Ease into a manageable pace for your first few outdoor runs of the season! Now that warmer weather is upon us, here are the 3 tips you hate to hear for enjoying a sustainable season:
1) Don’t go from zero to hero, build capacity gradually. Running efficiently is key. How to start? Start by skipping in place for 1 to 2 minutes while focusing on being as light on your feet as possible. Then, practise the mid-foot or forefoot technique over shorter running intervals during weekly training runs. You should aim to steadily increase the time and distance of your foot strike pattern by 5% per week.
2) Don’t underestimate the power of recovery: you can over-stride and wear yourself out. Optimize your nutrition and get plenty of rest. Stretching (including Yoga) is also an effective way to strengthen your body and core for cardiovascular endurance.
3) Nip aches and pains in the bud by seeking help from a practitioner or qualified running coach who can help manage and restore more optimal muscle balance / conditioning to save your joints, and get you running faster. Developing correct biomechanics during specific functional exercises, i.e. the single leg partial squat will carry over to maintaining proper form during the running gait. This will inevitably enable an athlete to run longer and faster, both pain and injury-free.