Danny Dreyer warns runners against sudden jumps in mileage or speed, which cause injury. Instead, increase gradually, just beyond your current fitness. If you're hurt, heal completely before building back up, starting with flat terrain before adding hills.
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Do you have any other thoughts, any parting thoughts for people looking to improve their running?
Yeah, if you're going to improve your running, do it incrementally. People get ahead of themselves, and then they get injured, and then they get set back, and then they got to start over, and then they got to get the ball rolling again. But if you do it incrementally and you do it pretty wisely, and don't ever go too far beyond what your body is currently capable of doing— yes, push the envelope a little bit, but don't go out and go nuts week after week trying to think you'll get stronger. You'll just get more hurt. And so I would suggest anybody who wants to either get faster or go farther, just make those increases well within your capabilities. They could be just beyond what your body conditioning can handle, but don't go— don't take such giant leaps. You know, I had somebody email me this morning about, "I just twisted, you know, I injured my ankle 2 months ago and I want to run a half marathon next month." And I'm going, "No, I think you need to, like, first of all heal your ankle and then practice running on the flat and then add in hills." And then, I mean, you know, you don't realize that your body takes its own time. You can't make it. Heal faster or run faster just because you want it to, you know. So, so people, anybody who wants to improve, do it deep from the, from your structure, from your movement habits. Start there.
