Hi all I have run numerous marathons, London 3 times and Manchester Marathon a few times too. I ran a half marathon in the last six months at 1:42 so I have entered the Manchester half in October to get a sub 1:40. I have been a prison officer for 34 years also. Nice to meet you all and be apart of a running community.

When it comes to improving your running, there are no shortcuts. But there are smarter ways to train. Over 9 years I improved from: 🏃‍♂️ 3:17 marathon → 2:20 marathon 🏃‍♂️ 25:14 5K → 14:34 5K And one thing became very clear during that journey: If you keep doing the same training every day, you’ll improve… But very slowly. Small tweaks to your training structure, recovery, and habits can make a huge difference over time. Here are 10 simple running “hacks” that can help you improve faster. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1️⃣ Build a Short Daily Routine One of the most underrated habits for runners is a 10–15 minute daily routine. This can include: • Core work • Strength exercises • Stretching • Foam rolling Even 2–5 sessions per week can dramatically improve durability and reduce injury risk. Small daily maintenance goes a long way. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2️⃣ Add Structure to Your Training Many runners simply run the same pace every day. That’s one of the slowest ways to improve. Instead aim for: • 2 harder sessions per week • Track intervals • Tempo / threshold runs • Hill repeats And remember the golden rule: Easy days easy. Hard days hard. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3️⃣ Let Your Watch Coach You Pre-building workouts on your watch makes sessions far easier to execute. Instead of constantly checking pace and time, your watch guides the workout: ✔ When to push ✔ When to recover ✔ When the interval ends This allows you to focus on running — not managing the session. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4️⃣ Strength Work Matters More Than You Think Strength training is crucial for runners. Stronger muscles help you: ✔ Handle higher mileage ✔ Maintain better form ✔ Reduce injury risk

Welcome — runners from around the world train together here. You’re officially part of the team — and we’re glad you’re here. This community is built for runners of all levels who want structure, support, and real progress. Whether you’re starting your running journey or chasing your next PB, this is your space to learn, improve, and connect with like-minded runners around the world. 🎁 What You Get — Completely Free ✔ A supportive running community for motivation, feedback, and accountability ✔ Access to training resources and community learning content ✔ Strength & Conditioning workouts ✔ Nutritional guidance and tips ✔ Weekly expert insights, discussions, and coaching advice. ✔ The chance to learn from runners around the world ✔ Monthly Webinar with Coach Nick ✔ Community leaderboards and rewards ✔ A free month of TrainingPeaks Inside TrainingPeaks you’ll be able to: • Follow a structured training plan built by Coach Nick for YOU • Sync your workouts directly to your watch (Garmin, Apple Watch, Polar, etc.) • Track your progress and training performance over time And yes — joining the community is completely free. You get access to the discussions, training resources and community support at no cost. Runners who want deeper coaching can upgrade later — but the community itself is free to join and participate in. Just show up, participate, improve and win rewards! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 🗺 The Runner Map Inside the Hub you’ll find the Community Map. This allows runners around the world to connect. You can: • See where other members are based • Connect with runners when travelling • Find local training partners • Organise runs with other Hub members If you're travelling or looking for a running partner — the map is the place to start. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 🏆 Community Rewards We believe runners who contribute should be rewarded.

One of the Toughest Challenges I've Ever Done. Last year I ran 4 marathons in 4 weeks. Berlin. London. Chicago. Cape Town. It wasn't planned. Covid delays meant all the races I had entered months apart suddenly landed one week from each other. I remember looking at the calendar thinking there's no way this is actually happening. But once it was locked in — that was it. As a coach, would I recommend this? Absolutely not. Was it smart training? Not even close. Would I do it again? No chance. Do I regret it? Not one single bit. Because sometimes in life you don't choose the challenge. The challenge chooses you. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 🇩🇪 Berlin was the one I went all in on. I told myself before the race — run this like it's your last one. We hit halfway in 70:16. From around 25km the pack broke up and suddenly it was just me, my own thoughts, and the clock. I started picking off runners one by one. There's something about that feeling late in a marathon — overtaking people when the going gets tough — it just adds fuel to the fire. I genuinely believed I had sub 2:20 that day. Until I ran under Brandenburg Gate, did the maths, and realised it was going to slip. 2:20:08. 8 seconds. At the time I was gutted. But once it sank in — a 51 second PB is a 51 second PB. You can never be upset about that. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 🇬🇧 London was a completely different kind of win. This one wasn't about me. I was running alongside one of my athletes, Anya. Three years before she had run 4:34 on this course. That day we were targeting 2:36 to 2:38. Everything clicked. Perfect day. Perfect execution. She ran 2:36 and finished as one of the top British athletes. To be right there next to her and watch that unfold — that's something I'll never forget. One of my proudest coaching moments. And honestly, more rewarding than my own PB the week before.

Last Sunday, Adriaan Wildschutt lined up in New York City for only his second ever half marathon. And he didn’t just show up… He made history. Running 59:30 in near-freezing conditions, he became the first South African ever to win the NYC Half Marathon — joining legends like Hendrick Ramaala and Willie Mtolo as South Africans who’ve crossed the line first in Central Park. But what stood out most wasn’t just the result. It was the execution. The night before the race, his coach gave him one simple instruction: “If you want to win — you need the best last 5km.” So what did he do? He trusted the plan. He stayed patient in the pack.Didn’t panic. Didn’t force it.And when the moment came… he made his move. Decisive. Controlled. Unstoppable. That’s not just racing — that’s mastery. There’s a lesson in that for all of us: Great performances aren’t built on emotion — they’re built on trust, patience, and execution. Incredible run, Adriaan. South Africa is proud. 🇿🇦🔥 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Your turn. The Boom Shakalaka Running Hub is growing fast — and we’ve got a lot of new faces this week. So I want to hear from you: 👉 What’s the toughest running challenge you’ve ever taken on?A race, a training block, a comeback from injury, or a goal you weren’t sure you could hit. Drop it below, introduce yourself, and connect with the community. Let’s build this together.