9 runners share the one tip that made them faster and more injury-resistant

Cartoon of women running

Credit: Getty

Strong Women


9 runners share the one tip that made them faster and more injury-resistant

By Miranda Larbi

6 months ago

5 min read

Want to boost your motivation and meet your running goals faster? Then follow these tried and tested tips for feeling good on the move.


If you spent the past two weeks glued to the TV watching Olympians smash record after record, you might be buzzing with motivation to get out and run. Or you might be like the rest of us who are struggling to stay motivated in August. It’s warm, humid and everything feels like it requires mammoth effort. Having training peaks and troughs is totally normal (and healthy) but if you’re booked to do an autumn race, you might need to get out there now.

Whatever late summer camp you fall into, the key to success is finding small, achievable tweaks that move you closer to your goal. Now’s the perfect time to pick up a habit and see what happens if you commit to it for the next few months. Think of it a bit like an early back-to-school reset. The question is, what tip or habit might make you into a better runner?

Perhaps you want to run a faster 5k or work towards running your longest distance yet. Maybe you’ve been plagued by injuries and want to become more injury-resistant. You might simply want to get to a place where you genuinely enjoy running (most of the time). To get a bit of inspiration, we’ve been chatting to normal, everyday runners about the one thing that made them better at it. 

Woman running

Credit: Getty

Actively celebrate the small wins

“Learning to celebrate the small successes has definitely made me a better runner,” says Strong Women senior writer Lauren. “Training for my first half-marathon could have felt like a slog, but I made sure to celebrate every time I ticked off a new distance – from 12km all the way up to 18km. Not only did that make the training feel more manageable, but it really helped me to stay in a positive mindset throughout the training period and appreciate it for the journey it was. It also helped me to remember all the hurdles I’d overcome throughout training on race day, which made me feel more confident in my ability to perform when it mattered.”

Try weekly track sessions

Short reps seem more manageable and if you do them consistently – that plays huge dividends for your anaerobic system. Also, I find that I look at my watch less when on the track. You just go hard and that’s normally faster than you think you’re capable of,” says Flo, a member of Your Friendly Runners and Hot Boys Athletics. “You’re able to access a higher gear than you would if you just went to do laps of the park.” 

I look at my watch less on the track

Flo

Splurge on reformer pilates

Marathoner Cat swears by doing reformer pilates twice a week – but says she only does it that frequently because she runs every day. “I never used to stretch, so reformer has made a massive difference. Also, just doing simple leg raises has helped keep the shin splints at bay. I just do one minute each side every day.”

Remember, reformer pilates is amazing but you can still reap most of the benefits from a mat-based practice (which tends to be much cheaper). You can find plenty of pilates for runners videos on YouTube, on the FIIT app or at your local leisure centre. 

Prioritising longevity over short-term goals

Run group leader Sakina shares: “As I’m hitting perimenopause, my mantra is ‘finish lines not finish times’.” In other words, it’s better to prioritise being able to keep running than killing yourself to chase a time that then sees you out of action due to injury or fatigue. 

Do daily breathwork

“Practising daily breathwork really helped me to learn to breathe properly and maximise my lung capacity while running,” says yogi and runner Lisa. “That’s definitely made a difference on those runs when I’m trying to push myself to the limit.”

Change your trainers (and know which ones you need)

“Before I had a gait analysis, I was getting horrible ankle pain and shin splints. I even bought an ankle support when the issue was running in trainers that looked great but weren’t right for me,” says runner Sophie. “Every time I want to get a new pair, I have my gait tested first, and I feel like I’m levelling up.”

Swap one run for a different exercise

My own tip is to cross-train rather than just run all the time. Running can be addictive, especially if you’re going out at the same pace all the time. All you have to do (in theory) is lace up and leave your front door; there’s none of the admin or commuting to a studio or pool. But doing other exercises is useful: strength training is great for bone strength and injury prevention, swimming is a great low-impact cardio booster and yoga can help to keep hips loose. Bouldering builds upper body strength and barre is incredible for calf strength.

I was at my fastest and most resilient when I was cycling to work every day, doing regular boxercise and yoga classes; I only ran at the weekends. Try swapping one run for a different exercise every week and see how it feels.

Remember that running is as mental as it is physical

It might feel physical when you’re wheezing for breath and your legs feel like lead, but running – like most individual sports – is as much of a psychological challenge as it is physical. In fact, Olympian Adam Peaty says: “The mind is the athlete; the body is simply the means.” 

Ultra-marathoner Megan agrees: “Just believing that I can do it makes a difference. I’ve done all the training, so the only thing holding me back is my mind. The more you think like that, the better you’re able to tell yourself that you can’t give up because you’re well prepared and you can actually do it.”

Woman boxing

Credit: Getty

Go as slow as you dare

One common tip all our runners agreed on was the power of a slow, easy run. We’ve spoken before about how many runners simply run too fast, too often – and there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that zone 2 training boasts the most benefits. “Slow really does mean slow on easy runs,” says avid Parkrunner Lydia. Try to follow the 80:20 rule: 80% slow, 20% fast. That might mean doing one interval session a week (try the Runna app if you want a training plan) or ramping up the speed for the last kilometre every time you go out – and sprinting the last 200m.


Images: Getty

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