I often get runners asking me about the latest pair of shoes / type of nutrition product / other thing they can spend money on and how much of a different it will make to their running… My answer is that these things will never make as much difference as training well.
There are also a whole host of other things that you can do that will make a big difference to your training, recovery and performance to implement before you start spending money on other things…!
Rest
Rest is as important as training. By giving your body time to adapt to training you will lower injury risk, allow your body time to repair and consolidate the training you’ve done.
Sleep
Children grow when they are sleeping, and in a similar way our bodies grow, repair and re-buid when we sleep. Getting your sleep in is the best way to speed up recovery; this allows you to perform better in your next training session and improve more!
Food
The food you eat is used by your body to repair the micro damage cause by training to re-build you stronger and fitter. It’s also used to fuel your running, so get it right and the advantages are big!
Mobility
Great running form and efficiency relies on good mobility in key joints like shoulders, hips and ankles. It’s worth working on your mobility to help your form, as well as to stave off injury.
Strength
Strong muscles resist fatigue for longer, support good running form for longer and provide more power and speed - what’s not to like?!
