With the weekend right around the corner, I wanted to pass on my three tips for getting the most out of your weekend run. To preface the three tips, my weekend run/s is/are usually long runs with a focus on time-on-feet – but that’s not to say these tips don’t carry over to any run.

  1. Warm-up and Cool-down (WU and CD) // Nothing ground-breaking here, but how many of you get up on a Saturday morning and head down to your local parkrun, jump out of the car and belt out a quick 5km, before heading straight across the street for a coffee? More than a few of you I’m guessing. A WU/CD doesn’t need to be anything fancy – just 10-15mins of light jogging for a runner is usually enough to help the body make the switch from “running the body systems” to “running”. If you’re doing a long-run it’s even easier as the WU and CD can just be 15mins of gradually increasing pace until you reach your long run pace. For the record – static stretching IS NOT an adequate WU!
  2. Help your body recover // The weekend usually brings with it a little more time. Use it to your running advantage by making recovery a focus – spend some time with the foam roller, get a massage, cook some wholesome meals for the rest of the week. A weekend of active recovery doesn’t make up for a working week of crap, but it’s a step in the right direction. After your weekend run is also the perfect time to do a body checklist – how is your body feeling? what feels good? what hurts or is tired? Take note of this and consider it when planning for the week ahead.
  3. Enjoy it // This can mean whatever it needs to – run with friends, run somewhere new, take some time out mid-run to appreciate your surroundings. The weekend run is the time when I work out the stresses of the preceding week – it shouldn’t be stressful or a chore. Take some time to ‘stop and smell the roses’ as they say.

How do you get the most out of your running weekend?

See you out there – Juddy