TRAINING TIPS
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1. Embrace Slow Miles
When the temperatures are soaring, and you’re early in your fitness plan, you don’t need to feel bad about pushing hard all the time. Slow miles are essential for building endurance.
2. Avoid Training In The Middle Of The Day
In the height of summer, training outside over lunch makes everything more challenging. The heat can really slow down your run or cycle, which can be demoralizing.
Instead, train in the morning or evening, when the heat is less intense. If you have to train over lunchtime, hit the pool or cross train in the gym.
3. Mix It Up
Joining a gym allows you to mix up your workouts. Cross training is essential for any event, but strength training for running will help you.
4. Change It Up
After a few weeks of sticking to a plan, you may feel a little unmotivated, especially when summer barbecues and sundrenched beer gardens are calling.
This is the time when you need to change up your workouts. This is simpler than you may think. You can experiment with your workout playlist or join a group session or enter a tune-up race.
5. Wear The Right Clothing
If you’re new to exercising, you may be tempted to chuck on an old cotton t-shirt and start running. But you’ll soon feel uncomfortable. Your t-shirt will hold sweat, exacerbating your discomfort and making you feel cold when you stop exercising, especially when summer training.
Instead, wear technical clothing designed for exercise. Workout tops and shorts are made from technical fabrics that breathe and dry quickly. Therefore, your body will regulate temperature better, making you feel more inclined to push on.
6. Vary Your Route
The great thing about running the same route is that you can monitor your progress, as you can see incremental improvements in your times. However, you can get bored with the same old routine. So why not choose different routes for your rides and runs?
7. Wear Sunscreen!
It only takes one run in the sun to scupper your outdoor training for a few days. So make sure you slap on some sunscreen before you head out.
You’ll gradually get a tan with all the outdoor training you’ll be doing, so don’t be tempted to rush it without protecting yourself.
8. Stay Hydrated
You’ll naturally sweat more during summer training, so you need to keep your fluids topped up. Drink before and after your run, and keep a full bottle on your bike. You may even want to carry a hydration pack on sweltering days.
9. Fuel Yourself Properly
It’s obvious that we need to drink more while summer training but less obvious that we also need extra carbohydrates.
During prolonged exercise, carbohydrate storage in our muscles and liver gets broken down as energy is needed for muscle contraction. But hot weather can speed up the process and deplete carbohydrates much quicker.
Therefore, you need to pay attention to hunger and thirst and feed your body the fuel it requires.
10. Listen To Your Body
The most important tip of all! Listen to your body and do not beat yourself up for taking time out, or slowing down. It is all a part of the process in summer training! It will always pay off when you are thoughtful of what your body needs in stead of pushing through.
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Cole Gibbens AKA Cole Running, is a runner and content creator. He recently managed to go sub 30 at ‘Night Of The 10KM PBs’.
In this conversation Cole and Ben chat through Cole’s running journey, how and when he started and what’s to come in the future.
They also touch on how Cole motivates himself to get out the door when times are hard, what it was like picking up a camera for the first time and how he nearly stopped YouTube if not for the help of another big name in the space.
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NUTRITION ADVICE
Summer training is a lot harder, but we also feel less hungry after activity. It may be best to look at our fuel/food in liquid form, or having cooler options. Check out our handy guide below of foods that we can choose post-sweaty session!
RUNTHROUGH KIT
See a wide range of brand new custom designed items from shorts and tops to caps and sock.
Reflective’s and socks are hot this week! With a rebrand and refresh of stock – we are always looking for feedback on what our runners need!
See the full range of RunThrough Kit HERE.
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WHAT’S YOUR STORY
Running is one of the most inclusive sports there is and we want to hear about your experiences! Do you run for charity, to keep physically fit and look after your mental health or just because you love it and you can? If you’ve got a story to share, we’d love to hear it.
Drop [email protected] to share your story and see it featured on our website and social media.
VIDEOS, PODCASTS & PLAYLISTS
Catch up on what the RunThrough Community has been up to with another RunThrough Chat episode with number 159 with Emma and Abby – HERE.
Our very own Matt Wood and Head Coach of New Levels Coaching, Lewis Moses, talk all things running to help inspire, influence and educate on the thing we love the most. – LISTEN HERE.
Our very own Lucy Harfield has started her own podcast – Pinch of Positivity. The podcast hopes to keep it real, talks straight and offer a fresh perspective on how to find the bright side of life – LISTEN HERE.
You can also find the next RunThrough Running Playlist on Spotify HERE.
REVIEW US!
We have recently added RunThrough to Trustpilot, a review platform open to everyone. We would like to invite you to share your experiences to help others get a real feel and understanding of what RunThrough is all about.