How to Run More | Coach

“There are two things I will emphasize here. If you look online or talk to many trainers they will say the rule of thumb is “10% every week”. Add 10% of the previous week’s mileage to the following week.

“But I always took it with a grain of salt. Adding 10% in the early stages of your training is probably fine. It is quite safe. However, as your mileage increases, it ends up being a lot. If you run 60km a week and then add 6km the following week, progressing from there is a big deal.

“It’s best to follow a running training program that guides you through a slow, progressive build. At Runna, for example, we have two running designs for beginners or returning runners. These focus on starting with a series of walking/running intervals, which people often find quite painful, although it’s actually the best way to build up your running. It allows your body to adapt to the load.

“You can use the 10% rule, but I’d probably only stick to it if you’re running at most three or four times a week.”

“I would start with time rather than distance, the reason being that it takes different people different times to run a distance. If you’re a new runner and it takes you 20 minutes to run 3 kilometers, that’s a long time for your first run. If you changed the time and added walking intervals, you might be out there for about 20 minutes, but you might only be running for six to 10 minutes of that. Then the goal would be to gradually increase those running intervals and decrease the walking intervals.”

“It’s addictive when you use training apps like Strava. You look at your charts and want that weekly mileage to gradually increase. It’s actually not the healthiest way to do it. You should strive for consistency.

“If you can run 20km for a couple of weeks and then increase that to 24km for a couple of weeks, that’s a much better way to do it if you want to run long-term. It reduces the risk of injury and then you can add intensity at the same time. Whereas if you are trying to add distance and tension, this will increase the chances of injury.”

“It’s useful for many reasons. It checks you and stops you from doing too much too soon. Also, having structure to your workout helps motivate you and keep you accountable for doing it. Otherwise, you might be stuck with something for a few days, a few weeks, and then taper off. Whereas, if you have something that tells you what to do, then you don’t have to think about it.”

“I’m a fan of cross-training runners. When I went to the Olympics, cross-training was a feature of my training plan. It was something I did every day. It was also something I did when I first got into proper running training. I only ran three or four times a week, but in addition I would go to the gym for either weight training or non-impact training such as swimming and cycling.

“These types of movements and exercises can be done while you’re building your run because they take that load off and you put less stress on the body. It’s a good way to boost your aerobic fitness and endurance, but also build strength in your muscles and joints.

“If you’re doing a lot of cross-training, make sure you’re also getting good sleep and good recovery in between, because those things will help your body adapt to the training you’re doing.”

“If you’re out for a workout that lasts more than an hour, make sure you’re thinking about your nutrition during it. I usually use isotonic gels. I take them every 30 to 35 minutes during a long run.

“Don’t do any training on an empty stomach. I know this is a big thing because people talk about training their body to run on fat, but when you wake up, your cortisol levels, which are your stress levels, are at their highest. So if you go out without food to exercise, which is essentially stress on the body, you are putting stress on your body. Fueling takes some of that away and helps with energy levels and recovery.

“What might be different is for someone who doesn’t train a lot and has limited time and goes out for a short, easy run — then you can do it fasted. However, I think if you are following a training program and are an active person, as well as have a busy job, a lot on your plate, and your sleep is not optimal, then definitely avoid this fasted workout.

“Feeding then requires focus. It is more important for people who do a lot of training. Be careful about this refueling as it helps with your recovery which will then have an impact on the next session.

“Try to have a balanced diet. If you’re someone who might struggle to maintain a certain weight, then it’s all about being balanced with what you eat. We usually know what makes us fat, but when you’re working out, know that you need fuel. Don’t starve yourself.”

“Plan your route. You have to know where you are going because if you go out aimlessly you don’t always know what the distance will be. You could end up doing laps of the block and that’s no fun. If you can get someone to join you, it keeps you accountable and also makes the time go by faster. Plan something nice for after the run, whether it’s brunch or a stop at a favorite coffee shop. this gives you something to look forward to during the run.

“Try not to be intimidated by rhythms, splits, times and distances. Focus on the effort and start from within. I think a lot of people think when they go out running that every run has to be hard. In fact, most of your training is easy jogging. At first, running may not be easy, but the more you do it, the more you’ll learn about paces and zones. As a result, you will be able to better measure your effort.

“The best way to judge an easy run is, can you hold a conversation? This is a simple way to make sure your easy runs are easy. This is also how every run should start because we need to warm up on them. It should never start too quickly. Don’t push yourself to hit certain tempos or splits at first. Install on it. If you’re not running with other people, it’s great to have a good playlist together, as is a podcast. It distracts you—or it can inspire you!”