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Run With Caroline | Fitter, stronger, faster

  • New? Start here!
  • About me
    • Contact me
    • Work with me
    • Privacy Policy
  • Run with me
  • Running
    • Running motivation
    • Beginner running
    • 5k running
    • 10k running
    • Half marathon running
    • Gear and equipment
    • Recovery
    • Running form
    • Speed training
    • Warm up and cool down
  • Strength training
  • Injury prevention
  • Food and nutrition
  • Mental health and wellbeing

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A Christmas gift guide for runners
November 7, 2019December 21, 2019Equipment, Running gear, Technology

It’s that time of year again – the festive season is upon us! If you have someone in your life who loves to run, or is thinking about taking up...

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6 of the best running for beginners apps
March 24, 2019January 1, 2020Equipment, Running for Beginners, Running gear, Technology

There are lots of running for beginners apps on the market now that help you track your run, monitor your distance and pace and provide some motivation. When you first...

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About

Hi, I’m Caroline – a 5k, 10k and half marathon runner. I share tips and advice on how to become a faster, stronger and more motivated runner.

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These two photos were taken two years apart. The f These two photos were taken two years apart. The first in Sydney, Australia in December 2017 and the second in Cape Town, South Africa in February 2019. You may not notice a huge difference physically but for me these two photos represent two very different stages in my life and approach to my health and fitness. When I look back at the photo of myself from 2017, I’m not ashamed of my body. In fact I celebrate it as it has got to where I am today. But I do think back to that time and it’s sad to think how negative my opinion was of myself. It’s safe to say my self esteem took a pretty big hit after that holiday. Sydney is a beacon of health and fitness and for a lot of the holiday I was surrounded by toned abs, golden tans and to die for bodies. I arrived back in the UK determined to make a change in my life. I knew I wanted to lose weight and feel better in myself but I really didn’t know how. All I knew was running. Since that holiday I have made some changes in how I approach my health and fitness. The biggest difference being that I no longer rely solely on running and cardio to reach my fitness goals. I’m officially a weight training convert! Strength training is now a huge part of my routine and I no longer dread going to the gym. You may not know but I trained and qualified as a personal trainer in 2019. I wanted to educate myself more about the human body and how to use it effectively when it comes to fitness and movement, and I can honestly say it was one of the best decisions I made. 2019 also saw me start weightlifting for the first time too. And oh my have I fallen in love! I still consider myself a newbie when it comes to lifting (especially any type of Olympic lifting or CrossFit moves), but i love learning about the different movements and how far you can actually push your body. I guess what I’m trying to say is don’t be afraid of the journey. Your approach, preferences, likes/dislikes will change over time. Embrace it and don’t be ashamed of where you started. Celebrate your body for what it is and what it can do for you and just enjoy it! #fitnessjourney #transformation
Saturday gym session this morning because the weat Saturday gym session this morning because the weather is still so awful! Yup I really am a fair weather runner 😂. This morning it was a 10 minute speed workout on the treadmill (pace 10 at 1.5 and 6 incline intervals), followed by a strength circuit (deadlifts with 55kg, back squat with 45kg, bench press with 25kg) then some core work (Russian twists, leg raises, toe taps) then to finish a quick HIIT circuit (jump squats, KB swings, burpees and star jumps). It was a killer but I felt so great afterwards! The jacuzzi and sauna afterwards felt heavenly! After today’s session I’m starting to doubt if I have it in me to do the Cambridge Half Marathon justice on 6 March. I think after a few more training runs I’ll be able to blow to cobwebs away. Hoping this stormy weather blows over too! #strengthtraining #runstrong #girlsthatlift #weightlifting #weighttraining #weighttrainingforwomen
