Autumn is fast approaching and that means racing. Whether you are looking to beat your colleague on a 5k DHL run, or you have spent the entire summer training for the marathon, now is the time to get the final kilometres in your legs so you are sharp and ready for your big run.
But you shouldn’t approach your training without a plan. In this article, we have selected some great tips for how you can get the most out of your training, so you can be fit and prepared for your race.
Training
If you are doing a half-marathon, or a regular marathon, it is important to incorporate some race-pace in the final phase of your workout. A good tip: instead of running many long-distance runs in your race-pace, it is better to do shorter accelerations in the race-pace on your long-distance runs. This way, you are training your tempo and you avoid running your heart out, which should allow you to do tempo or interval running the subsequent days.
Example of a long-distance run for a marathon with accelerations:
6 km jog
4 km marathon pace
1 km jog
4 km marathon pace
1 km jog
4 km marathon pace
6 km jog
26 km in total.
Example of a long-distance run for the half-marathon training with accelerations:
5 km jog
3 km half-marathon pace
1 km jog
3 km half-marathon pace
3 km jog
15 km in total
If you, instead, are doing a shorter distance, like a 5k or 10k, it might be better to do shorter accelerations in the race-pace. For instance, you could do 5x1000 m for your 10 km-pace or 3x1000m for your 5 km-pace.
It’s important to remember that your training is designed to make you accustomed to running in the race-pace but, at the same time, it should not completely drain your body from energy.
Energy intake
There are many different strategies for energy intake – particularly for long-distance runs. If you are doing 5k or 10k, my opinion is that you do not need gels or other energy sources on your run. However, if you are doing a half-marathon or a marathon, it is important to know how much energy you should take in – and it is a good idea to figure this out in time before the run. This is because some of the products may irritate your stomach. Personally, there are some energy products I get nausea from and others that I find hard to swallow. So, it is a good idea to test which products work for you before your big run.
Race simulation
As mentioned, the training is designed to simulate the big run where you want to really perform at your best. The more your head gets accustomed to the distance and the performance it takes, the easier it gets to finish. Therefore, it might be a good idea to incorporate a couple of workouts at the time of day your run is supposed to take place. If you are doing a half-marathon on Sunday at 10am, it is a good idea to do your long-distance workouts on Sundays at 10am. It is a good idea to try and simulate the race day. Wake up at the time you intend to wake up on race day, eat the breakfast you intend to eat on race day, etc. This way you allow yourself to know your body and how it reacts to the energy you give it. For instance, you might learn that you need to wake up a little earlier in order to allow your stomach to digest the food before the race.
The shoes
One final piece of advice in relation to your shoes. Because the shoes are pivotal for your performance. They are important for the race but they are equally important for your workouts. A good piece of advice is to get a pair of race shoes. Whether you are doing a 5k DHL relay run or a 42.195 km marathon, you will benefit a lot from a pair of race shoes. It is a common misunderstanding amongst joggers that carbon shoes and fast race shoes are for elite runners only. A race shoe will give you extra speed and responsiveness for when you need to perform at your best. Even if you are not the fastest runner. It is a good idea to get your race day shoes in time before the run, so you can do a couple of runs in them to allow your feet and body to get accustomed to the new pair of shoes for both the long-distance runs and the short runs.
You can find plenty of fast race day shoes here
Finally, it is also recommendable to get a comfortable everyday trainer which you can wear for the long-distance runs to take some pressure away from your feet. There are plenty of everyday trainers and equally as many opinions on which shoe is the most comfortable. Some like their everyday trainer to be extremely soft, while others like a firmer shoe.
You can find all our shoes for everyday training right here
We hope this guide will put you on the right path for your next big race.
Good luck!
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