Even though they were decades ago I still remember those heady days when I was a novice runner.

Everything was new and exciting as I discovered the world of running with all the pleasure and pain it offered.*

I remember those first races and, most importantly, the huge leaps in performance in my first year of racing.  A 70 min 10K became 60 min and then 50 min…

… and then CRUNCH!  The progression sort of ground to a halt.  It was as if I was pushing against an invisible forcefield that would not let me go any faster.

Sound familiar?

In fact what had happened is that I had reached the limit of what my simple routine of just getting some runs in would earn me.

I had plateaued.

The bad news is that is likely to happen to you at some point in your running career and possibly more than once.  It is a fact that what you are doing will inevitably get a bit too routine and, dare I say, comfortable.  Putting it another way if you keep doing the same old thing you will get the same old thing!

The good news is that it’s curable!

My aim in this blog is to point you towards all the things you have to do to continue your journey onwards and upwards to further PB glory!

But there is no getting away from the fact it means challenging yourself more.  Yes, I mean hard work that will take you out of your comfort zone.  Not music to your ears but hey, that’s a small price to pay for evolving into a finely-tuned athlete isn’t it?

You will need to subject your body (and mind) to a new set of elements to kick-restart your training regime so that by the magic of the “training effect” you will get better.

Here are links to a suite of break out strategies you can look at.

1.  Get faster by running faster:- 

- speed work https://www.activeleisureevents.co.uk/blog-items/training-tips-the-only-way-youll-run-faster-is-by-running-faster-interval-sessions-explained-by-our-running-coach-dave?race=chester-10k

- speed play https://www.activeleisureevents.co.uk/blog-items/training-tips-have-fun-with-fartlek-by-our-running-coach-dave-taylor?race=chester-10k

2.  Hit the hills - https://www.activeleisureevents.co.uk/blog-items/training-tips-hills-are-your-friend-why-you-should-include-hills-sessions-in-your-training-by-dave-taylor-our-resident-coach?race=chester-10k

3.  Run wild is a great way to shake up your training with the challenge of what the countryside has to offer – https://www.activeleisureevents.co.uk/blog-items/training-tips-going-wild-why-getting-off-the-tarmac-exploring-the-great-outdoors-can-improve-your-running-much-more-by-our-running-coach-dave-taylor?race=chester-10k

4.  But don’t neglect R & R - https://www.activeleisureevents.co.uk/blog-items/training-tips-the-underestimated-value-of-rest-recovery-by-coach-dave-taylor?race=chester-10k

If you work hard with any of the above tools you will see an improvement.

I guarantee it!

So when your progression seems to be drying up that’s your cue to inject something new into your training regime.

Go for it! 

* Just for the record, even after 40+ years of doing it, I still get the same buzz from the sport and community I love!