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How To Get Faster at Running Long Distance
Running is an endurance sport, especially if you're going for long distances like the half-marathon, marathon, or ultra. In those scenarios, for most people, it's important to finish the race and not necessarily to win it or to achieve a particular time. However, with time and as you participate in more and more events and you start running more and more often, you may find yourself striving to become better, to improve your times. Then, inevitably, the question of how you can achieve that arises - what kind of training do you have to do, should you work with a coach, etc?
Thankfully, in this article, we will be answering exactly those questions in an effort to help you become a better runner and an improved athlete overall. And so, if that's what you're looking for, then keep on reading.
What Can You Do to Run Faster?
Now, you have to be prepared that there's no quick fix. There's nothing you can do for a week that's going to give you the desired results straight away - as with everything when it comes to running; you have to earn each improvement. So, before testing out any of the tips we share, just know that you will have to do them consistently for at least a few months before you see any massive changes.
Run More Often
If you are truly dedicated to achieving better times when running, then you have to go on runs at least 3-4 times per week and even more. By running regularly and going through different distances, your body will start adapting to your current normal pace, and you will be able to push for more as time goes by. Running coaches often say that to run fast, you first have to run slow, and as strange as it sounds, that's the truth. By accumulating miles at a comfortable pace for your body, you adapt, and you improve your aerobic endurance and threshold, which in turn allows you to try going faster as time goes on.
Do Speed Work
It's the case that, more often than not, people who run long distances rarely do any kind of speed work. That's primarily due to the fact that they don't know what is required, and they also don't know what it entails. If you follow into that category of runners, it's good to consult with professionals like the ones from https://pacepassion.com; they will be able to coach you through all the different types of workouts so that you're certain you're exercising correctly and in line with the goals you've set out for yourself. Having said that, if you've had a coach before and you already know what speed workouts are, then you should start incorporating them into your training regime if your goal is to improve your long-distance running pace. It's a good tip to do your speed workouts on a track field or on a hill, where you will be able to do repeats and potentially compete with other runners as a way to get more motivated while training.
Work on Leg Strength
A lot of runners tend to forget strength training exists and what its purpose is because as you get absorbed with running, you don't want to deal with the soreness that comes along with regular gym workouts. Unfortunately, one of the best ways to improve your speed and become a faster runner is to develop the power in your lower body with target strength exercises. For most people, that means spending 1-2 days training in the gym, preferably with a personal trainer, so that you can work on improving all the muscular imbalances that exist in your lower body. Typically, it's recommended that runners do more compound workouts with free weights that give you the opportunity to target the muscles in each leg separately. That includes exercises like the Bulgarian split squat, lunges, step-ups, single-leg RDLs, single-leg squats, and more. By training each leg individually, your body is unable to use the strength of one to compensate for the other, which forces both legs to grow equally strong.
In Conclusion
Hopefully, the advice we shared in this article will help you get faster at long-distance running and will help you achieve the goals you've set for yourself. With that said, before you go and hit the pavement, we'd like to reiterate one very important point - improving your running pace, regardless of the distance, is a process that takes at least a few months of hard work. So be prepared for that before you jump into this journey. And as always, if you have any extra tips and tricks on how to get faster and better at running, please share them in the comment section - we'd love to learn something new.