You’re a fairly new runner and you’ve conquered those first few runs, seen an improvement in your fitness and you’re feeling motivated. It’s tempting to set yourself a new goal now and start training for your first race. It’s a great way to boost motivation.
SET LONG-TERM GOALS
The key is to set long-term goals and not try to cram in too much training at once. Setting goals now for 2017 may seem like a longterm approach, but it’s a key way to prevent injuries. “The longer you can give your body to adapt and strengthen to the demands of running, the better,” says physiotherapist Mark Buckingham from Witty Pask & Buckingham (wpbphysio.co.uk). “While it is the muscles that are sore in the first few weeks, it is actually the bones and tendons which take much longer to adapt. It takes a period of six to nine months (of running) in bone, six months in tendon and three to four months in muscle.”