And keep them to yourself. Talking about your goals will never help you achieve them. Likewise, I’ve heard plenty of people talk a big game and then never deliver. You should have clear goals, such as setting yourself a 1:58 finish time, and then spend your time working toward achieving that.

RELATED: Mental Tricks To Push Through Mid-Race Pain

Commitment.

If you’re a casual runner, commit to running a certain number of days a week and stick to it. If you are a competitive runner, try training twice a day.

Train alone.

I’m not saying you should be a running hermit. Try doing 50% of your training alone. I believe this helps in several ways: It allows you to stick to your game plan of running easy or hard, short or long, without ever adjusting to whoever you happen to be running with. You’re simply less likely to be distracted. It also helps you to be stricter when it comes to sticking to your running training schedule. It will make you tougher on race day. Even if you’re a casual competitor, this tactic could help you on race day.

RELATED: Avoid 9 Common Race-Day Mistakes

Fartlek.

Your programme includes weekly ‘fartlek’ sessions. Fartlek is the Swedish term for speed play. It’s fast growing into a popular form of training to provide a satisfying and effective alternative to simply pounding the streets with no purpose or plan. Fartlek can provide an excellent endurance and strength exercise as well as helping to improve your speed and race tactics. The beauty of fartlek training is that you don’t need to run over a specifically measured route as it is simply a case of altering your running speeds over varying distances.

RELATED: The Difference Between Fartlek, Tempo and Interval Runs

The easiest way to explain a typical fartlek run would be to jog for five minutes to warm up, before picking a landmark like the next lamp post or tree and then running at a pre-decided speed (example 70% of maximum speed) until you reach that landmark. Once there you change your speed back down to a jog until you have recovered. Then, when ready, you will choose another landmark at a slightly different distance away and then run at another pre-determined speed (example 90% of maximum speed) until you reach it. This practice would continue until you have finished your workout with the predetermined speeds altering as you see fit between faster and slower than jogging pace.

RELATED: 5 Speed Workouts Every New Runner Should Try

It is easy to see why fartlek training has grown in popularity as you simply listen to what your body says and decide how intense or easy to make the session. The benefit of this is that you are not racing against a clock or running a certain distance: You are the deciding factor in how hard or easy the run is and it can become a useful part of your training schedule.

RELATED: 8 Ways to Be a More Positive Runner

Mental skills.

Mental strength is needed in just about any race, especially when you’re attempting to dip under two hours. No matter what your view is, the simple fact is that mental toughness is learned, not inherited. General personality type is also unrelated to mental toughness. Athletes do not need to move out of their own normal and comfortable personality types to achieve a high degree of mental toughness. There are mental skills that most tough competitors have in common. They are:

• Being self motivated and self-directed
• Positive but realistic
• In control of emotions
• Calm and relaxed when the going gets tough
• Highly energetic and ready for action
• Determined
• Mentally alert and focused
• Doggedly self-confident
• Fully responsible

12 Weeks To A Sub 2 Half Marathon

The post Smash A Sub-2 Half-Marathon! appeared first on Runner's World.

When you race a 10km, you immerse yourself in near-mythical tradition. So read through the runner profiles below to determine which of our six-week plans is best for you. And remember: These are not one-size-fits-all plans, so if you can’t complete a given workout, don’t. If you need to rearrange training days to fit your schedule, do it.

Runner Profiles

Beginner You’re a notch above novice. You’ve been running at least six months and maybe have done a 5km or two. You run 5-6km three or four days a week, have done a little fast running when you felt like it, and now you want to enter – and finish – what you consider a real distance race.

Intermediate You’ve been running a year or more, done some 5km races, maybe even a 10km. But you’ve always finished feeling like you could have gone faster. You consider yourself mainly a recreational runner, but you still want to make a commitment to see how fast you can go.

Advanced You’ve been a serious runner for several years, have run many races – perhaps even a marathon. You’re familiar with fartleks and intervals, and can run comfortably for an hour-plus. Now you want a breakthrough time – and you’re willing to put in a rigorous six weeks to achieve it.

Get Started

Now that you’ve decided what your profile is and which programme to follow, download your choice here:

Beginner 10km programme

Intermediate 10km programme

Advanced 10km programme

The post 6 Weeks To Your Best 10km! appeared first on Runner's World.

Plus, when you’re running on an incline, there’s a shorter distance for your foot to fall before it hits the ground. That translates into less of an energy boost from the tendons, which you normally get when running on a flat surface, says Dr. Paul DeVita, a biomechanist at East Carolina University.

On the up side, hitting hills is hugely beneficial to runners.

“Do it week after week, and your body begins to adapt to the stresses,” says Sharp. “In other words, it gets stronger.” Still, doing hill work is like eating Brussels sprouts. We know we should, but we don’t really want to.

While there’s no way around the effort involved, a few adjustments to your workouts and your mental game can make hill running more tolerable and maybe even more fun.

ROUTINE FIXES

GROUP HILLS

Do this workout with a bunch of runners of mixed ability, says coach, Larry Indiviglia.

