Thinking of running a marathon soon? Follow in Sophia Bush‘s footsteps and start small!
The One Tree Hill actress has suffered from asthma her entire life and despite her athletic appearance, never thought she’d be able to run a marathon.
However, after completing her first 5k, her attitude has completely changed and is now preparing to run in the San Francisco Marathon on July 31st!
Check out 5 tips Sophia learned while beginning her own journey as a marathon runner below!
1. Take a day off. “I wish someone had told me how important off days are in between running. When I started training, I just started running every day, which you shouldn’t do. I learned that lesson the hard way by getting a stress fracture.”
2. Put in a low-impact workout on your off-days. “Your body needs a balance. All the sudden high-impact stress can really take a toll on your body. So if you still want to be active and get in a good workout, go to a yoga class or pilates class, or get in some strength and conditioning.”
3. Get a program guide. “There’s this great app for the iPhone that’s called Get Running, and it provides awesome weekly training sessions. It’s got this woman’s voice, and she’s got a nice British accent, and she’ll interject and say, ‘now you’re about to start a run for three miles,’ or ‘you’re halfway there, carry on.’ I just love her!”
4. Listen to your favorite music. “You’ve got to put together a mix-tape of all your favorite music. When I hear Florence and the Machine sing, “run fast for your mother…” on Dog Days I can just listen to that song over and over.'”
5. Stay in bed├óΓé¼ΓÇ¥ sometimes. “Your body tells you what it needs, and if you sleep past your alarm on a Saturday morning, it’s probably because you need the sleep. Again, it’s all about balance. If I spend a Saturday being lazy and curled up on the couch with my dogs, I’ll just make sure to get out and be active on Sunday.”
[Image via WENN.]
