The Anti-Diet Dietitian
Long Distance running
with Ravyn Neville
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Tell readers about your journey in running.
My whole journey in running began in middle school. We had these field day events at my school where we all participated in a variety of activities. One of these was a race in either 200-meters or 400-meters. I chose to do the 400-meter running event at field day and I realized that I really, really liked lining up and running a race. I also noticed that I wasn’t too shabby at it either. From then I went on to play lacrosse on a travel team until I got to high school. On my lacrosse team, I was a defensive midfielder and my team nicknamed me “wheels”. When we needed to get the ball from one end of the field to the other, they would throw me the ball and tell me to put the wheels on.
When I got to high school, I knew that running track was the right choice for me. I started my high school running career by being a 200-meter sprinter, and ended up breaking the 800-meter conference record and earned MVP on our cross country team. When I went to run at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, I focused mostly on middle distance, like the 400 and 800 meters. And even with a few personal records in college, I knew my body was burning out from this competition.
In these stages of running that I just talked about, I was running for a team. Competing against the watch, other girls, and other schools. I was being held to meet a high expectation that sometimes made running more of a stressor than a stress reliever. After my first year of college, I stopped running competitively for a school. I took a pretty long break from running at all, and started working out in the gym more. But it was only a matter of time that I would miss the days of running.
And of course, I did. This time, I wanted to be a different kind of runner. I didn’t have a need to run endless 400’s or try to specialize for an 800-meter race. I decided that I wanted to become a distance runner. I wanted to enter long races, and run for fun; for myself. Running came back to me fairly easily, and in no time I was up to 7 mile runs. But then, I got tired of that too. I was getting bored on my distance runs, listening to the same Pandora station every time I left the house. But I didn’t give up on my goal to become a distance runner.
During this time, my boyfriend (now husband) and I were diving deeper and deeper into our faith, where I discovered that through distance running, I learned so many lessons that the Lord wanted me to learn. These lessons I have been able to apply to every single aspect of my life, and have truly inspired me to keep running and to share my lessons on Faithful Runner 12:1.
So, you could say that I’ve gone from a sprinter to a distance runner. A member of a school team to an individual competitor. And from an anxious runner to a faithful runner.
How is running different for you now compared to high school and college?
The answer of this question has one overarching entity that has changed running for me from high school and college. Trusting in God to the fullest, and running for Him instead of myself, has been the biggest difference in my running career. In high school, I was confident and, at times, ungrateful for my abilities. I was used to being good at running, and I expected to be good. In college, I was faced with much more competition, where everyone on my team was the best in their high school. My body began hitting a plateau after 9 months of continuous collegiate practice. I was running to get a personal best in every race, and didn’t take care of my body enough off the track in order to hit these goals. I was depending on my own strength and my own understanding of what my body wanted, which didn’t help me in the long run.
After taking some time off, exploring my faith with my husband, and appreciating what my body could do, running now feels like a completely different sport. My faith in Jesus Christ in my maturity has been the biggest influence in my running today. Before each and every run, I pray. I pray that He will give me the strength to finish strong, keep me safe, and bless it to Him. I also thank Him for my abilities, for I know that it is a true blessing to be able to put one foot in front of the other. Running for me now is so incredibly relaxing, spiritual, and fun! I am able to see more improvement in my running now than when I competed in college. I am listening to my body and I’m not afraid to run slow. I am now able to hone into my running, focusing on running for God and not just for myself.
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What are your current training goals?
Currently, I am focusing on getting my mileage back up. After completing two half marathons (most recently in April), I took a little break to get married (YAY!), which put me back a little bit. In training for my past two half’s I definitely think I could have changed some things in my training plan, mainly pace. Like most people, I ran both my long runs and my “easy” days way too fast. My race pace was very close to what I ran on training days. So for now, I’m working on increasing my long run mileage by focusing on finishing the distance comfortably, by running between 1-2 minutes slower per mile than what I could usually run. So far it’s going great!!! I’m actually enjoying the nice slow runs and not exhausting myself.
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We often hear that running is both physical AND mental. Why is running such a mental challenge?
This is one of the common statements made about the sport of running, and it is SO true. With distance running specifically, we are sometimes running for hours, that’s right, HOURS! What keeps us going? Sure, it takes some training to get us to the physical point of being able to run for that long, but it also takes something that can only come from our inner mental toughness. There is something inside of us that tells us to keep going. When you reach a point where it feels like your legs don’t want to move, but you know you still have four miles left, it’s your mental strength that makes them keep going. To succeed at running, it is necessary to dig down deep inside yourself, and to identify what you’re running for. In the end, it’s not our legs that keep us going, it’s what purpose we are running for.
