We asked for your top running tips for our McWilliams Hotel & Galway race entries competition (there’s still time to enter here), and you responded with a wealth of knowledge
Take your easy runs easy, and your hard runs hard. – Ray
Try to stay relaxed when you run, shake out your hands occasionally, don’t clench your jaw. Try to smile every mile – you are supposed to be enjoying, not torturing, yourself. – Marie Parton
Get your gait analysis done in a shop where they know their stuff. I had been suffering with ankle pain and after getting the proper runners I haven’t looked back. Once you know what works for you, stick with them. – Michelle Sharkey
Don’t feel you have to go out and run a personal best every time. I find long, slow runs very enjoyable and you will really feel the benefits when you go all out at races over a shorter distance.
– Eoin Larkin
If you’re used to running (and racing) with your eyes constantly looking at your watch, try running (or racing) without the watch and just listening to your body and you may find it easier to get PBs. – Fionnán Gannon
Always wear a good pair of running socks and use the foam roller at the end of every run, it makes you feel amazing. – Mark McCormack
Girls, do not skimp on a bra. Even if it costs more than your runners it’s still a bargain. It may have a lot of work to do. – Ali Ni Dhálaigh
The hardest part is putting your gear on. – John Sayers
Don’t wait until race day or week to change your habits (diet, sleep, fluids and so on). Phase them in during training.– Kealan O Connor
Put as much effort into your recovery as you do into your training. – John O’Regan
Always do a warm-up walk. Always. – Suzanne Doyle
Bring a piece of fruit instead of a bottle of water on your run – peach, nectarine or mandarin orange. The natural sugars help your energy levels. Water before and after the run, but fruit during. The fruit also acts like a little weight in your hand. – Tracey Moore
Run with friends. It makes it harder to back out of a scheduled training run and it also makes the run more social. – Maria Moore
When I’m going up a hill (of which there are many on the routes I take) I tell myself I’m actually going down. I say things like, “this is so easy, going down this hill” or “this will give me a bit of a breather, I can freewheel (so to speak) down here”. Sometimes I can be surprised at how quickly and how, with seemingly little effort, I’ve arrived at the top of the hill and am beginning my real descent on the other side. Mind over matter. – Dara Murtagh
Keep positive, good running shoes, head and heart lifted up, and breathe in all that fresh air. – Grace Kelly
