How to #RUNch

Need more time in the day?  fitting in your run during your work day could give you those few extra minutes you need each day.  Several times each week I run (or cross train) during my lunch break at work, and have done so for more than a year.  Here are some tips if you would like to try a #RUNch on for size:

1. Fat kid has to eat! – prepare and pack a quick lunch that can be consumed in a hurry if needed – I eat the same lunch everyday, red or black beans and whole grain brown rice.  Clocking in at less than 350 calories, I can gobble it down pretty quickly at my desk after I get back from my run.  It’s also a good recovery meal (protein + carbs) according to Runner’s World Magazine.

2.  Bring a gym bag to work – I pack my shoes, running (or cross training) attire, phone armband, ear buds, shower flip-flops, and a towel.  I simply throw my stinky gear in the trunk of my car on my way back to the office.

3.  Find a place to get naked (and shower and change clothes) – For me, my gym is right next to the office.  I leave my desk, walk next door, change, and run out the door for a run (or hit the treadmill or cross train as needed/planned).   I return and take a shower and change back into my work attire.  Also, don’t get aroused in the gym shower (like this guy), that’s just gross:

Now ladies, I know you’re thinking that gym locker rooms are full of young, hard-bodied men.  But let me tell you the dirty, dirty truth – ain’t nobody more proud of their naked body than an elderly man (OMG I just googled “naked old men” and I’ll never live that down – all in the name of providing you with an awesome blog).  Also, Butthold Stamping is apparently a thing.  Now, back to our topic…

4.  Put your workout on your work calendar – because if you don’t, you’ll  find yourself in a meeting 45 minutes into your lunch hour, and there’s no way you can run without first eating because proper fueling (starvation), and you can’t eat then run (cause then upset belly).

5.  Arrive early, stay late – occasionally my workout runs over because the gym showers are full, or I get caught up in the magic of a run, or because I find myself unusually spent after a workout and need a couple extra minutes to catch my breath.  To cover myself, I often arrive a few minutes early for work or stay a few minutes over to make up for time lost.

That’s how to #RUNch in 5 simple steps!  What’s keeping you from exercising during your lunch break?  Did I leave anything out?