Start training right

Regardless of your goal, starting out on a new challenge isn’t easy. Two women with very different goals share what they’ve discovered while training

Running like Paula Radcliffe might be the dream, but follow her training plan and you’ll likely fly off the back of your treadmill. Instead, learning from women who’ve actually been in your shoes is much more helpful. Enter, Cecilia, a new mum who’s taking on her maiden 5km, and Sophie, a challenge junkie, who has amassed thousands of Insta followers for her endurance expeditions. First off, you can’t out train a bad diet. Sorry. But positive nutrition can go a long way to helping you perform well. ‘If I’m planning on running, I’ve learnt to never skip breakfast,’ says Cecilia. Sophie, who’s training for a half marathon, also suggests keeping iron levels up to reduce fatigue. Fortified cereals, like Kellogg’s Special K Nourish, help towards your iron intake, but red meats, eggs, nuts and seeds are also great sources later in the day. ‘On race day, I have a protein bar and a gel right before for an extra boost,’ says Sophie. But prepping your body to be ready for the challenge is equally important. Covering long distances isn’t the only thing that’s important. ‘Interval training will help increase your endurance,’ adds Sophie. ‘Come race day, this will help you power across the finish line and smash your goals.’ Don’t forget to stretch either. You don’t want your months of hard work to be undone by a pulled hamstring in the first 100 metres of your race. After that, it’s mind over matter. ‘I hit a wall at 3.5k,’ admits Cecilia. ‘So I decided to see how I felt after another kilometre and, before I knew it, I was on the final stretch.’ It won’t be all plain sailing, but after all that tough prep, let the crowd cheer you on and enjoy your amazing achievement.