• Warm up, then assemble at the base of a hill.
• The slowest runner(s) start first.
• After 30 seconds, the second group charges up.
• Thirty seconds later, the third and fastest group takes off.

The result? Everyone pushes it and works harder.

“The slower people don’t want to be passed,” says Indiviglia. “The middle group feels the fast guys nipping at their heels. And the fast group doesn’t want to be put in the unusual position of finishing last.”

Jog back down. Repeat four times.

INSIDE INCLINE

• Warm up on the treadmill at a zero incline.
• Then increase the incline by two levels every two minutes until you hit level 12.
• Run one to two minutes slower than your normal training pace.
• Descend in the same manner.

“You learn how to handle the intensity of hills in a way that simulates the nature of terrain outdoors,” says Liz Neporent, co-author of Fitness for Dummies.

UP AND DOWN

• Use this workout as an efficient strength-builder, says Sharp.
• Start at the base of a hill about 200 to 400 metres long, depending on your fitness.
• Run up it for 45 seconds (your intensity should be about a 7 on a 1-to-10 scale).
• Jog back down for 30 seconds.
• Repeat three times.

As you get stronger, increase the number of intervals up to eight and the length of intervals up to 75 seconds (maintain recovery time).

LISTEN: Dr. Ross Tucker explains how to conquer hills >>

ALTITUDE ADJUSTMENTS

STOP REPEATING YOURSELF!

“Running hills doesn’t have to mean repeats,” says Lt. Colonel Liam Collins, assistant track and cross-country coach. “The trick is to make it enjoyable.” Plot out a new route that has a couple of hills (if you live in flat terrain area, incorporate artificial hills, such as overpasses or even parking garage ramps). You’ll reap the same benefits, says Collins, plus, “It’s closer to what you’ll find in a race.”

SUFFER WITH FRIENDS

As a graduate student, Collins was part of a group that did a weekly workout on a route called “Over the Top” that included one monstrous hill. They attacked it together and turned it into a race-within-a-run, thus making the effort a shared experience. They kept track of who made it to the top first, and at the end of the season (taking a page from cycling’s Tour de France), everyone chipped in to buy the winner a polka dot jersey, signifying “the King of the Mountain.”

NAME YOUR NEMESIS

Storied inclines like Loskop’s Varadays and Surrender Hill at the Surrender Hill Marathon in Clarens, Free State may be no tougher than your neighborhood hill, but because they’ve been imbued with a name, they’ve acquired a mystique. “Anytime you have a hill with a name, it gives it a life of its own,” Collins says.

Conquering your local version of Heartbreak will have more meaning if you’ve given it a moniker.

Hit the hills with perfect form

1. DRIVE HARD WITH YOUR ARMS: Increase your armswing as if you’re pulling yourself quickly up a rope, says Indiviglia.

2. PRESS FORWARD WITH YOUR HIPS: As you run up, think about pressing your hips into the hill to avoid bending at the waist.

3. RUN WITH HIGH KNEES: This will help increase your stride rate and further help you maintain good posture.

4. SPRING UP FROM YOUR TOES: Push off your toes to create an upward lift that will help propel you forward.

The post Power Up Any Hill With Ease! appeared first on Runner's World.

If you don’t consider yourself a morning person, the good news is that you can turn yourself into one, says Dr James Mojica, a sleep physician.

‘The body is malleable,’ says Dr Mojica, who runs first thing four times a week. Address these points before you reset your alarm.

MAKE THE CHANGE:

1. Weigh the pros and cons
   If you’re on the fence about converting to early workouts, draft a checklist of pluses and minuses. On the plus side, jot down all the benefits of running first thing: getting the workout out of the way, great start to the morning, extra time during the day, and so on. The minus side might include having to go to bed earlier, being unsure about running in the dark. ‘Hopefully the runner will see that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, and that some of the drawbacks, like going to bed earlier, may in fact be beneficial or at least good habits,’ he says.
2. Get your family on board
   As a teacher, Joanie Templeton, 36,  is used to leaving her house by 7am. But when she decided in 2005 it was time to slim down her 100kg frame, she knew the only time she’d ever be able to exercise was if she got out of bed at 4:30. ‘I couldn’t do this without my husband,’ she explains. ‘He gets our daughters (6 and 10) ready for school. He sees the difference in me when I don’t get my workouts in. I am sluggish, and I get very irritable.’ Let your family know your goals so your training becomes a project they can all get excited about.
3. Enlist help
   Meghan Ridgley, 32, moved up her morning runs by three hours – to 5am – when her daughter was born. She initially relied on friends to help her adapt. ‘Having people to meet during those first few weeks really helped and got me in the habit of getting up at 4:30,’ she says, but now she mostly runs alone.
4. Find the right route
   Getting out of bed isn’t the only obstacle early morning runners face. Sometimes paths that are idyllic at noon or 6pm are downright dangerous at dawn. Before your first early run, give your usual paths a second look, paying special attention to the lighting, shoulder width, road conditions, and traffic patterns. Think about scouting around for some new scenery, and make sure family members or a friend have a list of your planned running routes.‘I had to eliminate one of my routes when I started running in the mornings,’ says Nick Bigney, a 33 year-old lawyer. ‘There’s a park near my home that I love. However, there are no lights, and even with a headlamp it’s dark. I nearly tripped over a vagrant once – I don’t know who got the biggest fright! For the sake of safety, I found new routes.’
5. Wear the right gear
   What you wear is also a safety issue, and dark-coloured clothing is better left at home. Instead, ‘dress like a Christmas tree,’ says race director Felicia Hubber. That means bright colours from head to toe with plenty of reflective accents. Clip-on lights that flash red and reflective vests will also make you more visible to motorists. To be super-smart, wear a headlamp or carry a flashlight if you’re out before dawn. In 2010, Runner’s World conducted a field-test study that found drivers can spot headlamps from 800 metres away; reflective details on clothes and shoes can be seen at only 90 metres; and a plain white shirt is visible from just 15 metres away.RELATED: 7 Lights To Brighten Up Your Run
6. Create a mantra
   Having an early morning power phrase that will get your butt out of bed is crucial for those first few transition weeks, says Raglin.Try: If I run now, I can feel good about it all day. If I skip it now, I’ll feel guilty all day; or A few moments of discomfort now, a day’s worth of elation later.

