It's a mistake. It's a MIStake!

Have you ever noticed that you can find cheesy, 80s lyrics and/or video to support almost any blog topic? Really! No kidding.



Check out those shorts! Whoa!

Anyway . . . today's Take it and Run Thursday topic at Runners' Lounge is "common mistakes and cardinal sins of running." You're probably thinking, "Her biggest mistake has to be her overuse of the word awesome and ending too many sentences with an exclamation point! Or, perhaps, that silly italicizing thing she has going on." Oh, readers. Readers, readers, readers. No. Those might be mistakes -- might be -- but they are not the type of mistakes I want to write about today.

Today, I'm writing about my running mistakes. Yes, I make mistakes. Often, in fact! So just for fun and giggles or however you want to think about it, here is my . . .

Happy Runner Top 10 Running Mistakes

1. Tight hamstrings. Ugh. I just can't ever seem to loosen up the hamstrings. They are tight. It's a problem.
2. Not crosstraining. Runners need to cross train. As much as I love to run, I've learned that only running can lead to problems. I'm pleased to report that over the winter I added a lot of cross training to my schedule. I'm hoping it becomes a habit.
3. Wearing high heels the night before a long run or, really, any run. Let's just say the feet hurt the next day. A lot. Not good for a run.
4. Wearing high heels, period.
5. Avoiding morning runs. Oh, I wish I could get up in the morning and go for a run. I just can't. I'm not that person. My running would improve with morning runs. I know this.
6. Being inconsistent. I've been known to go through periods when I rarely run and periods when I run a lot. In recent years, I've become more consistent with my running and this dedication has paid off. But I've still been known to slip into the old, bad habits now and then.
7. Not hydrating properly. You would think that by this point in my running life I would be able to keep myself well hydrated. Oh, ha ha! I have to remember to drink enough water every day. Heading out for a run slightly dehydrated is a mistake I've made more often than I care to admit.
8. Starting out too fast. Whether in a race or returning from an injury or heading out for a long run, starting out too fast is a big mistake. I've paid for that mistake by burning out, getting re-injured, and having to cut a long run short. Nothing that I enjoy.
9. Giving up and giving in. OK, everyone knows that I am a cold weather wimp. I wish I wasn't! But, I am. I make the mistake of giving up my outdoor runs in the winter every year. I occasionally tough it out and I'm always proud of myself when I do. Overall, though, I wimp out. I'm trying to fix this . . .
10. Forgetting how much I love to run. There are days when the last thing I feel like doing is changing into my running gear and going for a run. Maybe I'm too tired. Maybe Conal has been cranky and I haven't even been able to get the breakfast dishes into the sink, let alone think about what to make for dinner, move the laundry from the washer to the dryer, or even make the bed. Those are the days when I need to remember how much I love to run and how good I will feel after a run. I sometimes make the mistake of being lazy. And laziness, unfortunately, doesn't make a crappy day any better.

There you have it. My running mistakes. Got any to add? Feel free to share!

~ Felice