Breaking Bad Training Habits: A Runner’s Journey

If you are a runner, you keep coming back to it despite the highs and lows. The exhilaration of a great race gives you euphoria, while injuries, setbacks, and periods of poor training bring frustration. 

For experienced runners who have tasted success, the mind longs to replicate past training achievements, but the body may not be ready for it. Many seasoned runners overestimate their ability to handle training stress—perhaps due to the mental resilience built over years—while underestimating the risk of injury. But the running gods are fair. They see through carefully crafted Strava profiles, rewarding consistent effort while ultimately ensuring that bad training habits catch up with you, often in the form of a setback. 

Learning from Past Mistakes: 

The last time I trained consistently for months was between April 2018 and March 2019. Since moving to India in June 2019, other aspects of life took priority. I continued running, but without a structured training plan. Each year, I sign up for the Mumbai Half Marathon in January and begin training around September or October—just enough to complete the race. Initially, my goal is always to finish, but impatience and ambition creep in. I try to squeeze in too much training in too little time, occasionally succeeding but often ending up injured. 

Looking back at four years of training patterns, I recognize common bad habits that led to setbacks: 

1. Ramping up mileage too fast 
2. Running fast too soon without a solid aerobic base 
3. Increasing long-run distance too rapidly 
4. Ignoring the golden rule: the long run should not exceed 33-35% of weekly mileage

(2022-2023 Season, Had an injury)

(2023-2024 Season, better planned yet too hurried)

(2024-2025 Season, Very bad, Recipe for Injury)

(2025-2026 Season, Trying to be methodical and not hurry into fitness)

Whenever one or more of these mistakes occurred, injuries inevitably derailed my plans. This year, however, I’m determined to break these bad habits.

What’s Different This Time?

First, I started training in March instead of waiting until September or October, giving myself more time to build endurance steadily. Secondly, I let go of old expectations—past race paces, training benchmarks, and preconceptions. I committed to 12 weeks of easy running, focusing solely on heart rate and effort rather than arbitrary pace goals.

Notably, my resting heart rate has increased to 65 bpm from 55 bpm in 2019—a clear sign of reduced aerobic fitness. To rebuild my endurance, I identified my optimal heart rate training zones without overcomplicating things with jargon. I found that my easy pace corresponded to a heart rate of about 150 bpm, which I could maintain for around 80 minutes on flat terrain before creeping up to 156 bpm. Over 14 weeks, I accumulated 450 km of running, significantly improving my aerobic base.

Yet, this is where I tend to repeat past mistakes. Two habits have frequently undermined my training progress:

1. Skipping pre- and post-run stretching (I’ve tried, but I just can’t stand it!)
2. Neglecting strength training

Over the next 30 weeks, before the Tata Mumbai Marathon, I aim to address these weaknesses. There’s no rush. Even if I want to reach 80+ km per week, I can do so gradually.

Building Strength the Right Way:

Hill and Stairs Work

Many books and blogs suggest hill training as a form of speed work. However, for beginners or runners returning from a hiatus, it makes more sense to focus on slow, biomechanically sound hill running. For the next 4-6 weeks, I plan to dedicate about 10% of my mileage to uphill runs while incorporating stairs into my routine. I’ve noticed that taking the stairs down from the eighth floor—ensuring proper foot placement—provides an excellent stretch for my Achilles tendons.

Core and Strength Training

There’s no escaping it—strength training is a necessary evil. I have had brief periods of consistent core workouts—push-ups, planks, crunches—but laziness soon took over. This time, I am considering hiring a personal trainer at the gym. While I’m unsure how beneficial this will be for running, it’s worth exploring.

Looking Ahead:

I find myself at a promising junction in my running journey. With patience and discipline, I have the opportunity to train smart and avoid past mistakes. If I can resist the temptation to rush my progress, I could have an incredible race in January 2026. In next blog post, I will outline my plan for building the training on the aerobic base of easy running. Amen to that.