😕 HOW TO PREVENT A SIDE STITCH WHILE RUNNING 😕 You know the feeling, you’re out for a run and everything feels great. You’ve completed your warm up, the weather is perfect for running, you feel good. And then you get a side stitch. A side stitch when running can be very unpleasant. The stabbing pain beneath your ribs is probably not unfamiliar to you. Although a side stitch is harmless, it can be enough to slow you down or stop you in your tracks entirely. Many runners experience a side stitch while running no matter their running experience. It’s not just something that only beginner runners have to deal with. According to a 2014 study, 70% of runners reported a side stitch in the last year and that in a single running event approximately one in five participants can be expected to suffer the condition As with any pain felt within your body, it’s a sign that you need to take notice and change the way you are currently approaching your runs. A side stitch is normally a sign that your body is overwhelmed. Here are some tips to keep a side stitch at bay: 👌🏻 Eat a light breakfast 👌🏻 Don’t forget to warm up 👌🏻 Run slow and steady 👌🏻 Improve your core 👌🏻 Control your breathing 👌🏻 Stay hydrated
Who else has been enjoying Storm Ciara? I think th Who else has been enjoying Storm Ciara? I think the worst of it has passed now thankfully but didn’t manage to get out on my planned training run this morning, so I went to the gym instead. Life, well in this case bad weather, manages to get in the way sometimes and that’s ok! Just pick yourself up and try something else. On the plus side I got to go in the jacuzzi and sauna after my gym session this morning. It was very welcome after a busy day in London yesterday. Happy Sunday everyone! #notsosundayrunday #runner #running #halfmarathontraining
🏋🏻‍♀️ STRENGTH TRAINING FOR RUNNERS 🏃🏻‍♀️⠀ ⠀ Strength training is essential for any runner looking to run faster and get stronger. Once you feel like you’re ready to step up your training and you’d really like to achieve a PB in your next race, consider adding strength training into your training routine.⠀ ⠀ But what exactly is strength training?⠀ ⠀ ➡️ Strength training is essentially a type of exercise that specialises in the use of resistance, in the form of your own body weight or weights, to build the strength, anaerobic endurance and size of skeletal muscles and bone density.⠀ ➡️ Strength training is important for runners because it helps you build stronger muscles, tendons, ligaments and connective tissues. ⠀ ➡️ Strength training improves your speed and power and lowers your risk of injury. It also contributes to better running form. In other words, it helps you run more efficiently. ⠀ ➡️ Strength training helps to dramatically reduce the risk of injury in a lot of runners. ⠀ ⠀ The best place to start is to familiarise yourself with some basic body weight exercises.⠀ Body weight exercises are great for beginners because you don’t need any equipment to do them (your body is the resistance/weight).⠀ ⠀ And they can be done virtually anywhere - at home, in the gym, outdoors.⠀ ⠀ The key is to focus on compound movements that use your whole body. So air squats, burpees, hip bridges, single-leg squats, inchworms, single-leg calf raises, planks, side planks, forward lunges, backward lunges - you get the point!⠀ ⠀ Once you’ve mastered some basic body weight exercises, then you can start to look at incorporating some equipment like kettlebells, dumbbells and medicine balls.⠀ ⠀ Progression in the form of added weight, difficulty or resistance is necessary in the future to avoid your body getting used to a particular workout (i.e. hitting a plateau in your training).
Who’s ready for a new week of running? If you’ Who’s ready for a new week of running? If you’re training for a half marathon, where are you with your training plans? I’d love to hear more! I’m currently training for the Cambridge Half Marathon at the beginning of March. I’m not going to lie, with these dark mornings and evenings it has been a struggle to get out there every week but I’ve found it has been all the easier when I decide to run with a group. I lead beginner and intermediate running groups around Cambridge and it has been fantastic to be able to run with these groups of ladies each week. Although I love running solo, sometimes running with a group gives you the motivation you need to get out there. Here’s to all the running groups out there! Long may they motivate us and keep us running. ⠀ ⠀ #running #runningmotivation #halfmarathontraining #runninggroup #findyourtribe
