Listen to Your Body
While there are plenty of loose guidelines out there to direct your training, such as don't increasing your mileage more than 10 percent from one week to the next, every runner is different. This is why it is important for harriers to develop a sixth sense for knowing when they are doing too much too soon. If you've got dead legs, back off and cross-train instead that day. If a previously injured knee is bugging you, it may be worth taking an extra rest day. Your body is constantly sending you signals, so listen to it.
More: 5 Signs of Overtraining
Visualize
If you haven't yet subscribed to the powers of the mind, this is the year to start. By visualizing a race performance or an awesome workout, you prep your brain to withstand those nagging voices that suggest you aren't capable of successfully completing the task at hand. Indeed, a 2013 study showed the effects of positive self-talk by testing two groups of cyclists—one of which was coached in honing that positive inner voice and the other which received no such training. Unsurprisingly, the group who learned how to practice those positive self-talk skills lasted 18 percent longer on the bike than the control group.
More: How to Think Like the Pros
Rest
It is important to see rest as part of training, rather than the absence of it. In the same way that a tempo run boosts performance, a rest day allows your body and mind to bounce back from tough training. Without enough rest, you'll reach a point of diminishing returns where extra running is simply breaking your body down, rather than building it up. By scheduling in regular rest days, you'll be able to string together more consistent training over the long haul.
More: The Importance of Rest for Runners
Hill Train
While most runners know hill training can be beneficial, a new study by New Zealand researchers demonstrated its effects conclusively. Upon assigning 20 runners to various hill workouts over six weeks, the researchers had them do a 5K time trial before and after the training. After the 6 weeks of incorporated hills, runners were 2 percent faster in that 5K effort, suggesting that while hills may be unpleasant, they are well worth the effort.
More: 4 Ways to Master Hill Running
Don't Sweat Shoe Type
While there has been plenty of attention on barefoot shoes, "fat" shoes and everything in between, a new study published last fall suggests that they type of footwear you run in may not make that much of a difference. The research compared runners who wore shoes with soft midsoles to those who wore shoes with hard midsoles. At the conclusion of the 5-month study, they discovered that there was no difference in injury rates between the two groups. Indeed, this does not negate the fact that some runners find footwear, or the lack thereof, to be a big piece of the puzzle when it comes to injury woes. It is a good reminder, however, that every runner is different and there is no silver bullet when it comes to healthy running.
More: The Pros and Cons of Minimalist Running
Refuel Post-Run
Nutrition experts and coaches are becoming increasingly insistent upon taking in both carbohydrates and protein almost immediately after exercise, especially hard workouts and races. By ingesting a 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein in the 30 minutes after you stop running, you'll increase your body's muscle repair processes. This simple practice will prep you for the next big workout and contribute to healthier, more consistent training.
More: How to Refuel After a Hard Workout
The Big Picture
Instead of viewing running in the framework of a single training cycle, think of it in the long-term. This will help keep a bad workout or less-than-stellar race performance in perspective. It is all about the miles and workouts over many months and years that will collectively elicit good performances. Regard your running career as a long-term lifestyle choice rather than a three-month training cycle leading up to race, and you'll be less likely to sweat the small stuff.
