Hi, and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya blog.
Many of us will have some kind of goal in mind for our running – it could be simply to get fitter, to lose weight, to beat a certain time or to run a particular distance such as a marathon. I deal with how to pick and choose those goals in another post, but in order to achieve any of them – whatever your target – you’re going to need a plan.
For some people, this means hiring a running coach. And for those who can afford it, this is clearly a great way to go. The personal focus they can provide and the ongoing encouragement and support they will offer you is clearly hugely valuable. One of the toughest things about training for anything – whether it’s a particular race or a target weight – is the feeling sometimes that it is a lonely struggle. With a professional, qualified running coach by your side, it really doesn’t have to be.
But clearly this option just isn’t available to everyone. So, what are the alternatives? As with many things nowadays, the internet has changed everything. There are a huge number of free training plans available online, with everything from 5k to Marathon laid out for you. Runner’s World has a fantastic index of plans available, and I’d definitely recommend checking it out. There are also some great smartphone options out there too, such as the My Asics app.
Your starting point for choosing a plan has to be how many miles you’re currently running – so make sure you get this right. Launching into a training regime that has a higher mileage in its first week than you are used to could land you in trouble – the idea is to build things up slowly, so be honest with yourself about what you’re capable of right now to ensure you don’t get injured.
My final tip is to take a good look at your life outside of running. What can you actually commit to, in terms of time out on the road each week? If you consider that you might be starting out by running over 20k a week for a marathon training plan, and then building that up over the months ahead, then can you actually afford that time away? We all have other commitments – whether it’s work, or family, or both – so just make sure you take those into account before you commit.
Get the plan right though, and it will bring huge benefits when it comes to race day. Good luck!
Until the next time,
Mohsin Salya.