What Runners don’t do enough of

This is my top 8 things that most runners don’t do nearly enough of, or avoid all together. We all like to get out there and run, so we want to spend as much time as we can doing that, but if you skip these activities you could end up injured or not reach your full running potential.

1. Strength training- regular strength training has so many benefits for runners. It will get more power into your stride so you run faster, prevent injury, improve running form and running economy. There are many studies that have shown this to be true, and yet so many runners say they don’t have time for strength work. Make it part of your schedule and don’t be afraid of heavy weights once you have mastered the basics!
2. Speed & sprinting- I have a previous blog post explaining why sprinting is important for all runners. It may not get you a high mileage for the week, but the long term benefits will pay off: https://wordpress.com/post/runningtipoftheweek.home.blog/78
3. Recovery- one of the easiest ways to improve your running for minimal effort is to focus properly on rest and recovery. Get enough sleep, eat a varied diet containing plenty of unrefined foods, take rest days and allow yourself time off from training when you need it. That will allow your body to get stronger and faster.
4. Relaxation- learning to relax and switch off will help with recovery by getting the body out of the “fight or flight” stress state of training and into recovery mode. Relaxing while running will minimise energy wasted by being tense. Eliud Kipchoge ensures he smiles when he runs, to help him stay relaxed and research has shown that smiling lowers runners perceived effort level and improves running economy due to relaxing.
5. Easy running- a lot of runners just try to run as fast as they can every time they go out. This results in running in the blackhole of medium pace/medium distance all the time. You never go slow enough to fully recover between sessions. Resulting in not being able to extend runs to greater distances and never going fast enough over short distances to fully extend your speed. Elite Kenyan runners spend time running as slow as 8-9 min/mile when they knock out marathons at 5min/mile. You may have heard of the 80/20 training rule, as identified by Dr Stephen Seiler, which states that endurance athletes should do around eighty per cent of their training at a very easy intensity, with the remaining twenty per cent consisting of moderate or hard training. Scientific research suggests this is the optimum ratio for maximum training benefit and leads directly to improved race times or fitness gains.
6. Balance work- working on your balance is a simple, little thing that takes next to no time. Every time you land when running, you need to control a landing and improved balance will also enable you to run more smoothly through uneven terrain. Simple ways to work on this are to balance on 1 leg, adding in mini squats or trying with your eyes closed. Balance boards can be fun and hopping in multiple directions adds in a dynamic element.
7. Bare Foot drills- Linked to balance, your feet need to work well for good balance and they also allow a strong push off in your running stride. If your feet spend all their time in shoes then set them free and get them working properly with a few simple drills like walking on your toes then heels and lifting then driving down your big toe.
8. Listening to your body- one of the most important things you can learn, is how to listen to what your body is telling you. Only you know how you really feel, so it is vital to hear what your body says. It could be that you are tired and need extra rest, that you are hungry and need more food or there is an ache somewhere that keeps getting worse and needs to be looked at by an expert.