Set a Goal to Run Faster and Longer
Before you can run fast without getting tired, you should have a general goal for your run.
This goal may be a requirement for a race, a benchmark for your speed or a particular distance that you are training for. It may be something as simple as going out for a run. If you don’t have a goal, then you are just going for a run and that’s fine as well.
However, if you want to work towards a goal, then you will need to set one for yourself. When you set a realistic goal, then you can choose to work towards that goal. Then you will be more likely to focus on it rather than thinking about everything and nothing. Of course, the goal should be one that is challenging, but not so challenging that you can’t reach it. Not having a goal is a common reason why so many people do not run fast without getting tired.
How to Run Faster
Do you often feel tired or winded after you run for a couple of miles? Do you wonder how some runners seem to have so much energy?
If you feel that you just can’t run faster without getting tired, you’re not alone. Running is a skill, and it takes time to improve. Just as a musician has to practice a song for hours on end until he can play it with ease, so you have to practice your running technique.
With time and dedication, your running will become more efficient, and you’ll notice great improvement in your times. Just like any endeavor, you have to improve your running technique in order to run faster and last longer. Here are 8 tips to help you run faster without getting tired.
Tip 1: Start running at least three days a week in a designated area.
Tip 2: Increase your heart rate by running at a faster pace.
Tip 3: Increase the duration of your run gradually.
Tip 4: Increase the distance of your run gradually.
Tip 5: Do exercises to improve your running posture.
Tip 6: Wear shoes that fit properly.
Tip 7: Run rather than walk when you are lifting weights.
Tip 8: Evaluate your running form.
How to Run Longer
If you wish to run faster and for longer without getting tired, you have to start improving your running technique with the right running gear.
Wear Sports Shoes Made to Run
When you start running, the soles of your shoes will become smooth and eventually, their shape will conform to your feet. This is when they stop working as well as they did when you first started.
By this stage, your feet will also be a little wider than they were a year or so before, so you need shoes that fit your feet now.
Increase Your Stride Frequency
Your stride frequency is normally about 120 steps per minute.
If you pick up the speed, you can adapt to running at 140, 150 or even 170 steps per minute.
It is very important that when you increase striding, that you actually run with the faster rhythm, not just faster steps. You should also pick up speed.
Running breaks down your muscles and they recover after exercise. Your stride frequency determines the amount of muscle you use.
Train Your Psoas
Your psoas muscle is located in your lower abdomen and it drives your hip's up and forward as you run.
Runners with great psoas muscles have a powerful stride. They are always moving; pushing off firmly, covering ground with each step and getting off the ground quickly at the end.
Do a Good Warm-Up
A good warm-up and cool-down prevents injury and gets your body ready for running. It preps your heart for pumping blood faster and your body for moving its joints more efficiently. And to do it right, you need to do about five minutes of light aerobic exercise.
During the warm-up, get your heart pumping by accelerating your pace from time-to-time. Jog for a minute then walk for a minute. Repeat this pattern for about five minutes before going for a run. This will get your blood flowing to your muscles and increase your heart-rate.
Cool-West could be as simple as slowing down. An easy trick is to slow down gradually while returning from the run to the starting point. This will get your legs used to slowing down.
Keep your cool in other ways too. Avoid getting too hot too soon. Go out in the cool of the morning or evening rather than when it’s hot and humid. Wear light-weight, long sleeve tops and shorts or capris, instead of sweat-soaked lycra that stop air from circulating. Keep yourself cool by increasing your heart-rate a bit before you finish a run. Three out of five minutes into your run, run a little harder and faster than usual. Keep up the new pace for a minute before returning to your normal pace for the remaining two minutes. Keep your cool with yourself too.
Fuel and Hydrate Before Your Run
Several studies done over the years indicate that optimally hydrated athletes can improve endurance performance by up to 10%; adequate fuel can improve performance by up to 20%.
In addition, a recent study found that eating a high glycemic index carbohydrate meal before a run increased leg muscle blood flow for 80 minutes. Less blood reaching the legs means less oxygen and less energy to the legs.
So fuel up on easily digestible and high-glycemic carbohydrate foods like bananas, potatoes, and whole grain toast. This will give you a quick boost of energy and significantly reduce your chances of muscle cramps.
Hydrate During Your Run
Though the effects of dehydration on endurance running performance have been over-exaggerated, dehydration has been shown to substantially hamper an athlete’s performance. In most cases, dehydration slows you down by about 2% per every 1% of body weight lost.
