Push yourself Reached a plateau with your running? “The most effective way of getting fitter faster is threshold training,” says Nick Anderson, GB endurance and cross-country coach (fullpotential.co.uk). “That’s when you run at 80% to 85% effort at the threshold of aerobic, about to tip into anaerobic, and able to say maybe three words at a time if you tried to talk. Do this at least once a week, either for a whole run or for intervals during it.”
Lean forward “The optimum running position is leaning slightly forward, but with your whole body, not just your shoulders,” says Anderson. “This relies on having strong core-stability muscles, so supplement running with Pilates.”
Get the right shoes A 2008 study showed that people who overpronate (roll their feet inwards) tend to do so more as their distance increases, but this is stopped by wearing motion-control shoes. “But once you have the right shoes, don’t fixate on the angle at which your feet land,” says Anderson. “Instead, focus on landing lightly, hearing as little noise as possible from your feet hitting the ground.”
Start slowly If you’re new to running, take it easy at first by walk/running until you’ve built up fitness. Among recreational runners, novices are most at risk of injury, according to a 2008 study in the British Journal Of Sports Medicine.
Stretch it out Gone are the days of a pre-run stretch. “Never stretch before a run as your muscles, ligaments and tendons are cold,” says Anderson. “After an easy run, stretch immediately. After a longer run, leave it a few hours. There will be microscopic tears in your muscles, so it’s best to give them a little time to heal before stretching.”
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