Do daily breathwork

“Practising daily breathwork really helped me to learn to breathe properly and maximise my lung capacity while running,” says yogi and runner Lisa. “That’s definitely made a difference on those runs when I’m trying to push myself to the limit.”

Change your trainers (and know which ones you need)

“Before I had a gait analysis, I was getting horrible ankle pain and shin splints. I even bought an ankle support when the issue was running in trainers that looked great but weren’t right for me,” says runner Sophie. “Every time I want to get a new pair, I have my gait tested first, and I feel like I’m levelling up.”

Swap one run for a different exercise

My own tip is to cross-train rather than just run all the time. Running can be addictive, especially if you’re going out at the same pace all the time. All you have to do (in theory) is lace up and leave your front door; there’s none of the admin or commuting to a studio or pool. But doing other exercises is useful: strength training is great for bone strength and injury prevention, swimming is a great low-impact cardio booster and yoga can help to keep hips loose. Bouldering builds upper body strength and barre is incredible for calf strength.

I was at my fastest and most resilient when I was cycling to work every day, doing regular boxercise and yoga classes; I only ran at the weekends. Try swapping one run for a different exercise every week and see how it feels.

Remember that running is as mental as it is physical

It might feel physical when you’re wheezing for breath and your legs feel like lead, but running – like most individual sports – is as much of a psychological challenge as it is physical. In fact, Olympian Adam Peaty says: “The mind is the athlete; the body is simply the means.”

Ultra-marathoner Megan agrees: “Just believing that I can do it makes a difference. I’ve done all the training, so the only thing holding me back is my mind. The more you think like that, the better you’re able to tell yourself that you can’t give up because you’re well prepared and you can actually do it.”

9 runners share the one tip that made them faster and more injury-resistant