5 ways to improve your running (without actually running)
Plus a talk on ultra women and an exclusive online Pilates discount code
We are all looking for that quick fix in life. The product that will make us instantly beautiful, the routine that will give us abs in a week or the training hack to smash a PB.
But when it comes to running (and most things in life) the truth is much more mundane. Doing things consistently over a long period of time leads to results. And these things don’t have to be innovative, expensive or based on some new fangled technology or jargon-infused product. Keeping things simple and sticking to the basics is all you need.
And improving your running is not just about running. A huge amount of it is about what you do when you are not running. Because this is when adaptation occurs. You can follow a training plan perfectly but if you don’t get everything else right, you won’t see any improvement.
But if you stick to these five steps – as best you can – you will give your body the best chance of adapting to the strain of running.
1. Sleep
This is the most vital component of all. Without good sleep our body does not have time to recover. This means when we go for our next run we can actually be making things worse – rather than better. Getting enough sleep and good quality sleep will make the world of difference to your performance. I no longer get up early to fit in a run (unless it’s a race).
I prioritise sleep instead, aiming to get at least eight hours a night. This means I have to fit in runs at other times of the day, which is not as convenient but at least I know I will be energised. There is also some evidence that banking sleep can have some health benefits – so I try to have a longer stretch of sleep at the weekend – sometimes naturally sleeping up to 10 hours. Avoiding alcohol is also hugely beneficial when it comes to quality sleep.
How going sober improved my running recovery
Last year I wrote a candid piece about how going sober had not supercharged my running. It was one of my most popular newsletters to date and sparked a lot of conversations with my readers, friends and running buddies.
2. Eat
If you are exercising regularly or increasing the amount or intensity of how much you run then you must fuel your body. Without calories your body cannot function properly, and this will lead to fatigue, low mood and possible loss of periods for women. You don’t need to a fancy meal plan or to drink expensive shakes. You just need a healthy balanced diet with plenty of carbs and veggies, but also lots of protein to help with muscle repair. This is particularly important as we age, and even more vital for women.
Variety is key so try not to eat the same meals / food types all the time. And when you are going on long runs don’t forget to keep fuelling. Take lots of snacks with you and find out what works for you. If you fail to do this your muscles will feel weak, and you will also be sapped of mental energy. This is because 20% of calories are used to fuel the brain. As my coach would say “low mood, eat food”.
3. Rest
As I mentioned before, adaptation occurs when we are not running and most of all when we are resting. So, taking rest days is an absolute must. For most people run streaks are not a great idea, you need at least one day when you are not doing anything high impact. Going for a walk or doing a gentle yoga class is fine but in my opinion rest days should not include strength training or any form of running.
It is also important to listen to your body and take a rest when you feel ill or if a training plan is making you feel excessively tired. Sticking religiously to a training plan no matter what is a road to burnout and/or injury. Take a break.
4. Strengthen
Runners would rather be running than strength training. Going to the gym or lifting weights in your garage is dull in comparison to feeling the driving rain through your hair, avoiding dogs, pushchairs and irritating cyclists riding on the pavement. We are runners, not gym monkeys. We don’t like going indoors. And we don’t like standing still. But as I have found, you can learn to enjoy strength training. And it will make a big difference to your running. It can help to prevent injury and allow you to target and strengthen weak areas (usually glutes for runners). As someone with a meniscus tear in my knee I wouldn’t be able to run if I didn’t strength train. If I am tight for time I will always prioritise a strength session and miss a run instead.
5. Question
As cheesy as it sounds you need to know your why. Why do you want to run? Why do you want to train for a particular race? And do you enjoy the process?
If you are doing it out of a sense of FOMO and you are finding training miserable then this is not a valid why. I found myself in this position when I was training for a half Ironman back in 2019.
I had been swept along by my triathlon club and wanted to do the big annual event in Mallorca that everyone else had signed up to. But the cycling training was killing me and I absolutely hated it (and the pain it caused me). When I spotted a 100km running race around the same time I was suddenly excited. I really wanted to run/walk in the mountains with a bunch of friendly trail runners and I really didn’t want to race with 3,000 pricks in a massive commercial triathlon. My why was to push myself and see what I could achieve but I needed to enjoy the process of getting to the start line as well. I ditched the Ironman, signed up for the ultra marathon and never looked back.
Pick of the Week
A shameless plug this week for a talk I am giving with Emma Wilkinson at the Sheffield Adventure Film Festival on March 21st at 5pm. We will be discussing whether women have an advantage in ultra endurance sport in the run up to publishing our book Ultra Women in May. Our talk on March 22nd was the first event of the festival to sell out so we added an extra session on the 21st. There are still a few spaces left and you can bag a free spot on the link below.
Special offer for Running Matters subscribers
Studio 44 Pilates are offering an exclusive 20% Off for Running Matters subscribers – Improve Your Running with Pilates!
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Start today and feel the difference in your running! 🚀
Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter. If you have any running news for me, let me know! Send feedback to lilycanter@yahoo.co.uk or suggest topics you’d like me to cover.
