Vital Tips Once You’ve Signed Up To A Race
We’ve listed 5 of the most vital early training tips now you’ve committed to a race or challenge!
1 Get Social
The running community is growing by the day, and there are plenty of ways to get social with other runners who have, like you, entered into one of the toughest challenges in road running. You can follow your event on Facebook or Twitter, subscribe to our mailing list or join one of our Strava clubs. In doing that, you’ll be mixing with the event community, sharing tips and advice and keeping an eye on your progress compared to others.
2 Start eating well
Unfortunately, you’re unlikely to just be able to turn up and run, especially in events like a marathon or half. That’s why when you cross the finish line, the feeling of accomplishment is unrivalled. If you can take control of diet now, you’ll be better prepared once it comes to starting training. Don’t mistake your pre-training diet for your event training diet, where you’ll be replacing burned-off calories with heavy carb intake. Before you put in the miles, you want to be feeling healthy. That can be anything from reducing your alcohol intake to taking on a more balanced diet.
3 Equip yourself
From the right training app to your footwear – everything needs to be just right before your training ramps up. Get your running trainers early and have a few light jogs in them. If they aren’t quite right, keep searching until you find the right ones. Find a training app that works for you. Kit yourself in winter running gear that feels comfortable to run long distances in. Use your weather app. Consider all the gear even if you have no idea – yet!
4 Plan out your training
The worst thing you can do when training is to lunge into something too demanding. Your event distance might seem a way off, but with a weekly plan, you’ll get there in no time. If you’ve done it before, you’ll know your own plan. But make sure you do plan!
5 Enjoy the time
There will be tough times and enjoyable times (and you’ll experience the peak of both on race day!) – but a race is something to look forward to! Keep a smile on your face through training, and look after yourself!