Running

There’s not that much you need to do in preparation, but it’s worth making sure you do do the bits that are necessary.

1. Running nutrition

Think about when and what you’re going to eat on race day. You should stick to things that you have tried and tested before to avoid a surprise trip to the portaloo during the race. See What To Eat Before A Run for more info.

2. Not over-doing it

Be careful as well how much you eat and drink. Drinking twenty minutes before the start won’t hydrate you and will probably make you feel a little unwell. Similarly eating too much will have the food sitting uncomfortably in your stomach.

3. Packing for race day

Prepare the day before. Definitely, definitely don’t wake up and find that you don’t know where your bib is. Just lay it out ready and then you can sleep at least a little easier.

4. Knowing the course (& where it is)

You can know where water stations are, what terrain you’ll be running on, and where your supporters are waiting for you (make sure you know what they’re wearing so you can spot them better). Also just knowing how to get there in the morning will help destress you. Don’t start badly and turn up just before the race-gun goes off.

5. Working-out your own pace

Don’t get swept up in the moment and run faster than you can right at the beginning. It’s great if other runners end up motivating you, but not if you’re going to lag later on.

6. Pre-empting running injuries

Bring blister plasters and wear them if you’re worried. Apply vaseline/ Body Glide (everywhere) to stop chafing. Make sure you stretch — before and after. And have a recovery plan for right after. Knowing a couple more things about running injury prevention also can’t go amiss, so have a read up on How To Avoid Common Running Injuries.

7. The weather

Head to the local charity shop and buy some throw-away clothes if it’ll be cold the day of the race. You can chuck them off whenever you like that way, and you won’t need to start off freezing. Or if it’s going to be sunny be careful about suncream and staying hydrated.

8. Trimming your toenails

Don’t make holes in your expensive (worn in) running shoes. It’ll hurt and it’s so easy to avoid.

9. Running alone

A running group is great. But don’t let it throw you if you find yourself running alone on race day.

10. A running playlist

Be careful of your music choices. You don’t want the tempo to be too slow, or for that matter too fast. Choose one that matches your running speed so that it doesn’t disrupt your running speed.

11. Your running gear

It’s worth investing in a bit of good running gear. While it is meant to be a cheap sport you definitely want to spend a bit to save on dealing with running injuries. And it’s just generally more comfortable with the right gear. If you’re not sure what running gear to go for, have a look at Running Gear For Beginners.

Let's Do This

When the clocks change and the temperature drops, most people will swap out their running shoes for their cozy duvet. Make the most of the colder, crisp weather with these winter running hacks

1. Head, hands, feet

Get yourself a good pair of gloves, some warm socks, and a beanie, and you’ll most likely come back from your run smiling. The rest of your body will warm up as you run, so if you do go out ready for a snowstorm, make sure you wear lots of light layers that you can easily take off and carry when you’re running.

2. Warm up before you leave the house

The first five minutes of a run in the cold are by far the worst. Do your warm up indoors to avoid this altogether.

3. Short and sweet

Don’t go crazy on distance when it’s particularly cold out, and, if you do, find a route that stays relatively close to home in case you need to cut it short. If you start feeling cold half-way into your run, don’t be afraid to take a shortcut back — you aren’t going to do yourself any good by pushing through that.

5. Don’t worry about pace

It’s not easy getting speed-work in during a cold run. Don’t worry if your average pace is slightly slower than usual, and just enjoy keeping up your mileage.

6. Ease into intervals

If you are going to run intervals, make sure you’re properly warmed up before starting those sprints. It might also be worth reducing your interval pace, especially for the first few intervals.

7. Finish with a hot chocolate

Dreaming of a reward during a run does wonders to motivation. Get your hot chocolate ingredients ready before you set off so that you know what you’re coming back to. Even better, ask a flatmate to heat it up for when you arrive…

8. Get warm and dry quickly

When you get home, make sure to get out of your sweaty clothes and into something dry as quickly as you can.It’s always easier to stay motivated when you’ve got a challenge coming up. Find your next challenge on Let’s Do This

Either your children are super enthusiastic and keen to get out and about, or you’d love to encourage them to take part in a bit more sport. These running events are perfect for either — they cater for all abilities, and they’ll even help you sorting out long school holidays whilst making sure your kids are being as active as possible.

