‘Top Tips’ guide to running

First things first are our Top Tips guide to running. Whether you’re embarking on your first or tenth half marathon, this guide will help you with all the most important considerations!

Prepare
Preparation is key, so creating a training plan is a must for everyone embarking on a half marathon! Make sure you start your training within plenty of time to allow for recovery from any hiccups along the way.

It is best to increase your training efforts by 10% each week to reduce the risk of injury. This means if you are running for 10 minutes on week 1, you should increase your running to 11 minutes in week 2. As well as distance, the 10% rule also applies for speed and incline. Also, don’t forget to factor in at least one rest day per week to give your muscles a chance to completely recover!

Cross training is a fantastic way to keep up your cardiovascular fitness without over exerting the legs and feet with the impact of running. We would recommend spending at least one day per week swimming, cycling or rowing for maximum fitness.

There are some fantastic training plans online to help you build your own individualized timetable.

Stretch
We would recommend thinking about how you incorporate both static and dynamic stretching into your training plan.

Static stretching is stretching a muscle and holding it for a prolonged amount of time, whereas dynamic stretching is stretching with movement. A general rule of thumb is dynamic stretching is advised pre run, to warm up muscles and prepare them for the task ahead and a good static stretch will help them recover afterwards.

Keep your eye out for our videos on stretching and foam rolling on our Facebook page! 

Strengthen
When you run you are asking a serious amount from many different muscle groups.  Not only are some muscles working hard to propel us forward but others are also working hard to stabilise us in that position.  If we are weak in some muscles, then its likely other muscles will compensate and cause injury.

An assessment with a physio will be able to identify exactly where your weak muscles are and the most efficient and effective way to strengthen them.

Every week we will post a new strength exercise to help with your training programme.

Pre- events
Entering smaller running events is a great way to get used to the atmosphere and routine, in preparation for the all-important half marathon day. This will also help to keep you motivated when racking up the miles in the upcoming weeks!

Consider fitting in a 5 or 10 km run at the appropriate time in your training plan. It will allow you to try out your running gear, nutrition preparation and it will give you practice at pacing yourself over a shorter running distance.