Running Reimagined: Smart Plans for Athletes [11bc]

No one is perfect, and runners are no exception. Even if you have run a marathon, it doesn't mean you are a perfect person. Most runners have one or two bad habits they want to get rid of in their lives. Maybe changing them can greatly help your running.

Bad Habit 1: Starting too fast

Solution: Find a partner who can help you pace

Running very fast in the first half but significantly slowing down after 30 kilometers without warning, ending up slower than a steady pace—this is a true portrayal of many runners, especially those who are strong in short distances. I know many people who not only do this but also never learn from it.After one failure, they continue to stumble over the same stone next time. They don't seem to believe in the truth of 'steady pace.'

At this time, the best way is to find a partner with similar overall strength but more scientific energy distribution to train or compete with. You will slowly experience the benefits of conserving energy in the first half and the importance of the correct race strategy.

A good race should start slowly, steadily and gradually accelerate, getting stronger and more confident as you run. Otherwise, it will be easy to collapse.

Bad Habit 2: Insufficient rest

Solution: Stay away from electronic devices

Today's social media is becoming more and more developed, and the overwhelming online time is increasingly dazzling. But for runners, the internet is a double-edged sword. We communicate with running friends on social media, sharing and learning running experiences.

Especially for most of us who don't have much time on weekdays. So many people have the habit of browsing a lot of online information before going to bed, but this is more harmful than beneficial to our running. Eyes exposed to bright screens and the brain receiving a lot of information remain active, which is not good for the upcoming sleep and recovery after training.

The importance of sleep for training does not need to be emphasized here. Smart runners will not let electronic screens affect their overall training results and will not ruin precious rest time for a few updated friends circle posts or emails.

Bad Habit: Always wanting to avoid key difficult training

Solution: Lower your expectations, no matter how slow, just finish it first

Few runners like long interval training such as 1000 meters or 1200 meters. But we all know that to improve performance, difficult training must be faced. Not everyone can rise to the challenge. Most of us will have a lot of psychological struggles before each difficult session. Sometimes, when we feel we really can't achieve the expected goal, it's easy to give up halfway and end the training directly.

Although doing so gets rid of the temporary pain in training, it will also make you easily quit in the race. Complete all the training, no matter how slow the speed is in the end.

Bad Habit: Poor eating habits

Solution: Simplify food

Many people find it easy to eat in the school canteen every day when they are in college, without worrying about unbalanced nutrition and usually not gaining weight. But after graduation, they find that 'diet' becomes very complicated after entering society. Unknowingly, you will find yourself eating too much and too few vegetables. Many people gain weight, reduce speed, and their physical recovery speed is not as good as before.

Modern people's diet has too many choices and faces too many tempting 'junk' temptations. Nutrition seems profound and complex, but in fact, simple daily foods can bring comprehensive nutrition.

As athletes, eating habits should be 'simplified.' Here, simplicity means fresh, minimally processed natural foods, avoiding heavy seasonings and fats, and not eating blindly. Simple eating habits are not difficult to follow, nutrition can be very balanced, and the taste is not bad, and there is no need to diet.

Bad Habit: Difficulty sticking to a daily habit

Solution: Keep a journal

Even with a GPS watch, many runners still use mobile apps to record their daily running activities. Because daily check-ins and monthly attendance statistics make us more motivated.

The same goes for some good small habits in life. We often say we want to take 10 minutes every day to practice core strength, or increase stretching time, or do push-ups, practice calligraphy, or memorize words... but sometimes we never really start, or just stick to it once or twice and then give up.

Try keeping a journal for a small thing, like recording running, using words, numbers, or even charts and graphs to record daily persistence. This will be more motivating. Such small things seem unrelated to running, but they actually help us become highly self-disciplined people. A successful runner must be a manager of life, and self-discipline is an essential quality.