The other day on Twitter, a fellow blogger had asked for some tips on running during your lunch break. Since I am a huge fan of this activity, I thought I would share my tips with all of you!
1) Take your lunch hour later. On days when I plan to run, I will usually eat lunch at my desk and give it time to settle before heading out. I will usually take my "lunch" hour around 2pm or 3pm (my workday ends at 5pm). I think this just helps look a little gnarly for only a few hours of the afternoon instead of the entire afternoon.
2) Plan out your route ahead of time. If you work in the city, you know that GPS watches do not like the big buildings. That way, you'll still have a good idea of how far you've gone, even if your watch signal is a bit goofy. If you work in the suburbs, are there sidewalks the entire way on your route? Check these things out on your next drive in. I also recommend the "walk" feature on Google Maps. It notices pathways and such that are not accessible via car. (Not sure if this is common knowledge, as I only recently discovered it.)
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| About to head out for my planned route in the busy Chicago streets |
3) Bring a few outfit options in case the weather has changed since your way to work. I hate being underprepared for a run! I won't let it stop me, but it can lead to some discomfort. (I may or may not have forgotten a sports bra on a Thursday night run. Your normal bra may "seem" fine, until you're actually moving. Oops!)
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| Out on a lunch break run, trying to take a selfie. |
4) Pack your gym bag with a few extra items. I would say pack an extra pair of underwear or tank top (whatever you would wear under your work clothes) just in case you feel uncomfortable putting back on the same thing after a workout. It helps me to "feel" clean even if I only showered from the neck down. Fake it until you make it, right?
5) If your office doesn't have showers like mine does, I would recommend having some baby wipes or other clean wipes nearby to help with the "spot-check shower" you'll need to take. I would recommend having some sort of towel (or cotton tee) to help wipe the sweat of your brow. Extra deodorant (for before and after the workout) as well as some perfume (those free travel samples are perfect) can also help mask any leftover sweat smell that may be lingering.
6) Have some nice hair accessories in your gym bag or at your desk. Extra hair-ties, bobby pins, fancy headbands, etc. Or, a sockbun is a perfect after-workout hairdo if your hair is long enough. (Right now my hair is actually TOO LONG for a sock bun. Yikes.) It also helps to have some backup makeup in your gym bag or at your desk to reapply part of your face. I keep some in my purse
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| Before: hair in a ponytail, ready to run After: bangs up in a poof and ponytail in a sockbun. Don't mind my red face |
7) A little accountability always helps too. Try meeting up with a pal on your lunch break if you can. I know there's been talk of some CRBs meeting in the loop to run sometime. That would be a treat, for sure. I've even met up a fellow Oiselle team member for a lunch time run!
Do you run on your lunch break at work? If so, what are some tips that you can add to this list?
