Training Guides

Whether you're a novice or an experienced runner there's a plan for you for 5k's right up to marathons, all developed by the experts at Realbuzz.com.

All guides are pdf files, if you don't have Acrobat installed you can download Acrobat Reader here for free.

Distance Vital Info Beginner Intermiediate Advanced
Full marathon Your first marathon Read guide Read guide Read guide
Half marathon Your first half marathon Read guide Read guide
10k Your first 10k Read guide Read guide
5k Your first 5k Read guide Read guide

Staying injury free

Find lots of advice on warm-ups, cool downs and stretching, which are vitally important areas to allow your body to recover more quickly after exercise and help prevent injury. Your body needs to recover as that is how it gets stronger and allows your endurance and speed to improve – it's not all about just running harder and further!

Nutrition & Hydration

Matt Lovell, England Rugby Team nutritionist, has put togther some great advice to keep you hydrated and make sure you're feeding your body the right things for running! You can download the guide from page: www.rfuipf.org.uk/documents/training_notes/Sports_Nutrition_Essentials.pdf and you can also sign up for more handy tips and advice at www.sportsnutritionvlog.com

Staying motivated

It's sometimes hard to keep doing those long runs, so to help you stay motivated why not record your training so you can see your improvements. There are some great websites out there to help, including ones that allow you to map your route and even upload gps data (from your iphone or gps watch) directly so you can see your speed, distance etc, to compare with previous runs. If you haven't got a gps watch then you can download running Apps (such as Nike+, Mapmyrun, Runkeeperpro) so you can use your phone instead!

Music is also really great way to stay motivated out on a long run. Now there are even websites where you can buy songs at a set bpm to help you stay at a certain pace!

Staying safe and what kit to wear

If it's dark when you're running then remember to take extra care, wear clothing with reflective and high visibility parts so you'll be seen at night, stay on well marked and well lit paths, let someone know your route and when you'll be back and use a route you know so you don't get lost, and try to encourage someone else to join you on the run so you're not running alone. For more safety tips and advice check out Realbuzz.

For great advice about what kit you should get check out Realbuzz's various kit guides and for great advice about the latest electronic gadgets, including heart rate monitors and GPS watches try Runner's World.

Disclaimer

Please note that RFU Injured Players Foundation can take no responsibility for the content of any of these external websites or anything promoted in connection with them. The training plans and nutritional advice downloads have been created by Realbuzz.com and should be used strictly in accordance with their terms and conditions. You should consult your doctor before embarking on any programme of physical activity.