With body conscious weather just around the corner, not to mention all of the other running events that are coming up, many of us are probably starting to get our head in the game (if we haven’t been preparing already!) and come up with last minute strategies to help take out run up a notch.
If you ever want to run a marathon or simply keep fit Ben Lucas, founder of Flow Athletic and the Rebel Insider for running season shares tips on how to take your running to the next level.
Here are some of my top tips to do this, even if you have left it to the last minute.
RUNNING
If you are new to running I suggest enlisting a coach to help you create a running program, sign up to a running group or alternately check out my complimentary ‘Sofa to Surf’ program on Rebel Insider for some helpful tips and tricks!
The reason you want to keep an eye out for extra advice is because if you train on the same running track, at the same tempo and same gradient at every session, you are probably not going to progress as much as you need to and you may struggle come race day.
It’s important to include tempo runs and sprint training (for over taking people), hill sprints (if you haven’t seen heartbreak hill before, you want to train for it!) and of course a long run day.
You also need to taper off your training in the week leading to the event so that you are not too exhausted to perform on the day. For example, running 20 KMs the day before City 2 Surf is not going to be a good idea.
STRENGTH TRAINING
I am a big fan of strength training for runners, but make sure that you are doing exercises that are relevant for runners as doing redundant exercises will essentially be a waste of time.
You want to focus on the main muscle groups used in running (such as glutes, legs, core and posture) and improve upon any imbalances that may affect your performance. For example, you may find that one hamstring feels tighter than the other so you will want to focus on strengthening the weaker side.
Also keep in mind that doing single leg exercises is good because you are only ever on one leg at a time when you run!.
Some good exercises include Romanian Deadlifts, squats, weighted step ups and one leg deadlifts etc.
DON’T OVER TRAIN
This seems obvious, but being over enthusiastic and overdoing it in training can kill you performance come race day, especially when we are now coming very close to City to Surf day!
– Don’t train everyday. In fact, have at least 1-2 rest days and/ or active recovery days per week. I can’t actually think of anyone who should be training 7 days a week
– Just because you are running 21 or 42kms on race day does not mean that you should be running that distance in training. Start small and over a 3 month period start building up your kms. Gradually progress your kms and make sure you spend some time in the weights room working on ‘run specific strength training’ to ensure your muscles, fascia etc. are strong enough to last the distance.
– Taper off in the week leading to the event. You shouldn’t be training too hard in the days before the event as you will just end up sore, tired and potentially injured.
NUTRITION AND HYDRATION
The fastest way to a burn out is by not taking care of your body and that means recovery sessions, nourishing food and hydration. Think of food as fuel (because that is exactly what it is). If you have no fuel in the tank, how can you expect your body to perform?
Make sure you keep hydrated in the week leading up to the event to avoid dehydration on race day. Also make sure you hydrate during and after each training session.
Pre- race, the goal is to ensure that you have even energy levels so you are not peaking and dipping in energy mid run. If you’re struggling with your energy levels gut health or recovery consider seeing a health professional.
Post run (and post training), you need to ensure that you are eating a balanced diet of protein, carbs, fats and antioxidants to replenish the nutrients that you have lost during training and to enable your body to recover effectively.
Avoid changing your diet in the days leading to the race. If you want to try something new, make sure you start introducing it to your diet weeks in advance. The last thing you need is an upset stomach mid run.
Get Your Kit Sorted
If you are planning on getting new gear such as shoes, compression, new shorts etc. for the run, practice wearing them in training. You need to make sure that you will be comfortable for the duration of the run and the last thing you need is chafing or blisters.