Very few people are able to just wake up and run. Instead, our bodies rely on morning rituals just as much as evening ones to tell it what to do.

Consider starting your day with the following routines:

THE NIGHT BEFORE

Research suggests that seven to eight hours of sleep is optimal for most people. So if you want to run at 5:30am, you’ll need to be tucked in by at least 10pm, or even earlier if you want to give yourself a few minutes to really wake up. These tips will help make the transition easier.

1. Have a hearty dinner – early
   Food is directly related to running performance, says dietician Nancy Clark, author of The Sports Nutrition Guidebook: A Food Guide for Marathoners and New Runners. A meal the night before should be an easily digestible one with carbohydrates and protein, like stir-fried rice with vegetables and tofu.
2. Get your gear ready
   ‘Being ready beforehand means I have no excuses not to go, and it also eliminates the need to remember everything when I’m still in a morning fog,’ says Kim Burie, 42, who two years ago decided to run at the crack of dawn so she could get in longer workouts. Once she’s showered after each morning run, she lays out her gear for the next day. Before bed, she preps her water bottle and recharges her phone.
3. Dim the lights
   Darkness helps to stimulate the release of melatonin, which is the hormone that signals night and makes you sleepy, says Dr Mojica. Thirty minutes before going to bed, dim room lights and turn off all electronics: The screen glare will trick your brain into thinking it should still be alert.
4. Create a sleep ritual
   ‘Having a nightly routine that serves to wind you down is important,’ says Dr Shelley Tworoger, who conducted a major sleep study in 2003. Being active late at night will override your sleep signals, she says. Instead, take a bath, have a cup of tea, read, or do some stretches.RELATED: Struggle Sleeping Before A Big Race?
5. Set the right alarm (or two)
   Before he goes to bed, lawyer Nick Bigney, who switched to early morning workouts to avoid work interference, sets four ‘obnoxious’-sounding alarms on his iPhone. ‘The first goes off when I want to get up, the second when I should get up, the third when I need to get up, and the final one is when I should be out of the door,’ he explains. If you can’t risk waking others, Dr Mojica, who is also an early morning runner, likes a vibrating alarm (available on many sports watches and phones).

READY, SET, RUN

Your body tends to be tighter in the morning, and you have a lower core temperature. Here’s how to warm up wisely for better performance:

1. Go old school
As in classic calisthenics. Jumping jacks, squats, and walking lunges all serve to ‘get the bones moving first thing,’ says Dr Jordan Metzl, a sports physician who has completed several marathons and Ironmans. ‘An active warm-up will make that first kay feel a lot better.’

2. Start slow
‘I run the first kay slower than I otherwise would to wake up my muscles,’ says Nick Bigney, who averages 60 kilometres a week. ‘On a pace run I’ll go the first kay in 5:25 or so and then the remainder at my regular 5:05 pace.’

The post 6 Foolproof Ways To Become A Morning Runner! appeared first on Runner's World.

It’s also a great way to see if you’ve got the metal to run a marathon and beyond – no matter how long the Two Oceans and Comrades are, running a half is certainly a significant athletic achievement. Also add in that the training is manageable compared to marathons and ultras, and you recover quicker.

Whether you choose to run a half or a full marathon depends partly on time and commitment: How much time do you have to train?

Marathon training programmes usually last from 12 to 18 weeks, with numerous long runs scattered throughout. In contrast, our half marathon training programme takes only eight weeks, and it will get you to the finish line as well as ensure that you make it to the starting line healthy and ready to do your best.

RELATED: Transitioning From The Half To Full Marathon

Not only will you need to invest less training time while preparing for a half marathon than a marathon, your injury risk will be lower. Plus, you won’t need to worry about all those super-long runs on weekends, and there will certainly be less to worry about on race day. Many marathon veterans appreciate that half marathon training requires lower mileage, which means they can run those kays at a faster pace than they would for the marathon.
RELATED: Half Marathon, Full Life!

