30 min Non-stop Running Habit In Just 30 days – Training Plan for Beginners

30 days to a 30 min running habit. Possible?

Well, of course!

Today, I’m sharing the plan that I’ve followed to get up to speed and form this habit.

30 days to a 30 min running habit – The Plan

Before you start off with the below running plan, understand that consistency is the key.

Also, talk with your physician, before you get in to this running plan. It may be a bit intense and if you have not run before, below I’ve recommended another plan.

For this plan, we will start as gently as possible and gradually build up the mins.

I’ve found that, if once I built the morning waking up habit, the rest became more consistent. (Twin bell alarm clocks and wake-up light alarm clocks are majorly responsible for my success. I genuinely couldn’t have achieved it without them)

So, if it is 30 days then it means you have 4 weeks to achieve this.

Every week you will run for 3 days and two days you can do some cross-training.

Week 1:

Day 1: Walk for 2 min/Run for 60 sec. Do this 5 times with 1 min break in-between

Day 2: Cross-training of your choice for 10-15 min

Day 3: Walk for 2 min/Run for 90 sec. Do this 5 times with 1 min break in-between

Day 4: Cross-training of your choice for 10-15 min

Day 5: Walk for 2 min/Run for 3 min. Do this 5 times with 1 min break in-between

Day 6: Rest

Day 7: Rest

Week 2

Day 1: Walk for 2 min/Run for 5 min. Do this 4 times with 1 min break in-between

Day 2: Cross-training of your choice for 20-25 min

Day 3: Walk for 2 min/Run for 6 min. Do this 4 times with 1 min break in-between

Day 4: Cross-training of your choice for 20-25 min

Day 5: Walk for 2 min/Run for 8 min. Do this 3 times with 1 min break in-between

Day 6: Rest

Day 7: Rest

Week 3

Day 1: Walk for 1 min/Run for 7 min. Do this 4 times with 1 min break in-between

Day 2: Cross-training of your choice for 30-35 min

Day 3: Walk for 1 min/Run for 8 min. Do this 3 times with 1 min break in-between

Day 4: Cross-training of your choice for 30-35 min

Day 5: Walk for 1 min/Run for 13 min. Do this 2 times with 1 min break in-between

Day 6: Rest

Day 7: Rest

Week 4

Day 1: Walk for 1 min/Run for 15 min. Do this 3 times with 30-sec break in-between

Day 2: Cross-training of your choice for 40-45 min

Day 3: Walk for 1 min/Run for 17 min. Do this 2 times with 30-sec break in-between

Day 4: Cross-training of your choice for 40-45 min

Day 5: Rest

Day 6: Rest

Day 7: Run for 24 min. Do this 1 time

Now we are at the end of 28 days (4 Weeks X 7 Days)

Week 5

Day 1: Cross-training of your choice for 40-45 min

Day 2: Run for 30 min. Do this 1 time

How to get in the habit of running every morning?

WARNING: Embrace yourself – It’s a long read

Morning is my favorite time to run. It’s calm, serene and you can just completely focus on your running.

Once you run in the morning you have already achieved your daily fitness target. No further time adjustment, shuffling meetings or sacrificing your family time.

If you start correct, you feel right the entire day.

Prerequisite

Before you can implement the below plan you would need:

• Twin bell alarm clocks or wake-up light alarm clocks. (Or, any alarm clock of your choice. They worked great for me)
• A place to keep the clock away but still in the audible range.

Related: 

101 best beginner running tips you should have known

Zero To Half-Marathon Training Plan For Beginners On Couch

However, the challenge here is to run every morning. Or rather how to get up early in the morning to go for your run.

And Oh boy! it is the toughest hurdle to cross…

I’ve always been a late riser, my entire life…I struggled every day to get up in the morning.

Some days I didn’t even hear the alarm. Other days I may not get my clothes and other gears on time.

And for me, excuses were abundant.

Then one day when the weighing scale pointer crossed a certain mark and my doc gave me a serious warning, I got a shock. I had to change and had to change immediately.