😴 5 RECOVERY TIPS AFTER A LONG RUN 😴⠀ ⠀ 😴 5 RECOVERY TIPS AFTER A LONG RUN 😴⠀ ⠀ Running can be hard on the body, especially if you’re running for more than an hour. However, long runs don’t have to take a toll on your body if you take the necessary steps to rest and recover after your run. Here are my top 5 recovery tips after a long run:⠀ ⠀ 🥵 COOL DOWN. A proper cool down after a run is just as important as a warm up. Whilst the warm up prepares your body and mind for the run ahead, a cool down eases your body back into reality. ⠀ 🤘🏻 STRETCH. Aim to hold each stretch for 20-30 seconds and focus on the main muscle groups (e.g. quads, hamstrings, calves, hips) as well as anything that is niggling or felt sore on the run.⠀ 💦 RE-HYDRATE. Hydration is really important after your run, especially if your run was 90 minutes or longer. The general rule of thumb is to consume 150% of the fluid that you lost during training within the first 10 to 15 minutes after stopping. ⠀ 🥘 REFUEL. After a long run, you will have depleted the majority of your energy stores. Eat following your run (within 20 minutes) to replenish your energy stores and repair any damage to muscle tissue.⠀ 🤓 TRAIN SMART. ⠀ Invest in short, light effort, low impact cross training activities that boost circulation, warm up your muscles and aid in the recovery journey.
📈 WHAT IS A TEMPO RUN? 📈⠀ ⠀ It’s offic 📈 WHAT IS A TEMPO RUN? 📈⠀ ⠀ It’s official. Tempo running is a great way to make you a faster runner. But what exactly is a tempo run?⠀ ⠀ ➡️ A tempo run, also known as a ‘threshold’ run, is a pace about 25 to 30 seconds slower than your 5k race pace. ⠀ ⠀ ➡️ It is designed to be a challenging pace, but not so much that you’re full out sprinting and feel like you’re going to collapse at the end of your run. They should feel comfortably hard.⠀ ⠀ ➡️ You should be able to hold a tempo run for roughly 20 minutes without running out of gas. If you can’t sustain a temp run for more than 5 to 10 minutes, you’re running too fast. ⠀ ⠀ ➡️ They not only help you become a faster and more efficient runner, but they add a bit of variety into your training. ⠀ ⠀ ➡️ There are also many mental benefits to tempo running. Tempo running gives you an incredible psychological advantage because you’re safe in the knowledge that you can still feel in control even when running at a challenging pace. For many runners, this gives them a huge confidence boost. Those runners who lack endurance often struggle - both physically and mentally - in the middle to late stages of a race. ⠀ ⠀ #temporunning #runstrong #runfast #runningcommunity #runnersofinstagram
🙌🏻 6 SURPRISING WAYS TO MAKE RUNNING EASIER 🙌🏻 6 SURPRISING WAYS TO MAKE RUNNING EASIER 🙌🏻⠀ ⠀ I often get asked how to make running easier. When you start out, it will likely feel like a struggle because you’re yet to build your aerobic endurance, stamina, strength and speed. Running takes practice and more importantly patience. It will take time to get better at it. Here are some surprising ways to make running easier:⠀ ⠀ 🏡 RUN AWAY FROM HOME. Pick a spot that you’d love to visit and select a running route. Not only will you discover new and interesting places, you’ll be able to fit in a run while you’re at it. ⠀ ⭐️ CREATE A REWARD LIST. If you struggle to motivate yourself to go for a run, then a reward system can be a game changer. ⠀ ♻️ GO PLOGGING. Plogging (a mixture of ‘jogging’ and ‘plucking’) is an eco-friendly trend that originates in Scandinavia. It involves collecting litter and rubbish along your running route.⠀ 🐶 RUN WITH A DOG. Dogs love going for a run. Their energy and enthusiasm is infectious! ⠀ ⏰ RUN WITHOUT A WATCH. Running without a watch can take away some of the pressure to perform on every run. ⠀ ⠀ #running
👣 HOW TO START RUNNING AGAIN AFTER A LONG BREAK 👣 HOW TO START RUNNING AGAIN AFTER A LONG BREAK 👣⠀ ⠀ Are you ready to start running again after a long break? Getting back into running after weeks, months or even years away can feel tough. If you’d like to get back into running following a long break, follow these simple tips to make your return to running a success.⠀ ⠀ 🔄 BUILD A HABIT. As long as you’re running consistently each week, this is enough to slowly build momentum until you’re at a stage where you can think about improving your times.⠀ ✅ FOLLOW A TRAINING PLAN. Depending on the length of your break, you may need to start at the beginning again and build up from there.⠀ 🏃🏻‍♀️ JOIN A RUNNING GROUP. Finding the motivation and accountability to get out there each week is hard. Especially when you’re re-discovering your running mojo. Find some local running groups near you and see what they have to offer.⠀ 🏅 SIGN UP TO A RACE. If you have a goal or milestone in mind, a good way to stay motivated and accountable is to sign up to a race. Just make sure you choose a race that aligns with your goals!⠀ 🟢 DO PARKRUN. There’s absolutely no pressure to go fast or achieve a PB, so it’s great for anyone who is new to running or returning to running after a long break.⠀ 🚴🏻‍♀️ CROSS TRAIN. A great way to build up your aerobic fitness and endurance is to cross train. Walking, cycling, strength training, yoga and swimming are all great cross training activities for runners. ⠀ 🙌🏻 STAY POSITIVE. Stay positive and focus on the enjoyment of running. Don’t worry too much at this stage about achieving your next PB. ⠀ ⠀ #runningmotivation #running #runnergirl #beginnerrunning
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