Do you ever sign up for something get really excited and then forget about it?
I signed up for the Blackmores Sydney Running Festival quite a while ago. The 9km bridge run sounded fantastic so I registered. It seems like not too long ago it was the Mothers Day Classic a lovely 8km, this is 1 more kilometre, that shouldn’t be that bad should it? Not if you train!
It was only the other day that I realised how close the run was, even thpough I was excited when I signed up I kind of forgot about it a little bit. Now the race is only a couple weeks away and I am in a bit of trouble I think!
I decided to turn to the man who got me prepared for my first ever fun run. At the gym he is the go to guy when it comes to running. When I first went to him I had never run for more than 1.5kms in my life. With some guidance and buddy runs he got me ready for 8kms, I didn’t stop once which was a personal achievement.
I asked my running guy what his top tips were for getting ready for a race.
In no particular order here are his wise words
1. Footwear – you must make sure you have a good quality pair of running shoes. Not only will this support your feet but reduce the risk of injury and unnecessary pain.
2. Leg strength – running atrophies your body (breaks down muscle) so it is vital that you maintain leg strength. Training your legs properly reduces your risk of injuries such as Patell0- femoral Syndrome (painful!) and keeps your legs pumped. If you are overweight your legs need to be particularly strong to help the body cope with extra impact the weight causes to the legs, your bones, muscles, tendons etc. Even one quality legs session a week can be enough. Lots of squats, step ups, lunges will do you the world of good if training hard and controlled.
3. Everything you do must be measureable. Time your runs and your splits. For example how long does it take you for the first 1km then at the 2km mark etc
4. Pace yourself, don’t go out too hard or you won’t have enough energy left for the rest of the run. Hold back a bit and remember the timing of your splits
5. How often should you run? 2-3 is enough 1. Distance, get your body used to how far it must go. Each run build on your distance and remember to time it, you should be able to maintain your pace even if you are hurting. 2. HIIT (high intensity interval training. Vary the distance and surface e.g on grass, up hills, reducing rest periods. You can also do cross training in this session (a mixture of training influences, rowing/cross trainer/skipping/jumping/strength exercises). If you choose to do a 3rd session keep the run short but hard. Make sure you give yourself a couple of days rest before or after the long distance run.
6. Feed your body right. Give it nutritious food that will give you energy, protein for your strength work. On the morning of the run keep your intake light and carb dominant for energy.
Ok we’ve got some tips now let’s put them into action. From my personal experience i’ve also found that it’s consistency that makes a huge difference. If you are diligent with your training it really does pay off!
Goodluck fellow runners!!
(the above photo is from my First Blackmores Running Festival run – only 4km, it was fun! 🙂 )