May should feel exciting. The weather’s warming up, race season is here, and those long winter months of bundling up for dark runs are behind you. Still, something about this time of year trips up even experienced runners. The energy and motivation that come with spring? They often lead to mistakes that can derail your goals before summer even arrives.
Luckily, these mistakes are fixable once you know what to look out for. Whether you’re training for your first 5K or prepping for an autumn marathon, understanding what tends to go wrong in May can help you make the most of this crucial training period.
Fundamental Training Errors to Avoid
When starting out with running or ramping up mileage in May, the biggest mistakes new runners make often come down to doing too much without proper structure or recovery. I’ve seen so many runners sideline themselves by racing through progression, skipping easy days, and ignoring their body’s need for rest.
Doing Too Much, Too Soon
This is the number one cause of running injuries I see in my coaching practice. When you increase your mileage or intensity too quickly, your body just can’t adapt fast enough.
Your muscles, tendons, and bones need time to strengthen. If you jump from running 10 miles per week to 25 miles, you’re practically begging for shin splints or runner’s knee. The general rule is to increase your weekly mileage by no more than 10% each week.
Common signs of overtraining:
- Persistent fatigue
- Decreased performance
- Mood changes
- Elevated resting heart rate
- Recurring niggles and pains
For beginners, a run/walk programme is one of the safest approaches. This method gives your body regular breaks to recover during each session. Listen to your body. If something hurts beyond normal muscle fatigue, take an extra rest day.
Running Too Fast or Skipping Easy Runs
I can’t stress this enough: most of your running training should feel easy. About 80% of your weekly mileage should be at a conversational pace where you can chat comfortably with a running partner.
Lots of runners make the mistake of running every session at the same medium-hard effort. This leaves you too tired to properly execute your hard sessions like tempo runs or intervals, and it also prevents you from recovering well.
Easy runs build your aerobic base. They teach your body to use oxygen efficiently and help you run longer distances. Recovery runs should feel suspiciously gentle, almost like you’re not working hard enough.
When you do schedule faster work like interval training or a tempo run, you’ll actually be fresh enough to hit those paces properly. That’s when real fitness gains happen.
Neglecting Rest Days and Recovery
Rest days aren’t laziness. They’re where the actual training adaptations occur. Your body doesn’t get stronger during your runs, it gets stronger whilst recovering from them.
I recommend at least one complete rest day per week, maybe two if you’re new to running. Neglecting recovery is a fast track to burnout and injury. Your muscles need time to repair the microscopic damage that occurs during running.
What counts as proper recovery:
- Complete rest days (no running)
- Easy recovery runs at very slow pace
- Cross-training like swimming or cycling
- Adequate sleep (7-9 hours)
- Proper nutrition and hydration
Many runners feel guilty about taking rest days, worrying they’ll lose fitness. The opposite is true. Without recovery, you’re just accumulating fatigue without getting fitter.
Training Without Structure or Goals
Running without a plan is like driving without a destination. You might enjoy the journey, but you won’t make meaningful progress towards running goals.
A proper training structure includes variety: long runs for endurance, tempo runs for lactate threshold, intervals for speed, and easy runs for recovery. Each session has a specific purpose. When you understand why you’re doing each workout, you’re more likely to execute it properly.
Working with a running coach can help, but even following a structured plan from a reputable source is better than winging it. Your plan should include progressive overload, meaning gradual increases in distance or intensity over time.
Without structure, most runners default to running the same routes at the same pace over and over. This might maintain fitness, but it won’t improve it. Set specific, measurable goals and build a training plan that supports them.
Overlooked Essentials: Hydration, Strength, and Technique
I’ve noticed that runners often focus so much on logging miles in May that they ignore the basics that actually keep them healthy and running well. Proper hydration with the right electrolytes, consistent strength work, and good running form are just as important as your weekly mileage.
Staying Hydrated and Managing Electrolytes
I can’t stress enough how quickly dehydration sneaks up on you in May. The warmer weather means you’re sweating more, even on easy runs. I always check my urine colour throughout the day. It should be pale yellow, not dark or clear.
Plain water isn’t always enough once you’re running for more than an hour. You need electrolytes to replace what you lose through sweat. I like to use a sports drink or electrolyte tablets during longer runs. Sodium is the most important electrolyte you lose, followed by potassium and magnesium.
Signs of dehydration include headaches, dizziness, and unusually tired legs. I weigh myself before and after long runs to check my fluid loss. For every pound lost, I drink about 500ml of fluid. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink during runs. By then, you’re already dehydrated.
Importance of Strength Training and Mobility
Strength work protects you from injury and makes you a faster runner. I aim for two 20-30 minute sessions per week. You don’t need a gym membership. Bodyweight exercises work brilliantly.
Focus on single-leg exercises like squats and lunges. These build the stability your body needs for running. Core work is essential too. Planks and dead bugs strengthen the muscles that keep your posture solid when you’re tired.
I also include dynamic stretches before runs. Leg swings, walking lunges, and high knees prepare your muscles better than static stretching. Save the static stretches for after your run when your muscles are warm. Mobility work helps maintain your range of motion and keeps those annoying niggles from turning into injuries.
Addressing Running Form and Posture
Your running form can make a surprising difference in how smooth and pain-free your runs feel. I once got a gait analysis at a local running shop. Turns out, I was overstriding, which was behind my nagging knee pain. Who knew something that small could matter so much?
For posture, it’s tempting to stare at your shoes, but looking ahead is key. Shoulders should stay loose, arms bent around 90 degrees, swinging in a relaxed way. Personally, I remind myself to “run tall” and keep my core switched on, even when I start to get tired.
Cadence is another piece of the puzzle. Efficient runners usually hit about 170-180 steps per minute. Try counting your steps for 30 seconds and double it, where do you land? If your number’s low, experiment with slightly shorter steps. It helps to land with your foot under your body rather than reaching out, which can cut down on impact and, hopefully, keep those annoying injuries at bay.
