Three Rules to Run By
- By Linzay Logan
- Published Sep. 20, 2011
“Just go run” didn’t make the list.
Written by: Linzay Logan
A lot of runners just run. Some run to get faster and more efficient, while others run through pain so they can claim to be injury-free. However, there is much more to being a runner than just simply running–and even more if you want to be a faster, more efficient, injury-free runner.
Sure, running is an important component in a marathon or half-marathon training schedule, but if you talk to any respected coach the phrase “just run to log miles” is never going to come up in conversation.
We spoke with San Diego-based running coach Jennifer Gill last week about her three rules that runners should live by, and like I thought, “just go run” didn’t make the list.
Rule #1: Be consistent. “It’s important to stay consistent with your training in that you’re not skipping workouts too often or doubling up on workouts when you do skip. Several short workouts a week are much more beneficial than one or two long workouts. If you do the majority of your running in one or two sessions, it takes your body longer to recover and then you have to essentially ‘start over’ the next time you run.”
Rule #2: Rest. “Rest is an essential and most-overlooked aspect of training. Without it, your body will break down and you have a higher chance of getting hurt.”
Rule #3: Listen to your body. “A lot of people think running is supposed to hurt in some way. It isn’t. Pain is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong. Little aches can turn into big, chronic pains in the future. Taking an extra rest day or two when you first feel pain to allow your body to recover can prevent you from having to take a lot of time off for an actual injury in the future. If that doesn’t help, seek medical advice. Don’t try to run through an injury. You’ll only make it worse.”
For more from coach Jennifer Gill, visit her website at www.coachjenn.com.
FILED UNDER: Training TAGS: consistency / Jennifer Gill / listening to your body / Rest
Linzay Logan
Linzay Logan is the copy editor for Competitor magazine and cares about punctuation probably a little too much. She particularly loves to avoid commas as well as add exclamation points whenever she can get away with it! She also loves to run marathons and half-marathons—probably a little too much. Don’t let her small size fool you; she’ll still try to outrun you anytime. Even though chances are she probably can’t.