Are you stuck in a rut? Many runners often find themselves doing the same workouts over and over again—and it's the wrong way to see progress!
If you're doing the same distances in the same shoes on the same tired loops for the same race goals, then your training is boring. It's time to spice it up and add more variety to your running.
Most runners can introduce more variety into their running by training for a new race distance, running more on trails, or simply trying a few new types of workouts.
Variation is crucial in your training plan. Every week should have at least four different paces and many types of strength workouts to help you stay healthy.
More: Spice Up Your Speed Workouts
More importantly, in the long term, runners should focus on different types of races. Have you ever met the two-marathons-per-year runner who only does marathons and has just one speed (slow)?
Unfortunately, these runners rarely see improvement, and always seem to be in a rut with constant injuries. Training variety is a crucial way to help reduce injuries.
But having a varied training plan doesn't mean that you run random distances, paces and workouts. Every plan needs to follow a logical progression, and your workouts should be similar from week to week.
The real variety is in the details:
- Rotate two or more pairs of running shoes
- Alter your paces in subsequent workouts (if you ran even splits last week, try negative splits this week)
- Run on trails, avoid the track, and tackle more hills
More: How to Reap the Rewards of Trail Running
These changes will help you stay motivated and prevent the boredom that results from doing the same routine over and over again.
Once you make running a habit, these small variations will improve your ability to stick with your training and help prevent injuries.
