Here are some more running tips, a continuation of my previous post.

Tip #9: Don’t clench your fists
Clenching your fists adds stress, at least for me. I’m much more relaxed if my hands are partially closed, but not clenched tightly.

Tip #10: Relax your shoulders
When I first started running, my shoulders were up around my ears with stress. Well, okay, not quite that high, but it sure felt that way. Eventually, after paying attention to them and getting used to running, I got much more relaxed and the shoulders dropped. As with the above tip, this is part of the stress induced by running. The sooner you can remove at least some stress from the run, the better off you’ll be and the more you can enjoy it.

Tip #11: Breathe from the gut
This should be an obvious one, but over the course of running, it is often forgotten. Don’t breathe shallow from the chest but breathe deep from the gut. These are bigger breaths and will get more oxygen to the muscles that need it. It’s also a good distraction later in the run. If you concentrate on your breathing, you won’t be focusing so much on your sore legs or feet, or how much farther you have left.