Running in Place VS. Running Forward
Have you been running for a while and want to take your running to the next level? Keep reading…
For the longest time, I ran and just ran. I ran the same route over and over again. I ran the same distance and same pace and wondered why I wasn’t going anywhere with my training. But, what I’ve found is that if you want to go somewhere as a runner you need to introduce a couple new stresses into your training to get you moving toward the direction you want to go.
Feeling like you are running but running in place? Here are a couple ways to gently nudge you forward and closer to those goals you are chasing!
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Pick a goal. You can’t really tell if you are making progress if you don’t know what you are aiming for. This does’t mean you should be training year round (some of the best athletes take good chunks of time off for recovery) but it does mean that having goals, clear goals, are helpful in the running process! Pick a goal that excites you (and maybe scares you a little) and chase it!
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Add in one day a week to speed work. So many runners run too fast, too often. By dialing back your speed most days (around 80% of the weekly load) and then introducing one day a week to heavy work (speed work plus a heavy day of strength) you can reap the benefits of the highs of training and the lows of recovery and allow your body to get faster, while recovering properly. Adding in a speed day also changes up the weekly rhythms enough to keep you engaged with training!
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Strength train. Don’t skip the strength work! Runners can fall prey to being such one dimensional athletes (meaning we are strong in the forward/backward motion but weak elsewhere) when we are only one dimensional as athletes we risk injury and miss out on additional strength that can improve speed and performance! Adding in runner specific strength work is essential for improving running!
I hope these help you as you think about your 2020 goals! Goals are so, so fun to chase after and even better when you have support! I would love to hear all about your goals, too. Comment below and fill me in on what you are chasing after this upcoming year!