Get Started Below you’ll find two different half marathon training programmes, each 8 weeks long. One is for novices and the other for slightly more advanced runners. Choose the one that suits your needs best and go for it.

Download the 21km Novice Training Programme

Download the 21km Experienced Training Programme

The post Your 8-Week Half-Marathon Training Programme appeared first on Runner's World.

Recovery: 8:00-8:15 Easy: 7:20-7:40 Long Runs: 7:20-8:00

Time Trials: 4km 26:00:00 5km 32:00:00 8km 52:00:00

Start at the slower end of the training paces and move towards the faster end as you progress through the coming months of training.

Please note that if you cannot run the Time Trial times this does not mean you are doomed to failure. These are guidelines and you should be working towards them before Two Oceans.

Enjoy the training!

To get the rest of the Sub-7 (Finishers) training programme, click here.

Sign up to the free Two Oceans mailer here >>

The post Two Oceans Ultra Marathon Sub 7 (Finishers) Training Programme: December appeared first on Runner's World.

So head inside – winter is the perfect time to take a class that complements your running. “Group classes are a great way to try something new and address areas that you know are weaknesses for you, like flexibility or upper-body strength,” says Jessica Cover, a running coach and personal trainer. Cover introduced me to four classes – offered by many health clubs, community centres, and yoga and martial arts studios – that she finds help runners improve in the areas of balance, strength, and mental focus.

“Plus, they’re fun,” she says. While keeping up my regular mileage, I sampled these classes on my recovery days.

By choosing the right workout, you may even find your running performance improving in time for your next race.

Bosu

Named for the stability trainers that resemble a Swiss ball sliced in half, Bosu classes (or general fitness classes incorp-orating Bosu exercises) put students through a series of balance, coordination, and agility exercises using either the flat platform or the squishy dome. The fast-paced classes include familiar exercises – bicep curls, back extensions, lunges, and bird-dogs (an ab-strengthening move) – performed on the Bosu, which challenges you to engage your core muscles to keep you centred and upright. After one class, my lats and calves were sore for days.

Good for runners: By working the small muscles, ligaments, and tendons around your knees and ankles, the Bosu helps develop the stability and quick-reaction skills you’ll need on trails and roads alike, says Cover.

Tai Chi

The centuries-old practice of ‘moving meditation’ is going mainstream among athletes of all ages. That’s because the slow, flowing movements (there are 108) are said to harness energy – chi – while fostering mind-body awareness, flexibility, and balance. Most beginner classes start with gentle, yoga-like poses and progress to more challenging positions. Though I was skeptical, it took me just one session to get the basic hang of it, and to feel more relaxed, poised, and grounded than I’d felt in months. Good for runners Especially those who’ve been plagued by injuries or chronic pain, want to improve form, or just need to add some yin to the yang of running, says Cover.

Kickboxing

One of kickboxing’s biggest draws is as a stress reliever, but it’s also a way to improve coordination, sharpen reflexes, and increase muscle endurance. You can expect to burn between 1500 and 1 900 kilojoules per hour. At every class, instructors focus on basic arm snaps and jabs before adding in the kicks. Every few rounds, you break away and practise skipping for a minute or so. I felt clumsy during my first few classes, but that turned out to be a good thing; it got my muscles and my mind out of the straight-ahead running rut.

Good for runners: Kickboxing teaches you to move your hips and legs in a new way and can help you increase your range of motion. Start with low, slow kicks until you master good form, says Cover.

Kettlebells

Unlike traditional weights, which you lift and lower slowly while isolating one body part at a time, kettlebells are swung rhythmically, using full-body motions.

To swing the bells in different patterns – including overhead, cross-body, or floor to shoulder – your small and large muscle groups must work in concert to control the momentum as you change directions. Like many beginners, I found the initial swing of the kettlebell tricky – I was ‘muscling it up’ with my arms – but in time the motion felt natural.

Good for runners: “A kettlebell workout can be a great way to gain core stability and upper-body strength,” says Cover. “But concentrate initially on learning the proper form.” If your kettlebell is too heavy or if you employ the wrong technique, you run the risk of injury. Ask the instructor to help you choose an appropriate weight.

Click here for other cross-training activites to suit any goal.

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Winter is, for many, a time of indulging in comforting foods that normally would be forbidden. As a result, many runners struggle with weight-gain during winter. It may not seem to be a problem if you’re wearing big, baggy jerseys and hiding tighter jeans behind long jackets, but you may end up finding it harder each spring to shed those extra kilo’s.

Understanding the reasons for the increased urge to eat normally forbidden foods, or just to eat bigger portions of normally eaten foods, may help you to keep the weight down this winter. Winter depression, also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), is believed to develop from the lack of bright light during the winter months.

If you suffer from this disorder you are likely to feel depressed during winter. Apart from making you less eager to exercise, this depression can also make you eat more – especially carbohydrate-rich foods – as this will increase the serotonin (‘happy hormone’) levels in your brain.

Choose The Right Carbs

A moderate amount of unrefined carbohydrates eaten regularly through the day will make you feel good without increasing body mass, but too often we tend to choose high-fat, refined carbohydrates that will lead to weight-gain, such as chips, cake, sweets, chocolates and biscuits.

