Since her early teens, world U20 mountain running champion Angela Mattevi has fully embraced the experience of running in the mountains.

Mountain running advice Angela Mattevi

Mattevi’s 10 tips for budding mountain runners

<p><br />One of the good things to come out of the Covid-19 pandemic is an increase in physical activity &ndash; more people are reportedly enjoying exercise than before the world went into lockdown.</p>
<p>If you are one of the many people who are new to running, your focus will probably be on training &ndash; when, how often, and how much? But your rest and recovery between training runs is as important as running itself. Despite this, rest often gets overlooked and forgotten. So if you&rsquo;re just starting out on your running adventure, it&rsquo;s worth thinking carefully about the quality and quantity of your down-time.<br /><br /></p>
<div id="5e9acc430d00ae08f026e6b3" class="dropMedia">
<div style="background-image: url('https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Small/7292fdae-0010-44ce-8de7-2801e19fad78.jpg');">&nbsp;</div>
Distance runner and Asics ambassador Mara Yamauchi</div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Why does rest matter? As I explained in &lsquo;Be your own coach&rsquo;, the cycle of training and adaptation is what makes you faster and fitter over time. So it is not just training that makes you faster &ndash; the adaptation afterwards is just as important, and good rest and recovery helps this.</p>
<p>There are many different processes that take place during rest, for example replenishing glycogen (energy) stores, repair of muscle fibres, and production of new blood cells among others. And training is not the only thing your body has to recover from &ndash; the stresses and strains of daily life including work have to be left behind during rest periods. So rest is absolutely vital to running.</p>
<p>Here are five concrete steps you can take to improve your rest and recovery.<br /><br /></p>
<h1>1 Give your sleep a self-audit</h1>
<p>The best form of resting is sleep. This is obvious, and yet so many of us do not get enough sleep of the right quality and quantity. Things like your bedroom environment (light, temperature, noise, ventilation), pre-bedtime routine (meals, activities, screen-time) and sleep schedule (time to sleep, time to wake, consistency from day to day) are all worth revisiting to ensure you are doing your best to encourage good sleep.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h1>2 Refuel straight after training</h1>
<p>The sooner you can eat and drink after training, the faster your body will start to recover. Again this ain&rsquo;t rocket science, but it&rsquo;s easy to get distracted and forget. Having some protein and carbohydrate (eg, a recovery smoothie) within 20 minutes of training is ideal, followed by a proper meal when time allows.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h1>3 Rest your brain</h1>
<p>Mental down-time and recovery is as important as physical rest. Training is tough, and you need to be mentally fresh to do it. So absorbing activities that take you completely away from training, work and other commitments are important for mental regeneration. If you&rsquo;re mentally burnt-out, you won&rsquo;t feel like training even if your body is rested.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h1>4 Keep an eye on how you feel</h1>
<p>Self-monitoring is a useful way to spot problems early. Your resting heart-rate, enthusiasm for training, mood, energy levels, changes in body weight, and sleep quality are all parameters that can be used to monitor yourself and judge whether or not you are getting enough rest.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h1>5 Occasionally skip training</h1>
<p>The ability to decide objectively when you are too tired to train is a skill that all athletes should develop. Of course you need self-discipline to train consistently, but this needs to be balanced with understanding when rest should take priority over training. Sometimes it is a difficult call. But there will be times when recovery is more important than training.</p>
<p><br />I hope I have persuaded you that rest and recovery are an essential part of a runner&rsquo;s life. Intuitively, many runners just want to train more. You have to run to improve, right, so surely more is better? Well, sometimes yes, but not always. If you haven&rsquo;t thought about it already, a quick assessment of the quality and quantity of the rest you&rsquo;re getting may actually make you run faster.</p>
<p><strong>Mara Yamauchi for World Athletics</strong></p>

One of the good things to come out of the Covid-19 pandemic is an increase in physical activity – more people are reportedly enjoying exercise than before the world went into lockdown.

Rest recovery runners athletes tips advice importance

The importance of rest and recovery

<p><br />Running is a fabulous sport &ndash; simple, inexpensive and exhilarating. There is much that is positive about it, and it&rsquo;s certainly good for physical and mental health. But the impact of every step can make it an unforgiving sport in terms of wear and tear, and injuries are part of being a runner.</p>
<p>Reacting to an injury after it happens is one way of dealing with this. But there is a more positive way, namely accepting that injuries may crop up, and taking a proactive approach to preventing and managing them. This needn&rsquo;t be complicated. Keeping in mind a few key principles can help with understanding why injuries happen and how to handle them.</p>
<p>As an athlete, I had various injuries over the years, most frequently the dreaded plantar fasciitis, but also a hamstring tendon injury, and an adductor tear, among others. Now that I coach and watch numerous runners, I see patterns in injuries and common problems that often cause them. From these experiences, I&rsquo;ve boiled down my injury tips to five key areas.</p>
<h1>Strengthen the body</h1>
<p>Your body needs to be strong and robust enough to handle the running you ask of it. The more demanding the running, the stronger and more robust it needs to be. &lsquo;Demanding&rsquo; can mean various things &ndash; higher total mileage, faster running, more frequent runs, longer runs, hilly or challenging terrain, etc. So some running-specific strength and conditioning, alongside running, is a good idea. And how well muscles function depends on their sheer strength but also your brain&rsquo;s ability to activate them, on demand. Spending five minutes on activation exercises for the key muscle groups immediately before running is a simple and effective injury-prevention habit.</p>
<h1>Make gradual steps</h1>
<p>Increases in training load (the volume, frequency and intensity) need to be gradual. Your body adapts to the stimulus of training, but this takes time, and different tissues adapt at different rates. Too much increase too quickly is a classic cause of injury. So when you step up your training, do it steadily and see how your body reacts before pushing on again.</p>
<h1>Take care of the glutes</h1>
<p>Keep your glute muscles in good working order. Glutes are key muscles which do a range of important jobs when we run. But all the sitting down we do in our modern lifestyles tends to switch them off. If your brain struggles to switch them on when you run, other muscles will step in and do their work. This is another classic cause of injury, including in other parts of the body. Glute exercises that will help with strength and activation include squats, lunges, glute bridges, or simply clenching them repeatedly (don&rsquo;t be alarmed if people give you strange looks when you do this!). If you&rsquo;re going to do any strength work, glutes should be the top priority.<br /><br /></p>
<h3>Squats<br /><img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Square/0d791540-95ee-4655-a137-c955c6b9e650.jpg?cachebuster=70f358bc-e484-4991-923c-4340ccca5bd1" alt="Squats" width="600" height="600" /></h3>
<h3><br />Lunges<br /><img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Square/95e5acfa-3560-4962-9996-e330e14d9082.jpg?cachebuster=338f3d32-237a-4c8d-9d2a-1bc9c72b45ff" alt="Lunges" width="600" height="600" /></h3>
<h3><br />Glute bridges<br /><img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/LargeL/baa0eb89-ebd2-49bd-a2e3-daf2eb680c11.jpg?cachebuster=9d980ea2-bf91-41dc-a93b-058fbfc49395" alt="Glute bridges" width="600" height="400" /></h3>
<h1>Use the right running shoes for you</h1>
<p>Be vigilant about your footwear, both on and off the track. Your feet are the only part of your body that hits the ground when running, so they take a lot of punishment, especially if there are imbalances or problems higher up. So running in good quality, well-fitting shoes that are suited to you as an individual is essential, as is replacing them promptly when they wear out. Changing your shoes is another frequent cause of injury; ensure any new shoes are worn in at home first, and not too different to your previous pair. Your non-running shoes are also a possible cause of all sorts of trouble, such as blisters, bunions, plantar fasciitis and more, so strike a balance between function and fashion.</p>
<h3>MORE: <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/be-active/performance/finding-the-right-running-shoes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Advice for finding the right shoes</a></span></h3>
<h1>Identify patterns with previous injuries</h1>
<p>Learning about and looking after yourself is vital for preventing injuries. If you can figure out over time what injuries you are prone to and why, then it&rsquo;s easy to take steps to prevent them. I know that my right glute muscles don&rsquo;t work well and if I don&rsquo;t keep them in good order, my feet will complain. Similarly, small simple steps to look after yourself are perhaps the best way to prevent injuries, for example self-massage with a foam-roller, icing any soreness immediately after running, rolling a golf ball under your feet, doing a thorough warm-up, eating enough protein, etc.</p>
<p>Some injuries call for expertise, from a physiotherapist, doctor or other practitioner. But injuries generally happen for a reason. By developing your understanding of their causes, and how to prevent and manage them, you&rsquo;ll be well-placed to deal with them when they do happen, and will be able to enjoy more running injury-free.</p>
<p><strong>Mara Yamauchi for World Athletics</strong></p>

