Training advice & Tips from earnyourmiles.co.uk!

---

Fartlek training, which translates to “speed play” in Swedish, is similar to interval training. It involves varying pace or difficulty during maintained cardio. So essentially while doing cardio you switch it up every now and again with increased pace. 

Interval training is really just a form of speedwork. And why should you do speedwork? Essentially, because it's a way of practising running faster for shorter periods, to improve your speed overall. It can do wonders for your fitness and take you to the next level in your running. 

Any runner can benefit from hill training. However, if you’re planning on doing a distance race in a hilly city or cross-country route, building hill runs into your preparation is vital. It will get you used to the intensity of climbing slopes and tackling declines and give your calf muscles more experience with the strains that running up hills puts on them. 

A warm-up routine should be a staple before every one of your runs, especially tough workouts. Warm-ups often get overlooked because of a lack of time or desire. 

Your warm-up routine should consist of light jogging, anywhere between 5-20 minutes, depending on your fitness level and goals, followed by dynamic stretching such as heel-and-toe walks, Frankensteins, butt kicks, and high knees.

Another often overlooked piece of the running puzzle is stretching.

Stretching for at least 5 minutes after your run will help decrease the risk of injuries and should be a fixed part of your routine. 

Be sure to stretch your quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves, hip flexors, and any other muscles you use during your workout. 

 Strides are short accelerations where you reach a fast pace (around 7-8 out of 10 effort level) before gradually slowing back down to your original pace. 

 Including them at the end of your easy runs is a great way to improve your form, mechanics, and cadence.