Do some planning before you go shopping and make sure to buy (and take to work) healthier options like wholegrain bread, wholegrain crackers, wholegrain rusks and wholegrain cereals, fruit, dried fruit and breakfast cereal bars.

Plan Ahead

If you take prepared food to work (e.g. a wholegrain sandwich and a cup of veggie soup), you are less likely to buy toasted sandwiches, hot chips and other fattening meals from a take-away shop.

Warming Up

Eating to warm up is another reason why we over-eat in winter. This seems to be particularly prevalent at the beginning of winter when our bodies are not used to the cold. Fresh fruit, salads and water just don’t go down as well as they do during the hot summer months.

To help you stay warm and full, include a lot of fibre-rich foods and liquid. Choose warm liquids like soup, tea and skinny milk drinks if you find drinking water difficult in winter. Instead of the salads we love to eat in summer, go for roast vegetables with a drizzle of olive oil or reduced-fat salad dressing. Fruit or herb-infused vinegars are also useful low-kilojoule dressings for roasting vegetables. Stirfries also add bulk to meals without adding too many kilojoules, as long as you use minimal oil for stir-frying.

Click here for some delicious recipes.

Keep Your Fruit Intake Up

If you tend to eat less fresh fruit during winter, try to include some dried fruit in your eating plan, but be careful of amounts if you’re trying to lose weight. Also have baked fruit (e.g. pears or apples) for dessert, or a snack instead of ice cream.

Exercise!

Make necessary changes to your exercise schedule so that you can still exercise despite shorter, colder days. For example, exercise at lunchtime if it is too dark or too cold in the mornings or evenings.

Winter need not be the months of over-eating or no exercising. It is possible to still enjoy this season and start the summer fitter, healthier and in better shape than ever before.

Just a few small changes is all it takes.

The post Win the Winter Weight War! appeared first on Runner's World.

The following workouts are all efficient ways to boost your metabolism and build kilojoule-consuming muscle. And because they require you to run at the edge of your comfort zone, they also quickly put your body into fat-burning mode.

To avoid injury, newcomers should first build a base before attempting the hill and interval workouts. Begin with a 20-minute run and build up to 40 minutes. Then start this plan.

YOU’VE GOT 20 MINUTES

You should: Run hill repeats.

The strength required to run inclines builds kilojoule-hungry muscle as much as hitting the weight room does.

Here’s how: Run at one minute slower than 10-K pace up a 400m-long hill.

Run halfway up the hill then back down at this pace. Repeat twice. Run to the top and down three times. (Warm up for six minutes and cool down for four minutes.)

YOU’VE GOT 30 MINUTES

You should: Run intervals.

Running fast burns more kilojoules per minute than slow running, says Shah.

Here’s how: Sprint for 20 seconds, then jog for 10 seconds.

Repeat four to eight times. Walk one minute. Repeat sequence (sprint/jog repeats followed by a walk) two to four times. (Warm up for six minutes with two 30-second pickups. Cool down for four.)

YOU’VE GOT 45 MINUTES

You should: Go for a tempo run.

You’ll be working at the high end of your fat-burning zone, an effort where you’re talking only in short phrases.

Here’s how: Gradually build speed to 30 seconds slower than 5-K pace.

Run for 25 minutes at this tempo pace. (Warm up for 10 minutes, incorporating three 30-second pick-ups, and cool down with a 10-minute jog.) 

YOU’VE GOT AN HOUR (OR MORE)

You should: Go long.

The longer you’re on your feet, the more kilojoules you’ll burn. Plus, long runs improve base fitness so you’ll reap more from high-intensity workouts, says Shah.

Here’s how: Run at conversational pace.

Keep an easy pace for 40 minutes. (Warm up for 15 minutes. Cool down for five.)

The post 4 Workouts to Shed Kilos appeared first on Runner's World.

The fastest ways to guarantee an injury:

1. WEARING NEW SHOES ON RACE DAY

This is tempting, because new running shoes have a slipper-like feel from the first fitting. That might remain the case for a short while, but resist it. A plethora of foot and lower-limb problems are just a few km away.

Prevention Wear them in first.

2. WEARING OLD SHOES

Another big temptation, mainly because new running shoes are so expensive, old ones are so comfortable and it’s easy to judge wear by the state of the outsole and the upper rather than (correctly) by the compression of the midsole. Joint or shin soreness is the most obvious result and, in fact, should be taken as a sign that your shoes need replacing.

Prevention Log the kilometres you’ve run in each pair of shoes, and change them at least every 800-900 kilometres. It’s cheaper than the medical alternative.

3. WEARING THE WRONG SHOES

This could either be a model unsuited to your gait and foot, or a shoe inappropriate to the type of running you’re doing. Either way, you have a problem.

Prevention If you don’t know what you’re doing, shop at a specialist running retailer. Don’t try anything stupid, like doing a trail race in a road shoe.

