Building Consistency

‘Consistency is key’ or ‘consistency is king’ is often the phrase people use when answering what the most important principle of good running training is. But there are lots of misconceptions about the idea and how to build it into your training so I wanted to share a few thoughts on what consistency is and what it isn't.

Consistency is very unsexy. It’s not about smashing every run; it's more about building a slow and steady aggregate improvement over time.

It doesn't just mean having a level or upward curve on your Strava. The ability to be consistent means recovering from your workouts properly. It’s about good sleep, eating well and including cutback weeks in your training where needed.

Consistency is much more achievable if you make training easier for yourself; keeping your running kit by the door ready for when you get back from work, a run commute to integrate your run into your work day, a parkrun sandwich for your long run to mix it up and get a chance to run with others.

Motivation to be consistent can ebb and flow. It's not worth focusing on pursuing motivation as an abstract idea. Instead build habits so training just becomes what you naturally do. Maybe one day I don't feel as motivated but running is just part of my routine, like brushing my teeth (hopefully). Habits before motivation though habits can often breed motivation.

Consistency is not doing every run or workout in your plan regardless of how you feel. There is no single run or workout that will make your training block and mean you smash your race goals. What matters most is the bigger picture and how you've been training cumulatively. Consistency is built one steady step at a time. It won’t always feel heroic but those small, repeated choices can sometimes be your quiet superpower as a runner.