It was hellishly difficult to get up initially but gradually it got easier.

How?

All I had to do is get a little disciplined and make some lifestyle changes.

Related: Running at 4 am in the Morning: 11 SECRET Habit-Forming Tips

The keystone habit that I developed was to sleep on time.

Your body in general needs a sleep of 6-7 hrs.

So if you plan to go for your run at 5 AM, you need to be in bed by 10 PM.

But you are not a machine, that once you press the button its turned off. You may not be habituated to sleep so early.

Sleeping on time also needs some effort initially. Your body’s clock needs to get adjusted first to your new routine.

Some tips to be in bed on time

• Avoid your afternoon siesta.
• Don’t drink too much black coffee in the evening.
• Don’t eat late, latest by 6 PM.
• Preferably eat a light meal.
• Try having a warm bath before bed, it helps in getting a good night sleep.
• Even better if you can add some essential oil in your evening bathing ritual.
• Don’t spend time on your gadgets before sleep. Shut them off, an hour before your sleep.
• Avoid sitting up late watching your favorite show.

Even with all these changes its possible that you are wide awake in your bed.

Why?

Your body has an internal clock.

If previously your bedtime is set for 11 PM, you may find it difficult to sleep at 9 PM.

What to do?

Your body needs to reset its clock and it may not happen overnight. Practice sleeping 15-30 min early each day until you reach your desired time. It may take a couple of weeks or a little longer to get used to the new plan. But eventually, this will happen.

On the bright side of this is when you push yourself to sleep early, your rest of the day will start to fall in place. You will push yourself to wake up early and you will be way more organized with your time.

You can follow the same regime, sleep 15-30 min early and wake up 15-30 min early.

Set up your alarm clock before going to bed and keep it away from your reach. This will force you to get out of bed.

When I implemented this, I got one of those twin bell alarm clocks and kept it in the common bathroom. I literally remember sprinting to the bathroom one morning to shut it off so that no one else gets up.

By the end of that sprinting, it was well awake…and that day somehow my body registered that I’ve to get up in the morning and the daily struggle became way less.

You may also use those wake-up light alarm clocks. I later switched to them once I got used to getting up in the morning. I never liked that jolted feeling in the morning that my dependable twin bell used to give me. But initially, it was very effective. So when I was ready I switched to this gentler clock.

PRO TIP: Never place the alarm very close to you. It’s very comfortable to just snooze it off and your morning running habit will fly out of the window. You should keep it at a distance from where it is well audible.

Once you are up, after all these efforts you would really not want to waste any time to get out of your door. For that, you should keep your running sportswear ready the previous night.

Trust me, it not only saves your time but also will help you to get into the running habit easier and faster.

Believe me, even with such a solid plan you can still catch yourself giving 101 excuses for staying in bed.

Some excuses could be as silly as I am late by 10 min I cannot achieve my target today, so let’s not waste my time and sleep off. (Guilty as charged :P)

Or, I have a long day planned today, it can get very stressful. I need extra sleep today. (Again guilty :D)

So, how to keep yourself motivated?

Initially, going out for a run in the morning is more of a mind game. You need to literally tell your mind to be out for running.

Related: Running Brain Training: 7 Super Effective Ways to Develop Mental Toughness

Here are some effective tips to trick your mind:

• You can write the target run for the day and paste it in the mirror.
• Try reading it while you are brushing.
• Read it 2-3 times unless you have told your brain to do it.
• Another way is the calendar method.
• You can cross the days when you have not worked out.
• Tick the days where you have run or done strength training or yoga or any other activity.
• You do not want to break the streak.
• Treat yourself when you achieve your personal streak record.

The best way which worked out most for me is to run with a buddy. This really kept me motivated.

It’s not that you are competing with your buddy, but at the same time, you do not want to left out.

How to break bad running habits?

Oh great!

You are finally running. The inner joy is beyond limit once you accomplish it.

But are you doing in the right way?

