I’m going to be honest

Thomas Schmidt
3 min readSep 20, 2022
Photo by Michael DeMoya on Unsplash

Seriously, I’m going, to be honest here. After I ran 12 miles yesterday, my knee and legs were hurting a lot, so I decided that I would take a rest day. I want to point out that taking rest days is very important, especially with running, and ESPECIALLY when you push yourself and do more miles than you’ve ever done in your life (running wise).

Your muscles need rest. Nike’s trained podcast says this over and over and over again. Rest is very important because, without it, your muscles can’t recuperate and rebuild. Too much running without proper rest (sleep health and muscle health) can cause problems. Our goal as we run is to make sure we have the fewest injuries possible.

Running is a grand sport, and it’s fun. This is especially true when you decide to run in places you’ve never run before, or join in on running competitions you’ve never been to. Seeing new areas from the view of your feet on the ground help you see more and enjoy more. Running is one of the funniest sports out there, and the easiest because with requires little to no equipment to start.

There are a few rules though that I’ve found that will make running as enjoyable as possible. Always stretch before the run, because without stretching you cramp easily. These could be side cramps, foot cramps even calf cramps.

The next rule, have water. Whether you have a running belt with water bottles attached or a water pack on your back, make sure you have water. This is especially important when you’re running for more than an hour. And lastly, stretch afterward. This helps loosen up the muscles and stretch those tight spots that came during the run.

How many of you have ran 12 or more miles? Let me know below! And as always, enjoy the sport of running and I’ll talk to you in my next entry!

Thomas Schmidt is a husband and Soldier living on the East Coast. He is a Motor Transport Operator for the United States Military. Currently, he is enrolled in school for Graphic Art and enjoys writing and drawing digital artwork on his iPad in his free time. He also enjoys gaming and hosts an occasional stream on Twitch. Thomas is also the co-host of a new podcast called Monday Morning Coffee. You can find it on all major podcast applications!

Thomas Schmidt

A soldier from Wisconsin who’s happily married to a Filipina! I write about whatever I feel like writing about. Enjoy!