Running is a fabulous sport – simple, inexpensive and exhilarating. There is much that is positive about it, and it’s certainly good for physical and mental health. But the impact of every step can make it an unforgiving sport in terms of wear and tear, and injuries are part of being a runner.

Injury prevention runners

Five ways to prevent running injuries before they happen

<p><br />Despite all the gloom of the Covid-19 pandemic, there have been significant positive things to come out of this crisis. We&rsquo;ve been forced to think about what really matters and focus on what is important. One of those positives is an increase in physical activity, especially running, as a recent study by ASICS discovered.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div id="5e9acc430d00ae08f026e6b3" class="dropMedia">
<div style="background-image: url('https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Small/7292fdae-0010-44ce-8de7-2801e19fad78.jpg');">&nbsp;</div>
Distance runner and Asics ambassador Mara Yamauchi</div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>If you&rsquo;ve recently taken up running, a question you&rsquo;ll quickly face is, how do I plan and organise my training? The easy way to answer this is to find and follow an off-the-shelf training plan, from a running magazine, website or similar. You just do what the plan says and don&rsquo;t have to think too much &ndash; what could be simpler?</p>
<p>This is one way to start, but the problem with this approach is that every runner is different, and a one-size-fits-all training plan may not be suitable for you. A better way, I think, is to learn the key principles of training so that you can create your own plan. In other words, to be your own coach. Let&rsquo;s look at five of those principles.</p>
<h3>The cycle of adaptation</h3>
<p>The function of training is to provide a stimulus to your body to adapt in various ways. You train, then adapt, train, adapt, train, adapt, and so on, repeatedly, over time. This cycle, if done properly, makes you run faster over time. By &lsquo;properly&rsquo; I mean training of the appropriate quality and quantity for you; and adaptation which is helped along by good rest and nutrition. If you are improving over time, then your cycle of adaptation must be working well, and it&rsquo;s best to keep doing what you are doing. If your running is flat-lining or even getting worse, then your cycle of adaptation is not quite right and may need changing. A key point here, which often gets overlooked, is that the time you spend NOT training is as important as your training.</p>
<p><br /><a href="https://worldathletics.org/page/fitter-with-friends?utm_source=website&amp;utm_medium=article" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/misc/FWF-5x2-banner.gif" /><br /></a></p>
<h3>How often to run?</h3>
<p>Keeping in mind point 1 above, if you are new to running, then two, progressing to three times per week is a good place to start. This allows for rest and adaptation between runs. From there, one way to build further is to increase to four or more runs per week. But increasing frequency of runs means not only are you doing more runs, but the gap between runs becomes much shorter (e.g. 48 hours rest dropping to 24 hours). It&rsquo;s a double whammy in terms of increasing the load. So after each increase in the frequency of your runs, stick with it for a few weeks and monitor closely how you react.</p>
<h3>Intensity and volume</h3>
<p>In addition to frequency, these are two other ways of progressing your overall training load, when you&rsquo;re ready. Intensity means faster running such as tempo, hills or intervals. And volume means more time or distance covered. Increasing one of these at a time, rather than two or three, is a safer way to step up your training. Add extra load in small amounts and see how you feel, before progressing further.</p>
<h3>Non-running elements</h3>
<p>It&rsquo;s tempting to think only about running when writing yourself a training plan. But non-running things like nutrition, quality of your sleep, and some kind of strength training will support (or hinder) your running and adaptation to it. So give yourself a &lsquo;self-audit&rsquo; on these things and ask yourself if you could improve any of them. This is especially important if you are running regularly but don&rsquo;t seem to be improving.</p>
<h3>Goals</h3>
<p>Some kind of goal, not too far away, gives a training plan direction and focus, and helps you to decide what kind of training to do. With few races able to go ahead at the moment, a time trial over, for example 5km, is a good alternative. A goal could be about your training, as opposed to a &lsquo;race&rsquo; or other outcome. For example, running four times per week consistently by the end of August; or running a total of 30km per week for three consecutive weeks.</p>
<p><br />I hope these five tips will provide a useful &lsquo;toolkit&rsquo; for you to become your own coach. Have a go at creating your own training plan and see how you get on. You are the best judge of what works for you. So write your own plan, give it a try, and adjust accordingly as you progress. Go on, Coach, you can do it!</p>
<p><strong>Mara Yamauchi for World Athletics</strong></p>

Despite all the gloom of the Covid-19 pandemic, there have been significant positive things to come out of this crisis. We’ve been forced to think about what really matters and focus on what is important. One of those positives is an increase in physical activity, especially running, as a recent study by ASICS discovered.