When you start running, you develop your own running regime and pattern.

You and your friend may have different stamina levels.

Hence it is obvious that both of you will have a different running pattern.

You can increase your endurance over a period of time, but you may still be making common mistakes?

Related:

How To Improve Running Stamina In Under 2 Weeks?

Skinny But Slow Runner? How to become faster?

Some of them can be listed as below:

Running empty stomach

Tell me honestly, do you eat before your morning run?

Do you know it is important?

So many of the runners especially the new runners are always in a hurry to run.

No sooner than they are awake, they intend to head out.

This is correct, but stepping without a small snack is not the best way.

But the most important question is – Is Running Right After Eating Bad?

Find out for yourself…

Imagine this – If you have take the above approach to sleep early then you would have eaten the previous evening. If you now plan for a 45-60 min run, the gap between your meals will be 8-10 hrs.

And this is a huge gap.

Running for long, makes your body enter the glycogen depletion state and your body starts using the stored fat.

True, it helps in weight loss, but you may also face serious conditions like fatigue and dizziness.

How to tackle this?

Easy…

Opt for a small portion of the snack.

Some healthy options could be

• A banana
• A  small apple
• Handful of nuts
• Cereals
• Cracker with natural peanut butter

The idea is not to make your tummy overloaded, at the same time you are not running an empty stomach.

Skipping the warm-up

Warm-ups are as important as the workout. Be it running or HIIT, you need to make your muscles awake. If you are planning to run in the morning it is even more mandatory.

In the morning, your body has the lowest temperature. This makes your muscles and joints stiffer. So even if you are fully awake, your muscles may still be sleeping.

You are more prone to a muscle pull or other injuries when you are working out with stiff muscles.

A light warm-up and stretching are required to reduce the stiffness making them more flexible.

Warm-ups dilate the blood vessels. The blood vessel then carries more oxygen to the muscles and increases body temperature.

A sample warm-up plan could be:

• Opposite toe touch –  each toe 5 counts
• Jumping jack – 10 counts
• Lunges – 10-20 counts
• Squats – 10-20 counts
• Push-ups –  10-20 counts
• Shoulder rotations
• Neck rotation
• Waist rotation

It’s ok to run 10 min less, but not at the cost of warm-ups if you want to avoid injuries.

Related: How to avoid running overuse injuries?

Also, you must start slow and gradually build up your speed.

Start with a few minutes of a brisk walk or light jog and then increase your speed.

This is the right way to increase your heart rate.

Insufficient fluid intake

Most mornings when you get up your body shows the signs of dehydration.

You have dry mouth and throat, chapped lips, don’t want to speak much.

It is quite evident that overnight your body has consumed more fluid.

There could be several reasons for overnight dehydration:

• Losing out more fluid while breathing, especially if you sleep with mouth open or snore
• You experience night sweat
• Your bedroom is too warm
• You have a lower level of estrogen
• You have worked out late evening
• You had a late and heavy dinner

There could be any reason, you need to hydrate yourself once you are up.

If you are planning to go for a morning run, this becomes double important.

It is best to start your day with a tall glass of water.

And it is equally essential to carry your water bottle while you step out.

Best is to keep your water bottle ready in the night and keep with your running clothes.

While you are out on your run, keep sipping some water in between.

By this, I don’t really mean to drink a full glass.

Dehydration affects you physically and your performance is also hit.

Some common signs of dehydration are:

• Excessive sweating
• Dizziness
• Increased thirst
• Weakness

With the sweat, you are also losing the essential body salt.

Under these conditions water intake is insufficient.

You must try to include some electrolyte based drink during or post-run.

Another option is coconut water.

It quenches your thirst and is loaded with nutrients.

Overlooking Post-run recovery

Running just not ends when you reach your destination.

The more you run, the more recovery is needed by your body.

A good and safe workout is the one where you start slow, gradually increase your heart rate.

You are working out at a higher intensity for a period of time and then slowly cool down.

You should never stop abruptly.

