3 ways to challenge your running that don’t involve racing

Many Canadian runners are in the midst of their busiest training of the season, with some of the country’s big races a few weeks away. Whether you’re running to test yourself in the lead-up to your A race or you’re simply looking for a new challenge, there are many ways to measure your performance outside of signing up for a race. Here are some fun ways to push yourself outside of racing and how they’ll benefit you.

Strava segments

Thanks to social media, it’s easy to keep track of what your local running friends are up to. Strava, arguably the most popular social media platform for endurance athletes, has several features that can help you track your own progress, but the segments feature might be the best when it comes to challenging yourself virtually. Segments are a great tool to see how you stack up against others on any given stretch of road, and can set a great benchmark for your own running. Pick a segment on your local run route (or create your own) and see how your effort measures up to others’ over time. Whether it’s chasing down a CR (course record) or simply gauging your own effort over time, segments can be an easy way to test yourself in your everyday training.

A running streak

Asking fellow runners what they think of this style of challenge will surely elicit a wide range of responses. While there are runners who are currently enjoying decades-long running streaks (usually defined by running a set distance every day without a day off), many will argue that streaks can lead to burnout and injury.

But starting a running streak with your own rules and guidelines could be a refreshing way to spice up your training. It’s a great way to get used to running on tired legs and challenge your own discipline, and with your own ground rules in place (maybe you only run one kilometre on days you’re extra tired), can be done safely.

Try a hybrid racing event

We know what we titled this piece, but we bet you were thinking of a standard running race when you read it.

Hybrid racing events that include running are rising in popularity; Canada’s first-ever Hyrox event , a race that includes eight kilometres of running between stations such as rowing and wall-balls, is now almost sold out. As a runner, don’t let the strength components of this style of racing scare you off; the beauty of hybrid racing is that it attracts a wide range of athletes, and your strong aerobic base may give you an edge on the competition, even if you’re not the most seasoned weight lifter.