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ASICS running coach and serial marathon runner Ania Gabb says improvement comes from seven unglamorous habits: easy runs, sleep, simple strength training, proper fueling, recovery, rest days and consistency. Her advice, shared with Fit&Well, emphasizes routine over intensity and trends.
ASICS running coach Ania Gabb told Fit&Well that seven unglamorous habits — easy runs, sleep, strength training, fueling, recovery, rest days and consistency — improve running more than hard effort or training fads, whether someone is building toward a first 5K or has run marathons for years.
Gabb, who has been an elite runner since 2014 and heads the ASICS FrontRunner Community of more than 500 runners across 31 countries, said the habits became non-negotiable with age. “In my 30s I embraced them; in my 40s they became non-negotiable,” she wrote on Instagram.
Her first recommendation is easy runs at a conversational pace, typically at a perceived exertion of no greater than five out of 10, keeping heart rate in zone 1 or 2. “For beginners especially, easy runs are the best,” she told Fit&Well. “People often think you need to run hard and fast all the time, but actually the easy runs are the most effective.” She recommends protecting at least one easy run per week.
On strength training, Gabb favors basic movements over trendy exercises: calf raises, lunges, deadlifts and heel-elevated squats, done for eight to 12 reps across three sets, twice weekly. “No need to go to failure,” she said. On fueling, she described underfuelling as her biggest early marathon mistake and urged runners to trial gels and breakfasts during practice runs, keeping a diary of how they feel.
Why Ordinary Habits Beat Training Fads
Gabb’s advice matters because it pushes back against a social-media fitness culture that often promotes novelty and intensity. Her core argument — that recovery and repetition drive adaptation rather than constant hard effort — is accessible to runners at every level and requires little equipment or expense beyond basic strength work and sleep discipline.
For beginners, the message lowers the barrier to improvement: slowing down on easy runs and taking genuine rest days can reduce injury risk while building endurance. For experienced runners, her emphasis on sleep as “the best recovery” and on testing race-day nutrition in advance addresses two of the most common failure points in marathon preparation.
Gabb’s Two Decades of Running Lessons
: “Ania Gabb is an experienced running coach and certified personal trainer who has taught Les Mills group classes and pre- and post-natal strength, Pilates and yoga sessions. She has completed UK Athletics’ Leadership in Running Fitness (LiRF) and Coach in Running Fitness (CiRF) qualifications.
Her recommendations draw on personal missteps. She described staying up late and under-sleeping while training, leaving her exhausted after long runs and, at times, unwell. During her first marathon, she said poor fueling left her struggling, and on another occasion she carried only one or two energy gels. Her current routine before a long run or race includes fluids and electrolytes throughout the day, followed by gluten-free pasta with tomato sauce — and beetroot on the side.
“People often think you need to run hard and fast all the time, but actually the easy runs are the most effective.”
— Ania Gabb, ASICS running coach, to Fit&Well
Where the Evidence Stands
Gabb’s tips are personal and coaching-based advice, not findings from a peer-reviewed study, and the Fit&Well piece does not cite controlled research. Specific practices — such as her gluten-free pasta and beetroot pre-race meal, or daily use of compression boots — are individual routines that she says work for her, not universally validated protocols. Recovery tools like massage guns and compression boots can be expensive, and their benefits relative to cost remain debated among sports scientists. Runners with health conditions or injury concerns should consult a qualified professional before changing training, nutrition or recovery routines.
Applying the Habits to a Training Week
Runners can test Gabb’s framework incrementally: schedule at least one conversational-pace easy run per week, add two short strength sessions built on basic movements, and program rest days after long runs or intense intervals. Gabb advises trialing fuels and race-day breakfasts during training rather than on event day, keeping a diary to track what works. She continues to coach through the ASICS FrontRunner Community, where her guidance reaches runners across 31 countries.
Key Questions
Who is Ania Gabb?
Ania Gabb is an ASICS running coach, certified personal trainer and elite runner since 2014. She holds UK Athletics coaching qualifications and heads the ASICS FrontRunner Community, a network of more than 500 runners from 31 countries.
What are the seven ‘boring’ things Gabb recommends?
Easy runs, sleep, strength training, proper fueling, recovery practices, rest days and consistency.
How slow should easy runs be?
Gabb describes a conversational pace at a perceived exertion of no greater than five out of 10, keeping heart rate in zone 1 or 2, so you can chat without pausing for breath.
What strength exercises does she suggest?
Simple movements such as calf raises, lunges, deadlifts and heel-elevated squats, for eight to 12 reps across three sets, roughly twice a week, without training to failure.
Is this advice scientifically proven?
The recommendations are coaching and personal experience rather than cited research. Elements such as easy-paced training and adequate sleep are widely supported in general fitness guidance, but individual routines like her pre-race meal are personal preferences. Consult a qualified professional for personalized advice.
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