I'm sure you've heard the advice: If you want to get better at something, do more of it. Want to become a better cook? Cook more. Want to get better at maths? Do more maths problems. Want to become a better runner? Run more.
At first glance, that sounds like pretty solid advice.And honestly, there is some truth to it. You can't become a better runner without running. You need practice. You need exposure to the sport. You need to give your body a reason to adapt.But there's a problem with the idea that more automatically means better.
Because it doesn't.If you've only ever boiled an egg, you probably wouldn't decide that your next step in becoming a better cook is attempting a fifteen-step recipe with ingredients you've never heard of. You'd learn the basics first.You'd learn how to chop. How to season. How to work with heat. How different ingredients behave and interact with each other. Then, once you've built some confidence, you'd start tackling more complicated recipes.
Math works the same way. We don't walk into first grade and start solving complex algebra equations. We learn to count. We learn addition and subtraction. We build one skill on top of another.
Running is no different. Running is a skill. It needs to be practised. But unlike many skills, running also places repeated physical stress on your muscles, tendons, bones and connective tissue. Your body needs time to adapt to that stress.
So if you're trying to become a better runner, simply running more isn't always the answer. And jumping straight into complicated workouts isn't either. In fact, doing too much too soon can be a pretty effective way to end up injured, exhausted, or completely burnt out.
So what should you do instead? Build a foundation.And that starts with two things: Consistency and mastering the basics.
When runners hear the word consistency, they often picture a perfect training calendar. Every run completed. Every workout hit. Mileage increasing every week. Never missing a session. And if something goes wrong? Make up the missed workout.
Add an extra run. Try to squeeze more out of the week. But that's not consistency. That's perfectionism wearing running shoes.
Real consistency isn't about never missing a run. It's not about making every workout count. And it certainly isn't about constantly doing more. Real consistency is repeatedly making decisions that support your long-term development. Sometimes that means showing up when you have 100% to give. Sometimes it means showing up when you only have 40%. And sometimes consistency means making the smart decision to rest because your body has had enough.
That's an important distinction. Because the goal isn't to become really good at doing a lot. The goal is to become really good at doing the right things, repeatedly. And that's where the basics come in.
Every skill has foundations. Before you can build something complicated, you need something solid underneath it.
Think about a house. You can spend all the money in the world on beautiful furniture, fancy lighting and an incredible kitchen. But if the foundation is unstable, none of it matters very much.
Running is similar. You can have the most advanced training plan, the fanciest running watch, and the most impressive interval sessions on your calendar. But if you aren't consistently doing the fundamentals, you're building your running on shaky ground.
The basics aren't the things you do until you become advanced. They're the things you continue doing because you're advanced. So what are those basics?
Consistency doesn't happen by accident. You need to make the decision to train and then create an environment that makes following through easier.
My mantra is: Proper planning minimises poor performance.Look at your week. When can you realistically run? If early mornings work for you, great. If mornings make you miserable and you're much more likely to run after work or school, do that instead.
The best training time isn't necessarily the one that looks best on someone else's schedule. It's the one that fits into your life well enough that you can repeat it.
Remove as much friction as you can. Put your shoes where you'll see them. Schedule your training. Know when you're running before the day gets busy. Don't rely on motivation to make every decision for you. Make the decision beforehand and when the time comes, don’t think and negotiate with yourself “start tomorrow”. Show up.
One of the simplest—and most commonly ignored—principles in running is this: Easy days should actually be easy.
It's incredibly tempting to turn every run into a test. You feel good, so you speed up. You see someone ahead of you (or pass you), so you chase them.
Your watch tells you you're running slower than last week's average. Or you see someone run faster. So, you push harder. Before you know it, your easy run has become another hard session. And now you're stacking stress on top of stress.Your easy runs have a purpose. They help you develop your aerobic system and accumulate training without creating the same level of fatigue as a hard workout.Your harder sessions have a purpose too. They expose your body to faster running and teach you how to handle higher intensities.
Let each run have a purpose. You don't need every run to prove that you're fit.
Here's something I wish more runners understood: Rest isn't what happens when you're not training. Rest is part of your training.
Training creates stress. Recovery gives your body the opportunity to respond to that stress and adapt. That's how you get stronger. That's how you become fitter. That's how you become capable of handling more training in the future.So yes, have rest days. Not just when you've "earned" them. Not just when you're too exhausted to run. Purposeful recovery should already have a place in your training plan.