Try to reduce your pace and then continue to work out at a slower pace for 5-10 min.

This will regulate your breathing and heart rate coming back to normal.

When you are running at a pace of 7 mi/hr you are causing a lot of stress on your lower body muscle.

This may bring about the tightening of muscle and soreness.

How to overcome this?

Here are some stretches to make your muscles relax post-run.

• Hamstring stretch
• Quad stretch
• Calf stretch
• Thigh stretch
• ITB stretch
• Low lunge stretch
• Butterfly stretch
• Hip and back stretch
• Buttock stretch
• Arms and abs stretch
• Tricep stretch

Never rush through the stretching.

When you are stretching, hold the stretch for 30 secs. This is required for your muscles to become relaxed. 

Also, after you complete your workout, you must eat within 30 mins.

Your body has burned a lot of calories and needs to be fueled. 

The post-run recovery meal should have 4:1 carbs to protein ratio.

You must include complex carbohydrates and avoid refined sugar as much as possible.

Fish, lean meat, eggs, greek yogurt, and beans are good sources of protein.

You must also include fruits and vegetables rich in Vitamin C and antioxidants.

As Indians, in our kitchen, nothing is complete without Turmeric. And, there is so much science behind it. 

Try to fit turmeric in your diet as it has numerous health benefits besides reducing muscle inflammation.

Most important is to take a few sips of electrolyte water to replenish mineral losses.

Not to mention, your fluid intake should be sufficient all through the day.

With all this, take adequate rest and a nice good night’s sleep.

This is very important for your next day’s run.

Incorrect running form

It is not really an incorrect running form.

As everyone initially runs with his/her own natural running form or pattern.

Their body language is also natural.

So there is a possibility that unknowingly you are making certain mistakes.

Your running performance can suffer and you may also expose yourself to injury.

These mistakes are common in new runners.

Too fast, too soon

This is the most common problem with the new runners.

Even I have done it during my initial days of running.

It does feel good to run a good distance but give then again your body needs some time to do that.

Starting with excessive running may cause shin splint, Runner’s knee or ITB syndrome.

If you are a new runner, you should take your runner journey one step at a time.

First, start with walking and then gradually to running.

You should not increase your mileage by 10% in a week. Also, at this point, it makes sense to strengthen your hips.

This will make the most difference in your running.

Related: Hip Flexors Strengthening For Runners

Overstriding

This is also a common mistake that many beginners are guilty of.

You may feel taking bigger strides will make you cover more distance.

This is not true on the contrary it makes you slow.

When you take bigger strides, you are landing on your heels.

As a result, your foot is in front of your hip.

For you to move fast, your hip should land on your foot and this will propel your body forward.

You should take smaller strides as close as your body to land on your toes or mid-foot.

This will increase your cadence and speed.

Breathing pattern

For your day to day activity, shallow breaths will suffice.

When you are running or performing the intense workout, your muscles are working hard.

You need more oxygen to reach your muscles.

Related: 8 Essential Breathing Tips for New Runners

You should practice taking deep breaths from your diaphragm or belly.

Use both mouth and nose for inhaling while you are running.

Breathing from the mouth will help you take more oxygen.

You should exhale from your mouth and practice to exhale completely.

In this way, you are flushing out the carbon dioxide completely.

If you are a beginner, try to run at a conversational pace.

You must slow down your pace or get into walking if you run out of breath.

Incorrect Posture

A good posture gives better performance.

What is the correct posture for running?

• You must run with the spine straight and tight core.
• This gives better stability and balance.
• Your shoulders should be relaxed.
• Your arms should neither be side by side nor locked at your chest.
• You should keep your hands and at your waist and at 90 deg at the elbow.
• You should not lean forward too much, especially if you are running downhill.
• Your face and chin should be parallel to the ground.

Not preparing for the run

Doing your homework before the run is very important – especially if you plan to run early morning.

Why?

In the morning every minute counts.

It is good to keep all your running gear ready before going to the bed.

You need not have to waste time looking for your running clothes and other stuff.

