Running Tips for the Physical and Mental Side of Running
By Andrew Greenhalgh | Updated October 2026

At MyRT, you’ll find running tips to help you train mind and body together. Whether you’re a beginner, recreational or seasoned runner, the aim is to help you build fitness, strengthen confidence and handle setbacks more effectively. 

Drawing on research and personal experience, I explain the advice, question common claims, and help you decide what fits your running. Start with the guide that best matches where you are and what you need most.

Running Tips: Start Where You Are

You don’t need to feel fit or confident before you start. Running for Beginners helps you find a comfortable starting point, using walking breaks to ease into running. If you want more direction, Running Training Plans can help you choose a program that fits your goals and everyday life.

Even a good plan can lose its appeal some days—if getting out of the door feels harder than the run itself, Running Motivation and Mental Strength offers ways to work through self-doubt and find your enthusiasm again.

You might also be wondering whether strength work or changes to your technique would help. Running Strength and Form explores what deserves your time and why. Knowing when to adjust matters too: Running Injuries covers common problems, recovery and when to seek professional help.

Your reasons for running will shape these choices. If managing your weight is one of them, Running to Lose Weight brings running, food choices and recovery together in an approach you can sustain.

A Little About Me and Julie

I’m Andrew Greenhalgh. I started running in 2001 and spent about ten years training regularly and chasing race goals. My bests include a 22:27 parkrun, 46:26 10k, 1:44:08 half-marathon and 4:00:02 marathon—those two seconds still niggle. I’ve completed four marathons and still occasionally enter fell races. As I approach 60, I'm also eyeing the Ladybower 50-miler, which I had to withdraw from in 2013 due to injury. So I’m not done yet.

My wife, Julie, brings years of running experience and expertise as a qualified nutritionist. These days, she mainly hikes but also enjoys run-walk outings two or three times a week. She contributes to the site’s nutrition content and helps shape guidance for beginners and women over 50 who want to stay active through running, walking or a mixture of both. Together, we bring different perspectives on staying active and adapting as we get older.

How I Assess Running Advice

When I assess running advice, I look beyond a study’s headline to how it was carried out, who took part and whether the findings are relevant to everyday runners. I consider research that supports a claim alongside findings that challenge it, then explain what this could mean for your running. Julie’s experience and mine add practical context, but cannot prove that an approach will work for you. When the evidence is inconclusive, I’ll sometimes stick my neck out and offer an opinion—explaining my reasoning and making clear where the evidence ends and my interpretation begins. Updated pages include sources so you can check the research behind the running tips and read further.

The Four Foundations

The Four Foundations work together. A training plan needs room for recovery; eating well supports the effort; and motivation helps you keep going—or accept a change of plan when your body needs a break.

Training

Build fitness and stamina through running and strength work, with time to recover as you progress towards your goals.

Motivation

Find reasons to keep going, develop habits that fit your life and keep running enjoyable when progress slows or priorities change.

Nutrition

Understand how everyday eating and fuelling support your training and recovery.

Injury Management

Recognise when to adjust your running, seek help when needed and rebuild gradually after setbacks.

I’m also exploring brainwave entrainment, cognitive training and audio affirmations. In my experience, combining them helped my confidence and running performance, though that’s my interpretation, not proof. I’ll examine the research and post updates on the MyRT Blog.

Choose Your Next Step

Take a look around and follow whatever catches your interest. You’ll find running tips for familiar challenges, fresh ideas for your training and perhaps something new to try. Whatever your experience or ambitions, I hope you feel at home here and leave with something useful for your next run.

Enjoy exploring.

Andrew