Sometimes the most consistent thing you can do is to pre-schedule day 1 or 2 days every week when you put your running shoes away.
Running is the sport. But running shouldn't be the only thing you do to prepare your body for running. You don't need an intimidating gym routine to start building strength. You don't even need weights. Your bodyweight can be an excellent place to begin.Squats. Lunges. Push-ups. Core exercises. Basic plyometrics. Isometric holds. Keep it simple. KISS it. Keep it simple, sunshine.
The goal isn't to create the most complicated strength programme possible. The goal is to build a body that can handle the demands you're placing on it. And as you become stronger, you can progress. Add resistance. Change the tempo. Increase the reps. Introduce more complex movements.
There are almost endless ways to progress. But you don't need all of them on day one. Build the base first. Start with the basic movements.
Let's clear something up. There isn't one perfect running form that every runner needs to copy. Your body is different from mine. Your proportions are different. Your mobility is different. Your running history is different. So your running mechanics will naturally look different too. That doesn't mean we can't improve how efficiently we move. But when you're first building the habit of running, you don't need to become obsessed with making every part of your stride look perfect.Instead, become aware of how you move. Practise basic drills. High knees. Butt kicks. A-skips. Single-leg hops. Use them to develop coordination, rhythm and body awareness.
You don't need perfect form. You need to develop movement that feels controlled, repeatable and appropriate for your body.
So let's bring all of this together. Real consistency doesn't necessarily look impressive from the outside. It might look something like this:
Instead of racing every run. Real consistency means running easy days easy. Instead of adding more mileage whenever you feel good, follow a sensible progression. Instead of skipping strenght because you'd rather run, complete your strength session. Instead of training through exhaustion, take a rest day. Instead of panicking after one missed session, simply returning to the plan. Resume, don’t restart. Instead of constantly changing your training, give your plan enough time to work. Chasing advanced workouts, master the fundamentals.
Notice something? None of that sounds particularly exciting. And that's kind of the point.
Here's one example of what a foundation-focused training week might look like:
Monday: Quality run _ technique drills.
Tuesday: Strength + mobility.
Wednesday: Easy run OR cross training
Thursday: Strength + mobility
Friday: Reast OR cross-training
Saturday: Easy run OR local 5km Parkrun (wink wink)
Sunday: Complete rest day.
Your week might look completely different depending on your experience, goals, schedule and training history. The point isn't to copy this exact week. The point is to see that hard training, easy training, strength and recovery can all have a place in a consistent training routine.
Building a routine that works for you might feel repetitive. Sometimes it might even feel boring. Especially when you're surrounded by runners sharing their PBs, massive mileage weeks, brutal workouts and advanced training methods online.
You'll be tempted to think: "Maybe I need to do more.", "Maybe this isn't working.", "Maybe I need a harder programme.", "Maybe I should try what they're doing.”. But progress doesn't always announce itself immediately. Sometimes you're doing the right things long before you can see the results. That's where patience comes in.
You have to trust the process long enough for the process to actually work. Don't change the plan because you had one bad run. Don't throw away months of consistent training because you didn't see a new PB this week. Don't add more simply because more feels like progress. Give your body time to adapt. The fundamentals aren't boring because they're ineffective. They're repetitive because they work. And sometimes the most advanced thing you can do is: keep doing the basics well.
Before you add more mileage, another hard workout, a more complicated training method or your next big goal, ask yourself: Am I consistently doing the basics well? Am I running my easy runs easy? Am I strength training? Am I recovering properly? Am I following a sensible plan? Am I patient enough to let adaptation happen? Am I returning after setbacks instead of starting over?
If the answer to some of those questions is no, that's okay. You don't need to be perfect. You just need to know where your foundation needs some work. Because becoming a better runner isn't always about finding the next advanced strategy. Sometimes it's about getting really, really good at the simple things. Master the basics. Build the runner. Then chase the results.
If you're realising that your running doesn't necessarily need something more advanced—it might just need a stronger foundation—I'd love to help. Run Better Coaching programs are designed to meet you where you are and help you build the habits, strength, running skills and training understanding you need to become a more consistent, confident runner. You don't need to do everything. You need to learn how to do the right things well—and keep showing up for them. Train smart. Run strong. Show up with confidence.