The sports year is still young and many of us still have big goals ahead. Try to avoid these 9 mistakes to make the year a success

1.    Lack of differentiation

You take fast sessions too slow and slow sessions too fast. Your body therefore never knows whether it should work intensively or extensively. As a result, you won’t benefit from the effects of both high and low intensities, and will eventually stop at your current level.

2.    Increasing too fast

New Year's resolutions, a competition goal and/or a good training companion can cause an enormous boost in motivation. However, the training frequency, duration of the individual sessions and their intensity are often increased, and typically all at once. The result is a short-term performance boost, which usually ends in exhaustion, but in the worst case can even lead to injury or overloading. Increase your training gradually - it's better to be slightly too conservative - but make sure that you have consistency in your daily training, true to the motto: slow and steady wins the race!

3.    Too little recovery time

Training and recovery must always balance each other out. As you train more, you also need to think about how to improve your recovery. Only in this way will your extra effort and good will be reflected in a better result.

4.    Too much focus on equipment

Of course, as a runner you need good shoes or as a cyclist you need a competitive bike. But let's be honest: if you put your shoes or bike on the starting line, they won't even travel a metre. Therefore, don’t waste too much energy searching for the best possible gear. You'll make the difference through regular training and recovery. 

5.    Too much focus on mileage

Admittedly, it's fun as the weekly and annual miles increase and you can compare them with previous years. But consider your sport holistically and invest in a strong core, good technique and generally well-trained muscles in addition to the distance.

6.    Lack of periodisation

Are you one of those people who train the same amount and intensity all year round? That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But if you want to get more out of yourself, you should structure your training year in a targeted manner to maximise performance gains. By changing stress and recovery phases, you'll avoid overtraining and improve recovery. In addition, adding variety to your training increases motivation and prevents mental fatigue. 

7.    Not having a training goal

Setting a training goal makes sense and helps you feel good. If you are always running without knowing exactly how fast you want to be and don't know why you're doing it, there is a much greater risk of losing motivation and stopping your training sooner or later. So always think about what you want to achieve and align your training accordingly.

8.    Poor tapering

Doubts can often arise in those last few days before a race: Can I do it? Am I prepared enough? In order to relieve our conscience, we often hit the accelerator pedal and try to squeeze in some extra miles. As a result, you can't reach your potential because you're simply not rested enough. Avoid this mistake and consciously reduce your training volume the week before the race.

9.    Always getting in your head

True, a systematic approach can help you achieve a lot in endurance sports, but sometimes it’s also good to simply clear your head and let your thoughts run free without a plan. From time to time, train "freely", i.e. without a sports watch and tracking, but simply according to your mood and feeling.