When you’re training, you are always pushing yourself to hit that next level. There is a desire to keep doing better, to out-perform yourself, and reach all your goals. For runners, it can be tricky to keep up this level of intensity and performance improvements, since it’s quite normal to hit a plateau. Getting stuck on a plateau is frustrating and can chip away at your motivation.
That is exactly why these five daily habits will prove to be so useful. Each of them can help you to be better at racing and help you to achieve your personal fitness goals.
Introduce Into Your Routine Strength Training
If you haven’t yet introduced strength training into your routine, it’s time to do so. Runners are often focused on the cardio side of things, but strength training can also play a pivotal role in your training. Embrace exercises like planks, squats, lunges, and pushups to get started. This will build your core muscle and strength which, in turn, will help you to be a better racer.
Eat a Healthy Well-Balanced Diet
To be your best, you also need to fuel your body with the vitamins and nutrients it needs, which requires eating a healthy well-balanced diet. Although it can be tempting to head out to a restaurant to eat, get takeout or choose a pre-packaged frozen meal, those aren’t the healthiest decisions.
If you’re the type that opts for takeout due to the convenience factor, this is a great time to embrace meal planning and advanced meal preparation. There are several compact food storage options that allow you to prepare ingredients in advance or even the full meal and then store it in the fridge until you’re ready to eat it. The proper storage solution will ensure the items are kept fresh and tasting great.
Speaking of a healthy well-balanced diet, be sure that you are drinking plenty of water. If you allow yourself to become dehydrated, it will negatively impact your performance.
Learn the Right Time of Day/Night for Your Training
Did you know that everyone is different in terms of what their best time of the day is for training? Some people respond well to early morning workouts and runs, whereas others do better in the evenings. It’s important to figure out what your best time of day is, be honest with yourself, and then plan accordingly.
Are You Getting Enough Sleep?
When you think about racing better, there’s no doubt you think about training harder and more often, but what about sleep? Did you know that adequate sleep is just as important to your performance level? Ideally, you want to aim for 7-8 hours of sleep each night. This gives your body a chance to recover from your workouts and runs. The less sleep you get, the longer it will take for your body to recover and make the necessary repairs.
Do You Have the Right Type of Shoes?
Although there is no such thing as magical shoes that will miraculously make you a better runner, there are differences worth noting. They can affect your comfort and performance even in a small way. If your shoes are old, no longer have good support, don’t fit well or don’t have ample support and cushioning, it’s time to invest in new ones. This is an item worth shopping around for, so make sure you get a quality pair.
By following these tips and being mindful of the small changes you can make, it won’t be long until you get better at racing.
