Three running habits to break right now

New seasons, new years, new months–really, any day can be the perfect one to make a fresh start and break some training habits that might not be serving you. Here are a few common habits (hey, most of us have been guilty of at least one of them) that runners should toss as soon as possible. Ditch these old ways of training–or at least give it a try, and see if switching things up works for you.

Trying to make your runs look good on Strava

If there’s one thing I’ve learned as both a coach and an athlete, it’s this: over the long term, the workouts that build strength, power and endurance don’t come across as sexy on Strava. Consistency works. Sometimes that means you’ll be hammering out a snappy tempo run, but usually that means just getting out the door for easy mileage. If you’ve ever avoided a hill because you wanted to nail a certain pace on Strava, you could probably benefit from taking a Strava-snooze from worrying about what others think.

It’s definitely OK to be proud of what you’re accomplishing in your running journey. If you ever find yourself getting too fixated, though, use the handy Strava setting to make your running record private, even for a short time. You might find you feel less stressed about the data showing up and able to focus more on the consistent effort you need to put in.

Running solo (or in a group) all the time

It’s really easy to get in a comfort zone of either running alone all the time, or feeling like you need your running buddy or group as motivation to get out the door. Everyone has their preference, and it’s completely fine to enjoy most of your training alone, or mostly with your running pals. Switching it up every so often is healthy, though, in a few ways. Research has shown us that trying new (and possibly uncomfortable things) is good for our brains and may contribute to longevity.

You will probably be surprised at how much you enjoy the change of pace and dynamic. After a few months of running solo, my husband and I joined a local running group for a 10K run while we were travelling. We made new connections, felt inspired to return, and left discussing how we needed to head out to our own local group more often. We’re not saying you need to change your ways entirely! Just be open to changing it up every so often.

Eating less on your recovery days

Just stop this. If anything, really dial in and focus on eating well and hydrating on your recovery days, when you have a little more time to think about it. Far too many runners cut down their intake on recovery days because they aren’t burning as many calories without a workout–but the real secret to recovering quickly and being able to bounce back after hard sessions is making recovery days the time to focus on replenishment and proper sleep.

Recovery time is when strength is truly built–our bodies repair damaged tissue and prepare to work hard again. In order for your body to do that, it needs energy. Fuel it well, regardless of how many kilometres you logged that day.

One more: taking any advice as black and white (even this)

Almost everything, even in running, is full of nuance and answers that only serve most runners some of the time. Becoming a strong runner means trying new and different things and finding what works best for you. Keeping an open mind to new suggestions, opportunities and different paths (and trails) helps keep your muscles and neurons firing, and may help keep a smile plastered to your face as you train.