Everyone knows Millennials and Boomers are different. Times, they are changing. And the way Millennials approach things are different. Millennials try to keep up with the trend, at all expense. So, here are 5 things for the Millennial generation to know about running to excel at running.
#1 You Need To Train For A Half Marathon, Let Alone A Marathon
A Half Marathon presents a challenge in itself. You don’t need to sign up for the marathon for a challenge. Some have said if you can’t run a sub 2 half marathon, you should not even be attempting the marathon distance. The rationale behind this is due to the risk on injury. If you’re legs are just no used to the consistency pounding for 4 hours, you are risking injury. An injury will set back your running progress. Is it really worth it to take a 6 months break from running just to run a marathon distance. Unless you have put in sufficient training – don’t!
#2 Start Small And Build Progressively
Take things one step at a time. Start small. if you are a beginner, take on the 10km distance. Target to improve the timing of your 10km distance before moving up the distance ladder. Slowly, but surely. This is also an injury risk management strategy. You will reap for benefits this way than moving up to fast.
#3 Start Slow In A Race And Build Up Progressively
Starting at a slower pace and finishing strong is known as negative splits. It is always good to run a race this way. Firstly, this way you avoid going out too fast and taking out too much from you. If you go out too fast you risk burning out before you cross the finish line. Starting out conservatively also gives you a mental boost when you start passing people in the 2nd half of your run. Most people tend to slow down in the 2nd half. This mental boost can give you the adrenaline to bring you back to the finishing line with a personal best.
#4 You Do Not Need A Fancy GPS Watch
Let’s face it! You’re probably going to be spending so much dough on a fancy GPS watch that you don’t even utilise all its functions. Especially if you’re just starting out, you just beed a basic GPS watch. Do you really need the fancy Suunto Spartan Ultra or the Fenix 5X? You probably could do with the basic forerunner 235. You just need a watch to tell you your pace to allow you to pace well. Unless you would fully utilise all the functions and statistics your watch tells you, there is no point forking out so much dough!
#5 Train Different
Try vary your training and incorporate different kind of runs. It’s not necessary that you just run for an hour everyday at the same speed. You can include tempo runs, intervals, fartlek training into your workouts! Training will never be boring this way. And you are bound to see and improvement in your races.