1. Junior ParkRun

Everyone knows about ParkRun. The 5k event happens every Saturday and pretty much everywhere. But if you’re between 4 and 14, there’s also a very achievable Junior 2k event too. It’s free, easy and everywhere, and could even get your kids into running events on a weekly basis. Get the whole family to come and support and you’ve got a great activity to start off the weekend.

2. Kids’ Virtual Challenges

Virtual running challenges really are the easiest way to get your kids out and about without having to put in a massive organisational shift. Sign up your child (or children, if you want to make it competitive) to a challenge in time for the beginning of the month. They’ll then have the next 4 weeks to make sure they complete whatever the challenge is, and you’ll have a medal to give to them at the end. It’s really that simple, and could absolutely be the start of a love of running, competition and activity.

3. Race For Life Schools

‘Kids today will beat cancer tomorrow’.

The Race For Life raises awareness and funds for Cancer Research UK. The Kids edition (surprise, surprise!) does the same. But this time it gives you that perfect school event for the end of the school term. Fitting into the term calendar, it organises running events for all students, all ages, whether in primary or secondary school, and all genders. So do an amazing thing and fundraise whilst also encouraging the next generation to beat cancer sooner.

4. Any Fun Run, Color Run, Inflatable Run, Bubble Run & Mud Run

There are so, so many fun run races to do on the weekends and in the holidays. They’re not just for kids. They’re utterly unique and give an amazing experience to everyone, so it really is a win-win. They’re usually untimed and very relaxed, a way to get a bit messy and have fun as a family. Look up any of the above and see which one you’ll sign up for first .

5. Great Run: Kids Running Events

In most major UK cities you can choose from usually several running events a month. There are ‘Junior And Mini’ runs to join (alongside others like Family and Canine runs). There may not be anything particularly stand-out about these events — but(!) they are many and often, far-reaching, and are easy motivation for a child who’s keen.

It’s no easy feat running a half marathon. That’s even when you might hear about lots of your friends training for them. But there are many good reasons why completing a half marathon is worth the effort, apart from the fact that you’ll most likely feel great afterwards even if you didn’t during it!

1. It’s a new challenge

It’s new, and it’s a challenge. It’s also the obvious next step after you’ve completed a 10k, and yet it’s still very much manageable. Whether you’re keen to keep up your fitness, keep up the habit of running, or just keep on hitting standards that impress your friends and family, you can achieve it by signing up for a half marathon. It will also make training a bit more interesting for you as you’ll need to think about both the speed and endurance requirements a half marathon needs.

2. Not ready (yet) for a Full Marathon

It’s best to take these things one step at a time. Mostly from an injury prevention point of view, but also for your own sanity. Building up gradually will cut up the ultimate challenge into achievable segments.

3. Body fitness

Half marathon training will just make you feel that little bit better. Running probably won’t just be a side hobby anymore, but will begin to take up a bit more time. With it though you’ll see and feel the results. Your body well being will hit the roof, and you will likely feel leaner and cleaner for all the extra exercise.

4. Life structure

You can’t wing a half marathon like you might have tried for a 10k. Even if you use a running training plan just as a rough guide, you will still be committing time and energy to long runs. The rest of your life will naturally become that little bit more organised. You might even become a little more productive — work expands to fit the time you have for it after all.

5. Still, it will fit in

Even accepting that, half marathon training doesn’t need to take over your life. It is utterly compatible with normal life schedules — just maybe life schedules with slightly earlier wake-ups and busier weekends.

6. Recovery time is quick

You are much less likely to get a running injury running a half marathon than you would be for a full — whether that’s on the day or in training. You’ll also not have to close down the couple of days afterwards as given for ‘running recovery’ time.

7. There are lots of them

Half marathons come about more often than fulls. So even if you foul up one, you can just do another. Thanking the quick recovery time it’s not so infeasible.

8. You could travel

Running a half marathon abroad sounds that little bit more legitimate than doing a 10k in another country. So you can justify buying some flights and exploring a new place (and it still be pretty well disguised).

9. It’s charitable

Again, if you’re not sure you can ask your friends and family to sponsor your 5k or 10k run, you might be a bit more willing to ask for a half marathon. So you can hit two birds with one stone — feel great and raise some money at the same time.

