The 10 Most Common Running Mistakes

The 10 Most Common Mistakes in Running

There are millions of runners worldwide. Of all ages and levels, each with their own goal, but all with one thing in common: a love of running. The pleasure of running is sometimes difficult to explain to those who have not yet discovered that running can be an activity without any suffering at all, so to speak, and that it can create a sense of well-being matched by few things in life. To fully enjoy it, you should avoid some common and frequent mistakes, especially if you have only recently discovered the pleasure of running. Talking to experienced runners, who have probably made many of these mistakes, and getting guidance from specialist coaches can help you avoid them and ensure that the pleasure of running is not interrupted!

Read our advice on the 10 Most Common Mistakes Runners Make:

1. Training without medical supervision:

When we decide to start training, or simply continue with a training programme, sports medical examinations are essential. Despite all the benefits associated with running, it is essential to have basic medical examinations at least once a year. These will not only allow for supervised sports activity but also provide a routine of medical supervision that is important for overall health. For anyone who enjoys competing and taking part in races, even if they are just local races without any particular competitive goals, medical supervision is even more important. Small problems that have nothing to do with running are often detected early thanks to regular sports medical examinations. Do not accept a medical certificate that is not based on comprehensive examinations. Carefully follow the examinations recommended by sports medicine doctors. Health is the primary goal of any physical activity.

2. Choosing the Wrong Running Shoes:

Many runners continue to choose their running shoes based on their colour, brand, or weight, without really knowing whether they are the most suitable for their foot type, running style, body weight, and usual training volume. Seek advice from specialist stores that offer gait analysis and can recommend the right type of running shoes. The trade fairs associated with major sporting events often provide this type of service. Regardless of your individual needs, here are some common criteria for choosing the right running shoes:

1. Good cushioning, indicated by the thickness of the sole, although this inevitably makes the shoe slightly heavier;
2. Good support around the heel, with inner and outer lateral support to provide a stable stride;
3. A sole with good grip to make it easier to maintain traction even on rainy days and all types of surfaces;

3. Starting a Diet at the Beginning of Your Training:

One of the main reasons people start a physical activity programme, particularly a running programme, is to control their weight, sometimes on medical advice to manage certain factors associated with being overweight. A common mistake, especially when starting a regular physical activity programme, is to radically change your eating habits at the same time, often substantially reducing the energy your body receives from food. At the very moment your body requires more energy expenditure, you are also providing it with less energy than when you were not exercising at all! The result is usually the same after a few days: an inability to recover, a lack of energy for the required effort, frustration, and discomfort, which quickly lead to giving up, often with the belief that exercise is simply not for you. In the initial phase, you should start the activity without making major changes to your eating habits. In the second phase, once you feel that your body has adapted to your training, you can then start a supervised dietary control programme.

4. Training While Injured

Despite taking every possible care with your training, running injuries are common. The impact caused by running millions of strides can lead to minor injuries, which generally affect the lower limbs and/or back. Runners share a particular trait with other endurance athletes: they love training, find it difficult to rest, and sometimes struggle to distinguish between training-related discomfort and a sports injury. Whenever you experience pain during or after training that lasts for several hours, it is probably time to rest or at least reduce your training load. Training through pain is not normal and turns the pleasure of running into suffering, which sooner or later will force you to stop training. If you experience any unusual pain, consult a sports medicine doctor or physiotherapist, rest, and find alternative activities that will not interfere with the recovery of the injury.

5. Competing Too Often

The racing calendar is becoming increasingly extensive and varied. In a small country like Portugal, it is practically possible to compete every weekend without having to travel far. On the other hand, races are highly motivating, and the camaraderie of the race pack makes competition a unique experience. In a race, no matter how little interest you have in it, you will always give your best unless you are a highly experienced runner with clearly defined goals and paces. Competing too frequently requires many kilometres at high speeds, usually on roads and in running shoes with little cushioning. At the same time, competing too regularly means you will end up training much less, thereby limiting your progress. Before every race, you should reduce your training load for at least two or three days, and recovery requires another few days of reduced training. Therefore, anyone who competes every weekend is not training! You are entering a cycle of rest and recovery necessitated by competition! Clearly define your racing calendar and select the races you consider to be preparation for your main events. The longer the distances you compete, the fewer races you should enter.

