Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 50, September 2013 | Page 26

Training

TOP 10

Tips For All Athletes
It’s beginning to get lighter earlier in the mornings and darker later in the evenings, and the race calendar is starting to ?ll up with races every weekend. Spring is in the air and it’s time to get back to training! So, as we kick off the new running season, here are 10 great training tips to help you attain your goals. – BY RAY ORCHISON
Approach the season with a plan. Getting out of bed each morning and thinking to yourself, “What should I do today, 800m repeats or 60 minutes easy?” is a recipe for disaster. Plan the structure of your training, and think about the races you want to do and what goals you want for each. Identify which races you are going to use as training runs and which races you are going to race. Rest days should be the ?rst aspect you build into your season plan. The purpose behind training is to take your body to new levels through a constant cycle of stress and adaptation. If you’re only ever stressing your body and not allowing time for adequate recovery, then your body never adapts and you end up injured, or never reaching your full potential.

1 Plan Ahead:

That is not a track session. Track sessions are designed to introduce your muscles and energy systems to new, varying paces, and this never equates to a flat-out session.

7 The Knock-On Effect Of Your 10Km Time: If you can teach yourself to run
faster over shorter distances before building up to longer distances, then once you start introducing longer runs you’ve enhanced not only your running form, but your running ef?ciency. A faster 10km time leads to a faster 21km time, which in turn leads to a faster 42km time, which ultimately leads to a faster Comrades and beyond.

2 Recovery Is Key:

3 Listen To Your Body: The older you are
in training years – for example, if you’ve been running for three years then your training age is three – the more aware you become of your body. Your body sends you signals all day long, and the more experienced you are, the more you become aware of those signals. If you’re pushing yourself too hard for too long, your body begins to give warning signals, like niggles, signs of a cold, etc., indicating that you need more recovery. If you ignore these warnings, you will end up injured or sick. Having said that, you will learn to distinguish between the body crying out for recovery and your mind trying to take the easy route. In the case of the mind, ?ght it!

8 You Don’t Get Faster By Running Further: Countless runners ?nish Comrades each
year with new motivation to go back the following year with the goal of showing Comrades who is boss, and invariably the plan to achieve this involves more mileage. Distance running makes you slower, and as a result you don’t get faster by simply doing more mileage. You get faster when you adhere to the previous seven tips!

9 Correct Any Muscle Imbalances: We’re not the physically active
Bushmen in the Kalahari – most of us sit behind computers or drive in cars all day. Our modern lifestyles leave us weak in the areas we need the most when it comes to running: Glutes, calves and core. So, in order to avoid injury, focus on and strengthen these areas before introducing quality and distance to your training.

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