10. It’s impressive

Not everyone can run a half marathon. It’s a pretty cool achievement and something you are allowed to tell other people about (more than once).

You’ve done all the training and all the preparation. The marathon that you’ve actually been working for is almost upon you. Whether it’s your first ever marathon or you’ve tackled marathons regularly, it’s important to pack for race day well in advance so you have plenty of time to tick off everything on your list. So what do you need to pack to ensure an organised and smooth race-day?

Essentials

1. Running shoes

2. Running clothes (weather appropriate)

3. Bib number

4. Race entry information (location, bib number pick-up, etc.)

5. ID (passport or driving licence)

6. Money (cash is always useful as there may not be a cash machine near to the race)

7. Mobile phone

8. Any prescription medication

Marathon Running Gear

Check the weather in the area that you’re running as this will decide what clothes you wear on race day. Make sure you pack some extra layers so that you have options if the weather suddenly changes.

9. Running shoes

10. Socks

11. Shorts or leggings

12. Running top (short and long sleeve)

13. Jacket

14. Safety pins (to pin on your bib)

15. Running underwear (sports bra/running boxers)

16. Cap

17. Gloves and warm hat (to wear at the start or during the race if it’s cold)

Extras

Extra items can make the difference between running around trying to find a spare hair band and relaxing and preparing before your race starts. Make sure you have a few spares of anything you may need on race day.

18. Sunglasses

19. Sunscreen

20. Lip-balm

21. Running gels

22. Running watch

23. Running belt (to hold any running gels and other items)

24. Water bottle

25. Hair band (and extra in case you lose one)

26. Vaseline and other anti-chafing products

27. Tissues

28. Plasters

29. Pain relief

Before and after the race

Making sure you’ve got some extra clothes to change into after the race so you can celebrate in comfort can make the whole day that much better.

30. Warm clothes to put on at the race finish

31. Rain coat

32. Towel

33. Music player and earphones (especially if you use these while running)

34. Flip flops/spare shoes to slip on after the race

Check out these tips to help you train for your next swimrun challenge.

Swimruns (or aquathlons), typically undertaken as a team of two, add a whole new challenge to training for event day. For swimrun events you run and swim in the same kit through multiple swim and run sections so practising with all your kit and with your partner are pretty key. The following are some top tips to help with your training for event day.

Run training

Start your running training by getting your endurance up and achieving a solid base of fitness. Once you’ve got that, you can change up your routes, distances and importantly, the terrain you’re covering so that you practise dealing with the different challenges a swimrun course will throw at you.

Swimming training

Similar to your running training, try and build up your endurance for swimming and add in some speed work. If you can do some open water swims too, then that will definitely give you a good idea of what to expect on event day and will be a good opportunity to practise swimming with a wetsuit and trainers.

Get used to the equipment

Having the right kit and getting comfortable with it is a key part of swimruns, especially considering you won’t be changing at all and have to carry any kit you’ve got for the entirety of the event. Try to practise with all your kit in event day simulations so that you can deal with any problems before the event itself, such as rubbing wetsuits or constantly loose laces. Also practise the transitions in full event kit as you might find these more difficult when you’re all decked up.

Practise running as a team

You can do a lot of the training on your own, for the fitness side of things, but the majority of swim run events require you to be in pairs and to remain within a certain distance of eachother. If this is the case for the event you are taking part in, make sure you’ve trained and practised with your partner before event day. Try and master the team dynamic and where your strengths and weaknesses lie, so that on event day you can support and push eachother to achieve your best.

Enjoy it

Swimrun events are challenging but fun, so make sure you relax and enjoy yourself. You’ll be surrounded by some stunning scenery and swimming and running in the wild should give you a real sense of adventure and achievement.

The red flags of running.

On the surface, running is just putting one foot in front of the other. However, it’s very easy to take one wrong step. Whether you’re a beginner runner or a seasoned pro, here’s a list of don’ts when it comes to running.

Don’t overtrain.

In order to improve and get faster and able to run further, you have to train. However, there needs to be a balance between not training enough and training too much. Effective training is also achieved through a cycle of stress and rest. You must put your body under stress through training and then have effective rest to ensure a proper recovery from the stress.