Mara Yamauchi guide Be your own coach

Be your own coach

<p><br />Whatever your level of ability, it&rsquo;s important to find suitable shoes to run in &ndash; especially if you plan on spending more time in your running shoes.</p>
<p>Research has shown that runners are at a higher risk of injury if they aren&rsquo;t wearing the right shoe for their foot type. A comfortable running shoe is a shoe that fits, but finding one is not always easy. The first step is getting to know your personal running style in order to find a pair of shoes that fit you perfectly.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Buying running shoes can be complicated and confusing,&rdquo; says sports podiatrist Mick Habgood. &ldquo;But buying the right pair for you is vital to avoid injury when running.&rdquo;</p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/d3rSbDVZJJY" width="500" height="280" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h1>What is pronation and why does it matter?</h1>
<p>Pronation is the natural movement of your foot as you walk or run. Your foot is a complex structure with many bones, joints, ligaments, muscles and tendons. When you run, forces are applied from the ground, which in most cases causes your foot to roll in (pronate) to absorb the shock. Other runners, however, will supinate (foot rolls outwards), while some are neutral.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;d always recommend that runners have a gait analysis before buying a pair of shoes to ensure that they end up with the right shoe for them,&rdquo; adds Habgood. &ldquo;Not only could this help to reduce the risk of injury, but it could also help to improve their overall comfort and performance.&rdquo;</p>
<p><br /><a href="https://worldathletics.org/page/fitter-with-friends?utm_source=website&amp;utm_medium=article" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/misc/FWF-5x2-banner.gif" /><br /></a></p>
<p>A gait analysis isn&rsquo;t just for top runners. Aside from &nbsp;will also tell you if you need a neutral or a stability shoe.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re not all built the same and we all have different running techniques, but I definitely see a lot more runners who over-pronate in my clinic,&rdquo; says Habgood. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s for these runners that I&rsquo;d prescribe a stability shoe.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Clifton Bradeley, a sub-four-minute miler and specialist musculoskeletal sports podiatrist, explains what each type of running shoe means.</p>
<h3>Pronated feet = maximum support running shoes</h3>
<p>This category is the most supportive and controlling and are designed to slow down excessive pronation. They tend to have a carbon rubber outer sole for durability and offer maximum ground contact and stability.</p>
<p><img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Carousel2/79283e36-9801-40b2-9b42-e9d65914f5c1.png?cachebuster=e453c923-2640-43de-bb14-b44f90386fee" alt="Pronated feet" width="844" height="506" /></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Neutral feet = cushioned / neutral shoes</h3>
<p>Cushioned shoes generally have no motion control features and are lighter. They encourage faster movement and feel softer under-foot. These shoes are great for neutral foot types who are less than 82kg in weight and orthotic wearers. If you have a neutral foot type but are over 82kg in weight, consider structured cushioning shoes, which offer a little more support.</p>
<p><img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Carousel2/e104ff50-22ca-47a6-9b47-9e612253cadb.png?cachebuster=887886d4-dbbd-449f-9e1e-e38bd7512c2c" alt="Neutral feet" width="844" height="506" /></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Supinated feet = structured cushioned / stability shoes</h3>
<p>These shoes offer a good blend of motion control and cushioning. They are not as heavy and controlling as maximum support running shoes, but still offer excellent support. This is the most popular category of training shoes.</p>
<p><img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Carousel2/6793e425-7c80-48c0-9926-2ac19fc2db73.png?cachebuster=cab1d083-1829-4cc9-b5a0-bcf531a37841" alt="Supinated feet" width="844" height="506" /></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h1>Other considerations</h1>
<h3>Purpose</h3>
<p>Will you be road running, running on a purpose-built track or perhaps on a forest trail? All these surfaces require a different kind of shoe. Another basic distinction is between racing and training shoes.</p>
<p>Another important factor when choosing the correct running shoe for you is to think about the sort of distances you&rsquo;ll be covering. If you&rsquo;re training for a marathon, then you&rsquo;ll require a more cushioned shoe that can withstand all those hard miles and provide maximum protection from impact injuries. If you want to run at a faster pace over shorter distances, then lightweight running shoes, which weigh less and come with more flexible cushioning, are incredibly comfortable and can decrease your fatigue during a run.</p>
<h3>Fit</h3>
<p>Keep an open mind with your shoe size and remember the following: The more you run, the more room you need. The further you run, the more your foot will naturally expand. This means it's wise to have just a little extra room in your shoe.</p>
<p>The width of your shoe is equally as important as the length when it comes to a good fit. People are not always built in perfect proportion and often have wider or narrower feet than the 'norm'.</p>
<h3>When to replace</h3>
<p>It&rsquo;s generally recommended that runners replace their shoes every 500-800km (300-500 miles). That&rsquo;s very roughly the kind of distance you&rsquo;d cover when training for one marathon. After this distance, most running shoes will experience a fairly significant amount of wear and tear and no longer offer the kind of support you need. If you&rsquo;re a heavier person, you&rsquo;ll likely need to replace them more often than someone with a lighter frame.</p>
<p>The <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.asics.com/gb/en-gb/running-advice/choosing-the-right-shoes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ASICS website has further advice</a></strong></span> on choosing the right running shoe.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h1>Find your ideal shoe</h1>
<p>Use the ASICS shoe-finder tool to discover which running shoe is best for you. Simply answer four quick questions and the tool will pair you with technologies and shoes that fit the way you move.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: center; border-radius: 5px; border: 2px solid #ff873c; font-size: 1.3em; padding: 8px;"><a href="https://www.asics.com/gb/en-gb/shoe-finder/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Launch the ASICS shoe finder</strong></span></a></span></p>
<p><img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Original/37be9da7-9002-4346-a28a-12f7561aa0c7.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="400" /></p>

Whatever your level of ability, it’s important to find suitable shoes to run in – especially if you plan on spending more time in your running shoes.


Whatever your level of ability, it’s important to find suitable shoes to run in – especially if you plan on spending more time in your running shoes.
Research has shown that runners are at a higher risk of injury if they aren’t wearing the right shoe for their foot type. A comfortable running shoe is a shoe that fits, but finding one is not always easy. The first step is getting to know your personal running style in order to find a pair of shoes that fit you perfectly.
“Buying running shoes can be complicated and confusing,” says sports podiatrist Mick Habgood. “But buying the right pair for you is vital to avoid injury when running.”

 What is pronation and why does it matter?
Pronation is the natural movement of your foot as you walk or run. Your foot is a complex structure with many bones, joints, ligaments, muscles and tendons. When you run, forces are applied from the ground, which in most cases causes your foot to roll in (pronate) to absorb the shock. Other runners, however, will supinate (foot rolls outwards), while some are neutral.
“I’d always recommend that runners have a gait analysis before buying a pair of shoes to ensure that they end up with the right shoe for them,” adds Habgood. “Not only could this help to reduce the risk of injury, but it could also help to improve their overall comfort and performance.”

A gait analysis isn’t just for top runners. Aside from  will also tell you if you need a neutral or a stability shoe.
“We’re not all built the same and we all have different running techniques, but I definitely see a lot more runners who over-pronate in my clinic,” says Habgood. “It’s for these runners that I’d prescribe a stability shoe.”
Clifton Bradeley, a sub-four-minute miler and specialist musculoskeletal sports podiatrist, explains what each type of running shoe means.Pronated feet = maximum support running shoes
This category is the most supportive and controlling and are designed to slow down excessive pronation. They tend to have a carbon rubber outer sole for durability and offer maximum ground contact and stability.