How do you stay mentally strong during a run?
For me, I get my mental strength through my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. When my body begins to fail and I feel like giving up, I take a moment to myself and reflect about God’s beautiful graces. He has blessed me with the body to go this far, and the drive and determination to want to run like I do. So, I know I must go to Him to encourage me to keep going. Just like the scripture, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us”, I let go of everything in that moment, and run with the endurance that He blesses me with. My faith in something greater than myself is what I depend on to keep me mentally able even in the hardest of runs.
If someone is thinking about getting into a running routine, how would you recommend they get started?
Starting a running routine is such an exciting goal to pursue!! But many people get a little too excited and end up doing so in an unhealthy way or they make themselves not enjoy running because of the mindset they have. Like question number 4, running is a mental sport. That being said, it is so important to determine WHY you are beginning this journey as a runner. I encourage anyone who wants running to be a part of your fitness regimen to sit down and truly reflect on what is lighting this fire inside of you, and to put it in writing. Maybe you’re like me, and you receive the motivation and strength from a higher being. Or maybe you are fueled by a family member who has inspired you in a special way. Or you want to prove to yourself that you can accomplish a physical goal, like completing a race. Whatever it is that truly inspires you, I urge you to make it a personal mission to remember it whenever you go for a run or reflect about running. Doing this will make your journey to becoming a runner that much more meaningful, and will make you more likely to become successful.
After you determine what fuels your desire to run, set a reasonable goal, and get to work on it. Stay faithful to your running routine, nutrition, and purpose. Listen to what your body needs. Keep a positive outlook on the whole process. And remember to have fun!
Are there strengthening exercises or stretches that should be incorporated into a running routine?
Since high school, I have been a huge proponent of weight lifting. However, with my transition to long distance running, I have seen the value of lifting light and incorporating exercises I didn’t do before. Some of my favorites that have really benefited my running routine have been: light weight squat jumps, resistance band side lunges, weighted hip thrusts (yes, they look awkward), and pull ups. Incorporating these main, strengthening exercises in my normal fitness regimen has made me a significantly stronger distance runner. The high rep, low weight squat jumps builds muscle in a way that aids in endurance, while the side lunges and hip thrusts strengthen your hip flexors (an area where I have been very weak). Pull-ups are a great workout that target your arms, back, and core, and by lifting your own body weight you increase your overall strength and fitness without the worry of bulking up your arms too much!
And of course, we cannot underestimate the significance of stretching!! I’m not gonna lie, stretching is something I’ve struggled with for years. You get too excited with the actual running part that the stretching part seems less exciting. But, when beginning a new running routine, it is so so so important to keep up with a regular stretching schedule as well. What I believe works really well is to start with some mobility stretches, like forward and sideways leg swings, doing ten of each side for each workout. Followed by ten meters of high knees and butt kicks, and then end with spine mobility stretches. For these, lay on your back with your arms outstretched, reach your right foot over toward your left hand and then swing your left leg over to do the same thing. After doing ten of these on each side, switch over to laying on your stomach and do the same.
Post runs, don’t underestimate the power of static stretching, such as toe touches, deep lunges, and arm stretches. I have started to incorporate foam rolling, and it has really helped with relieving tight and tired muscles after some hard or long workouts!!
What are your top three keys to running success?
1. Believe in yourself.
2. Believe in something bigger than yourself.
3. Love your body.
Why do you love running so much?
I could go on and on with this question for hours, but, I will try and keep it as brief as I can! For one, running is an AMAZING full body workout. It doesn’t target one part of your body; it uses muscles from your feet to your arms to move your body forward. The act of using your strength to propel yourself through miles and miles is also very symbolic. It gives one the opportunity to release any emotion, feeling, or concern as fuel to keep you going. It is an opportune time for self-reflection and lesson learning. It’s a sure test of your mental strength and perseverance. The spiritual relevance and potential the sport of running has is what encouraged me to start Faithful Runner 12:1. I pray that anyone who begins a running routine will take my advice in my second key to running success, and learn something about themselves, and life, in the process.
Why is exercise a priority in your life?
For me, I feel as though it is my responsibility to my body to take care of it. God has given me this body to use for fulfilling his purpose for me; and, in order to do so, I know that I need to give it what it needs. For me, running has been a very prominent way that I have learned lessons about faith. Since I know that He is working through me in this way, I nourish, exercise, and protect my body so I can continue running. Also, this is my only place to live, so naturally, I want it to be in the best condition it can be in. In caring for my body through running and nutrition, it also makes me feel amazing!! Having the responsibility to be a steward of my body, and the feeling it gives me, makes exercise and health such a priority in my life.
Connect with Ravyn!
Encouragement, running and fitness advice, and faith
