1) Setting unattainable goals
Whether you are training for your first race or chasing down a PR, choose a training plan that is realistic to get through. Don’t increase your mileage or pace drastically. Give yourself the ability to tweak the plan as you go to make each week possible.
2) Missing key workouts
Illness and injury are one thing, but life often gets in the way of running. There will be missed runs, but it is imperative that you don’t skimp on key runs. Whether it’s bailing on your weekend long run in favor of sleeping in or skipping your speed work because the DVR is filling up, it is easy to find excuses.
However, both your body and mind will thank you on race day for giving you the physical ability and confidence to run a great race.
3) Unbalanced eating
It can be tempting to fall off the nutrition bandwagon when burning extra calories during training, but it will pay off to steer your dietary choices in a healthy direction. Recovery will be quicker, training will be easier, and you will know you left nothing to chance on race day.
4) Not getting enough rest
Both quality sleep and rest days are important for performance. Countless studies have shown that getting enough shut eye contributes to more speed and faster recovery in athletes.
It can be hard to squeeze in enough sleep with a busy training schedule, but make it just as much of a priority as running. Also, give your body proper rest days. This can vary widely by ability and age, but down time can often contribute to better performance.