4. IGNORING PAIN

Runners accept pain as part of the sport, but not all pain is equal. You have to learn to separate good pain, associated with the positive progression of your fitness, from bad pain, which tends to be unfamiliar, infrequent and generally localised in one particular area of the body. It is an early warning sign of injury, the final severity of which will be determined by how much notice you pay.

Prevention Pay attention to unfamiliar pains. Ease off, and seek medical help where necessary.

5. COMMENCING TREATMENT WITHOUT DIAGNOSIS

Okay, so you have an injury, you know it’s a bad one and you feel you know how to solve it. So you start treatment. The trouble is that you’re a runner, not a medical expert. You may have misdiagnosed your problem and started the wrong treatment.

Prevention If there’s any chance that you’re wrong, see a professional and don’t DIY.

6. NOT DRINKING ENOUGH BEFORE OR DURING A RUN

This is less of a problem on big race days, when runners are more meticulous in their preparations, than it is in training. Dehydration affects your health and performance whenever you run.

Prevention Drink fluid little and often throughout the day, every day.

7. INCREASING DISTANCE TOO QUICKLY

Probably THE most common cause of injury. Many runners insist that patience is more of an impediment than a virtue. When you are building up to a longer race or coming back from injury, the temptation is to do it too rapidly.

Prevention Increase your distance by no more than 10 per cent per week.

The post The 7 Most Common Routes to Injury appeared first on Runner's World.

In order to progress safely, it’s important to know where you stand now in terms of your fitness. Here’s how to match your current abilities with the goal that best sets you up for success.

STATUS: You walk more than you run.

UPDATE: Increase your run time. On your next run, do your usual walk-run ratio for the first five minutes. In the next five minutes, add five seconds to your run time; in the subsequent five minutes, add another five seconds of running.

STATUS: You run twice a week.

UPDATE: Enter a 5-K. Run 30 minutes on Tuesday and/or Thursday and go longer on a weekend day. Start your long run at the longest distance you’ve run in the past two weeks. Each week, add an additional kilometre. Run at a very slow pace and take plenty of walk breaks. Once you can cover at least four-six km, you’re ready to race.

STATUS: You’re confident on the road.

UPDATE: Tackle a trail. Go to a trail or dirt road with a stable surface. Run-walk for 15 to 20 minutes, timing your walk breaks for steep or rough terrain. Gradually increase your time each week by five minutes until you can run 30 to 60 minutes.

STATUS: Your long run is 10km.

UPDATE Move up to a half-marathon. Pick a race 10 to 16 weeks away. On the weekend, slow your long run and increase the distance by one to two miles every other weekend. On alternate weekends, run half the distance of your current long run. Continue until you’re running 22km two weeks before race day.

The post Take Your Running To The Next Level appeared first on Runner's World.

Everyone can benefit from speed work – it’s not just for the elite. If it is integrated into your training correctly, you will see substantial improvements in your performance.

The different types of speed work:

Tempo Runs: These are run at 80-90% of maximum heart rate or at about 10km race pace. A tempo run consists of about 20-40 minutes of running at this pace. Example: running your local 5km or 8km time trial.

Intervals: These can consist of longer (800m-2000m) or shorter (200m-400m) intervals. Intervals are run at about 85-95% of maximum heart rate. Longer intervals: run at about 5km race pace, with recovery time equal to or slightly less than the interval running time. Shorter intervals: run slightly faster than 5km race pace, with longer recovery periods, 2-4 times as long as the repetition time.

Fartlek:  Means ‘speed play’ in Swedish. The speed of running varies by alternating surges of high intensity running with periods of easy running. It differs from interval training in that it is unstructured; intensity and/or speed can be varied whenever the athlete wishes. This is great if you don’t have access to a track, or if you are introducing speed work into your training for the first time. You can use time or even lamp posts as markers.

Benefits of speed work

The most important benefit of speed work is that the working muscles learn to tolerate the build-up of lactic acid. Lactic acid and other byproducts are produced during exercise (especially high-intensity exercise), and cause fatigue, at which point you will need to slow down. During moderate exercise the lactic acid is dissipated quickly, but in high-intensity exercise it is produced quicker than it can be removed. Due to the intensity of speed work, the body becomes more efficient at shuttling these byproducts out of the working muscles. Speed work therefore increases your lactate turn point, which is the point at which lactic acid build-up exceeds removal. Presumably if an athlete has a higher lactate turn-point, they can continue at a higher intensity of effort with a longer time until exhaustion.

Speed work also has a greater cardiovascular training stimulus, which improves your endurance capabilities.

Guidelines

• Speed work can increase your chance of sustaining injuries. Ensure you’ve developed a substantial running base (ie 2-3 months of running at least 3 times a week).  Surface is important: grass is more forgiving than road.
• Start with longer intervals (eg 1000m); closer to race day, include shorter intervals (eg 400m).
• Always warm up: at least 10-15 mins easy running, followed by dynamic stretching or running drills, and a couple of short bouts of faster running before your speed session.
• Always cool down: about 10-15 mins light jogging and static stretching post-workout.
• Speed work improves bio- mechanics and efficiency, so focus on your technique.
• Schedule your speed workouts prior to an easy/rest day.
• Include max 1-2 speed workouts a week; if you are new to speed work, every 10 days.
• If you are carrying any niggles or injury, avoid speed work until completely healed.