Plain water, however, is not exactly the best way to rehydrate. Electrolytes (like those in sports drinks, except for the high fructose corn syrup) like sodium are lost at a much higher rate than water, and help the body retain fluid, preventing dehydration and cramping. Well, not all sports drinks are good for you, but that’s a discussion for another day.
Monitor Your Running Form
Before diving into marathon training, it's important to confirm you're actually following good principles. Specifically, you should be sure your running form is correct and isn't causing any undue stress.
Pulling and pushing are natural responses when running, but over-striding puts excessive pressure on your feet, and can lead to injuries up and down your body.
Run with your eyes ahead on an imaginary point on the ground, rather than at your feet. As you do, notice if you tend to be heel-striking. If you over-stride, your landing will be too far in front of your center of mass, causing you to break angle and push off with your feet.
To fix a heel-striking motion, try running uphill. The incline will flatten your foot out, decreasing your heel-strike time and preventing over-striding. You'll also retrain your body to use a mid-foot strike.
Make sure to maintain the new stride pattern going back downhill or on flatter surfaces.
Focus on Breathing
Since running can be pretty demanding on the body, many people tend to forget to breathe properly. When you first go out for your run, take note of your breathing. You should be taking some short, but deep breaths while running. If you’re not breathing deeply enough, you will have to slow down. Breathing deeply from your abdomen will keep your lungs from filling with carbon dioxide, which can lead to stress and fatigue.
A great way to practice this while running is to think of yourself as a steam locomotive train. Pretend that you are gulping in cool mountain air. Visualize yourself breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth.
You should be breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. Don’t try to match your breathing rhythm with your foot strikes. Instead, simply allow your body to naturally inhale and exhale at a comfortable pace. Just be sure to maintain good breathing habits and keep your pace comfortable to avoid gasping for air.
Rest
And recovery.
Proper rest and recovery can make or break any runner’s performance. The trick is to expect a training effect when you increase your mileage, and for your performance at each mileage to increase.
Your body needs to recover from the previous workout, so your next one is better. Recovery is a balance between the stress and efficiency of the workout. If you train with too low intensity, you will not recover and your body will not adapt. If you don’t recover long enough between hard runs, you will go backward, and eventually you will get injured.
To avoid overtraining, stay true to your training schedule.
The secret is not how hard you train, but how effectively you do it while adhering to a plan.
Are you resting enough?
When managing fatigue, there is no point in running hard if you don’t put the necessary recovery time between your hard sessions.
The muscles need rest to recover, rebuild and adapt, so that’s what you should aim for. Do not do consecutive hard runs, as microtrauma can build up quickly. It is very important to give your body enough time to recover.
Distract Yourself
There are two tricks you can use to distract yourself from the pain:
You can focus on the parts of your body without pain, or you can focus on your pace.
To concentrate on the parts of your body that don’t hurt, focus on a particular body part. Imagine walking without your feet. Imagine walking without your legs. Focus on your arms and how they are swinging. Feel the air on your face and neck. The goal is to distract yourself from everywhere else in your body and have it all locked on the only body part you are not currently focusing on. You can picture all of this in your mind.
The second trick is to try to focus on your pace. Set a goal pace and then try to beat that pace. The only goal is to change your focus from pain and fatigue to your pace. Try and run faster than you have ever run before. Focusing on your “pace” can be a form of adrenaline that will keep you going strong.
Add Strength Training to Routine
Find a great routine that focuses on compound movements. Doing squats, bench presses, and dead lifts in multiple angles will not only pack on serious muscle, it will build more endurance.
Concluding Thoughts
Yes, there are a lot of different types of exercises to help you run faster. There are hundreds of different programs to make you a better runner.
We all know that running is one of the best exercises to keep fit. It requires mental determination and physical strength.
Running helps our cardiovascular system and muscular system, which generally decreases the risks of major diseases.
People choose running for a lot of reasons. Some of them are just to keep fit. Some are to get in better shape. And some believe it’s a life-changing decision.
Whatever the reason, it all comes down to your personal preference.
If you are looking for a specific goal, it’s good to know the facts. If you are just starting out, it’s also essential to know the key points that you need to pay attention to.
After going through this book, I hope that you have come to know how important it is to be fit and strong enough to start running.
Now, it’s up to you how much you practice. If you have been practicing in your daily life, then you have already made a lot of progress and you are ready to move on to the next level.
However, if you have not practiced already, then you should consult your doctor first then start a program gradually.