Pre-race training involves more than lacing up your shoes and getting out the door — it's a commitment, especially when you're preparing for a marathon.
However, as much as running is about physical endurance and hitting your goals, it's also about balance. Training without a specific focus on self-care for runners can lead to burnout or a loss of joy in the process. Here's how to strike that balance and prioritize your well-being while learning how to train for a race effectively.
The Importance of Self-Care for Runners
Self-care doesn't always mean taking bubble baths or having a spa day. It's about giving your mind and body the attention it needs to thrive, especially when you're pushing your limits and training for long runs.
As a runner, this means prioritizing recovery, managing stress, and recognizing when to pull back instead of pushing through. Neglecting self-care can lead to overtraining, burnout, and injuries, which can derail your progress and dampen your passion for running.
When learning how to train for a race, self-care is essential for staying consistent and avoiding injury. Building in rest days and addressing mental fatigue is just as important as hitting your weekly mileage.
Essential Self-Care Tips for Runners
Looking after yourself is just as crucial as training hard. Here are some essential self-care tips to keep you feeling your best during your training plan.
1. Listen to Your Body
Training plans are helpful, but they aren't one-size-fits-all. Listening to your body is one of the top race training tips you'll hear from coaches and experts. Tune into how your body feels each day. Are you tired, sore, injured, or feeling unmotivated? Pushing through exhaustion can lead to injuries, setting you back in the long run and affecting your fitness.
Adjust your plan if needed — sometimes, an extra rest day is more beneficial than squeezing in another run. Ignoring pain or fatigue might feel like a win in the moment, but in the long term, it can jeopardize your training altogether.
2. Embrace Cross-Training
Adding other forms of exercise, such as yoga, swimming, or walking boosts your fitness level and reduces the repetitive strain running can put on your body. Cross-training helps maintain balance in your routine and strengthens muscles you might not use during a run. Even workouts using your body weight are fantastic for keeping your fitness up without tiring yourself out. Runner's World recommends pool running, cycling, strength training, and pilates.
This is a cornerstone of self-care for runners. It keeps marathon training interesting and sustainable. Plus, it can break up the monotony of running while still keeping you on track for your goals.
3. Make Recovery a Priority
Recovery is just as important as the miles you log leading up to race day. Build time into your schedule for stretching, foam rolling, hydrating, getting adequate sleep, and even taking naps if you need them to fully recharge.
After long-distance runs or particularly intense workouts, like hills or speed sessions, focus on replenishing with nutritious meals and hydrating properly. Consider adding recovery tools like compression socks or massage guns to your routine.
4. Set Realistic Goals
Whether you're preparing for a 5K or are tackling marathon training, you need to set achievable milestones. Overtraining often stems from setting unrealistic goals or comparing yourself to others. Focus on your personal journey and celebrate small victories along the way.
5. Be Kind to Yourself
It's easy to fall into the trap of comparing yourself to other more experienced runners, elite athletes, or even friends — whether it's their pace, mileage, training volume, or even their physique. But remember, everyone's journey is different, and what works for them might not work for you. You don't need to run as fast, as far, or as often as other runners to be a "real" runner.
Taking care of your mind is just as important as caring for your body. Emotional self-care is key, so avoid any negative influences, learn to show yourself love, and focus on your own growth.
Give yourself grace when you need to rest. There's a big difference between being lazy and genuinely needing a break. Resting doesn't mean you're slacking. It means you're respecting your body and its current limits, which is key to staying healthy, avoiding overworking yourself, and ultimately improving your performance.
6. Schedule Mental Breaks
Running is as much a mental challenge as a physical one. Take time to recharge emotionally — whether through meditation, socializing, journaling, or focusing on other hobbies. Finding joy outside of running is a great way to keep your mind focused on other things.
Mental resilience will help you power through tough runs and race-day nerves. Balance your mental breaks with training to ensure you don't feel overwhelmed by your goals. You can schedule breaks and training sessions in your training diary to help you stay on track.
7. Stay Social, But Strategically
Running with a group is fun and can be a great motivation, but it's OK to skip a session if you need alone time or feel your pace doesn't match the group's. Find balance by mixing solo runs with social ones. This flexibility allows you to honor your needs while hanging out with friends.
8. Fuel Your Body Properly
Proper nutrition and a balanced diet are key when learning how to train for a race. Whole foods and plenty of protein and carbs can power you through your workouts. Hydration is equally critical — make sure you drink enough water throughout the day, not just during runs.
Here are some of the best foods to eat to boost performance and speed up recovery:
Bananas: Eat a banana for a quick source of carbs and potassium to prevent muscle cramps.
Sweet potatoes: Sweet potatoes are rich in complex carbs and potassium for energy and recovery.
Oatmeal: This slow-digesting carb keeps you fueled during long-distance runs.
Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt is high in protein, which is great for muscle repair. Calcium and probiotics support strong bones and gut health.
Salmon: Salmon is packed with omega-3 fatty acids to reduce inflammation and improve recovery.
Eggs: Eggs are a versatile source of high-quality protein and essential nutrients.
Berries: Antioxidant-rich berries help fight oxidative stress caused by intense training.
Nuts and seeds: Healthy fats, protein and magnesium help keep energy levels steady.
Leafy greens: Spinach and kale are nutrient-dense and great for reducing inflammation and improving recovery.
Quinoa: This complete protein is also an excellent carb source to replenish glycogen stores.
A sports drink: Replenish electrolytes and fluids lost during intense exercise with a sports drink.
Energy gels: Gels are quick and easy to digest, providing a carb boost for sustained energy. For exercise lasting one to two hours, runners can consume around 30 grams of simple carbs, or around one energy gel. Long-distance events and training runs lasting more than two hours might require two or more energy gels.
9. Celebrate Rest Days
Training for anything — from a 5K to a marathon — involves resting. Rest days don't make you lazy. They're a vital part of training. Use them to recharge physically and mentally. Enjoy fun activities that have nothing to do with running — spend time with friends, explore hobbies like reading or baking, or simply relax.
10. Treat Yourself
Training for a big race takes hard work and dedication, so why not reward yourself along the way? Treat yourself to a massage to ease your sore muscles or invest in a spa day to help you recharge.
Even smaller self-care treats, like a new pair of running shoes or a recovery tool like a foam roller, can keep you motivated leading up to race morning. It's best to reward yourself during race week for all your hard work that's led to this point. These little indulgences are great ways to show yourself appreciation for all the effort you're putting in.
11. Surround Yourself With Support
Balancing running and self-care is much easier when you have a support system. This could be a running group, a friend who's training for the same race, or a coach who holds you accountable. Having people who understand your journey can provide encouragement and practical advice when things get tough.
12. Celebrate Your Wins
Take time to acknowledge and celebrate your progress, not just your final race pace or crossing the finish line. Whether it's a new personal best or simply showing up for a training run, recognizing your achievements builds confidence and motivation.
Finding Your Balance Before Race Day
Training for a race is an incredible sacrifice and accomplishment, but it's only sustainable when paired with intentional self-care. You can improve your race day performance and protect your emotional well-being by focusing on taking care of yourself.
Beth Rush is the fitness editor at Body+Mind. She writes about how women with PCOS can hack their exercise routines to balance hormones naturally. She covers topics like plant-based recipes for athletes and preaching the benefits of green exercise. You can find Beth on X @bodymindmag.
