Cannabis could be the edge you need to take your running to the next level!
Endurance Training
Adrian Landini is not only a long-time runner, but he’s also a long-time cannabis user. Not only does he enjoy smoking cannabis, but he also enjoys smoking it before a run and sometimes during a run. What may have begun as a one-off, has now become an integral part of Adrian’s endurance training. “I just kind of Zen out, I pay attention to my movements and what’s around me and whatnot, and just bring it in with good form,” the Toronto resident says about why he smokes cannabis.
Adrian believes that cannabis is what helps him with focusing his sense of awareness and also with the pain associated with endurance running and training. Often during long endurance runs, the pain from sore toes and feet, while minor, can often become overwhelming if a runner can’t lock it out and power through it.
Unconventional Techniques
It may seem like a very unconventional way to train, especially considering what many people believe about cannabis. Many people believe that cannabis often affects your reflexes and motor skills, slowing them down. While the stereotypical cannabis user is often portrayed as a dirty, over-weight slob that spends his days lying around watching television and eating potato chips and junk food. When you combine that with the lack of experts coming forward to promote drug use and exercise, it’s hard not to be just a little bit surprised.
Landini’s not smoking a lot of cannabis either, just enough to take the edge off before he sets out on one of his runs. During training runs, he enjoys having a smoke at approximately the middle of his run, while on race days he likes to save his cannabis for the 30 km point. That isn’t to say that he hasn’t done his full share of marathons high from start to finish.
Legalization
With Canada recently going completely legal, more and more people are becoming aware of what many people are really using cannabis for. For many years cannabis use has associated with a certain negative stigma about stoners and no-hopers. Athletes are just some of those cannabis users who are trying to do away with the negative stereotypes associated with marijuana use.
It isn’t just during or before workouts and exercising that cannabis is being used either. Many athletes utilizing topical cannabis creams to help ease the pain associated with muscle and joint pain. Many athletes are steering clear of the high THC cannabis strains and oils, instead of focusing on cannabis strains that have a healthy balance between CBD and THC or are higher in CBD than THC. It’s the THC that is responsible for the psychoactive effects of cannabis, while CBD is more therapeutic.
Dosage
If you haven’t tried cannabis before and don’t enjoy the idea of smoking it, there are other ways to enjoy its benefits. There are a variety of different cannabis oils, cannabis concentrates, edibles, and cannabis vape juices. Cannabis is a truly versatile product which is what makes it so appealing to so many users. And if you prefer not to be stoned, try the CBD route to help with recovery.
Weight Training
Even though Adrian Landini uses the ganja to enhance his endurance training, we don’t necessarily recommend actually being high when performing high-intensity weight training. Some folks have said that being under the influence of marijuana affects their body’s ability to sweat properly. Others have said they struggle to generate maximum speed and power when stoned. When we are lifting heavy or with maximum intensity, we always want to be sure to train safely, smartly, and for most of us, sober.
Tags: cannabis, CBD, endurance, exercise, fitness, marijuana, runner, running, thc, workout
