Coaches corner : The 12 days of Christmas

Here to wish you all a Very Happy Christmas and a Fantastic Running and cycling new Year friends... we all as athletes make silly mistakes on a regular basis so here are some idea's that might just help you have a record breaking 2025 .......
On the first day of Christmas my Running Coach gave to me ....
One personalised training plan - its important that every runner has advice that is geared to him or her .... general group plans do not usually work 100% effectively for anyone , sure its better than no training but a plan that is designed to fit around a runners work and family commitments is a lot more likely to produce good results and not disrupt the runners work and family life too much
On the Second day of Christmas my Running Coach gave to me ...
Two pairs of running shoes (at least) .... well the advice to always keep at least 2 pairs of shoes on the go at any one time and to keep them neat and clean to get maximum life out of them , you should make sure that you rotate the use and the time you change them , so u don't have to break in 2 pairs at the same time .... your shoes are the most important piece of equipment for a runner , yes more important than a Garmin , so take advice and make sure that the shoes are right for you.
On the 3rd day of Christmas my Running Coach gave to me .....
3km minimum warm up and cool down for every hard session whether it be hill reps , fartlek , intervals , tempo or a race....and don’t forget ur drills and strdies ... if you don't warm up well and cool down well you are not going to perform to your best and you are risking injury as well , especially in colder weather !
On the Fourth day of Christmas my Running Coach gave to me ....
The instruction to drink at least 4 litres of water/fluids every day , even in winter when most of us think we do not need to .... check your hydration levels and keep your urine clear ..... best test is first thing in morning , if its dark yellow your not hydrated ...this is one of the biggest causes of sore muscles and injuries .... Drink more , make sure you also attend to mineral and electrolytes as you will lose a lot when sweating … chat to Fast&Up they have all you need !
On the Fifth day of Christmas my Running Coach gave to me.....
5 sessions per week of running/training if im to run a good 21/42km ..... 3 a week doesn't work in reality .... so make sure that you make time to run... even if it means getting up earlier the benefits are there .... time management is a big skill that we runners need to learn , there is always time if you want it badly enough … we also like to mix core and cycling into the plan … it makes you stronger and again reduces risk of injury ….
On the Sixth Day of Christmas my Running Coach gave to me ......
Six portions of fruit and Vegetable a day , minimum to have a good diet with all of the vitamins and minerals needed by runners... treats here and there are absolutely fine and well deserved but we must always make sure that as well as having a good mix of carbs and protein we have at least the daily minimum of 6 fruit and veg potions
On the Seventh Day of Christmas my Running Coach gave to me .....
A maximum of 7 main races to do in a year .... a few extra runs over short distance are ok but if you want to make the best times that you can its important not to over race ...2 Marathons , 2 target 21km's and 3 x 5/10km are about right ..... more than this you will not be recovering fully and then of course over use injuries and sometimes illness through being over tired will be there.
On the Eighth day of Christmas my Running Coach gave to me .....
A maximum of 8 road runs a month ..... running on concrete and tarmac is bad for you , it might make you feel that you are running faster but running on grass and mud makes you stronger ...its what the worlds top athletes do , so why should we think that we are cars not runners and try to live on the roads .... try it guys ...you will thank me later when you get less injuries and more pb's
On the Ninth Day of Christmas my Running Coach gave to me .....
9/10 mins of icing on any sore muscles and joints 2/3 times a day ....... we as runners are our own worst enemy we ignore a niggle...it becomes a constant nag and next we are off training for weeks..... first feeling of pain get out the ice pack... if it doesnt help within 48 hours go see your physio .... better investment than missing training !
On the Tenth Day of Christmas my Running Coach gave to me .....
10KM Time trial 2/3 weeks before a big race 21/42km to test fitness .... its a great way to dial into exactly where your fitness is and what a realistic time in your big race will be ..... and by adding 3km warm up and cool down you wont feel like your missing your medium long run that week.
On the Eleventh Day of Christmas my Running coach gave to me ......
11 easy runs every 4 weeks ..... almost 3 a week interspersed with long run and 2 hard sessions ... you will never reach your potential by racing your self and your Garmin and friends every day ..... trust me it works .... hard/easy alternation is the way that the best runners train and at R4H we do this religiously , it ensures recovery and ability to really put the hard miles in when they are needed ...over training is going to take you down the road to the physio quickly so get a balance to your workouts
Easy means easy ….. keep that Heart rate under 140 at least and relax..... running slower means racing faster !
On the Twelth Day of Christmas my Running Coach gave to me ......
12 weeks training plan in lead up to any Half Marathon or Full Marathon ... less than this doesnt work and it puts you on the start line with no confidence .... follow a carefully prepared 12 weeks plan and you will have done enough long runs , tempo runs , hills to feel that the distance is your friend .......
Good luck and Happy Running from all at Running4Health ...
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