Apart from that, running in the morning is quite tricky.

You must be aware of the climate and select your clothes accordingly.

You must take out some time and check the routes beforehand.

It is not really safe to run in unknown routes.

Always carry your water bottle and some energy bar with you.

Best is to keep them ready the night before.

Plan for your pre and post-run meals in advance.

Not to mention, you must keep your phone charged and never leave it at home.

They may sound very trivial at the moments but they take a lot of your time.

You make so much effort to get up for a morning run and I am sure you definitely do not want to waste your time.

Lack of safety

Your safety is your utmost priority and you must never compromise on it.

If you are running very early in the morning or later in the night you have to extra cautious.

Related: Best Personal Safety Devices For Women Runners

Wearing the wrong shoes

Shoes are the most essential running gear.

They carry you along so you must select them wisely.

The selection of shoes is a big task.

It depends on various factors like pronation type, foot arch, running surface, etc.

Related: Best Budget Running Shoes for Beginners

Pronation type being the most important factor to decide.

A neutral gait is considered the most optimum running gait.

In case if you are overpronated or under-pronated and you continue to wear neutral shoes, this will not help you.

Overpronation may cause problems like shin splint or knee pain.

Under-pronation may cause ankle pain.

So if you are overpronated and you are wearing shoes designed for under-pronation, this will worsen your problem.

The shoes may cause your foot to roll inwards more.

You are at a greater risk of injury.

The vice versa is also true.

Another issue is if you do not select the shoes depending on the surface.

The harder surface has more impact on your feet than the softer surface.

Hence the shoes designed to run on surfaces like concrete or asphalt will have more cushion than the shoes for trail running.

Here if you are using shoes with more cushion for trail running it does not really matter.

But if you do the reverse,  your feet have to pay the cost of it.

So whenever you buy a new pair of shoes, select the parameters and then go for it.

It is advisable to keep more than one pair of shoes and never wear the same shoes for days at a stretch.

Continue to use worn-out shoes

This is yet another mistake that many of us make.

We continue wearing the shoes even if it is worn out.

Sometimes it could be a little heavy on the pocket, other time you are just negligent and lazy.

You are more prone to aches and injuries if you continue to use old shoes.

When to change your shoes?

It is normally said you must change your shoes after running 300-400 miles.

Of course, this also depends on various other factors like your body weight, the running surface, and your running style.

Let’s say your body weight is towards the heavier side then you may have to change your shoes closer to 300 miles than the leaner ones.

Never knew bodyweight could be heavy on your pocket too 🙁

The running shoes come with cushions which help is shock absorption.

With more usages, the shock absorption is reduced.

If you continue to use shoes with poor shock absorption, more is the stress on your muscles, bones, ligaments and soft tissues,

This may also cause severe pain on the joints – especially in your knees.

Moreover, if you are running on rough surfaces like asphalt or concrete, the chances of wear and tear are more as compared to running on the treadmill.

Your shoes sometimes reflect the signs for replacement.

With usage, the front of the shoes may look damaged, if you are overpronated.

The sides of the shoes will be damaged if you are under-pronated.

 Running immediately after eating a full meal

 Some of you may feel, it is good to run after a meal as this would make the digestion faster.

This is not true and on the contrary, it would make running even more difficult.

When you are running, the blood flows to your muscles to transport the oxygen.

After a meal, there is more amount of blood flowing through your digestive system, for the proper digestion of food.

Now, if you plan to run after a meal, your body will get confused about the blood flow.

You may suffer from gastrointestinal discomfort.

How to plan for your meal and workout?

For a moderate running, up to (60 min) eating a balanced meal 3-4 hrs should work.

Your muscles would stock the required amount of glycogen to sustain for a 60 min workout.

30-60 min prior to workout, you can opt to munch a banana or a handful of nuts.

Well, if you are planning to go for a longer run, around 2-3 hrs, they yes you may re-fuel.

Your glycogen level may not be able to sustain for a longer run and may get depleted.

