Smash Your Running Goals

Meet Alex Hill, or better known on Instagram as @themanwhohatesrunning. Alex is one of our FGS Strivers. He shares with us how he found his love for running and his top tips to smash your running goals this year.

My grandma and father-in-law both suffer from Dementia, so I wanted to raise some money for Alzheimer's Society. I found the 10k Richmond Runfest at Kew Gardens in September 2017 and started training in June. The plan was never to continue running after the event but having worked near the river and after completing the race, I caught the running bug and escaped on my lunch breaks and head down to the Thames. Fast forward two and a half years, I have completed numerous races and achieved PBs I never thought would be possible and running has definitely become a big part of my life!

If you want to ensure you are making progress and your hitting goals, it is imperative to make sure you get the workouts in. Whether you have your own training plan or are using running apps, it is essential to have a plan in place. This will show you how far you’ve progressed and what you have coming up. Apps like Strava, MapMyRun and Runkeeper track your runs and also offer training programs like ‘Couch to 5k’ & ‘5k to 10k’.

Sometimes music is what you need to keep you going when the going gets tough!

If you're with lacking motivation, why not join a friend on a run to keep you company. If not a friend, join a local running group! This can be great way to meet like-minded people and help you up your game!

Mix up your sessions and incorporate some cross training to keep it interesting. This could be cycling, swimming or even strength training. This will be a great addition to your training and be sure to up your fitness levels.

 My goals for 2020 are sub 19 minutes for 5k, sub 90 minutes for a half marathon and hopefully more pacing opportunities.

 

If you want to follow Alex on his 2020 running journey, follow him @themanwhohaterunning!