Question your running progress

As the light and temperatures improve and summer arrives, winter training and plans made should now start to bed in and show some results. Whilst your runners training log will be in use it is always worth revisiting this and questioning the schedule to see whether it is going according to plan or not. Fresh eyes looking at the programme and assessing the results, small tweaks or re-defining your running aspirations, plans, targets, aims or goals is always worthwhile. This time of late spring/early summer is the ideal opportunity to give your runners training log a spring clean, so ask yourself or re-establish the following:

• What do you want to be good at this year?
• What do you really want to gain out of this year?
• Is the goal for or from, your running realistic?
• What is that will make you enjoy your running this year?
• What requirements do you think are necessary to improve your running times?
• What requirements do you think are necessary to improve your running fitness?
• What requirements do you think are necessary to improve your running style?
• Is your current running training/plan helping you achieve/improve at all?
• Is there more specific training that will help you achieve more with your running or improve your running?
• Is your running training schedule realistic?
• Are you following your Training log plan?
• Is the running plan/schedule really feasible?
• Do you update your training log and decipher the facts and figures?
• Is your goal plan based on anything tried and tested?
• Do you have proper rest provision?
• Do you actually set aside enough quality recovery time?
• Could you benefit from a regular sports massage?
• Do you actually over-train?
• Is there someone who runs over your plan and gives you an honest assessment of your running/training schedule?
• Are you getting niggling or recurring injuries (running injuries) or minor illness?
• Have you logged mileage and had a good inspection of your running shoes?
• Do you need to change your running shoes?
• Do you know when to change your running shoes?
• Do you need an assessment of your running shoe type or running shoe choice?
• Are you running too many races/events?
• Could you be doing more cross training/core stability work?
• Is there any way of logging this against any running progress?
• Are you running the wrong type of running races to match your eventual running goals?
• Is there any way of looking at your diet verses running performance?
• Is your weight changing suddenly? Or gradually increasing/decreasing?
• Do you remember to re-hydrate? (Rules of hydration)

Ask yourself these questions and I am sure if you are honest with yourself you could make a difference to your running goals, training plans or strategies. More questions will come from these without a doubt and remember that not everything you do with your running has to be towards any great end result or quantum leap in performance. Running should be enjoyable after all and a running goal could range from just managing to get out regularly or a set number of times per week, rather than taking half a minute off of a personal best. Be realistic and stretch yourself but set your goals with some conviction and then do your utmost to follow the route towards success; however your success is defined.

Best of luck with your running from Wynsport.com