My Number One Training Mistake And How I Fixed It

When we first started running, we started racking up the kilomoters per week and were pretty chuffed with ourselves. Well, needless to say, the legs would be pretty sore after a long run and little niggles started to pop up. A little twinge in the knee, ankles and all sorts of little things.

Our mistake: no strength training, mobility or stretching... zero, nada, nothing (we were complete running newbies). We were so wrapped up in thinking we were doing great with all the new kilometers that we completely neglected all of the above. Our recovery time between runs was longer than it should have been and we started picking up more severe injuries.

We eventually started training with a coach and he gave us all the info on why we needed to include strength training. Initially it felt so daunting adding all this extra training on top of the running. About a million excuses ran through my mind, we don't have the time, this is too much, we're not 'pro' athletes. I realised that I had no issue scrolling through my phone for 30 minutes or watching a series on Netflix but I was complaining about a 30min strength session. We train 7 days a week with 5 days running and 2-3 strength sessions. If we feel like we need a rest day - we take it but the strength training has allowed us to keep up this running program quite comfortably.

Adding strength training to our fitness program was a GAME CHANGER. Not only did we get stronger we were able to maintain higher intensity on our speed runs which helped us get faster. Our recovery time between runs got better and overall we just felt better. Over time we have also started adding yoga and vibrating foam rolling to our routine as well.

While this was my personal experience I definitely think it can be applied to most fitness journeys. We're always learning and listening to your body is one of the most important ways to know what's right for you.

Looking to add more strength and flexibility training to your workout routine? Here are a few recommendations: