If you have signed up for an event and registered on the official race console, you will receive email communications from the event. This will include training plans. These are often really good quality plans. We have also searched the web for some of the best training plans.
Training Plans
5k plans
10k plans
Run Happy and Healthy Plans I London Vitality 10,000
Half marathon plans
Half marathon training plan I NIKE GB
Half marathon training plan I BUPA UK
Half marathon training programme I Nuffield Health
Marathon plans
Marathon training plan I NIKE GB
Marathon running training plan I BUPA UK
Free marathon training programmes for every goal I Runners World
Other
Return to running programme I NHS
Injury Prevention
Injury prevention is a key part to any training schedule, are some key concepts to live by when training for an event:
- Respect Rest. When it comes to training for running events, quality is always more important than quantity. Even if you find yourself starting your training later than you planned, compressing 10 weeks of training into 4 just doesnt go. Anxiety over being able to complete the goal you set yourself can be overwhelming, but believe me it won’t go away because you crammed last minute sessions in. When we train we train in order to make changes to our body, we force our body to make new blood vessels, increase muscle and lose excess timber, all of which only occurs during times of rest.
Training without rest means the body is already fragile and training on a weakened foundation is the easiest way to cause injury. An injury will rule you out for longer than a rest day. During a training plan typically we won’t see a reduction in cardiovascular performance until around 8 days of continuous rest. So it’s ok to have a weekend off, we promise! Sleep is also a key factor in rebuilding your body and under times of training you need to be having between 7-9 hours of sleep each night. If that number is unobtainable, consider reducing the intensity of your workouts.
- Choose your gear wisely.
“When working in clinics, every year I would see marathon applicants come in complaining of sore feet / ankles / knees back everything. I would say 80-90% of the time this was down to training in incorrect footwear and or wearing medical aids that they don’t need.” ~ Alex Berbank, Physiotherapist
Making sure you have the right equipment sounds simple, but it’s also making sure you don’t have anything you don’t need. Footwear is one bit of equipment you want to get right. Everyone’s foot is different and so is their running style, so getting the right shoe is all about finding a pair that will compliment you in all the right places and support you where you need it most. If you have the money or time go to a specialist running shop to have an analysis done on your running pattern and get a feel for the right running shoe for you. Normally these assessments are free when you buy a pair of shoes from the shop, but won’t cost more than £20 and then you can search online to find the correct shoes cheaper. If this isn’t an option, invest whatever you have into the best feeling shoe. Always test them out first in person before committing to buying them, and don’t be fooled by brand or price, some of the best running shoes are often from a brand you haven’t heard of and half the price of the others. Secondly, get rid of those running aids you don’t need. There are alot of companies that specialise in convincing people they need joint supports or stretchy tape or any piece of tat that has the word ‘orthopaedic or ergonomic’ and whilst a few of these products can be useful is some instances the vast majority of them will only exacerbate the issue or at best provide a placebo effect. Unless you have a chronic or very recent injury, always train with as few of these supports as you can. Our bodies have evolved to be exceptional long distance athletes and although initially there may be an uncomfortable start your body will adapt to the training plan as long as its given rest and time to do so. If you’re concerned about a previous injury or chronic condition, book in to see a qualified Physiotherapist to get their opinion on the best course of action.
- Adapt to an injury, don’t ignore it. We know how frustrating it is to pick up a knock! The worst thing you can do is try and be a ‘warrior’ and train through it, it won’t get better and it will only get worse. Equally sitting at home when you want to be active is also frustrating. The best thing you can do is find a way to train that won’t aggravate the injury. Working on balance core strength and individual muscle strength will all improve an athlete’s ability to train and run further / faster. For example, if your left knee picks up a twinge or something doesn’t feel right, instead of running 5km, can you walk it instead? Or maybe take up some yoga sessions, some strength sessions that focus on the right leg mainly or core. All of this will help the body make adaptations you will need to run further and faster without actually running. Ignoring the injury will only make your body more determined to stop you ignoring it by increasing the pain or limiting the movement.
- No such thing as bed rest. Ok this sounds different to all the rest so let me explain this. This is specifically for when you have picked up an injury. A lot of injuries result in swelling of joints of specific places in a muscle, the best thing for this situation is to keep the area moving with gentle patterns and movements. This will increase blood flow to the area and aid the body to reduce the swelling itself. In the case of most joints it also allows the body to lubricate the joint and maintain its health. This works far better than any other massage or medical gimmick. Often you feel these injuries before you can see them, listen to your body, catch it early and it may not impact your training schedule at all, but if you leave it and ignore it you’ll only ever come to regret it. Again if in doubt consult your local registered physiotherapist for advice.
It is always upsetting when one of our runners has to pull out due to injury. So making sure you are listening to your body and not ignoring any pains during your training is absolutely vital.
We hope you have an injury free journey with us, but if you do experience any pain or discomfort it’s important you take the time to address it rather than pushing on with your training plan.
Further reading
Running Injuries Top Tips For Preventing Running Injuries by Phil Mack
