How to get the most out of your virtual running challenge
With a raft of new race cancellations this autumn - it looks like we are going to have to get used to running virtual or solo road running challenges for a while longer. It's not going to be easy - it's incredibly difficult to keep your mind on the job without the stimulus of crowds and other competitors.
Having said that, virtual events provide an opportunity to create the perfect race for you. You can choose the course, start time, and 'in-race refreshments'. You can even reschedule if the weather isn't quite right!
Here's our tips to get the most out of your event. Don't forget to enter our #howfar challenge - running as far as you can on week commencing 21/09-27/09 on behalf of Children with Cancer UK.
Make safety the priority.
Put some thought into your 'course' - avoiding areas with lots of pedestrians and busy road crossings. If it's difficult to find somewhere suitable - can you run at certain times of the day to avoid crowds? As well as reducing the risk of injury, running in a quiet areas will help you maintain concentration throughout the challenge.
Choose a course to boost your chances.
Run somewhere you know the terrain. The better you know the course, the fewer the decisions you have to make during the run. It's a really good idea to plan in advance. You have 2 options - both have their own merits. Options- Looped Course. The elite's at this year's London Marathon will be running loops of St James Park - and chances it will be conducive to very fast times. Running loops is great for pace judgement - particularly for races based on distance. For our 30 min run challenge, you can make a good guess at how long it will take you to run one lap and pace yourself accordingly. A lapped course is useful mentally too - breaking the run down into smaller achievable 'portions'. For longer events running a looped course allows you to leave drinks or gels in a specified place on the course to prevent you having to carry them. / Out and back - we love an 'Out and Back' - and, for those who tend to start off too quick - it can be really helpful in terms of pacing. It is much easier to control your pace for the entire first half of the run - allowing you to slowly ratchet up the pace as you head for home.
Involve others.
Can you get family and friends involved? Can you get them out on the course? Even better, can a member of your household jump on the bike and give you some pacing support? When Eluid Kipchoge broke the 2 hour marathon all his mates ran with him, blocking the wind and a pushing him on to the record. Drafting behind Mum, Dad and Auntie Sue on their bikes is pretty much the same thing.
Be flexible - do it when the time is right!
In Ethiopia, if the weather is bad an athlete stays at home. They want to get the most out of their training - and a trudge through wind and rain won't enable them to do that. Be flexible - if the weather is atrocious reschedule!
Warm up properly.
Warming up is vitally important to get the most out of the run. Jog for 15mins, loosen up joints with a Dynamic Mobility routine ( see video below), and practise running at pace! We recommend at the end of your jog run for 2mins at a decent tempo - 7 out of 10 effort. This gives the cardio vascular system a kick - ensuring it's ready to start pumping oxygenated blood round the body from the off.
Use it as a practise.
Let's face it - these events are a bit of fun, so try to take something from it. Pushing yourself on your own is a mental challenge - so focus on this. How can you keep your mind on your effort? What mental cues can you use to bring your mind back to the run when it starts to wander? I would try to break the event into 3 equal sections. During the first section try to avoid wasting mental and physical energy. Try not to think about anything - keep your focus on the road in front of you, regulate your breathing, and keep shoulders and fast relaxed. Section 2 is when fatigue starts to creep in - now bring the focus to your body. Where are your feet landing? Is contact with the ground short, sharp and light? Are you arms moving freely, driving you forward and preventing your upper body from rotating? Section 3 is the key section - how can you get every last bit out of energy from your body? Can you increase turnover of steps to keep you moving forward? Are you taking the fastest possible 'racing line' - running hard into the corners and pushing out the other side?