 Neutral feet = cushioned / neutral shoes
Cushioned shoes generally have no motion control features and are lighter. They encourage faster movement and feel softer under-foot. These shoes are great for neutral foot types who are less than 82kg in weight and orthotic wearers. If you have a neutral foot type but are over 82kg in weight, consider structured cushioning shoes, which offer a little more support.

 Supinated feet = structured cushioned / stability shoes
These shoes offer a good blend of motion control and cushioning. They are not as heavy and controlling as maximum support running shoes, but still offer excellent support. This is the most popular category of training shoes.

 Other considerationsPurpose
Will you be road running, running on a purpose-built track or perhaps on a forest trail? All these surfaces require a different kind of shoe. Another basic distinction is between racing and training shoes.
Another important factor when choosing the correct running shoe for you is to think about the sort of distances you’ll be covering. If you’re training for a marathon, then you’ll require a more cushioned shoe that can withstand all those hard miles and provide maximum protection from impact injuries. If you want to run at a faster pace over shorter distances, then lightweight running shoes, which weigh less and come with more flexible cushioning, are incredibly comfortable and can decrease your fatigue during a run.Fit
Keep an open mind with your shoe size and remember the following: The more you run, the more room you need. The further you run, the more your foot will naturally expand. This means it's wise to have just a little extra room in your shoe.
The width of your shoe is equally as important as the length when it comes to a good fit. People are not always built in perfect proportion and often have wider or narrower feet than the 'norm'.When to replace
It’s generally recommended that runners replace their shoes every 500-800km (300-500 miles). That’s very roughly the kind of distance you’d cover when training for one marathon. After this distance, most running shoes will experience a fairly significant amount of wear and tear and no longer offer the kind of support you need. If you’re a heavier person, you’ll likely need to replace them more often than someone with a lighter frame.
The ASICS website has further advice on choosing the right running shoe.
 Find your ideal shoe
Use the ASICS shoe-finder tool to discover which running shoe is best for you. Simply answer four quick questions and the tool will pair you with technologies and shoes that fit the way you move.
Launch the ASICS shoe finder


Finding the right running shoes

New runners – advice for finding the right shoes

<p><em><br />Kate Carter is our Be Active monthly columnist.</em></p>
<p>I started running eight years ago, with Couch to 5k. But because I&rsquo;m now a fairly serious club runner (as in, I take my training fairly seriously, not &ldquo;I cannot have fun when running, ever, or my club vest will be confiscated and I will be made to do 400 burpees as punishment&rdquo;) people seem to assume I&rsquo;ve been doing it forever.</p>
<p>But I haven&rsquo;t got some kind of childhood athletic reserve to call upon - I didn&rsquo;t do cross country at school, in fact I barely remember running at all. I did stand in goal having lacrosse balls hurled at me, but I&rsquo;m putting that down as &ldquo;surviving a terrifying ordeal&rdquo; rather than &ldquo;sport&rdquo;. And when I did start running, more years than I care to mention and two small children later, it was really, really hard. Hideously hard. I vividly remember how brutal it was to run four whole minutes without stopping.</p>
<p>Thirteen marathons and more medals from other races than my doorknobs can handle, here I am. And I&rsquo;m not alone: a huge number of recreational runners start later in life, and love it all the more for that. It really never is too late. Along the way, I&rsquo;ve learnt a few things - but the great thing about running is that you are constantly learning, and I&rsquo;ll almost certainly think of 10 other things I should have said as soon as I finish this, and go out for a run.</p>
<h3>The first mile is always the worst</h3>
<p>Now, I have heard rumours that there are folk who spring out of bed at 5:30am and hit their desired pace after three strides, but these people are quite clearly not human. Most of us take at least a mile to warm up, and that distance seems to get longer with each passing year. It now takes me 5k to warm up for a 5k. Give it another decade and it&rsquo;ll take me a half marathon to warm up, then I&rsquo;ll hit my pace for a whole 300m before needing a nice lie down. When your legs don't want to work, give them 10 minutes. After that, if they still aren't in the mood, turn around and run home. Hey, you've done 20 minutes! Great work.</p>
<h3>Progress is not linear</h3>
<p>Actually, to start with, it kind of is. Running does have a soothing simplicity to it: you get back what you put in. If you start training regularly, you&rsquo;ll get more comfortable with running and you&rsquo;ll get faster.</p>
<p>But in my experience, after the initial halcyon days when simply committing to a regular run knocks minutes off those PBs, the curve flattens out. However, that really doesn&rsquo;t make it any less satisfying. The happiest I&rsquo;ve ever been with a race result was when I knocked a whopping 20 seconds off my marathon time. Months of training to run 26.2 miles 20 seconds faster sounds insane to most people. Those people are probably not runners. They may well have a point, but they aren&rsquo;t runners.</p>
<h3>Running is hard, and that&rsquo;s ok</h3>