It’s very easy to do too much training and put your body under too much stress without adequate rest and recovery. This is called overtraining. Systems of overtraining aren’t always clear but here are some red flags to look out for:

• Poor performance in training and racing
• Fatigue — low levels of energy
• Disturbed sleep patterns — struggling to sleep despite being tired
• Persistent muscle soreness — feeling ‘heavy legged’ and sore between sessions
• Poor immune function — frequent colds and infections

Don’t land on your heels.

The correct running profile can do wonders for you training and well-being when it comes to running. You want to avoid landing on your heels when running. Running with heel landings can contribute to back pain, knee pain and ankle pain. Instead, you’ll want to lean forward and land on the front of your foot, allowing the leg muscles to catch the weight of your body in flight and reducing the impact on the joints and bones.

Don’t use a long stride.

Again, coming back to running style, try and take short but effective strides. Leaping forward while you run can be an energy drain. Instead, lean forward and stand tall to ensure a shorter stride. Less movement means a longer, healthier life for your joints and bones.

Don’t forget to keep yourself hydrated.

Many runners don’t even realise that they are chronically dehydrated. The fluid requirements of a runner are higher than the average person, due to the amounts of water lost through sweating. Furthermore, many of us are guilty of drinking caffeine-rich drinks which have a diuretic effect meaning it’s hard to hydrate without enough water.

Symptoms of dehydration include dry skin, dry lips, dizziness and headaches. The easiest way to keep an eye on how hydrated you are is through the colour of your urine. If you go for pee and it’s clear, pale or straw coloured, then you’re at optimal hydration levels.

Don’t under/over fuel.

Many runners don’t realise the importance of both quality and quantity when it comes to nutrition. If you’re constantly hungry or craving sugar, caffeine, fat or salt then it may be your body’s way of telling you that your diet is lacking vital nutrients. Low carb diets are all the rage nowadays, but endurance athletes need carbs to fuel their engines. Starving your muscles of carbs is a sure fire way to feel tired and sluggish and not perform well.

On the other hand, eating too much can also do damage. Having too much of a certain nutrient can have a detrimental effect. Further to this, running with a full stomach is uncomfortable so make sure to leave enough time to digest before embarking on your run.

Don’t skip your warmup.

A warm-up is designed to prepare your muscles for the upcoming workout. A warm-up should be done in two steps; firstly by stretching and secondly with a dynamic warm-up. Stretching is important as it loosens up the muscles before usage. Failure to stretch will often lead to injuries and interfere with training. A dynamic warm-up (ie. small jog, dynamic stretches, etc.) will not only loosen your muscles but will also get your blood pumping and prepare your lungs and heart for the challenge ahead.

Don’t ignore your feet.

Although it may seem trivial and superficial, running shoes are very important. Running shoes do have an expiration date if you’re using them a lot. As a rule of thumb, you should change your running shoes every 300 miles (or 500km) to ensure they keep they don’t expire and start to hinder your performance.

5K Running Tips

1. Find a Running Training Plan that fits your fitness

Making sure your 5k training plan suits you will make a huge difference. It’s not fun training at a speed designed for someone faster or more experienced. And you won’t improve if it’s too easy either.

2. Do some interval training

If you’re an absolute beginner, then your interval training will be doing repeats of speed-walking or jogging for a distance and then recovering with a walk. If you can already sustain a jog, you should work on repeats of sprinting and a recovery jog.

3. Do some speed running

Not just sprints, you want to also train at the specific pace you’ll run at during the race. That would be a training session of a warm-up, a distance run at race pace, and then that same distance recovery jog. Repeats of that, and then a cool-down. You can choose the distance you run, but you should try and push yourself and make it longer and longer to build your endurance.

4. Run more than just 5k

Even though you technically just need to be able to cross that finish line, you will do it much more comfortably if you can already run further. Plus you’ll go much faster. If you’re not fussed about your time, it might be just a matter of making race day that little bit more bearable and fun. Either way it’s worth it.

5. Do hill running and workouts

For core strength training you can go to the gym or a steep incline. It’ll make your body stronger, more injury resistant, and help you run faster and better. If you’ve not done much exercise before (or in a while) you will definitely feel it if you start with no core strength.

