dont do these 5 things if you want to improve competition results

Whether you are a novice runner or a seasoned veteran, you often make the same mistakes over and over again, creating a vicious cycle.

Jenny Hadfield is a veteran running coach in the United States. For the past 23 years, she has guided thousands of runners through one-on-one sessions, running groups, or online training for all events from 5Ks to ultramarathons. In her view, the following five training mistakes are ones that every runner makes.

1. Running too much, too often.

Running is a high-intensity exercise, and too much training before your body is ready can leave you sore all over, which can slow your progress or even lead to injury.

Gradually increase your mileage, giving your body and mind time to adapt to the demands of running. One rule of thumb is to increase your previous week's training volume by 10% each week. If you run 10 miles a week (about 16.1 km, three times a week, more than 5 km each time), then add a maximum of 1 mile (about 1.61 km) the next week. As your weekly mileage accumulates, you will increase more and more. When your weekly mileage reaches 32 km, the increase for the next week can be 3.2 km.

However, you cannot increase your mileage indefinitely. The safest approach is to consolidate for a week after increasing your mileage by 10% the following week, meaning you do not increase your mileage the week after next, and then increase your mileage by 10% in the fourth week. Unless you are a professional athlete, there is no need to exceed 120 km per week.

2. Obsessing over pace.

Whether you are just starting to run or training to improve your race performance, the key to achieving your goals is to listen to your body's condition on that day.

With the rise of GPS devices, many runners can know their real-time pace during training, which can lead to using pace as the only guide for running. However, due to changes in weather, terrain, and physical condition, your pace will also change. For example, a comfortable pace in cool weather may feel strenuous in hot weather. A constant pace is impossible. Only increasing and never decreasing is also impossible. Training by pace is like playing the lottery; there is no shame in running slower than expected.

Your body knows your effort level, not your pace. When you learn to train by listening to your body, you will find the best training zone for each day. Pace is just a result of your performance and should not be your training guide.

3. Training hard during recovery periods.

After a day of hard training or long runs, it is crucial to give your body time to recover. Doing a light workout can help your body actively recover. Relaxed runs or cross-training are like sleep for your health. Recovery training allows runners to heal injuries, adapt to intensity, and improve fatigue levels. This is especially important for runners over 40, as they need more recovery time due to age.

On the days following hard training or long runs, doing relaxed runs or low-impact cross-training (cycling, elliptical, swimming, or hiking) will benefit your training. Leave your watch at home and run based on feel. Use your breathing to check your effort level. If you cannot carry on a full conversation, slow down. Run-walk intervals are also fine; run for a few minutes, walk briskly for 1-2 minutes, and then repeat.

4. Suddenly increasing volume before a race.

Rome wasn't built in a day, and long-distance running can't be mastered through cramming. Compressing an 18-week training plan into 6 weeks will have painful consequences.

Training is the most important part that a runner should focus on, and your race performance depends on your daily training. Spending more time preparing for a race will yield more rewards. You will gradually improve your speed, distance, and endurance, while further motivating yourself to train and race.

If you are just starting to run, you need several months or even half a year of preparation time to steadily improve. Generally, preparing for a 5K or 10K race takes 6-8 weeks; preparing for a half marathon takes 12-14 weeks; preparing for a full marathon takes 16-22 weeks. For ultramarathons, even more time is needed (20-24 weeks).

Cramming training will directly lead to severe soreness and more serious consequences such as injuries, severely affecting your health. Extending the training period allows for more flexibility, especially during times when you are sick, busy with work, or on vacation.

5. Blindly catching up on missed training.

When you miss training due to injury or other reasons, do not blindly try to catch up. This can lead to more injuries. Training plans should not be rigid but should be adjusted as needed. If you miss a few days of training, adjust the subsequent training rather than increasing volume to make up for the missed sessions. Standing at the starting line in good health is the foundation for finishing the race.

For example, if you feel knee pain after a training session that affects your running form, don't worry. Take a few days to recover, and then you can continue training. However, if you ignore the knee pain and continue training, it will lead to more serious injuries. Similarly, if you are sick, such as having a cold, you need to wait until you are fully recovered before continuing training.

If you cannot train due to injury or illness, put the training plan aside and start executing Plan B. At this time, you should train at a comfortable pace to gradually restore aerobic capacity. This will lay a good foundation before the race.

Recovery from injury should start slowly, and you should never push yourself blindly. Gradual progress ensures a longer athletic life. Additionally, avoid intense training before race day to prevent affecting your race-day condition. Running with a sore body is quite uncomfortable.

Original title: Why can't you improve your race performance? Because you keep making these 5 mistakes.