<p>Much as I spend my life waxing lyrical about the transformative effect running can have on your life, it&rsquo;s important to acknowledge that it is, too, quite hard. Some runs are thoroughly enjoyable, some are really, really hard. Either because your heart and lungs are pumping furiously to hit your top speed, or because your legs just had other ideas that day.</p>
<p>That&rsquo;s absolutely normal, and also kind of the point. No, bear with me: firstly, if getting fitter and faster is your goal, you need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Running is as much a mental game as a physical one, and battling through a tough run - even a very slow one - is training your brain as much as your legs. Don&rsquo;t give up. Secondly, the sense of satisfaction of having done the run you intended, even though it was really, really hard, is actually even better than the feeling you get after the ones that seemed really easy. Or maybe I'm just a masochist. Actually, I run marathons as a hobby, there's no maybe about it, is there?&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="https://worldathletics.org/page/fitter-with-friends?utm_source=website&amp;utm_medium=article" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><br /><img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/misc/FWF-5x2-banner.gif" /><br /><br /></a></p>
<h3>It never gets easier, you just get faster</h3>
<p>Ok, I stole this from cyclist Greg LeMond and a million inspirational memes on Instagram, but he&rsquo;s right. It&rsquo;s very easy to look enviously at the people who are faster than you* and think that they are finding it easy. They aren&rsquo;t, I promise. A couple of runners, one running at 12 minute miles and the other at six minute miles, might have the exact same heart rate and be working at exactly the same intensity: one of them just happens to have more training in the bank.<br /><em>*This advice does not apply to Usain Bolt</em></p>
<h3>Every run has a purpose</h3>
<p>If you read running magazines or websites you might have come across the term &ldquo;junk miles&rdquo;. I don&rsquo;t like this term. Sure, there are days you should rest - especially if you are injured, tired, stressed, or, hell, just need a day off. But sometimes the purpose of a run has nothing to do with getting fitter, or getting faster. It&rsquo;s to clear your head, or lower your stress levels. Those kinds of runs aren&rsquo;t junk miles, for all that they don&rsquo;t serve a training purpose: they are essential for your mental health. Slow down and embrace them.</p>
<h3>Leave your ego at home</h3>
<p>In my experience, the biggest mistake people make when they try to become a faster or &ldquo;better&rdquo; runner is not, in fact, not pushing themselves enough. It&rsquo;s not holding themselves back. It&rsquo;s running an easy run too fast because someone else overtook you, or because that friend you run with is a bit quicker than you and you are embarrassed to ask to slow down a bit, or because you don&rsquo;t like the fact that your average mile pace is a minute slower than normal. Leave the ego - and quite possibly your watch - at home. It&rsquo;s just counterproductive. If you don&rsquo;t run truly easy, you&nbsp;can&rsquo;t recover enough to run hard.</p>
<h3>Don&rsquo;t listen to anyone else</h3>
<p>Just because someone else swears that barefoot running cured all their injury woes, or that breathing only through your nose is the way to run, or that the high tech gadget they&rsquo;ve got strapped to their shoes, chest and wrist is *the* only way to measure effort - it doesn&rsquo;t mean you have to follow them.</p>
<p>Run the mileage that&rsquo;s right for you, use the kit that&rsquo;s comfortable for you, breathe the way your body wants to. Stop listening to stuff like &ldquo;but the sprinters do this&rdquo; and &ldquo;the Kenyans do that&rdquo; as if a) all athletes train the same way and b) you are a professional athlete. Neither is true. Well, a) definitely isn&rsquo;t and b) probably isn&rsquo;t, unless you are, in which case, hope the training is going well!</p>
<h3>Listen to the experts</h3>
<p>Ok you know what I said about only doing what is right for you and ignoring everyone else in the last paragraph? There is one very big exception to that, and that&rsquo;s injuries.</p>
<p>Your physio has studied for years to learn how the human body works. That bloke on the forum you&rsquo;ve never met who reckons you&rsquo;ve got plantar fasciitis based on the vague description you posted? He probably hasn&rsquo;t. And don&rsquo;t believe everything Dr Google tells you either: he&rsquo;s out to make raving hypochondriacs of us all.</p>
<h3>There&rsquo;s no such thing as bad shoes</h3>
<p>Or to put it another way, the right shoes are the ones that are right for you. On forums and groups, I constantly see people asking &ldquo;what&rsquo;s a good pair of shoes for me&rdquo;. As per my previous point: your clubmates, running buddies and kind hearted strangers might well love that particular model - it doesn&rsquo;t make it right for you.</p>
<p>Even if it is really pretty and/or cool and much nicer than the clunky bright yellow ones that the expert in the running shop reckoned were better for your particular gait. Sorry.</p>
<h3>Running away from something is not always bad</h3>
<p>I&rsquo;m not advocating shoplifting, honest. It&rsquo;s just sometimes, what you need is to get out of your house and run away from whatever is stressing you out. When I started running with that Couch to 5k what actually kept me going - because I didn&rsquo;t, at that stage, even think I liked running - was the blissful time spent by myself, away from the demands of a baby and a toddler. Not having to talk to anyone, being alone with your own thoughts for the duration of a run, can be absolute heaven. Do remember you probably need to go back to the kids at some point, though. Sorry.&nbsp;</p>

