10 Tips to Improve Your Run: Practical Tips to become a better runner

Running is one of those activities that feels deceptively simple—you lace up your shoes, step outside, and just start moving. But if you’ve ever felt stuck at the same pace, struggled to improve, or battled nagging injuries, you know it’s not that easy. The good news? Small, smart changes can take your running to the next level.

Whether you’re a beginner aiming to jog your first 5K or a seasoned runner trying to shave seconds off your pace, these tips will help you improve your running form, build endurance, and actually enjoy the process.

1.Gradual Steps Are the Way to Go

Too many runners are in a hurry to build up their training. They train too hard, or too much, too soon in their running career. But their bodies are not ready to handle the load. They don’t recover from all the training, and don’t improve as much as they expect. In some cases, they get injured as well.

Take a look at elite runners. For example, our Kenya Camp head coach Hugo van den Broek. During his first year of running, he only trained 2-3 times per week. It took him 6 years of gradually building up before he could finally run 100km in a week. It took him another 6 years before he could run 160-180km per week. Consistent training, and small gradual steps are the way to go. This way your body gets time to get used to the training load, recover and adapt.

2.Mix Up Your Training (Variation = Progress)

Building up yourself as a runner, is like building a house. The higher the house, the stronger the foundation must be. If you want to build a 10 story flat (in other words; you want to keep on improving for the next 10 years), you need to build a massive foundation. If your foundation is not strong, the walls will collapse.

The foundation of the runner is built with variation. There is so much you can do as a runners, but here are some examples:

• Easy runs → Build aerobic endurance. Run slow enough to hold a conversation.

• Tempo runs → “Comfortably hard” pace. These train your body to deal with fatigue and improve your lactate threshold

• Intervals → Faster intervals (1-8 min) with recovery jogs. Builds high end aerobic power, improves VO2max and threshold.

• Long runs → Gradually extend your mileage to build endurance

• Strength training → Lift weights, do body weight exercises, jump, and so on. Strength training helps to make you robust, so you can handle more. It also improves your running form and gives you the power to have bigger strides.

• Hill reps → Runs fast up a hill. Either short (8-15 sec) or long (30 to 90 sec). Improves strength, power and endurance and improves running form.

Think of your week like a playlist—you don’t listen to the same song on repeat, so don’t run the same pace or the same type of session every day. Once you have a strong foundation, built from years of variation in workouts, you will see that you respond better to and recover faster from the hard, specific workouts.

3.Strength Training: Your Secret Weapon

Running works your legs, but strength training builds the support system that keeps you moving. A stronger body = better performance + fewer injuries.

Focus on:

• Squats, dead lifts & lunges with weight (for powerful quads, hamstrings and glutes)

• Different types of core exercises (for a stable body)

• Calf raises (to strengthen ankles, Achilles tendons and calfs)

• Strength and conditioning (using bodyweight exercises such as hamstring bridge and donkey kicks)

  Just two sessions a week can make a big difference.

4.Prioritize Recovery (It’s Where the Magic Happens)

Most runners think “more miles = better runner.” Well, yes that is true, but only up to a certain point. In a physiological way, improvement ONLY happens when your muscles recover and repair after stress. It’s stress, followed by recovery that leads to progress. Not stress alone. And the higher the stress, the more recovery you need. In other words, you only improve from the miles that you recover from. That means recovery is part of training.

• Rest days: Don’t be afraid to take a day completely off from training. Even elites do this.

• Sleep: Aim for 8 to 9 hours of sleep. Most Kenyan runners sleep 9 to 11 hours per day.

• Post-workout: Try to plan 2 hours after your main workout, where all you do is sit down, eat and drink. Maybe chat with friends, but no important work, or driving for hours.

• Foam rolling / massage: No proven effect, but many runners feel like it helps them.

 5.Listen to Your Body (Not Just Your Watch)

Running apps and GPS watches are great tools, but numbers don’t tell the full story. Your pace, heart rate, and HRV matter—but so does how you feel.

• If you’re sore, take it easy in your run.

• If you’re unusually tired, take a day off.

• If you feel strong, push a little harder.

  
  

Learning to tune into your body is extremely important. It helps you to improve more, and prevents burnout and injury. Kenyans are masters in this.

6.Set Realistic Goals

Improvement doesn’t happen overnight. Whether it’s running your first 5K, hitting a 10K, or finishing a half marathon, break big goals into smaller steps. Once a year, sit down and write down some of your goals. Separate long term goals and short terms goals, training goals and life goals. Examples of goals:

• Improve my squat from 60 kg to 75 kg before the end of the year

• Spent less than 30 min per day on social media (more social media = less real recovery)

• Increase my mileage in the next 3 months from 70 km/w to 80km/w

• Increase the length of my longrun from 20K to 25K

• Do core exercises thrice a week for 10 min

• Eat junk food only once per month

• Bring my 5M temporun down to a pace of 6.40/M

  
  

Celebrate every milestone—each one is part of the entire process and a proof that you’re moving forward.

