Running Outdoors is the best! + Tips

I used to have a nice routine of exercise at home doing videos and then I stopped. From that moment it has been hard to get back to doing any type of exercise, I go to bed too late and I wake up really tired but I decided that I really needed to get back to something and the answer was: Let’s run Dariela.

I started by reading Jess’s post with some great tips that really helped me get started, like first get your running routine down before worry about dieting, don’t start both at the same time, I was really thinking too much and not starting anything at all.

Also from Jess, listen to Pandora! For some reason this really excited me! I have several stations that I love to listen to like a Shakira radio, Yo no se Mañana radio, Chambao radio and Prince Royce radio, I love Pandora cause I don’t have to think, it just plays music I like and running without music is just scary! (You can look me up there to share stations: Dariela Cruz)

I looked and asked around for Apps to help me out, and found the BEST App to get started! From Couch to 5K from Active.com, not that I plan to do a 5K but it is just what I needed! It tells you what to do while you are running, like walk for 1 min, then run for 1 min, it has a timer and it lasts 9 weeks in total, I am finishing the 4th week and it is getting harder (I run for 5 min straight, it might sound little but it is sooo hard!!) but I love it, actually I’m afraid to come to the end of the 9 weeks, what will I do? Don’t know yet, hopefully I can do it solita with no problem!

One of the best rewarding parts of running has been going outside a lot more. Although I do get bored of going to the same place every time to run even if it’s beautiful, I can’t help it… Some members of my family like to say I am picky but I like to call myself creative instead, haha!

Anyways, I have tried several parks, several streets and I switch them around. If you get bored like me, switch places to run all the time and you’ll see it will be fun! I do have a favorite and it’s Mission Bay, it is so big that I can change my route often in there without being the same plus I see beautiful sites all the time, lots of animals and I also see lots of unexpected creatures like huge worms, insects and so on, so it keeps giving me lots of entertainment which is something I need apparently.

The only thing is that most of the time I am always wishing I was just walking with my big camera and snapping away. I do get to snap the photos with my iPhone and that has helped a lot. All the photos here were taken with the phone.


One time I took Adrian with me, we went to the park so he biked there and then played at the park meanwhile I circled it, it was fun for both, so if you have little ones that can play by themselves take advantage of this time, take the kids with you! Plus I know that subconsciously it is good for them to see me active and exercising, it’s a good example 🙂

With this last tip about kids I wanted to bring up this organization: Ready. Set. Grow! They are a great resource for parents and right now they are encouraging kids to Get Out and Play! They even have a challenge going on where they pick winners every week, check it out, I think it’s pretty cool!

PS: I made the illustration on top after a couple of weeks of feeling inspired 🙂

PS2: Here is a post I wrote for Terra listing fun outdoors activities for preschool kids!

Disclosure: This is not a paid post. I shared all this information because I believe in it. As always all thoughts, opinions and stories are 100% mine.

Me puse a buscar y a preguntar por apps que me ayuden y encontré la MEJOR aplicación para empezar a trotar! Se llama From Couch to 5K y es de Active.com; no es que mi plan sea ponerme a correr maratones pero es excelente, te dice que hacer mientras que estás trotando, te dice cuandocaminar cuando correr, cuando parar y lleva un cronómetro preciso de lo que vas haciendo, el entrenamiento dura 9 semanas, yo estoy terminando la 4ta y se está poniendo bien dificil (Tengo que correr por 5 minutos seguidos y eso me cuesta mucho!!) pero me encanta, de hecho no quiero que se acabe las 9 semanas porque después que entrenamiento voy a seguir? Nose pero espero que luego lo pueda hacer solita sin problemas.

Una de las cosas más chéveres que me ha pasado al empezar a trotar es el hecho de estar al aire libre más a menudo. Aunque si me aburro de ir todo el tiempo al mismo lugar a trotar aunque sea bellísimo, nose… Algunos miembros de mi familia dicen que soy picky pero bueno, a mi me gusta llamarme creativa y diferente, jeje!

En todo caso, he ido de parque en parque y en calles y repito los que me gustan. Si ustedes también se aburren de ir al mismo lugar todo el tiempo les recomiendo cambien de lugares para trotar a cada rato, es divertido! Si tengo un lugar favorito y es Mission Bay, es tan grande ese lugar que me voy y me estaciono en diferentes lugares y cambio de ruta a cada rato aunque sea el mismo lugar, además ahí me he encontrado con unas paisajes bellísimos, muchos animalitos y hasta algunos inesperdos como gusanos inmensos, todo tipo de insectos, etc, etc, así que me provee mucho entretenimiento, algo que yo necesito aparentemente!

Con este último tip les quiero aprovechar de mencionarles esta organización Ready, Set, Grow! Es un gran recurso para padres y ahorita están promoviendo una campaña para niños Salga y Juegue! Hasta tienen un reto donde elijen ganadores cada semana del verano, me parece un incentivo muy chévere.