Have you got in from a run recently and noticed that you’re feeling pretty confident about your routine? Maybe a few months ago, running seemed impossible, but now a quick 5K before work is considered reasonable. Have you set your eyes on a 10K, or even a half marathon? It might be that you’re covering your set distances with a new PB every couple of weeks. Congratulations – it sounds like you have progressed from being a beginner and moved up to an intermediate runner level. Here’s some tips to tweak your training program.
Watch your heart rate
It’s important to keep your heart rate in the optimal aerobic training zone. Take 220 and subtract your age – that should be your maximum heart rate, or number of times your heart beats per minute. You should train at a level that’s between 55-85% of your maximum heart rate for the best results.
Take rest days
When you fall in love with a new pursuit and you keep seeing results it can be hard to say no to one more run. It’s important to give your body time to rest and recover from physical activity. To maintain your new intermediate runner status and not end up on the injury table you need to take rest days. If the musculature doesn’t have time to repair the micro-tears that occur while running, it will not grow stronger and may be more susceptible to injury.
Watch out for overtraining
This can come hand in hand with skipping rest days. Your body needs rest, and it must not be pushed too far, too often. You’ll know that you’re overtraining if your pace starts to drop while your heart rate stays the same (or that your heart rate skyrockets while trying to maintain a previously attainable pace). It shows that your heart is working too hard.
Track your efforts
It’s understandable when you first start running you don’t want to invest in lots of expensive running tech. As an intermediate runner you may have decided you’re in this for the long haul. Wearable heart rate monitors and smart watches have taken the guessing game out of running. You can observe your heart rate on your wrist, and often even the time spent in aerobic windows can be tracked. Choose a metric to improve on, like pace or distance, and start to track it deliberately. Watching the charts can be a great motivator for fine-tuning performance.
About Enertor Advanced Technology Insoles – Enertor insoles are designed to prevent a number of common running injuries and provide more comfort. Designed by leading podiatrists to reduce your risk of injury, the unique design features support your foot throughout training. Enertor insoles are enhanced by PX1 impact protection technology, which means they can provide more shock absorption than any other insole. Our expertise, combined with the patented PX1 shock absorption technology, enables Enertor to deliver the most advanced injury prevention insoles on the market today.
Enertor insoles are available to buy from our online shop
Whilst Enertor has over 18 years Orthotics experience, our blog content is provided for informational purposes only and it is not a substitute for your own doctor’s medical advice. Enertor advises anyone with an injury to seek their own medical advice – and do not make any health or medical related decisions based solely on information found on this site.
The post Tips for becoming an intermediate runner appeared first on Enertor.