4 Great Speed Sessions

For Beginners:

Fartlek: 6 x 1 minute, with 2-3 minutes of light jogging 

3-4 x 1000m with 2-4 minutes recovery (depending on the speed of your interval)

For the more experienced or advanced runner:

5-6 x 1000m with 2-3 minutes recovery (depending on the speed of your interval)

4 x 800m with 2-3 minutes recovery (depending on the speed of your interval), followed by 4 x 400m, with 1-2 minutes recovery (depending on the speed of your interval)

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“You can’t go as hard as you want every time you work out, or you’ll have nothing left to race with,” says running coach and exercise physiologist Greg McMillan. “The goal is to train at various paces – usually at 50 to 70 per cent effort – so you can race at 100 per cent. This is difficult for most runners to follow.”

It’s hard in part because not every runner knows the speed from which to base those paces. Here’s how to nail the right pace for every workout.

Find your 5-K baseline

Many training plans base workout paces off your 5-K race pace. But if you’ve never run a 5-K or it’s been a while since you have, you’re probably under- or overestimating what that speed is, says coach Jonathan Cane.

Figure it out:Enter a 5-K and run at the hardest pace you can hold.

Don’t want to race? Run 3.5km at a steady, conversational pace, then pick it up for the final 1.5km to a speed at which you can speak only in phrases. “Whatever speed you can sustain in that last 1.5km is a good indicator of what your base pace should be,” says Cane. A few days later, run three 1600m repeats at that pace (jog 800m between each repeat).

If your third repeat is at least as fast as the first one, your baseline pace is ideal. But if each 1600m is progressively slower or you have to walk the recovery interval, adjust your base 5-K pace by taking the average speed of the three intervals.

“It’s hard to give a race effort during a training run, so doing your own time trial won’t be very accurate,” says Cane. “This two-pronged approach will help you gauge your speed better.”

Assign workout times

Once you’ve established your baseline 5-K pace, use it to determine how fast to run your workouts.

“Your goal is to create the least possible stress on your body that produces the maximum physiological benefits – not maximum stress to accomplish the same benefits,” says Dr Jack Daniels, head coach with The Run S.M.A.R.T. Project in the US. In other words, don’t run one second faster than necessary.

Figure it out: Run long intervals, such as 800m repeats, at base 5-K pace, and short intervals, such as 200- to 400m repeats, at about 5 to 10sec/km faster than that, says Cane.

Do tempo runs at 20 to 30sec/km slower than 5-K base, easy runs 45sec to 1:45min slower, and long runs 30sec to 1:30min slower. New runners should add more time; regular racers can aim for faster times.

Adjust with care

“Runners always want to finish a little faster,” says Vince Sherry, a running coach and co-founder of The Run S.M.A.R.T. Project. “We reach a race goal, and then all of a sudden it’s not good enough.” It’s easy to think that if you can run a workout – or even a portion of one – slightly faster, then you’ve stepped things up. But a good day (or moment) doesn’t necessarily translate into a new benchmark. For example: you’re supposed to run six 1600m repeats at 7:30 pace. Instead, you nail the first two repeats in 7:15.

The resulting fatigue causes you to run the last four in 7:40. Result? The too-fast start makes for a slower workout. “It’s not until you’re consistently clocking quicker repeats that you’re ready to boost your training speed,” says Sherry.

Figure it out: When it’s time to pick up your base 5-K pace, do it in segments, says Sherry. Instead of trying to run 1600 metres 10 seconds faster than usual, break it up into 400-metre repeats, with a 400-metre recovery jog or walk between each. Aim to shave two to three seconds off each lap.

This allows you to dial in the pace before applying the adjustment to longer segments. Pay attention to trends in your training as well. “If you’re a few seconds slower than predicted one day, that’s fine,” says Cane. “If you’re slowing down every Tuesday, you might be pushing too hard on Monday and need extra recovery time.” But if you’re constantly coming up short on key workouts no matter when you perform them, it’s time to go back and re-adjust your baseline pace. ’

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Nothing builds running strength better than hills. Running inclines force your muscles to work harder with each step; as you grow stronger, your stride becomes more efficient and your overall speed improves.

Despite the benefits, many newcomers (and old-timers) avoid hills – after all, defying gravity can be physically and mentally uncomfortable. But simple form adjustments and a go-slow approach can reduce the challenges and boost your fitness.

Maintain Good Form

As you ascend, shorten your stride and keep your feet low to the ground. Try to keep your head, chest, and hips perpendicular to an imaginary horizontal line. On descents, take short, quick, light steps and keep your centre of gravity over your legs.

Start Easy

• For your first hill workout, jog for 10 minutes to warm up, then walk for two minutes.
• From the bottom of a gentle incline, run up at an easy pace for five seconds, then walk back to the starting point.
• Run up again for seven seconds.
• Walk down.
• Run for 10 seconds, then walk down.
• If you’re feeling strong, repeat the sequence.
• Cool down with a 15-minute jog.

