The 10 Best Running Tips for Every Kind of Runner
Whether you run to stay in shape, conquer new goals, or fulfil your daily endorphin fix, you’ve likely experienced many highs and lows along the way.
While most runs inspire a sense of joy and accomplishment, those moments don’t come without their fair share of struggles.
Regardless of your fitness level or running expertise, there is always room for a little improvement.
Once you’ve been running for a little while, it’s easy to fall into a routine and forget about mixing things up to improve.
We can always benefit from a few running tips.
One of the best parts about running is the fact that it leaves room for endless improvements. There is no limit to what you can accomplish with a little hard work.
With running, you can challenge yourself to run a mile without walking, complete your first 5k, run a marathon, get that PR, lose a few pounds, and so much more.
Each and every runner has a different purpose. We set various goals for ourselves and work hard each day to achieve those goals.
Regardless of the goal you’ve set, taking the time to implement a few strategies and running tips will help propel your progress and ensure you stay healthy in the long run.
These strategies will help you get started, maintain progress and stay healthy – regardless of your current running abilities.
Preparation
Have A Plan
Whether your aim is simply to finish your first proper race or smash your marathon personal best, you need a training plan or else you run the risk of getting nowhere fast.
You have two options: find a good off-the-peg plan, or ask a qualified running coach for a bespoke one.
Generic plans are available for free and based on achieving a set distance in a target time, and many runners have used them to good effect.
Make sure it’s been put together by an expert and that you understand the rationale behind each session. This will allow you to make small changes based on your weekly schedule and how you progress.
Get An MOT
Before embarking on your plan it can be worth getting a once-over to correct any minor niggles or running technique flaws that could develop into major problems, especially if you have a history of injuries.
If you’re going to start running seriously, it’s essential you identify and correct poor habits as early as possible, which will make training much more beneficial and pleasurable.
Consider A Club
Running solo can be one of life’s great joys but if you’re knocking out several runs a week as part of a training plan, doing some of them with other people is a great way to stay motivated, make friends, and discover new places to run.
You’ll find free running groups in most cities around the UK now – many specialists running stores stage several group runs each week – or you can look into joining your local running club.
Rest assured that you don’t need to be a speedster to join – they cater for all abilities.
Running Gear
The first item on your shopping list should be a good-quality pair of running shoes. That doesn’t necessarily mean spending a huge amount of money, but it does mean spending some time working out what the right pair for you is.
Get Gait Analysis
A free gait analysis service is offered at many specialist running stores, including every Runners Need store, just Google for your nearest shop.
You’ll be videoed while running on a treadmill for a couple of minutes and the footage is then played back (in freeze-frame if necessary) to assess your foot plant, stride and running pattern.
This information is then used to find the best shoe for you, though it should be said that you shouldn’t value your gait analysis results over and above what your feet are telling you.
Generally, the best rule to follow is that if you really like how a shoe feels on a trial run, that’s the shoe for you.
Choose The Right Type Of Shoe
First, consider where you’re going to be running and buy shoes that will be suitable for the terrain.
If most of your training is off-road, then road shoes with built-up heels are unsuitable because you will be more unstable and could turn an ankle.
Similarly, a pair of trail-running shoes with deeply studded outsoles will be very uncomfortable on paved roads, because the studs will press into the soles of your feet.
The two main types of road running shoes are neutral and stability shoes, with the latter designed for runners who overpronate (roll their foot excessively inwards on landing).
If you’re not sure if you overpronate, it might be worth getting your gait analyzed.
Go For A Trial Run
Buying your running shoes is a big investment – so you should always test any shoes properly before buying them.
Padding around on a carpet in the shop certainly won’t replicate how the shoes will feel when you’re running in them. Instead, you should “road test” them on an in-store treadmill.
Don’t Wear Your Shoes Out
Your running shoes will take a great deal of pounding across a wide range of surfaces and in all weather, so they will need to be replaced fairly frequently.
Generally, you should replace a pair after 500-600 miles (800-960 km).
Exactly how often you need to buy new shoes will depend on your weight, running style and choice of terrain, but you should always avoid trying to squeeze a few extra weeks out of shoes that are evidently worn out because the shoes won’t give you the protection you need and you’ll increase your chances of getting injured.
Select Smarter Socks
You should always wear the socks that you intend to run in when you go for a shoe fitting.
The thickness of your sock can make a big difference to the fit and feel of your shoe, particularly as your feet expand in the heat.
Runners should wear running-specific socks because they have extra padding across the ball of the foot, the toes and the heel area.
This extra padding cuts down on impact and protects important areas that can blister.
There’s also usually padding or a tighter area through the arch to allow the shoe to fit more closely and add better arch support.
Round Out Your Running Wardrobe
Once you’ve got your running shoes and socks sorted it’s time to focus on the rest of your kit.