6. Completing Long Runs or Races Without Refuelling:

For any activity lasting longer than 1 hour and 20 minutes, whether training or racing, you should refuel during the effort. The water and energy available in your body are limited. If you refuel during the activity, you will not only be able to maintain your pace for longer but also recover more quickly for the next session because you will not have pushed your body to certain limits. Follow this simple refuelling plan and try different products until you find the ones that best suit your body and that you prefer. In running, replacing fluids and energy with water and energy gels is sufficient. As a general guide, we recommend the following:

1. During training, you should consume two or three energy gel sachets per hour of effort, each with about 150 ml of water, plus additional water throughout to make up about 750 ml per hour, depending on the ambient temperature and humidity;
2. During a race, you can increase this to four energy gel sachets per hour, each with 200 ml of water.

7. Training Every Day on Roads or Very Hard Surfaces

As I have already mentioned, the impact of each stride is one of the factors that can lead to running-related injuries. The harder the surface you choose to run on, the greater the impact, with roads, concrete, and paving stones being the most damaging. Try to vary the surface for each session. Whenever possible, run on a track, grass, or compact sand. For those living in large cities, it can be difficult to find these types of surfaces, but an increasing number of parks and wooded areas offer opportunities to run on softer surfaces. However, there are some precautions to take when running off-road. Mud, loose stones, tree roots, and potholes are natural obstacles that can cause you to lose your footing and suffer a sprain.

8. Training at High Intensities Without a Plan

Training involves constantly alternating between high and low intensities. Unfortunately, it is not possible to train at high intensities every day, so sessions following high-intensity workouts are usually at a lower intensity. High intensities also come in several levels that should be incorporated into your training depending on the type of competition you are preparing for and where you are in the season relative to your target race. Supervision and guidance from a coach are essential for managing these factors, ensuring the best possible performance and monitoring your fitness while avoiding the problems that can arise from incorporating too much high-intensity training into your programme. Do not copy training plans that may not be suitable for you, and do not train at high intensities unless you know what speed, frequency, number of repetitions, and recovery intervals to use. Find a coach, and you will see that everything becomes easier.

9. Training with the Wrong Companions

One of the factors that has always been considered positive in training is having company and being part of a group. Everything becomes more motivating, the hardest sessions seem to pass more quickly, and camaraderie is an essential factor. However, training every day with companions who are too fast for you carries significant risks. Each session ends up becoming a workout at too high an intensity, making it difficult to recover for the next session. Every runner has their own individual training intensity, and training every day with someone at a much higher level will not help you progress more quickly; on the contrary, it will hinder your progress. Having company is a positive factor when your training partners are approximately at the same level, or when the faster runners are willing to adapt their training intensity to that of the slower runners.

10. Not Recovering Adequately After Races

Recovery after a race is the key to success in the next one. We often let our enthusiasm get the better of us and start preparing for the next race by incorporating high-intensity workouts before our bodies have recovered from the previous effort. Marathon runners should be especially careful about recovery and should only start preparing for their next race several weeks after completing a marathon.

Follow the recovery times I recommend:

1. For races between 8 km and 12 km: first high-intensity workout 14 days after the race, and next race at maximum effort 4 weeks after the previous race;
2. For races between 15 km and a half marathon: first high-intensity workout 21 days after the race, and next race at maximum effort 6 weeks after the previous race;
3. For a marathon: first high-intensity workout 5 weeks after the race, and next marathon at maximum effort 5 months after the previous marathon;

If you really love running, follow our advice and avoid these mistakes! You will be able to make much better use of your training and fully enjoy the pleasure of running.