What small changes have really improved your running?
The important changes relate to flexibility, prioritisation and the timing of my training. Flexibility meant reacting to circumstances on a day-to-day basis, as well as adapting during a workout, if necessary. I became more willing to take an extra rest or easy day if I felt a niggle, or I would substitute running for a cross-training session, or change my interval session to grass rather than running on the track. During a workout, if I had an injury concern, I would change the session from a speed workout to longer, slower intervals. I also dropped sprints at the end of sessions if they became too much of a risk to a consistent schedule. And I reduced the number of road miles I ran, but increased my offroad mileage.
Prioritising was also crucial, not only to reduce injury but also to fit in sessions around a busy life. This meant ensuring the key training elements for the event
I was preparing for were done, while occasionally I’d leave out other training units. For example, I sometimes dropped a long run or my strength work if it meant I was able to keep my track sessions at the required level when I was focusing on track racing.
In terms of timing, I started working off an eight-to-10-day training cycle rather than a week. This allowed me to feel fresh for important workouts and it meant they weren’t affected by being too close to longer runs or conditioning work.