You can carry some electrolyte drink or energy bar or energy gel on the go.

Related: Are Running Gels Bad For You? 

Not listening to your body

The young runners are always passionate about running.

They are eager to lock maximum mileage as possible.

They tend to ignore the signs given by their bodies.

This is the most common mistake that you make.

You are the best judge of your body and it is you who can feel the strain and the stress.

Running is good, but if you overexert you are taking a huge risk.

If you are running 6 days a week and your body needs an additional rest day, it’s ok.

Your body may give you signs of exhaustion and fatigue.

If at all you are running and suddenly you feel fatigued, it’s better to stop.

If you are pushing yourself too hard, you may be taking a big risk.

When your body demands rest, it is good to reward it.

Another scenario is when you are running twice a day.

Running twice is a great practice, but you should give your body an optimum recovery period.

Without proper recovery, if you are running a second spell you are inviting more harm than benefit.

Alternatively, you can split a single long run into two smaller runs.

Copying your buddy

Another common mistake is done by newbies.

This is mostly seen when you are new to the field and your buddy is a veteran runner.

Obviously, you cannot match his/her capacity.

There is no benchmark to compare the both of you.

Your partner may be a conditioned runner, may have better stamina.

It’s good to get inspired by your partner but copying is the least you should do.

How to create good running habits?

Well, implement the below changes:

Gait analysis

If you are new to running, it is recommended that you go for gait analysis.

Although this is not compulsory, it is a good practice.

This is a small procedure and very commonly held out at sports outlets.

It takes not more than 15 min.

Related: 

What Is Running Gait? How Can You Improve It?

How to choose running shoes to improve your gait?

You are made to run on a treadmill wearing neutral shoes.

Your running pattern will be recorded.

The running experts will analyze your running pattern and recommend the most optimum shoes.

The gait analysis tells you if you are overpronated or under- pronated or neutral runner.

In case if you are overpronated or under-pronated, it is best to use the shoes prescribed to you.

Overpronation – This is the condition when your foot rolls inwards as you land on the ground.

Under-pronation–  This is the condition when your foot rolls outward.

Neutral –  This is the condition when your foot rolls inward in a controlled manner.

Having neutral gait is considered to be the best.

However, more than 70% of the runners are mostly overpronated.

Overpronation may lead to shin splint or knee pain.

Under-pronation may lead to ankle pain.

If you continue to wear the wrong shoes, this will expose you to more injuries and aches.

Apart from this, gait analysis also tells you about your running form.

The right posture and form are equally important for running.

You may be making these mistakes unknowingly, but it is good to get it analyzed and work upon them.

You should go for gait analysis early in your running.

This will help you make the required changes for the more efficient running outcome.

Good diet plan

Ah!

This is my favorite part of the post and I can go for long on this.

Well, it’s because of my own experience.

Working on my diet helped me tremendously while I was on my weight loss spree.

And that’s why I strongly recommend having a balanced diet.

You need to eat well for running long.

Before heading out, its good to have a small snack to support your run.

Related: How To Increase Running Stamina By Food?

At the same time, you need to be careful that you are not over-stuffing.

This is mostly after a long run.

You are mostly starving and crave for a nice meal.

A good idea is to keep your post-run meal ready before you go out.

Else it mostly happens that you are extremely hungry and the hunger pang will make you binge on a  bag of chips.

You realize much later the stupidity you just did!

 Pre-run meal 

It is good to have a small portion on snack 30-45 min before you go out for a run.

This is extremely important if you plan to go out for a run early in the morning.

You can opt from the below options

• 1 banana
• Half apple
• 1-2 hard-boiled egg
• A handful of nuts and seeds
• A small bowl of oatmeal
• A small quantity of black coffee

Post-run meal

This is the most important part of your diet.

You must overcome your craving and settle for a healthy balanced meal.

Your post-run meal should help you in faster recovery.