6. Finish your runs at pace

If you’re already near the end you might as well push yourself. It will make the whole run that bit more efficient. And it’s much better than starting off fast, which will make the rest of the run exhausting and not much fun.

7. Take rest days

Particularly if you’re not used to running, then rest days will transform your whole experience. They’ll help prevent running injuries and make following a training plan a bit more sustainable. Even if you’re overwhelmingly keen you should force yourself to stay in sometimes.

8. Find a running group

As the team at Hip and Healthy agree, joining a running group will make the whole experience more fun. And you’re more likely to push yourself if there are others who are forcing you out of bed in the morning, and to race against. Having said that, you shouldn’t compare yourself to others. Different runners are good at different things. And definitely have different running histories.

9. Run consistently

Training for two weeks and then taking two weeks off is not the most effective way of training. It’s fine if you can’t do the same number of runs each week, but trying to go for even a quick run when you’re busy is worth it. Apart from losing some of your fitness, it can also be a matter of getting you out of the habit of running.

The golden rules of marathon training.

Looking to get fit? Looking for a challenge? Looking to make friends? It doesn’t matter why you want to do a marathon, if you follow these simple steps, you can make your next marathon a breeze.

Know your limits

26.2 miles is a hecking long way and will put your body under a high amount of stress, putting you at a greater risk of injury. It certainly isn’t something to do on a whim so make sure you are being realistic when deciding to embark on a marathon campaign.

Start early

You will want to start your training nice and early to give your body as much preparation as possible. If you’re wanting to take it really seriously, they say that you should start your training 6 months before the big day. This will give you enough time to get as much effective training in as possible.

Start small and build slowly

You’ll always want to start your training with a smaller load. Start with some shorter runs until you start getting fitter and are used to the strain before you start adding on the mileage. Why not try a couple of 5k and 10k races first to get used to the setup of a running race?

As a rough rule, you’ll want to increase your overall weekly mileage by around 10% a week so you can gradually add the miles on and get the most out of the weeks you have.

Run just enough

You will need to find the fine line between overtraining and undertraining. Overtraining can often lead to fatigue and illness and vastly hinder your overall training so if you’re feeling tired for days on end, don’t be afraid to take some days off. It’s better to be slightly under trained but feel strong and eager to perform, than to be overtrained and exhausted, so try and find that balance between the two.

Recover

Don’t neglect your body of the recovery periods that it needs. You don’t need to train 7 days a week so do take your foot of the gas and take days off when you need them. It’s better to train 3–5 times a week and recover effectively than to train 6–7 times a week with sub-par recovery.

Long runs

One of the most important bits of training you can do is longer runs. The newer and slower you are to marathon running, the more important long runs are. You will simply need to get accustomed to being on your feet for long periods of time.

Don’t ignore injuries

If you’re feeling a little niggle in your knee or if your calves are feeling tight, don’t push it. There’s nothing wrong with taking some days off or doing some cross-training instead, if you’re feeling an injury coming on. US Olympic marathon runner (1984 and 1988), Peter Pfitzinger said that if he could do it all again, he would take rest days or cross-train at the first hint of a problem. So if you think you’ve got something coming on, go for a gentle bike ride or a swim or any other kind of cross-training to give your running muscles a rest and a chance to recover.

Fuel

To keep your training effectively on track, you will need to ensure your body is efficiently fuelled. Make sure you keep your carb levels up to keep your energy supply topped up. This will not only help you during training but also help your recovery. Energy-gels and sports drinks are a good thing to get used to tokeep your energy levels topped up during training.

You’ll also want to keep your iron levels up. You will lose a lot of iron through sweating and through running in general so will need to up your iron intake to balance this out. Do this by either eating iron-rich foods with vitamin C (which increases iron absorption) or by cooking your meals in an iron skillet.

Finally, add a good dose of protein to aid in muscle repair and recovery.

Taper

The final, and arguably most important, step of marathon training is the taper. Your body will have been under a lot of stress if you’ve been following a good and effective training plan so you will need to give it a good chance to rest up before the big day of your marathon.

For the 2 weeks before the marathon, scale back on the mileage you’re covering. You will want to keep training to keep your fitness levels ticking over but decrease the distance and intensity of your runs so you’re well rested for the main event.