but switching up your loop from time to time might be a good change for both your brain and your legs. Map out a new run or meet up with a friend and try their loop.

Becoming addicted to pace

Road runners especially can become obsessed with their pace, so much so that they’ll avoid a mountain run or trail run because they might not hit their desired minutes per kilometre. Sometimes it’s a good idea to let go of pace and enjoy your surroundings.

Only wearing one brand of shoes

Runners will often say that they only wear one brand of shoe and cite a terrible experience with another shoe company.  Brands make so many models of shoes that if you had a bad experience, it may just have been the wrong shoe for your foot and not an issue with the brand at large. Running brands will also change their foam and design on a regular basis, so a shoe you might not have liked before could be a shoe you now love. (The only exception to this rule is a sponsored runner–you’re only allowed to wear one brand.)

Arm warmers and a short-sleeved shirt

 

Why not just a long-sleeved shirt? Many runners in the colder months will opt for arm warmers over a long sleeve, which makes sense if you remove them, but not so much if they stay on the entire time.

Raising your arm to get a GPS signal

 

Especially on a cloudy day or when you’re in the thick of an urban area, getting a GPS signal can take a minute on any device. You can spot runners raising their arms to the sky to try and help their device sync, but sadly, it’s unlikely that that extra foot of reach will help your watch find a satellite.

Meeting up for a run but wearing headphones

 

Have you ever seen two runners meet up and then continue to run together, accompanied by their running mate but also their music? It’s a strange but common combination. But we’re for whatever gets you up and running, so if this works for you, don’t let us stand in your way.

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