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Progression is Key At all costs avoid training too hard too soon. If you do you will increase your risk of getting injured or simply burnout. Many new runners give up because they’ve tried to go too far, too fast and have failed.It an excellent idea to consult with a running expert or an experienced runner to help formulate a realistic and progressive program for you to follow. Put yourself to the test Compete in races as part of a plan to gauge fitness, progression and race pace. Putting races in your calendar will also force you to train harder. See the bigger picture Don’t ignore the rest of your body. Running doesn’t just require strong legs and a good pair of lungs. To hold your body in the right running posture over the distance requires strong core stability. Do a weekly session of circuit training to make sure the whole body is getting a workout. Lift weights Go pump some iron! Get down to your gym for a strength training session at least twice a week. If you are unsure of what you are doing or intimidated hire a personal trainer who will design a specific program to make you a stronger runner. Stay away from machine weights and stick to free weights for a more effective work-out and better results. Run Hills The only way to improve your running fitness is to stress the lungs and your muscles – and there’s no better way to achieve this than on an energy-sapping hill. Avoid Injury Do everything within your power to avoid injury. Injury will force you to rest, it’s the only way you will heal and get back on the road. Cross training is an effective means of staying fit and diminishes the repetitive strain that running causes, thus reducing the likelihood of injury. Activities such as swimming and spinning are great cross training activities for runners as both still challenge the cardiovascular system. Target Heart Rate A heart-rate monitor can be a helpful tool in training. Tracking your heart rate with a monitor (which reads your pulse via a sensor built into a chest strap) tells you precisely how hard—or easy—your heart is working. Measuring your heart rate can help you keep from making one of the most common mistakes that runners of all abilities make—running too fast too often, which puts you at risk for injury and burnout. But heart-rate training does have its limitations. Here’s how to effectively use a heart-rate monitor in your exercise life. Know your zones. When you work out using a heart-rate monitor, you’ll aim to work out within a specific zone. Hitting a "zone" means falling within a particular percentage of your heart rate during every workout—for example, 65 to 80 percent for most runs and 90 percent or more as you blaze to a fast race finish. For most of your workouts, your heart rate should fall into zone 1 or 2. Here is a general guideline used by exercise physiologist and coach Janet Hamilton, owner of Atlanta-based Running Strong: •Zone 1: 60 to 70 %; very comfortable effort; use this for warm-up and cool down •Zone 2: 70 to 80 %; comfortable enough to hold a conversation; most training is done here •Zone 3: 81 to 93%; “comfortably hard” effort; you may be able to say short, broken sentences. •Zone 4: 94 to 100%; hard effort; the pace is sustainable, but conversation is a few words at a time. For most people this is around 5-K pace. Know your numbers. For years, runners have been told to monitor their heart rate based on their maximum heart rate, using a formula of 220 minus your age. Now most experts agree that this formula may be inaccurate for most people. It’s better to monitor your heart rate based on something known as heart rate reserve, which is more accurate, says Hamilton. Log it! Keep a training log of your kilometres, distance and how you felt during your run. There are awesome apps available now that you can simply download on your smart phone, making recoding these stats a very simple task. It’s a good way to boost confidence and motivation because it shows progress and the benefits of your hard work paying off. Join a club There’s nothing like peer pressure or the presence of a proper coach to bring out the best in you. There are running clubs all around South Africa from serious athletics clubs to those designed to help people get fit for the first time and to help motivate you not to miss your running session. Most clubs offer club runs at least twice a week with a 5km time trial for those that want to work on their speed. Take a multivitamin… Athletes require more minerals and vitamins than the average person thanks to the stresses of running. Each stride can cause tiny amounts of damage to the red blood cells in the feet, and running also produces damaging free radicals. Vitamins and minerals can help mop them up. Iron up! Iron is an essential element for blood production. About 70 percent of your body's iron is found in the red blood cells of your blood called haemoglobin and in muscle cells called myoglobin. Haemoglobin is essential for transferring oxygen in your blood from the lungs to the tissues. Myoglobin, in muscle cells, accepts, stores, transports and releases oxygen. Runners can also experience iron deficiency, which can make you feel fatigued and out of breath so eat dark meats, liver, fish, apricots, eggs and kidney beans. If you are concerned you may be iron deficient; consult your doctor as you may need an iron supplement to boost your levels. Get the right shoes Spend some money and make sure your get the best running shoe for your foot. There are so many great shoes on the market now, get proper advice and make sure you don’t make the mistake of purchasing the wrong shoe! I would advise you even have a foot assessment with a specialist who will assess your running gait on a treadmill and recommend various brands of shoes to suit your needs and budget. Change your route If you always run the same route, try doing it in the opposite direction. That way any cambers and lateral stresses are transferred to the other foot; lessoning the chances of potential injury due to overuse. Running various routes not makes your run more interesting but will also push you out your comfort zone as you will introduce new challenges in terrain and distance. Run to the Beat Use music to help distract you from the blood, sweat and tears you may experience when running. Music is also a great source of motivation to keep going and even run faster. Select your beats per minute (BPM) carefully; perhaps on a time trial session you would want to be listening to something with a slightly faster beat to keep you pushing for that personal best (PB). Don’t Slack There is no excuse to be lazy. Work hard and remember that you get out of running what you put in. Set yourself realistic goals and make sure you reach them…..this will keep you motivated and progressing in the right direction. Lisa Kowen has 20 years experience in the fitness industry in South Africa She is director at The F.I.T. Principles Academy, American Council on Exercise (ACE) representative in South Africa, co-owner and developer of fitnessconnect.You can find useful fitness training tips here.
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