I started running eight years ago, with Couch to 5k. But because I’m now a fairly serious club runner (as in, I take my training fairly seriously, not “I cannot have fun when running, ever, or my club vest will be confiscated and I will be made to do 400 burpees as punishment”) people seem to assume I’ve been doing it forever.


Kate Carter is our Be Active monthly columnist.
I started running eight years ago, with Couch to 5k. But because I’m now a fairly serious club runner (as in, I take my training fairly seriously, not “I cannot have fun when running, ever, or my club vest will be confiscated and I will be made to do 400 burpees as punishment”) people seem to assume I’ve been doing it forever.
But I haven’t got some kind of childhood athletic reserve to call upon - I didn’t do cross country at school, in fact I barely remember running at all. I did stand in goal having lacrosse balls hurled at me, but I’m putting that down as “surviving a terrifying ordeal” rather than “sport”. And when I did start running, more years than I care to mention and two small children later, it was really, really hard. Hideously hard. I vividly remember how brutal it was to run four whole minutes without stopping.
Thirteen marathons and more medals from other races than my doorknobs can handle, here I am. And I’m not alone: a huge number of recreational runners start later in life, and love it all the more for that. It really never is too late. Along the way, I’ve learnt a few things - but the great thing about running is that you are constantly learning, and I’ll almost certainly think of 10 other things I should have said as soon as I finish this, and go out for a run.The first mile is always the worst
Now, I have heard rumours that there are folk who spring out of bed at 5:30am and hit their desired pace after three strides, but these people are quite clearly not human. Most of us take at least a mile to warm up, and that distance seems to get longer with each passing year. It now takes me 5k to warm up for a 5k. Give it another decade and it’ll take me a half marathon to warm up, then I’ll hit my pace for a whole 300m before needing a nice lie down. When your legs don't want to work, give them 10 minutes. After that, if they still aren't in the mood, turn around and run home. Hey, you've done 20 minutes! Great work.Progress is not linear
Actually, to start with, it kind of is. Running does have a soothing simplicity to it: you get back what you put in. If you start training regularly, you’ll get more comfortable with running and you’ll get faster.
But in my experience, after the initial halcyon days when simply committing to a regular run knocks minutes off those PBs, the curve flattens out. However, that really doesn’t make it any less satisfying. The happiest I’ve ever been with a race result was when I knocked a whopping 20 seconds off my marathon time. Months of training to run 26.2 miles 20 seconds faster sounds insane to most people. Those people are probably not runners. They may well have a point, but they aren’t runners.Running is hard, and that’s ok
Much as I spend my life waxing lyrical about the transformative effect running can have on your life, it’s important to acknowledge that it is, too, quite hard. Some runs are thoroughly enjoyable, some are really, really hard. Either because your heart and lungs are pumping furiously to hit your top speed, or because your legs just had other ideas that day.
That’s absolutely normal, and also kind of the point. No, bear with me: firstly, if getting fitter and faster is your goal, you need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Running is as much a mental game as a physical one, and battling through a tough run - even a very slow one - is training your brain as much as your legs. Don’t give up. Secondly, the sense of satisfaction of having done the run you intended, even though it was really, really hard, is actually even better than the feeling you get after the ones that seemed really easy. Or maybe I'm just a masochist. Actually, I run marathons as a hobby, there's no maybe about it, is there? 
It never gets easier, you just get faster
Ok, I stole this from cyclist Greg LeMond and a million inspirational memes on Instagram, but he’s right. It’s very easy to look enviously at the people who are faster than you* and think that they are finding it easy. They aren’t, I promise. A couple of runners, one running at 12 minute miles and the other at six minute miles, might have the exact same heart rate and be working at exactly the same intensity: one of them just happens to have more training in the bank.*This advice does not apply to Usain BoltEvery run has a purpose
If you read running magazines or websites you might have come across the term “junk miles”. I don’t like this term. Sure, there are days you should rest - especially if you are injured, tired, stressed, or, hell, just need a day off. But sometimes the purpose of a run has nothing to do with getting fitter, or getting faster. It’s to clear your head, or lower your stress levels. Those kinds of runs aren’t junk miles, for all that they don’t serve a training purpose: they are essential for your mental health. Slow down and embrace them.Leave your ego at home
In my experience, the biggest mistake people make when they try to become a faster or “better” runner is not, in fact, not pushing themselves enough. It’s not holding themselves back. It’s running an easy run too fast because someone else overtook you, or because that friend you run with is a bit quicker than you and you are embarrassed to ask to slow down a bit, or because you don’t like the fact that your average mile pace is a minute slower than normal. Leave the ego - and quite possibly your watch - at home. It’s just counterproductive. If you don’t run truly easy, you can’t recover enough to run hard.Don’t listen to anyone else
Just because someone else swears that barefoot running cured all their injury woes, or that breathing only through your nose is the way to run, or that the high tech gadget they’ve got strapped to their shoes, chest and wrist is *the* only way to measure effort - it doesn’t mean you have to follow them.
Run the mileage that’s right for you, use the kit that’s comfortable for you, breathe the way your body wants to. Stop listening to stuff like “but the sprinters do this” and “the Kenyans do that” as if a) all athletes train the same way and b) you are a professional athlete. Neither is true. Well, a) definitely isn’t and b) probably isn’t, unless you are, in which case, hope the training is going well!Listen to the experts
Ok you know what I said about only doing what is right for you and ignoring everyone else in the last paragraph? There is one very big exception to that, and that’s injuries.
Your physio has studied for years to learn how the human body works. That bloke on the forum you’ve never met who reckons you’ve got plantar fasciitis based on the vague description you posted? He probably hasn’t. And don’t believe everything Dr Google tells you either: he’s out to make raving hypochondriacs of us all.There’s no such thing as bad shoes
Or to put it another way, the right shoes are the ones that are right for you. On forums and groups, I constantly see people asking “what’s a good pair of shoes for me”. As per my previous point: your clubmates, running buddies and kind hearted strangers might well love that particular model - it doesn’t make it right for you.
Even if it is really pretty and/or cool and much nicer than the clunky bright yellow ones that the expert in the running shop reckoned were better for your particular gait. Sorry.Running away from something is not always bad
I’m not advocating shoplifting, honest. It’s just sometimes, what you need is to get out of your house and run away from whatever is stressing you out. When I started running with that Couch to 5k what actually kept me going - because I didn’t, at that stage, even think I liked running - was the blissful time spent by myself, away from the demands of a baby and a toddler. Not having to talk to anyone, being alone with your own thoughts for the duration of a run, can be absolute heaven. Do remember you probably need to go back to the kids at some point, though. Sorry. 