7.Fix Your Running Form

Bad running form can be a result of muscle weakness, or it can be a habit. In the best case, bad running form only slows you down. In the worst case, it leaves you injured.

The best way to go about this, is to work with a coach, and to ask her/him to analyse your form. Together you can come up with a plan to improve it. Some examples of what we often see:

• Posture: Many runners ‘sit down’ when running, which creates shorter and less bouncy strides. Sitting down is often a result of weak hamstrings. Go to the gym, and add some running drills, to work on this.

• Foot strike: Many runners try to get bigger strides by throwing their feet forward. They hit the ground in front of their centre of gravity, which actually slows them down. Apart from that, it can cause knee issues and shin splint. Try to land under your body.

• Shoulders and arms: Pulling up your shoulders when running does not work. The same counts for forcing your arm movement or keeping your hands in a hard fist. Try to keep your arms and shoulders relaxed at all time. Tension costs energy.

8.Fuel Your Body the Right Way

You can’t run well if you’re running on junk food. Even veggies only won’t do it. Your body needs enough and the right fuel. Pay attention to the following:

• Daily fuel: Make sure you eat enough, and focus on complex carbohydrates.

• Hydration: Dehydration = slower times and fatigue. Drink water throughout the day, not just before your run. Runners may need 3-5 litres of fluids per day, depending on the climate.

• Post-run recovery: Refill your glycogen stores with carbs within 30–60 minutes. Research shows that this is when the gates to our muscles / mitochondria are open and recovery is much quicker. Add some protein in the mix as well.

  
  

Elite runners know the truth. We runners don’t need a lot of special food. Most of the recovery bars and protein powders won’t help you much, if you make sure you eat healthy and enough. Lots of carbs (pasta, rice, potatoes, bread), enough veggies and fruits, and several protein intakes per day. This can be either plant proteins in the form of beans / lentils, or animal proteins in the form of milk or meat. Most of what we runners need can be bought at a local grocery store. Only when we train very hard, is when we may benefit from an extra supplement or protein shake. An exception, of course, is the fuel we take during a race. That’s when we need energy drinks and gels, because they provide quick energy and pass the stomach without causing any upsets.

9.Invest in the Right Gear

You don’t need fancy equipment to run, but one thing matters: shoes.

• Get fitted at a running store to find the right pair for your stride.

• Replace shoes every now and then (they lose cushioning).

• Comfortable clothing also make runs more enjoyable. Cotton shirts are from the 20^th century!

 10.Strengthen your mind

Most runners forget this part. They believe a strong mind is something you either have, or you don’t have. Or maybe they assume that training alone will strengthen their mind. But many elite performers know the truth: you have to train your mind, the way you train your body. Take time to work on it, and you will see the effect in races.

• Visualise: see yourself running the workout or race, prepare for different scenarios. Imagine dealing with setbacks, see yourself persevering and being successful.

• Meditation and relaxation: different exercises can help you to relax, while at the same time teaching you to be fully in the present. Being in the ‘now’ is a powerful thing, that can help you have greater focus during your runs.

• Constructive self-talk: use certain phrases to keep your mind positive and engaged. Shows it can improve performances with 20-39% !

Improving your running isn’t all about punishing yourself with endless miles or obsessing over pace. It’s first of all about being consistent with your training, having a good balance between training stimulus (stress) and recovery, and having joy in what you do.

When you train smart and with enough variation, and make sure you focus on recovery as well, the improvements come naturally—faster times, longer distances, and a smile at the finish line.

FAQs on Improving Running

Q1. How can beginners improve their running?Start with a mix of easy runs and walk-jog intervals. Gradually increase distance each week, focusing on consistency rather than speed. If you have a sitting job, make sure you add in some strength exercises as well.

Q2. What is the best way to avoid running injuries?First and foremost: build up training in a gradual way. Trying to train too fast and too long, too soon, leads to injuries. Secondly; wear proper shoes, do strength training, and prioritize recovery. Overtraining and a lack of sleep are major causes of running injuries.

Q3. How often should I run to see improvement?Most runners improve well with 3–4 runs per week. You can combine this with cross-training and/or strength work for more effect. Of course, once you are used to the load, you can carefully add more miles or increase the number of runs.

Q4. Should I run every day to get faster?No—your body needs recovery. Running every day without rest can lead to burnout and injuries. Rest days are part of training as well. Even most world class runners rest one day per week.

Q5. What foods help with running performance?Carbohydrates provide the best fuel. Proteins are also needed for recovery, as well as some essential fats. Hydration is essential as well. The idea that you can perform well on a diet without carbs, should be thrown in the dustbin.