12 uncomfortable ways to become a better runner in 2016

Want to become a better runner in 2016? Improving often involves getting out of your comfort zone. Sometimes you have to be willing to leaves your safe little bubble in order to meet your goals. Narrowing down the New Year’s resolutions? We came up with 12 ways to become a better runner– one for every month. Some will make you a little uncomfortable but come 2017, you’ll no doubt be fitter and faster.

1. Add one new nutritious food to your diet. Decide what it’s going to be. Go with something that you already love but don’t eat very much of or try something new entirely. Once you pick your new ingredient, you can experiment with healthy recipes all year.

2. Give up one unhealthy culprit. Similarly, pick one type of unhealthy food and scrap it. This one is a little harder to do. Don’t pick something unrealistic though. By that we mean, don’t eliminate your absolute favourite food. Go with something you eat regularly but COULD live without. This is a fun test of willpower and you’ll feel good knowing you’re earning nutrition points.

3. Run regularly with someone who is faster than you. Pace with your buddy becoming a bit too comfortable? Not every run should be done at race pace (if fact, we really don’t recommend doing that). But at the same time, not every run should be a baby jog either. Get a running partner who runs a bit quicker than you and try to hold onto their pace. It will be hard at first but you’ll notice improvement.

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4. Keep a log. Keeping a log forces athletes to be accountable for their training. Skip five days in a row for no real reason? That’s less likely to happen if you know you’ll have to write that down later. You will also begin to realize whether you’re going too easy on yourself or if your overloaded workout schedule is the reason for your fatigue. The log will keep you honest!

5. Sign up for a race that intimidates you. This point will be interpreted differently for every runner. For someone who has just gotten into running over the past few weeks, running a full 5K is an ideal goal. Maybe you’re a runner who can run a half-marathon distance but is unable to really do a 10K fast. In that case, making speed the focus can be intimidating even if the distance is doable.

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6. Do push ups. Push ups (and a lot of other strengthening exercises) can be quite difficult. But runners need upper body strength too, whether you like it or not. Have faith, these will get easier over time. For now, just do them.

7. Sign up for a fitness class. Been contemplating getting in the pool? Maybe you swore you’d sign up for a spin class last winter but didn’t or you know you will neglect the strength work if it’s left up to you. Pick a class that will help your running and fit it into the week.

8. Video analyze your form. Talk about uncomfortable! Sure, you’ve read about proper form. In your mind, you might think you run perfectly. The video evidence will prove you otherwise… At least you’ll know what to work on.

9. Get up earlier. Mornings can be a horrendous time of day for the night owl. Like jet lag though, your body will adjust. Maybe don’t make the switch on a real busy week. Be realistic about it and make sure to adjust bed time accordingly as well so you don’t miss hours of sleep. Need help? Call on your early bird friend. Just don’t get mad at him/her when they come knocking before 7:00 a.m.

10. Pick one distance and master it. This might sound boring at first but hear us out. You may decide to run several 5K races fairly close together in the spring. By focusing on that distance alone, you’re more likely to see a PB and you will know exactly what that race pace feels like. If the goal is the spring marathon, it’s going to be on the mind every single time you question why you’re bothering to run 25K on a weekend morning.

11. Be honest, how did you do with your training plan last year? What goal did you set and did you reach it? If you didn’t, ask if it was a realistic goal in the first place. If you failed to succeed and it was because you didn’t run enough or fell into a slump, plan how to do things differently this time around.

12. Test your pain tolerance. No we’re not saying you should push through a stress fracture. When the workouts get tough, push yourself just a little more. Sure it may hurt but it’s a known fact that runners have a higher pain tolerance. The ability to push through discomfort will help come race day.