10 things I have learned as a runner

<p><br />Recent research has confirmed that <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/news/news/asics-launches-runtofeel-campaign" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more than a third of the world&rsquo;s population are more active now</a></strong></span> than they were before the Covid-19 pandemic began.</p>
<p>To ensure the millions of new runners across the globe are &ndash; quite literally &ndash; setting off on the right foot, over the next five days we&rsquo;ll bring you five key pieces of advice that every new runner needs to know.</p>
<p>This guidance comes from exercise physiologist Dick Telford, who has coached many of Australia&rsquo;s greatest distance runners, including 1988 Olympic marathon silver medallist Lisa Ondieki, double Commonwealth marathon champion Mike Shelley, Commonwealth 5000m gold medallists Andrew Lloyd and Kate Anderson to name but a few.</p>
<p>A former top-level Australian rules footballer turned 2:27 marathon runner, Telford also worked as Head of Physiology and Applied Nutrition at the Australian Institute of Sport and as Research Director of the &lsquo;Lifestyle of Our Kids&rsquo; project.</p>
<p>In short, what Telford doesn&rsquo;t know about running or exercise isn&rsquo;t worth knowing.</p>
<p><img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/LargeL/b896e947-4337-4ce7-940e-146e93f5d6d0.jpg?cachebuster=8149cac9-9a9e-4610-981d-a9eae10905db" alt="Dick Telford" width="600" height="400" /></p>
<p>&ldquo;Running is a great way to get exercise, because you get a lot of physical activity and energy output in a short period of time,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s different now to the &lsquo;old days&rsquo; when we wanted to conserve energy. Now we know, as clearly set out by the World Health Organization, that lack of physical activity is a major cause &ndash; not just a link or correlation &ndash; of diseases like type II diabetes and heart disease, as well as some cancers. And evidence is continually emerging now linking physical activity and mental health.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Physical activity makes us feel good,&rdquo; he adds. &ldquo;And muscle-brain &lsquo;talk&rsquo; through nerves and hormones explains why running is a great way to keep sane in times like the current one.&rdquo;<br /><br /></p>
<p><a href="https://worldathletics.org/page/fitter-with-friends?utm_source=website&amp;utm_medium=article" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/misc/FWF-5x2-banner.gif" /><br /></a></p>
<h1>Tip 1: treat change with caution</h1>
<p><img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/LargeL/847fd67a-74c9-434c-8145-8395f7b85580.jpg?cachebuster=6f371a87-8157-40ec-8172-eb3cc6a25cd7" alt="" width="600" height="400" /></p>
<p>This applies to experienced runners too, not just beginners. I have a &lsquo;minimal change&rsquo; policy with my running group, which ranges from fun-runners to Olympians.</p>
<p>Starting up jogging from scratch is a change, a new challenge to your chassis and power supply. So start gradually, feeling your way. There is no need to puff; just a steady controlled breathing rate is all you need. This will get you fitter, and gradually you can run a bit faster with controlled respiration.</p>
<p>It doesn&rsquo;t have to hurt, and it shouldn&rsquo;t. Leave that to later on, when you want to run a big personal best in the local fun run. Running faster, or running longer, or running up and down hills are changes which need to be introduced gradually.</p>
<p>Always start off well within your capacity. We often overestimate this. Even top runners do, and pay the penalty with a chassis problem, a running injury.</p>
<p>When starting a running programme, feel your way, just as top runners do. In other words, unusual tiredness and soreness means more time is required between your runs. Your nerves are sending a message to your brain on behalf of your muscles and joints, telling you to wait a bit longer before you ask it to do that again.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h1>Tip 2: think of running as a contact sport</h1>
<p><img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/LargeL/c7bbc0f5-c608-4d4a-9bff-2ce72bce0e05.jpg?cachebuster=ecaca21b-5b67-448e-be7e-55cc1f0baf01" alt="Illustration: Christel Saneh" width="600" height="400" /></p>
<p>Along with impatience, one of the biggest mistakes made by new runners is an unwillingness to recognise that running is a contact sport.</p>
<p>Time after time, stride after stride, a runner will make contact with the ground with a force that is greater than their body weight. Respect that and adhere to the &lsquo;minimal change&rsquo; policy (tip 1).</p>
<p>Put your toe in the water before plunging in. Avoid too ambitious changes in running distance, speed, frequency, surfaces, hills temperatures, shoes styles &ndash; each of which can lead to a tissue problem. It&rsquo;s not a &lsquo;no pain, no gain&rsquo; policy for those of us starting out.</p>
<p>Allow time for your muscles, bones, tendons, heart and lungs to adapt between your jogging sessions. Adaptation doesn&rsquo;t happen in five minutes; it may take one day or two days to allow the body to adapt and become &lsquo;fitter&rsquo; for the task.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h1>Tip 3: minimise upper body movement</h1>
<p><img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/LargeL/4d3b65af-7d03-4f82-a51f-6f924a2fa1ef.jpg?cachebuster=7be4668d-c5d7-47ae-90b8-90f8b27a6fff" alt="Illustration: Christel Saneh" width="600" height="400" /></p>
<p>Advice on running technique is not straightforward by any means. We all have our own individual styles, and it&rsquo;s only when very obvious flaws stand out should we look to make radical changes in the way we run. After all, changes in the way we feel natural can cause problems in themselves.</p>
<p>But there are always a few things to think about. Firstly, think about symmetry. It makes sense for your arms and legs to be moving symmetrically to maximise efficiency and minimise rotational discrepancies which can cause injury in the long term.</p>
<p>One thing I like in my distance runners is minimal upper body and arm movement, just enough to counteract the rotational forces of the lower body, but no more. We run with our legs, and our arms are there for balance.</p>
<p>Teaching any skill is going to be easier in the early days while the brain and body are developing fastest together. However, in running, I&rsquo;ve found that changing a running technique &ndash; even in a relatively experienced runner &ndash; is also very doable. This has worked well on many occasions, although I&rsquo;m never sure that looking better as a runner contributed to that runner performing better. We have to be careful that changing a technique doesn&rsquo;t amount to a new stress on a joint that isn&rsquo;t prepared for it, which can lead to an injury.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h1>Tip 4: maintain flexibility and listen to your body</h1>
<p><img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/LargeL/ff5f7263-6dee-469d-9a9c-da81902d8ae2.jpg?cachebuster=5c5d3aee-937d-449c-b034-6efebd33c9d9" alt="Illustration: Christel Saneh" width="600" height="400" /></p>
<p>The amount of flexibility required by a runner depends on the distance and speed they are targeting. Sprinters are the quickest runners, of course, and have the greatest range of motion around their joints involved in running and need the most flexibility. Distance runners are the slowest and have the least range of motion.</p>
<p>Interestingly, the most efficient distance runners I&rsquo;ve measured over many years of assessments at the Australian Institute of Sport at the University of Canberra are those with lower levels of flexibility, and there are good explanations for this in terms of the way muscles contract during each stride. So it&rsquo;s horses for courses, and while we need regular stretching, we only need to do enough to maintain the level of flexibility suited to our event.</p>
<p>As a warmup, it&rsquo;s a jog, some race pace strides and some stretching &ndash; in that order. By all means, do some post-run stretching if it makes you feel good, otherwise just go for a warm-down jog.</p>
<p>If you experience niggling injuries at any point, it&rsquo;s an early warning sign that the training stress has been too great.</p>
<p>Any sort of pain, even in the early stages, comes from pressure on a nerve, which may arise from inflammation arising from some form of disruption of normal tissue function so should be regarded as a minor injury. Nipping it in the bud is the way to go.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h1>Tip 5: find the right balance with when and how to fuel</h1>
<p><img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/LargeL/45a073c4-f175-44f8-999c-bd6f18260dd1.jpg?cachebuster=dec4331d-4fda-4176-8eae-a1adcd193ccc" alt="Illustration: Christel Saneh" width="600" height="400" /></p>
<p>For an easy morning run, if you&rsquo;ve eaten well the night before, and don&rsquo;t feel perilously hungry, then running on an empty stomach has its advantages. It forces our liver to control the blood glucose level and developing better blood glucose control is one of the big benefits of running. On the other hand, a slice of toast and a drink before a morning run is commonplace in our seasoned runners who know from experience what suits them best.</p>
<p>Interestingly, some marathon runners like to go out for their long runs without any food prior to the run, as they believe that will teach them to conserve their muscle glycogen (glucose) supply. However, a small pre-run snack makes little difference to the training effect in the long run.</p>
<p>In short, running is best done when the blood supply is not being simultaneously challenged by digestion requirements. If you plan well, you will have a relatively empty stomach before you run, around three or more hours after a light meal, or in the morning after a good meal the night before.</p>
<p><strong>&bull; MORE: <a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/be-active/lifestyle/running-fuel-healthy-recipe-malt-loaf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">five essential tips for fuelling your run</span></a></strong></p>

To ensure the millions of new runners across the globe are – quite literally – setting off on the right foot, over the next five days we’ll bring you five key pieces of advice that every new runner needs to know.


Recent research has confirmed that more than a third of the world’s population are more active now than they were before the Covid-19 pandemic began.
To ensure the millions of new runners across the globe are – quite literally – setting off on the right foot, over the next five days we’ll bring you five key pieces of advice that every new runner needs to know.
This guidance comes from exercise physiologist Dick Telford, who has coached many of Australia’s greatest distance runners, including 1988 Olympic marathon silver medallist Lisa Ondieki, double Commonwealth marathon champion Mike Shelley, Commonwealth 5000m gold medallists Andrew Lloyd and Kate Anderson to name but a few.
A former top-level Australian rules footballer turned 2:27 marathon runner, Telford also worked as Head of Physiology and Applied Nutrition at the Australian Institute of Sport and as Research Director of the ‘Lifestyle of Our Kids’ project.
In short, what Telford doesn’t know about running or exercise isn’t worth knowing.

“Running is a great way to get exercise, because you get a lot of physical activity and energy output in a short period of time,” he says. “It’s different now to the ‘old days’ when we wanted to conserve energy. Now we know, as clearly set out by the World Health Organization, that lack of physical activity is a major cause – not just a link or correlation – of diseases like type II diabetes and heart disease, as well as some cancers. And evidence is continually emerging now linking physical activity and mental health.
“Physical activity makes us feel good,” he adds. “And muscle-brain ‘talk’ through nerves and hormones explains why running is a great way to keep sane in times like the current one.”
Tip 1: treat change with caution

This applies to experienced runners too, not just beginners. I have a ‘minimal change’ policy with my running group, which ranges from fun-runners to Olympians.
Starting up jogging from scratch is a change, a new challenge to your chassis and power supply. So start gradually, feeling your way. There is no need to puff; just a steady controlled breathing rate is all you need. This will get you fitter, and gradually you can run a bit faster with controlled respiration.
It doesn’t have to hurt, and it shouldn’t. Leave that to later on, when you want to run a big personal best in the local fun run. Running faster, or running longer, or running up and down hills are changes which need to be introduced gradually.
Always start off well within your capacity. We often overestimate this. Even top runners do, and pay the penalty with a chassis problem, a running injury.
When starting a running programme, feel your way, just as top runners do. In other words, unusual tiredness and soreness means more time is required between your runs. Your nerves are sending a message to your brain on behalf of your muscles and joints, telling you to wait a bit longer before you ask it to do that again.
 Tip 2: think of running as a contact sport

Along with impatience, one of the biggest mistakes made by new runners is an unwillingness to recognise that running is a contact sport.
Time after time, stride after stride, a runner will make contact with the ground with a force that is greater than their body weight. Respect that and adhere to the ‘minimal change’ policy (tip 1).
Put your toe in the water before plunging in. Avoid too ambitious changes in running distance, speed, frequency, surfaces, hills temperatures, shoes styles – each of which can lead to a tissue problem. It’s not a ‘no pain, no gain’ policy for those of us starting out.
Allow time for your muscles, bones, tendons, heart and lungs to adapt between your jogging sessions. Adaptation doesn’t happen in five minutes; it may take one day or two days to allow the body to adapt and become ‘fitter’ for the task.
 Tip 3: minimise upper body movement

Advice on running technique is not straightforward by any means. We all have our own individual styles, and it’s only when very obvious flaws stand out should we look to make radical changes in the way we run. After all, changes in the way we feel natural can cause problems in themselves.
But there are always a few things to think about. Firstly, think about symmetry. It makes sense for your arms and legs to be moving symmetrically to maximise efficiency and minimise rotational discrepancies which can cause injury in the long term.
One thing I like in my distance runners is minimal upper body and arm movement, just enough to counteract the rotational forces of the lower body, but no more. We run with our legs, and our arms are there for balance.
Teaching any skill is going to be easier in the early days while the brain and body are developing fastest together. However, in running, I’ve found that changing a running technique – even in a relatively experienced runner – is also very doable. This has worked well on many occasions, although I’m never sure that looking better as a runner contributed to that runner performing better. We have to be careful that changing a technique doesn’t amount to a new stress on a joint that isn’t prepared for it, which can lead to an injury.
 Tip 4: maintain flexibility and listen to your body

The amount of flexibility required by a runner depends on the distance and speed they are targeting. Sprinters are the quickest runners, of course, and have the greatest range of motion around their joints involved in running and need the most flexibility. Distance runners are the slowest and have the least range of motion.
Interestingly, the most efficient distance runners I’ve measured over many years of assessments at the Australian Institute of Sport at the University of Canberra are those with lower levels of flexibility, and there are good explanations for this in terms of the way muscles contract during each stride. So it’s horses for courses, and while we need regular stretching, we only need to do enough to maintain the level of flexibility suited to our event.
As a warmup, it’s a jog, some race pace strides and some stretching – in that order. By all means, do some post-run stretching if it makes you feel good, otherwise just go for a warm-down jog.
If you experience niggling injuries at any point, it’s an early warning sign that the training stress has been too great.
Any sort of pain, even in the early stages, comes from pressure on a nerve, which may arise from inflammation arising from some form of disruption of normal tissue function so should be regarded as a minor injury. Nipping it in the bud is the way to go.
 Tip 5: find the right balance with when and how to fuel

For an easy morning run, if you’ve eaten well the night before, and don’t feel perilously hungry, then running on an empty stomach has its advantages. It forces our liver to control the blood glucose level and developing better blood glucose control is one of the big benefits of running. On the other hand, a slice of toast and a drink before a morning run is commonplace in our seasoned runners who know from experience what suits them best.
Interestingly, some marathon runners like to go out for their long runs without any food prior to the run, as they believe that will teach them to conserve their muscle glycogen (glucose) supply. However, a small pre-run snack makes little difference to the training effect in the long run.
In short, running is best done when the blood supply is not being simultaneously challenged by digestion requirements. If you plan well, you will have a relatively empty stomach before you run, around three or more hours after a light meal, or in the morning after a good meal the night before.
• MORE: five essential tips for fuelling your run

Advice runners beginners

Five pieces of advice all new runners need to know

A sound body is ready and able to handle the physiological demands that our bodies go through in times of stress.

Sound body workout Asics

Five workouts to help you achieve a sound body

<p><br />In our latest installment of Athletics@Home, join Olympic 400m champion Sanya Richards-Ross and her husband, NFL star Aaron Ross, for a home workout.</p>
<p>Oh, and look out for several cameos by their son, Aaron Jermaine Ross II.</p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZYL5vfGaXXY" width="500" height="288" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>

In our latest installment of Athletics@Home, join Olympic 400m champion Sanya Richards-Ross and her husband, NFL star Aaron Ross, for a home workout.

Home fitness class with Sanya Richards Ross 

Athletics@Home - Lockdown fitness class with Sanya Richards-Ross 

<p><br />Are you looking to get in your daily exercise but you, or your kids, would like something different to your usual walking route?</p>
<p>Let 2004 Olympic 100m hurdles champion Joanna Hayes - and daughters Zoe and Aly - guide you and your family through a 25-minute home workout.<br /><br /></p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vH-XVsnbAME" width="500" height="280" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>

Are you looking to get in your daily exercise but you, or your kids, would like something different to your usual walking route?

Family workout home exercise Joanna Hayes

Athletics@Home - Joanna Hayes' family workout

<p><br />Former marathon world record-holder Paula Radcliffe features in the latest instalment of Athletics@Home.</p>
<p>The 2005 world champion has put together a home fitness class that can be done as a family - perfect if you have kids with energy to burn while in lock down.<br /><br /></p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4W5hPHWTnog" width="500" height="280" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>

Former marathon world record-holder Paula Radcliffe features in the latest instalment of Athletics@Home.

Home family fitness class work out Paula Radcliffe

Athletics@Home - Paula Radcliffe's family fitness class

<p><br />The latest installment of Athletics@Home features Australian sprint hurdler Sally Pearson, the 2012 Olympic and 2017 world champion.</p>
<p>Pearson, who is currently pregnant, takes us through her home workout.</p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cV5IlHBu5zg" width="500" height="280" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>

The latest installment of Athletics@Home features Australian sprint hurdler Sally Pearson, the 2012 Olympic and 2017 world champion.