Sam Rathmell’s Top Running Tips
With the Tunbridge Wells virtual 10km just around the corner. Sam is here to give you a few running tips to complete your own virtual 10km race or help break a personal record (PR).
1- Build Endurance
It’s important to give yourself time to build up to the 10K distance. Gradually increase both your long run distance and your overall weekly mileage. You can increase your mileage by adding an extra day-such as 3 days of running instead of 2 days-or adding a km to each run every week.
2- Pick up the Pace
If you are comfortably running a few runs a week, you can begin to incorporate some faster running into your training. Once per week, do a run that incorporates short intervals of running at a hard effort. This spadework training improves your aerobic capacity. Quite simply, running faster in small amounts will help you run faster overall. Beginners should start with shorter faster intervals lasting 1-3 minutes followed by slower intervals of 1-3 minutes.
3- Strength Train
The stronger your leg muscles are, the faster you can run and the longer you can sustain that fast speed. According to a 2003 study in Sports Medicine distance runners can improve their running economy up to 8% with consistent strength training. Better running economy means more speed – which translates to a faster 10K time. Finally, runners who strength train regularly are less likely to get injured, since strength makes muscles more resistant to the repetitive pounding of running.
4- Have a Race Strategy
Proper pacing is key to running your best 10K. A race strategy keeps you from running off too fast at the start of the race. Aim to run the first 2km at a controlled effort, the middle 6km miles at a steady and hard effort, and the last 2km as hard as you possibly can.
Good luck! ?