EGK on the move

• Posture: Keep your upper body upright and leaning slightly forwards. Your shoulders should be relaxed so that you can run comfortably. For the best running posture, focus your gaze about 15 metres ahead on the path.

• Arm movement: Move your arms parallel to your body, keeping your hands relaxed. Bend your elbows at an angle of about 90 degrees. This helps you use energy efficiently.

• Stride length and cadence: Short strides at a cadence of 160–180 steps per minute are ideal for minimising the strain on the joints and the impact on the muscles. Excessively long strides should be avoided

• Foot strike: Land gently on the midfoot or forefoot to reduce the impact on your body. Heel-strikers also experience greater impact on their joints and muscles.

• Practical exercises: Skipping, heel-to-toe running and high-knee running are ideal exercises for improving your running technique. These should be incorporated into your training on a regular basis.

A professional running analysis with our partner ORTHO-TEAM can help identify areas for individual improvement.

• Macronutrients: Carbohydrates provide quick energy, proteins support muscle recovery, and healthy fats ensure a long-lasting supply of energy.

• Pre-run nutrition: Eat a light meal rich in carbohydrates around 3–4 hours before your run. Make sure the meal is easy to digest.

• Post-run nutrition: Within 30 minutes of finishing your run, a snack containing carbohydrates and protein will help promote recovery. After a tough running session, a recovery shake is a good option for replenishing your energy stores as quickly as possible.

• Hydration: Drink plenty of water before and after running. On long runs or when it’s hot outside, it’s important to stay hydrated whilst running as well.

• Snacks and meals between training sessions: Practical options include energy bars, fruit or smoothies. It is important that these are easy to digest and provide a quick energy boost.

• Warm-up and cool-down exercises: A targeted warm-up with dynamic exercises such as leg swings, light jogging or a short running drill prepares the muscles perfectly. A cool-down with static stretching exercises helps to promote recovery.

• Stretching exercises: Focus on key muscle groups such as the calves, thighs, hip flexors and glutes. Regular stretching increases flexibility and reduces the risk of injury.

• Strengthening exercises: Stabilisation exercises such as planks, side planks or one-legged stands help to keep the body stable and prevent incorrect loading. Stabilisation exercises, as well as strong core and back muscles, are essential for runners.

• Avoiding training mistakes: Sudden overexertion, insufficient rest periods or one-sided training can lead to overexertion. Gradually increasing the intensity of your training is key. First increase the number of training sessions per week, and only then the duration.

• Regular breaks and recovery measures: It is important to allow for sufficient breaks between training sessions and to shorten recovery time with measures such as massages, stretching, yoga or similar activities.

A professional running analysis with our partner ORTHO-TEAM can help to identify unfavourable movement patterns and reduce the risk of typical running injuries.

• Types of training: Endurance runs improve your basic stamina, interval training increases your speed, and recovery runs help you recover.

• Training plans: Plan your week with a balanced mix of different types of run. For example: one long run, one interval session and two easy runs per week. You should ensure that the easy runs are not too intense. A training analysis can help you to understand your heart rate and speed zones. Key indicators are: during easy runs, you should be able to hold a conversation comfortably; your total running time should consist of around 80 per cent easy-paced runs and 20 per cent high-intensity sessions.

• Recovery: Sleep is the most important phase of recovery. Complement it with active recovery such as yoga, stretching, massages or similar activities. Other recovery measures such as foam rolling, recovery boots or sauna sessions can relieve tension and improve blood circulation.

• Areas of focus: Strong leg muscles (calves, thighs, glutes) and a stable core (abdominal and back muscles) are particularly important.

• Types of training: Bodyweight exercises such as squats, lunges, planks and bridge exercises are ideal for beginners. For more advanced runners, there are further strength exercises using your own body weight, which can be made more challenging by using a fitness ball, for example.

• Benefits: A stronger body improves running posture, increases efficiency and reduces the risk of injury. It also helps to correct muscular imbalances. Make sure that both sides of the body are trained and exercised equally.

• Training frequency: Two sessions a week are sufficient to make progress without interfering with your running training.

• Incorporation: Perform strength exercises on lighter running days or as a standalone session.

• Motivation: Set yourself clear goals and reward yourself when you reach a milestone. Training diaries can help you track your progress.

• Setting goals: Define realistic and measurable goals, e.g. a new personal best over a specific distance.

• Mindful running: Consciously focus on your breathing and enjoy the time you spend running. This makes it fun and helps you reach your goal more easily.

• Strategies: Develop mental routines to help you overcome slumps or difficult phases in your training. Pay attention to how your body communicates with you. When does it need a break, and when can you really push it to the limit?

• Group dynamics: Training in a running group can be motivating and help you stick with it. However, you should be careful not to let yourself be tempted to run too fast during your easy runs with the group.

• Running shoes: Choosing the right running shoes is crucial. Your running style (e.g. forefoot or heel striker), the running surfaces and the individual anatomy of your feet all play a part. A treadmill analysis at a specialist shop can help you make the right choice.

• Clothing: Breathable, functional materials ensure a comfortable running experience. Layering in winter and lightweight clothing in summer are ideal.

• Gadgets: Running watches with GPS, heart rate monitors or apps such as Strava can help you measure and analyse your training progress, as well as keeping you motivated.

• Training phase: Plan your training intensity so that you are in peak condition in the weeks leading up to the competition and, above all, on the day of the competition itself. Reduce your training load in the final days before the competition.

• Nutrition and hydration: Top up your carbohydrate stores in the days leading up to the competition. Make sure you drink enough on the day of the competition and, for longer distances, consume sufficient carbohydrate drinks during the competition as well.

• Tactics: Pace yourself carefully. On the day of the race, you should know what pace you can maintain over the race distance. Bear in mind that you should be in better shape on race day than on training days, as you’ll be well-rested and fully focused during the race.

• Race day: Get your kit ready the evening before. Make sure you’re mentally focused on the race.  On race day, it is crucial that you put the weeks of training – and everything that came before – out of your mind. Focus on your goal: what do you want to achieve? What are you happy with, and what aren’t you happy with? Then you can give it your all to succeed.