7 simple lessons for running to save you from learning the hard way
I have run three marathons so far finishing in 3:58, 4:04 and 4:14. From 2013 to 2015 I was quite active and learned a lot running the Dublin race series and marathons in Frankfurt, Dublin and Vienna. Below you find some of the lessons I learned the hard to make it easier for you. If you have any questions please pop it into the comments section and I will gladly come back to you.
Bring a disposable sweater to a marathon
Being cold sucks. Being cold before a race starts sucks even more. There might be one person who loves the cold, the iceman Wim Hof, check him out. You and
Get running shoes from a special shop
Once you start running a lot, get yourself assessed in a shop and get the shoes which will be recommended by the specialists. First, go to a running club and ask where they get their shoes from to pinpoint a good, credible establishment in which the owner preferably is a long-distance runner himself/herself. My first serious pair of runners was from Mizuno and it was the best I ever got so far. I got it in a shop from a sturdy mountain goat of a man in Munich and the trip there was sponsored by a good friend of mine.
Take care of your blisters
I am not a doctor and take no responsibility for any harm that might come to you if you follow my tips. The common wisdom around blisters is to not touch them and let them take care of themselves. This is sound advice if you do not run more than 10km a week. If you happen to be a person who runs more than 30km a week with one long run on the weekends this might not work that well. For me leaving my blisters unattended when I ran 100km+ a month led to them bleeding and getting infected in some instances. This was painful, nasty and unnecessary, but I also did not want to stop my training. Here is what I did to prevent this from happening again:
- Check the blister. If it is small and has little to no liquid in it leave it alone
- Make sure the liquid is white and not blood. Once you have a blood blister leave it alone, take a break and make an appointment with a doctor to get treatment to avoid infection
- If it is a big, filled blister with only white liquid in it follow the next steps to keep training without making it worse
- Get a sterile, very thin needle
- Pop the blister and use a sterile cloth to push out all the liquid carefully through the hole you made. It is important that you pay attention to leave the remaining skin intact as much as you can to not expose the raw flesh underneath
- Once done put a plaster over the blister
- Fix the plaster to your foot with
leukotape (avoid to put theleukotape directly on the blister. Once you remove it you will rip off the tender blister skin with it) - Go out and train!
Train your heart rate for long distance or go at the same pace for longer
For long distance running, I found the most effective tool for improvement is to be running for longer times at the same heart rate or the same pace. You can achieve that by either getting a heart rate monitor and I personally use the equipment from Garmin which I am very happy with. The Heart rate method is best if you are serious about running. If you only run occasionally use your phone with a free running app to measure your pace. Stay on the same pace for the entire run. A good tip here is to run that fast that you can still speak to someone who is running with you comfortably. Once you master this pace go for longer distance or up the ante on the pace a little for the next month. Rinse and repeat accordingly.
Use negative splits
For runners who do runs which take them more than an hour to complete on the weekend (for some this might be a 6k for others 10 – 16k depending on fitness levels) use negative splits. Keep the first half of the run slightly lower than your desired pace and run the second half at a faster, desired race pace. Make this one of your mantras and you will become a faster long-distance runner.
Ignore the weather
You cannot influence the weather on race day so don’t let it be an excuse while you train. Do you want to not show up when it rains on race day or be not prepared if this scenario arises? I don’t think so. Get out there in all weathers.
Run in the mornings
I tried everything and the best time to run is when everyone else is asleep. No one is there will ask you for a favour, you will not
Run with someone on the same level
While running with others is nice and can be a lot of fun take care that you ran the same distance with someone who can do it
Further reading
- 12 practical tips for fitness coaches to be healthier
- As a man thinketh for fitness coaches
- Best apps for fitness coaches
- Choose yourself for fitness coaches
- Deep work for fitness coaches
- Finish for fitness coaches
- Grit for fitness coaches
- How fitness coaches get mindfulness easily
- How fitness coaches get unlimited power for their clients
- Mastery for fitness coaches
- Rework for fitness coaches
- The ONE Thing for fitness coaches
- The power of now for fitness coaches
- The power of positive thinking for fitness coaches
- The power of thinking big for fitness coaches