Progress Slowly

Do the Start Easy (above) workout several times, then ramp it up.

• Perform 2 x 10 seconds – run up for 10 seconds, then walk down and repeat.
• Then do 2 x 15, followed by 2 x 20.
• On your next hill workout, repeat the sequence twice and finish with a 30-second run.

Stick With It

Schedule a hill run every seven to 14 days.

As you get stronger, add time to your segments and/or add an additional hill until you’re running 10 inclines. If you’re training for a hilly race, try to mimic in your workouts the types of hills you’ll encounter in your race. When motivation lags, run hills with a buddy and take turns leading the upward charge.

No Hills Around?

Mimic hills on a treadmill or elliptical. Parking garages offer sustained climbs, but time your workout for an off-peak day or hour. Bridges and overpasses are also good alternatives. In a pinch, you can run stairs, but ease into it if you aren’t used to them.

The post The Up Side Of Hills appeared first on Runner's World.

When you run, your arms counterbalance the motion of your legs, resulting in saved energy. The swing of the arms helps propel the body forward so the lower body isn’t doing all the work. And a strong upper body bolsters a runner’s form when fatigue sets in.

Do these exercises twice a week, after a run or as a stand-alone workout.

Chair Dip

• Sit in a sturdy chair with your hands gripping the seat.
• Walk your feet forward.
• Lower yourself until your upper arms are parallel to the ground.
• Then push back up.
• Do two sets of 12 to 15 reps.

Quick tip

Squeeze your abs and glutes, but let your arms do the work.

Resistance Rows

• Secure a resistance band to a stable object at chest height, grabbing the free ends in each hand.
• Stretch your arms out in front of you, stagger your feet for balance, and squeeze your core muscles.
• the band back until your hands are beside your chest, keeping your elbows at shoulder level.
• Maintain control as you return to the starting position.
• Do two sets of 12 to 15 reps.

Quick tip

Choose a band that barely allows you to do the last rep of each set with perfect form.

Resistance-Band Sprints

• Using a resistance band as above, stagger your feet and pull in your abdominal muscles for balance.
• Swing arms quickly back and forth, as if you were sprinting.
• Keep your feet planted.
• Do two sets of 12 to 15 reps.
• To train the opposing muscle groups, turn away from the band’s centre and repeat the arm motion.

Quick tip

You may want to try different band lengths and/or levels of resistance until you find one that allows you to closely match your swing.

Push-Ups

• Get into a plank position with your hands slightly outside your shoulders.
• Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor.
• Pause, then push back up.
• Do two sets of 12 to 15 reps.

Quick tip

Tighten your glutes throughout to stabilise your hips. If they do sag, consider that your last rep and end the set.

The post Tone Your Arms appeared first on Runner's World.

“You need to consider when you plan to eat the bar,” says Tara Gidus, registered dietician and runner.

Before a run, for example, you want the right amount and type of carbs for an energy boost – without a trip to a Port-a-Loo. Afterwards, you need more protein.

Here’s how to find the perfect bar for every running situation.

Pre- or mid-run boost

Mid- to long-run energy

Lunch replacement

Post-run immunity boost

Long-run pain reflief

Post-workout recovery

Pre- or mid-run boost

The post Six Best Energy Bars appeared first on Runner's World.

Studies continue to find that hitting the roads improves health and well-being. ‘The biggest benefits come from vigorous exercise like running,’ says Dr JoAnn Manson, chief of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Here are the latest reasons to lace up.

Look Ahead

People who run more than 56km a week are 54% less likely to suffer age-related vision loss than those who cover 16km a week.

Keep The Beat

Runners who log a weekly run of 16km (or more) are 39% less likely to use high blood pressure meds and 34% less likely to need cholesterol meds compared with those who don’t go further than 5km.

Function Well

Men who burn at least 12 560kJ per week – equal to about five hours of running – are 83% less likely to have severe erectile dysfunction.

Build Bone

Running strengthens bones better than other aerobic activities, say University of Missouri researchers who compared the bone density of runners and cyclists. 63% of the cyclists had low density in their spine or hips; only 19% of runners did.

Think Fast

British workers were surveyed on a day they worked out and a day they didn’t. People said they made fewer mistakes, concentrated better, and were more productive on the day they were active.

Stay Sharp

A study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society reported that women who were active as teenagers were less likely to develop dementia later in life.

Sleep Tight

Insomniacs fell asleep in 17 minutes on days they ran, compared to 38 minutes on days they didn’t. They also slept for an extra hour on days they exercised.

Sneeze Less

People who exercise for an hour a day are 18% less likely to suffer upper respiratory tract infections than those who are inactive, according to a study from Sweden. Moderate activity boosts immunity.

Breathe Easy

Researchers had asthmatics do two cardio workouts and one strength session a week. After three months, they reported less wheezing and shortness of breath.

Live Longer

A review of 22 studies found that people who work out 2.5 hours a week are 19% less likely to die prematurely than those who don’t exercise. A separate study found that active people have a 50% lower risk of premature death.

The post Why Run? appeared first on Runner's World.