Five Basic Running TipsReading about running training can be quite confusing. You need to learn about your VO2max, the difference between tempo running, interval running and repetitions, foot types you did not even know you had, etc. We are all an experiment of one. We can't all run the same distances. Some runners can't do more than 30-50 miles without getting injured. Some can do over 100 miles. We must all learn to listen to our body. This also means not always following the pre-cut running training programs you find all over the internet, including on this website. However, there are some basic things that apply to pretty much every runner. Whether you are competing for the prizes or a simple, like me, middle-of-the pack or back-of-the-pack runner. These five running tips will help your running. They will help you to stay away from injuries and consistently improve your performance. They are: Running Tip #1: Change Between Hard and EasyRunning hard one day after the the other will soon get you exhausted and not being able to run anymore at all. Having an easy day the next day is as important as running hard today. On your easy days, your body "repairs" itself, literally in the case of muscle fibers, building new blood cells etc. Run hard every day and your body will not be able to repair itself, causing it to break down eventually. So, value your easy days as much as your hard days. Does an easy day need to be a rest day? No, although for beginning runners it usually is. An easy day needs to be a day in which you take your mileage and your speed down. So an easy, short run could count as an easy day. For both beginners and more advanced runners, a lot is to be said for doing some cross training instead. It will give your running muscles and your joints and ligaments a bit of rest. Running Tip #2: Consistency is One Key...You will not achieve your best running if you do not run consistently. Try as much as possible to keep to a minimum number of running days per week, preferrably three or more.Training consistently every day for two or three weeks in a row, only to burn out and not run for the next three months is not going to help your running much. Try to keep to a running program that you can handle, physically and mentally. I, as I am sure you do as well, have a busy life. Demanding job, wife, kids, website to maintain... it all takes time. But there is a contract I have made with myself. No matter what, I will run at least three times a week. Each week I will block out time in my agenda for my runs and I will go out of my way to make at least those three times happen. Often I will be able to do more, but three is the minimum I do. We all have time to take showers, brush our teeth and eat. Oh, you consider those essentials? Well, just treat your running as an essential part of your day/week as well... :) Running Tip #3: ... Patience is the OtherResults do not come overnight. You need to have patience with yourself. So do not expect wonders after two weeks of running training, your improvements will come but they require time.You also need to be patient with respect to building up the mileage; make sure you listen to your body and do not just pile up the miles. If you do that you are bound to get injured. Your body needs time to adjust to changes in workload. Read more about increasing mileage safely here. Running Tip #4: We're All an Experiment of OneI mentioned in the beginning of this article that different runners can handle different training workload. One can handle 20-30 miles, another can do 100 miles per week.Each and every runner is different as to what they can handle. You might find for yourself that adding miles to your training is not the answer, but that you need to keep your mileage at a certain level and to add in a day of rest/cross-training to get optimal results. Have you been doing high-mileage weeks and feeling like you are getting slower? Maybe take it down a notch and see what happens to your race times. Maybe the answer is not in more mileage, but in extra tempo sessions and/or speedwork. You need to find out for yourself what works and what does not. A mistake I see often made is that people run, say, five times a week. Every time they go out they run about 45 minutes at a fairly hard pace. They are training hard, but not improving. The reason that is, is that they are not making their training varied enough. They don't have a hard/easy schedule, but a moderate/moderate schedule as I like to call it. This causes too little stimulation. The key is often to put in some good quality runs. What are quality workouts? They are workouts like long runs, tempo runs or intervals. Running Tip #5: Realize that getting better gets harderStarting from a zero base you will be pleasantly surprised that within a matter of weeks you can make impressive fitness gains.First you could not run a mile, a few weeks later you do two without stopping. You are able to do races and regularly break some personal records. However when you have been running for a longer period, your progress may stagnate for a while. You may not run personal records anymore. That's the point where you have reached that level of fitness at which you plateau. After that you need to run much smarter to get better results. The key here is to recognise these moments and consider what you could do differently in your training to help yourself become even a faster runner. Again, quality workouts like the ones mentioned above will help. Maybe you need to spice it up and try one of Veronique Billat's workouts? There is a lot to be said about a simple approach that includes a hard/easy approach, uses plenty of quality workouts and allows results to happen over time! Wish to get more running tips? Subscribe to the Best Running Tips Newsletter or to my site blog! Go from Five Basic Running Tips Page to Running Training Page Go from Five Basic Running Tips Page to Best Running Tips Homepage Running Training Questions: Ask Your Running Training Questions | Running Training Q&A Summary | Running Workouts: Base Running | Tempo Running | Interval Running | Fartlek / Speed Play | Goal Pace Running | Special Workout: Billat's 4 x 5 | Special Workout: Yasso 800 | Running Workouts | Hill Running Tips and Workouts | Running Programs: Heart Rate Monitor Running Programs | 10K Running Program | Half Marathon Running Program | Running Technique: Running Cadence | Running Strides | Running Technique | Pose Running Technique | Barefoot Running | Other: Running Stretches | Cross Country Running Tips | Cross Training for Runners | How to Improve YOUR Running | Increasing Mileage Safely | Periodization | Five Basic Running Tips | Tips on Running Races | Speed Training | Running Journal / Running Log | Cross Country Running | Running Records Like this page: |
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