T-shirts and shorts are usually the staples of any running wardrobe and the key things you want your kit to be are lightweight, breathable and sweat-wicking.
Beyond that, it’s all about the weather you’ll be facing. If you’re training outside through the winter then a running jacket that protects you from the wind and rain is a worthwhile purchase, and base layers a
running tights can also be vital allies in your battle against the cold.
Performance
Run Your Routine
The key to becoming a better runner, whatever your distance, is consistency.
The more regularly you run, the sooner you’ll see an improvement in your cardiovascular fitness, an increase in both your sustainable pace and your all-out speed, and better recovery.
Get Stronger
If you want to be speedy, first get stronger. Build strength in your glutes, legs and core, as well as improve your hip, knee and ankle strength and mobility, and work towards better flexibility.
Start to think like an athlete and you’ll start to perform like one.
Mix Up Your Runs
The more you run, the better you tend to get at it – but after a while, you will need to vary the type of runs you do to continue improving.
If you go hell for leather every time you’ll burn out or get injured, and if you stick to relaxed plods you’re unlikely to get any faster or fitter.
In general, a good training plan will be mostly easy runs, interspersed with one speedy intervals or hills session, one tempo run, and perhaps one long run each week.
Train Faster
Runners of all levels can benefit from adding speed intervals to their routines.
Interval training not only helps you get quicker, but it also sharpens up your running form and, crucially, livens up your training, because sticking to the same steady 5K for all your runs will start to get seriously boring after a while.
The length and speed of intervals you do will vary depending on your overall goals, and you can also do individual sessions in which you change up the length and pace of your intervals.
Work On Technique
When you first start running you’ll find that you make huge gains purely by being consistent as well as increasing the frequency and quality of your training.
Over time, however, you might also benefit from tweaking your running form, though trying to change this without an expert on hand can be tricky.
Your posture should be standing tall, holding your hips high, and leaning forward slightly from your toes.
You should be able to draw a straight line through your ears, shoulders and hips.
You want to minimize lateral movement at your shoulders and hips, and minimize torso movement by dropping your shoulders and driving your arms backwards from the shoulder joint.
One thing you can work on easily by yourself is your running cadence – the number of steps you take a minute.
Most running watches monitor this for you, and the aim is generally to increase your cadence to improve efficiency and also reduce injury risk.
Your goal is to spend less time in contact with the ground and prevent over-striding because long, heavy strides are very inefficient – shorter and faster strides that include only brief contact with the ground are far better.
Do Some Drills
Running drills bring two benefits to the table. The first is when you use them as part of your warm-up before a race or hard training session.
They help to prepare your body so you can fly out of the gate and hit your race pace from the off.
Know Your Limits
You don’t have to smash every run.
Intense interval sessions and long runs are important pillars of a training plan but too much too often will fatigue you physically and mentally.
Include some comfortable steady-state work and recovery runs to give your mind and muscles adequate recovery.
Nutrition
Don’t Delay Refueling
Refuelling correctly after your run is vital, especially if you opt for a fast run.
Your post-run meal will aid recovery so if you do run fast, it’s vital to eat a proper meal containing carbs for energy replacement and a good source of protein for muscle repair as soon as possible.
Eat The Right Carbs
For any run lasting more than 90 minutes some easily digestible carbs – a smoothie, banana on toast or porridge with honey – in the hour or two before you start will improve performance.
You should also ensure you eat enough carbs over the last 24 hours before the run so your muscles’ glycogen stores are filled.
This is essential for longer, more intense runs so that your body has all the easy-to-use fuel it needs to perform consistently well for the whole session.
Recovery
Always Warm Down
A warm-down provides a period of adjustment between exercise and rest. It’s probably the most neglected part of a training session but you omit it at your peril.
Implementing a proper warm-down will improve muscle relaxation, remove waste products, reduce muscle soreness and bring the cardiovascular system back to resting levels.
Spend ten to 15 minutes jogging, gradually reducing your speed every couple of minutes.
Get More Sleep
Yes, you can actually get faster while lying in bed.
Sleep is one of the most important forms of rest and provides time for you to adapt to the physical and mental demands of training.
Sleep deprivation can result in a loss of performance, both from a single bad night’s sleep and from an accumulation of poor sleep throughout successive nights.
Cutting back on your sleep over a week could push you into sleep debt and negatively impact your performance.
Aim for at least seven but preferably eight or nine hours a night.
Injury Prevention
Scale Up Your Training Slowly
The fastest way to get injured is to suddenly ramp up either the amount or intensity of the training you’re doing.
Following a training plan will help you to build the amount of running you do gradually, with one, two or, at maximum, three tough sessions like hill sprints or interval runs a week.
As a rule of thumb, average out the distance you’ve run over the past four weeks, then plan your next week’s training off that number – you should be increasing your total distance by around 3-5 km, not jumping 10-15 km each week.