Here’s what you can include

• The ground rule is to consume protein and carbohydrates in the ration 1:3.
• Milk, yogurts, lean meat, eggs, legumes, beans, and sprouts are great sources of protein.
• You must eat complex carbohydrates like whole wheat, brown rice, buckwheat, oats.
• Avoid simple carbohydrates in the form of sugar as much as possible.
• Vitamin C enriched fruits and vegetables help in faster recovery and also burn more fat while exercising.
• Try to eat the fruits and vegetables with the skin as much as possible. This increases fiber intake.
• When you are running, you lose a lot of antioxidants. Berries, dark chocolate, green tea, beetroot etc are rich in antioxidants.
• Magnesium-rich food is extremely helpful in reducing soreness. Magnesium relaxes the muscle and brings down inflammation. Cabbage, green peas, broccoli, banana, raspberries, spinach, and kale are rich in magnesium.
• Banana – This wonder food needs a special mention. Bananas are delicious and packed with nutrients. The best part about banana is you can enjoy it at any point in the day. It is a convenient carry-along snack. It helps in instant energy booster and also in post-run recovery. It makes you full and decreases your cravings. The GI of banana is between 50-100, hence if you eat a banana when you have a sweet tooth it will not shoot your sugar level. So just go bananas!!

Resistance training

Great that you are running well!!

But, is your body really in a condition to sustain your running?

How can your body support your running?

Running alone is not sufficient for you.

To run better and longer and to continue running for years, you need to improve or tone your body.

This is where Resistance training or strength training fits into your regime.

Related: Is Resistance Training Required With Running?

The benefits of resistance training are not just for the runners but for anyone.

• Improves your stamina
• Increases muscle strength
• Increases bone density
• Better muscle flexibility
• Corrects postures
• Good weight management
• Protection from numerous ailments
• Peps up the mood

As a runner, you can get benefitted from these and see a significant improvement in your performance.

You may be thinking Resistance training to be a complex training program or need to go to a specialized gym, hire a trainer etc.

But it is as easy as working against your own weight!!

The term resistance training refers to working out against a resistant force.

This resistant force can be anything

• Bodyweight
• Gravitational weight
• Dumbbell or kettlebell
• Resistance band
• Weight bars
• Complex exercise machine
• Some poses of yoga are an excellent example of resistance training

Resistance training is so versatile that you can easily do at your home.

The best practice may require 2-3 days of resistance training for 30-60 min in a week.

If you are running in the morning then the afternoon is the best time for resistance training.

Make it a part of your exercise routine and you will definitely see the difference over a period of time.

Improving your performance

You must be happy that you did all that it takes to be a better rather professional runner.

A good diet plan, resistance training, working on your form, etc…

Great!!!

So what’s next?

Do you need to stagnate where you stand?

By this I mean let’s say that if you are running at 9 min a mile will you be doing the same always?

Not a very nice idea.

 You must inculcate the habit of improvising your skill.

So, if your best pace is 9 min a mile, work towards getting an 8 min a mile run.

Of course, this cannot happen overnight.

You need to work on your cadence and strategy for better performance.

The number of steps that you are taking in a min is your cadence.

How to find your cadence?

Count the number of times your right foot lands on the ground in a min.

Multiply it by 2.

So, if your right foot strikes the ground 80 times in a min, your cadence is 160 steps /min.

The gradual increase in cadence is one of the most commonly used techniques for improving your pace.

So, if your pace is 160 spm.

Take a 20-sec interval where you increase your cadence by 5%(168 spm)

Repeat this 3-4 times a week.

Now if you are comfortable, increase the time interval to 30 sec and run with 168 spm.

Continue doing this till you are comfortable running at 168 spm for 1 min.

Now, again increase the cadence by 5% and repeat the same steps.

This surely will improve your pace and hence performance.

Apart from improving your pace, you can also change your technique.

If you mostly run positive splits or even splits, try negative splits.

This sure is a winning strategy. 

References:

https://www.verywellfit.com/essential-post-run-stretches-2911936

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/how-to-stretch-after-a-run/

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