Here are my top 10 tips for long (ish) distance running, for all you potential Great North Runners and all you other crazy fools that have signed up for a half marathon. These may be subject to change once my beautiful marathon training begins (HELP), but I have found these pretty foolproof when training for half marathons (this includes distance training from 5-6 miles +) and distances just slightly longer!
1. Plan a route that takes you as far from your house/starting point as possible. Why? Well the further you get away from your starting point on that beginning buzz, the further you have to run back! I know this sounds a bit obvious, but you will be surprised when you hit that mental wall on your long runs, how tempting it is to sack it in if you’re near your house and say “it’s ok I’ll do it next time”. The best tool for this is www.mapmyrun.com/
2. Train outside. This one may also seem a bit obvious, but it is surprising how tempting it is to train on the treadmill. There’s lots of research to say that treadmill training is better for you, to reduce the impact on your joints, but what they fail to mention is that it also takes away some of the effort from your legs and helps to create muscle imbalances which are just as bad! I trained for my first half marathon completely on the treadmill, and let me tell you I got the shock of my life running outside (not to mention that it took me two weeks to be able to walk properly again). Running outside is much harder, and you burn around 100 calories more on a 6 mile run outside, whereas on a treadmill 6 mile run you burn around 50 calories less than the treadmill actually says!
3. Strength train for endurance, your muscles will thank you. Too many people focus on cardio purely. Yes this is good and you will become a machine, however 5 years down the line your back and legs won’t be too happy with all the funky different sized muscles you have due to poor posture. Strength training not only helps improve your running endurance but also helps to correct those imbalances and prevent any nasty injuries.
4. Remember your carbs. Carbohydrate intake is everything; this includes all you runners that have taken up the sport with the hope of also losing some weight. Firstly without carbs in your system, your body will feel positively crap and every run will fill you with dread. Secondly, on that big day without carbs you will most likely hit the wall and it aint pretty! Finally, without carbs your body won’t burn fat, instead all your efforts will be wasted and you will burn muscle, most likely having a body fat percentage higher than when you started running (don’t question me, it’s science!) Obviously good carbs such as whole grains, fruit and veg are important.
5. Good music. Running can be fun and exciting. In fact scrap can, it is. When you start to train for longer distances you will notice a lot of your time is taken up with running (not a bad thing), and despite that lovely friend that tries to join you when they can, you still sometimes find yourself alone, just you and that nice long run. Music is my motivator here, a good song or two can sometimes help a mile go by without you realising and has been proven in research to be a fantastic pace setter!
6. Stick to your comfy clothes. Forget what looks good and trendy, or is the new scientifically proven anti sweat wear. Stick with what you know is comfy. Chaffing is a bitch and there is nothing that ruins a good long run like the seam on your t-shirt or your shorts giving you rubbing grief 3 miles from the end.
7. Hydration. Similar to carbs, without adequate water intake you are going to hit the wall and will want to die, and in future dread every long run you ever do. You should usually be able to run 6 miles without water (if you haven’t been on a booze binge and are already reasonably hydrated), any longer and you need at least a bottle with you. From 1 hour plus make sure you take regular sips. Obviously once you’re thirsty it’s too late, you glug it down and then spend the rest of the run with it glugging in your belly and feeling like you’re going to vom.
8. Nice padded shoes. Make sure you wear the right footwear for your stride; otherwise you are going to have injuries galore. Running shops usually do this for free if you purchase a pair from their store. Also watch your mileage on your shoes, when you think they’re starting to give up on you get a new pair, otherwise the impact of long distance runs will result in the delightful shin splints.
9. Acclimatise. This is one of the most important parts of training along with having to train outdoors, and include hill training. Unfortunately a lot of running events tend to be in the lovely depth of those long and hot summer months, and if you focus all your training in the early mornings or late evenings when it is cooler, when race day comes along you’re going to struggle. Getting your body used to the race day climate is very important, it also helps you to get used to how much water you need to take on. If it’s hot don’t forget the factor 30!
10. Keep going. When you feel like giving up, remember that every runner has been there and faced the same mental challenge. If you do give up, don’t beat yourself up just try again. If you push through the mental barrier, the satisfaction you will feel from accomplishing the distance challenge will far exceed any satisfaction of getting into a smaller clothes size and will help you realise how tough you are mentally even if your body doesn’t always think so.
As a last pointer after this mammoth blog, remember that long distance running is tough anyway. The training to get there is tougher, but physically nothing is worth doing if it’s not a challenge. Over time your body will adjust and you will look back and remember the days when a 3 mile run was a struggle and smile to yourself at what you have achieved.
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