Former Olympian Perri Shakes-Drayton shares top training tips for new runners
The former competitive runner on why training is still her ‘happy place’ and how motherhood has reframed her perspective on joy. By Abi Jackson.
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Your support makes all the difference.When Perri Shakes-Drayton retired from athletics, she thought her training days were over.
“I thought that was it – I’m not interested in more running, that’s me done, don’t talk to me about no gym,” recalls the former Team GB Olympian, who competed in 400m sprints, relays and hurdles, and won three world medals during her career.
“Lies!” she adds, laughing.
Because although the adjustment “was a bit wonky at times”, Shakes-Drayton, who announced her retirement in February 2020, quickly realised that training is her “happy place” – even if it did now look a bit different.
The London-born 35-year-old – who has a three-year-old son, Matthew, with her husband, former high jumper Mike Edwards – continues: “Then when I was pregnant with my son, I would go for runs, but things became more low-impact and everything slowed down. I was like – oh, this is not the training I’m used to, I’m used to being in pain, you know? But I learned that just movement is important…
“It’s not for any extreme speeds or rewards now, it’s all intrinsic. That’s where I get to think for myself and be free.”
Shakes-Drayton, who took part in Channel 4’s Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins last year (“it was brutal”), is still “goal-driven”, however.
“I really do think that is how I work best,” she says. “It’s not about pressure, I think it’s just me kind of holding accountability. I have a reason why I’m doing it, you know?”
She took part in the London Marathon last year and will soon be tackling the London Landmarks Half Marathon – once again running for pregnancy charity Tommy’s, which supports people who’ve lost babies and funds research to help prevent baby loss from happening.
It’s a cause close to her heart, after experiencing an ectopic pregnancy – which happens when a fertilised egg gets implanted outside of the womb, leading to pregnancy loss and potentially life-threatening complications.
“I didn’t really know what [ectopic pregnancy] was at the time,” Shakes-Drayton recalls. “And then from sharing my story, a lot of people came forward saying, ‘Yes, it’s happened to me too’. So I thought, why not continue to spread awareness?
“Obviously, I’ve not tried for a baby since, I’m enjoying my life with my one son,” she adds. “But who knows what the future holds.”
Becoming a parent has made her “see joy in life” differently, she says.
“I feel like my childlike side has come out a little bit more now. We go on what I call adventures, me and my son, we’re always out and about – the theatre, the museum, play dates.
“I like to see and explore the world, and I feel like having my son, I get to share it with him, so life is different in that sense,” Shakes-Drayton smiles. “It’s still active, but in a slowed down version.”
Perri-Shakes Drayton’s top training tips for new runners
Entering your first race this spring or summer? Whether it’s 5k or a marathon, doing some prep will stand you in good stead.
Have a training plan
“Definitely set a training plan. Don’t go out there thinking, ‘Right, I’m going to aim to just run this distance’, whether it’s 10k, a half marathon or a marathon. A training plan gives you breakdowns of how you’re going to get there – and that may be shorter runs, interval runs, speed runs and longer runs – but you never really go the full distance.
“Lat time I ran the marathon, I had a coach and followed his programme. This year, doing the half, I followed the Nike [Run Club] training app and it’s been amazing. You’ve got guided runs on there, you’ve got a professional coach kind of talking you through the run. It’s the moments when you’re feeling like ‘I can’t do any more’ – they’re in your head saying, ‘You’ve got this’.”
Build in some cross training
“I do a lot of strength training. I aim to go three times a week, as well as do my runs. I’m working on the arms, the legs, the calves – because especially for long distances, you need to make sure those parts of your body are strong. It prevents injury. I’ve had a history of knee injury, and I’ve surprised myself that I’m able to go and do these distances and not have knee issues – and that’s because I continue to do the strength programme. There’s also times when I ride my bicycle instead of running – that’s another form of cardio.”
Remember everyone has off days
“I know all about that… There’s been times where I’m like, ‘I just can’t, I don’t know if I’ve got the motivation or strength’. And actually, I listen to my body – a couple of days off is fine. What I’ve realised is, when I go back into the training, I’ve got this burst of energy, you’re excited to be going on a run. And you don’t lose your fitness in that time, you really don’t. So do not beat yourself up for taking a few days off. What is more damaging is not listening to your body, going ahead and doing it, and then you end up injuring yourself.”
Test out your fuelling strategy in advance
“When I do my long runs, the only thing I’ll be implementing [in terms of extra fuel] is gels – but what people really shouldn’t do is try new things on the day. You have to practice these things – try different brands beforehand, do you like the flavour, is it agreeing with you? Electrolytes, the same, that’s another thing I like to do because we lose a lot of salts when we’re running – but don’t be trying these things out [for the first time] on the day.
“In terms of eating, I always made sure I have my three meals a day, get that protein in, get the carbohydrates in, a balanced diet. But generally, it’s all about eating. You do so many miles, it’s not about you saying, ‘Oh I’m not gonna eat that’. Eat the food!”
Embrace the atmosphere
“I train a lot with music, but when it came to me running a full marathon, I was like, I don’t need this – I want to take in the atmosphere and the surroundings and everyone cheering me on. I think that’s what got me going. When you’ve got people running next to you, you kind of feed off one another, and it’s so nice hearing your name being cheered [so have your name on your top!], strangers saying ‘You’ve got this, you can do this’. It really makes a world of difference.
Perri Shakes-Drayton is running the London Landmarks Half Marathon on April 7. For further information, visit llhm.co.uk.