Run Training Traps - 1

We all got into running for one reason or another – some of you recently, a few of us many years ago. You enjoy the active and running lifestyle for your own reasons: health, fitness, wellbeing, state-of-mind, participation, performance, perfection or podium and, in some sense, pride.

Some things have changed; some things haven’t. Your training comes to reflect the reasons why you run. The basics haven’t changed: you still need to run to get running’s benefits: swim, cycle and gym are good, but not as good.

You want training to be what you want it to be, and effective. Yet, amongst the technology, self-professed gurus, and Coach-google, basic training errors are still made: many out of running’s present culture, some out of habit and ego. Are you trapped by these?

Remember, what works for the pros and what are promoted as “the best”, “the most effective”, “the ideal”, “the latest” or “short-cuts ” are rarely what they are made out to be. They simply don’t work for most. Perhaps these are your trap?

Through 2010-14 I have held discussions, meetings, race and program reviews, and constructed strategic performance plans with over 700 runners and coaches (and 350+ triathletes). Here are the Top Ten Run-training Traps as a summary. There’s also a cure or ‘get-out’, and a long-term prevention strategy for each.

Trap 1: Training habits: Many do what or how they were training when they started. You’ll improve for your first few years regardless of what you do, so you keep doing it.  Some habits are positive, some aren’t. As your body and experience change, so must your training.

 Get out: read, ask, listen, learn and, importantly, educate yourself about yourself and how you respond to different types of sessions, and how your body adapts to accumulated sessions (training)

Prevention: keep a log and journal. Use these, with race and test results to review, revise and re-work your training, races, and macrocycle or year. Plan to do differently next race (or season). Then act.

How have you been  'trapped' by your training?

What did you do to get out?