At the start of a brand spanking new year, we've come up with these inspirational ideas to help you fulfill your 2013 potential...
Simple ideas to help you get more from your favorite sport.
Make it a milestone
Whether it's your very first race, the decision to tackle fells, a 5k, a 10k, a
marathon, or a triathlon, make 2013 a year to remember by
challenging yourself to completing a huge milestone of a race – the
year'll fly by!
Big targets will give your year a structure as you build up to the
big day, replete with smaller targets to tick off. Think of the pride
you'll feel as 2013 is marked out as 'the year you…'
Tackle a mileage challenge
If you don't have a big race in your sights, it can be hard to stay
focused. Challenge yourself, or join others with weekly, monthly or
annual mileage targets. By setting yourself a mileage challenge you can
combine the motivation of having a target with total flexibility in
terms of how and when to clock up those miles.
Start a training log
...and keep it up all year! Plot your improvement over 2013, and just think how proud you'll be when you look back in December.
A training log is unbeatable for motivation – it'll help you focus
on long-term goals, and you'll notice improvement as it happens. You
can also customize your log in line with your aims for the year,
whether you want to lose a specific amount of weight or get set for a
new distance.
Stretch
The best way to get into the stretching habit is to do it whenever
you have a minute. Whenever you boil a kettle, do neck stretches or
hoick your foot onto the worktop and stretch your legs. If you find
yourself in a queue, do some more neck stretches or work those arms!
Get kitted out
Use the New Year's sales as an excuse to kit yourself out in the
right gear – appropriate running shoes, a technical top or two and
gloves and hat for the wintery months ahead.
If you're running in bog-standard cotton, sweat will stay on your
skin and make you chilly. Technical tops, in contrast, are made of
quick-drying fabric which cleverly wicks sweat away from the skin.
Psychologically, covering your head and hands makes you feel warmer too
so keep toasty in chilly weather with a fleecy hat and gloves.
And last but certainly not least, don't delay – get your gait analyzed at a specialist running shop and make sure you're wearing the
right trainers for your running style.
Take someone under your wing
Training a newbie runner or an improver can do wonders for your own
running self-esteem. And it's much harder to shirk off training if
missing a session means letting your pupil down!
Love your cross-training
It's great that you love running, but balance out time on your feet
with other training and your favorite sport will benefit. Take up
yoga, for example, and as well as benefiting from improved posture and
zen-like calm, you'll be getting in quality stretching time too.
Listen to your body
If you're feeling tired, don't push things. Make 2013 the year that
you tune in to what your body's telling you rather than just following
instructions from a training log written by someone else.
Forget that old nonsense 'no pain, no gain' – your body's pain
mechanism is there for a good reason. If you're feeling more than the
usual stiff muscles, make sure you pay attention and respond to what
it's trying to tell you!
Make your lifestyle match your running
You work hard with regular running, so why make it harder for
yourself by slowing down your body with booze and junk food? Check out
the nutrition basics on runnersworld.com, start a food diary, and
let a new lean, mean runner emerge.
With the right mix of all-important carbs, protein, good fats and
greens inside you, you'll instantly notice how much more energy you
have, and in training, you might just surprise yourself! But don't
worry, there's still room for treats – nutritionists suggest a ratio of
80:20 'sensible' food vs naughty treats!
Train yourself fit
If you've been sidelined by injury, there's no point sitting at home
feeling frustrated. Try to view your physio exercises just as you
would a training schedule – if you were in training for a big race
you'd probably follow your training plan to the letter, so why is rehab
any different?
Rather than something extra to do when you have time, view your
rehab as your number one training priority. Whether you're plugging the
gap with cross-training or not, it's the exercises you've been given
for your injury that'll get you back out on your feet!
Join a running group
If you take the plunge and join a club, you'll get the benefits of
great coaching, a bunch of like-minded teammates, and company on chilly
winter days!
Reach out
If you're already a club runner, give something back and help out
with races organized by your club, or even bigger events. As most
runners already know, enthusiastic marshals can turn a race from fine
to fantastic. And it's a two-way street: without marshals, it would be
impossible to stage races!
Go green
Leave the roads behind and get back in touch with nature. Running on
grass or trails, as well as getting you pleasingly muddy, will do
wonders for your leg strength and core muscles as they adapt to the
uneven ground.
Even if you're a committed urbanite, cast your net wider than the usual pavements, and leave the city streets behind with a run to your nearest park.
Even if you're a committed urbanite, cast your net wider than the usual pavements, and leave the city streets behind with a run to your nearest park.
Be kind to the planet
Swap your wasteful plastic bottles for a classy reusable one. And if you're practising using gels on a long run, don't drop litter – unlike on race-day there aren't any helpful people to pick up your discarded packets and bottles. Plastic bottles and bags are made using oil and take hundreds of years to degrade. They can also cause damage to the eco-system of the area where you drop them.Recycle
It's still hard with sportswear, but endeavor to buy
environmentally-friendly kit as far as possible.
Get off on the right foot by recycling your old kit – join over two
million others worldwide and recycle your trainers to help Nike build
new children's playgrounds (find your nearest drop-off point at www.nikereuseashoe.com).
Fabric recycling banks for your worn-out tops and tights can often be found by the more familiar newspaper and bottle banks.Spread the love
If you say hello to every runner you pass, it'll lift your spirits
as well as theirs, and make the mean streets feel a bit more friendly.
Smiling has been found to release the 'happy hormone' serotonin as well
as endorphins – so it's good for you too!
Reward yourself
Don't forget that if you're running regularly, you're doing an
awful lot more for your body and health
So don't feel unworthy if you miss a session here or there, or if
you don't feel up to marathons (yet!). As you complete another block of
tip-top running (such as a month, or preparation for a race), reward
yourself by doing something that makes you happy. Go to the theatre,
book dinner at a fab restaurant, go wine drinking – whatever it is, give
yourself a pat on the back for staying active!
Finally... enjoy!
Sometimes it's good just to forget about PBs, paces and targets,
relax into your stride with a smile and enjoy that 'runner's high'!
You'll probably know and love those endorphins by now, but just a
reminder: running triggers masses of happy-making endorphins, as well as
keeping you fit and trim, relieving stress, helping you achieve
amazing feats of speed, endurance and determination… and of course,
getting you from A to B!
Credits to Alice Palmer, runnersworld.co.uk
