Like this site:
[ ?] Subscribe To This Site



|
|
Long Distance
Running Tips - Six Tips You Need to Go the Distance
Nowadays, long distance running
is becoming a more and more popular hobby.
People are in need of long distance running tips.
And with good reason. Obesity is on the rise and you want to stay fit
and healthy.
And
you may, just like me and many others, have found out about some of the
benefits of running.
The calming, meditative effects for example.
They make
running just as much about your mind and soul as it is about your body.
To be able to successfully run long distances, you
need some dedicated training and some
useful distance running tips.

Water, always good for the long
distance
runner.
|
Running is usually not more than a hobby or a way to stay healthy. But,
want to achieve more? Want to run long and want to improve your running
performance?
Then here are some helpful distance running
tips that you can use.
Distance Running Tip #1: Wear Quality Gear
Now, don't start breaking the bank to get the
latest and greatest gadgets and tools.
But when you go beyond a once-a-week
jog around the park, you will want to invest
in some quality running gear.
Items to consider are:
- Running
Shoes. It is very important to wear the right
running shoes for your feet. They help prevent many running
injuries.
- Running
Apparel. You will want to get some moisture-wicking
running apparel. Moisture-wicking materials can help you avoid chafing
problems. Good running socks can help you prevent
blisters and sores.
Running socks, shorts and shirt are
essentials. Depending on weather you may need to look
into running tights or pants, long-sleeve shirts and/or jackets. Check
out the running apparel link above as it will provide you with reviews
of all kinds of running apparel.
- Running
Gear. Depending on your wants
as much as your needs you may want to look into
some useful running gear, like running sunglasses, heart rate monitors
or an interval
timer.
Interested in any of the above? Click any of the pics below to get some
more information:
Distance Running Tip #2: Start Slow
Planning to run long distances?
Then what you need to focus on first is your pace. You cannot simply
increase your speed, or run at too high speed for too long.
Instead, run slowly at first. Build up your
distance. For any distance upto a half marathon
you can aim to cover more than the race distance in training. Yes,
that's right, when I train for a half marathon I regularly run further
than that distance.
Why do I do that? Well, it will
help my body get used to that distance. It will help increase my
stamina. When I can successfully cover the distance (and more), I can
then use my increased stamina to run that distance faster.
When you are a beginning runner, chances
are that you are going too fast. In fact it is the number one
mistake I see beginning runners make. In fact, it is a mistake made so
often that I don't even know what the number two mistake is...
:)
You have to keep in mind that long
distance running is a totally different thing. Distance
first, speed comes second!
Also see the following pages for more explanations about why slow /
easy running is so good for you:
There is a place for faster running in your training as well.
But first create a solid base, then work on the speed, not the other
way around.
Distance Running Tip #3: Increase Your Mileage
Safely
When you want to run long distance,
you need to build up your mileage.
You can't go from running 2 miles to running 20 miles in
one week.
That's pretty straightforward.
You need some kind of gradual build up. But how do you do that?
There are some rules of thumb. The 10%
rule is a popular one.
It states that you can't increase your weekly mileage by more than 10%.
E.g. run 10 miles this week, then you can run 11 miles next week (10%
increase).
The rule is a bit too general for my
liking. Get used to listening more to what your body is
telling you. This means that sometimes you have to stay at a certain
level and sometimes you'll be able to push on by more than 10%.
The key
is to listen to your body and react to aches and pains.
See more about
this on the increasing
mileage safely page.
Distance Running Tip #4: Get Enough Rest, Take
Breaks
Get enough
rest and reap the benefits
New to this "running thing"? Then you may get tired
easily and your muscles may ache
as well. This is normal as your body hasn't adjusted to long distance
running yet. Hence, don't deprive yourself of the hard/easy principle.
After a hard day, do an easy day.
It is a good idea to give your body enough rest
because your muscles are still not used to running long distances and
they need to recuperate as well. Take note that your body generally
needs 36-48
hours to recuperate of a day of hard training.
Now, what is an easy day? It can be anything.
It could be complete rest, it could be some cross-training
or even an easy recovery run, short
and slow.
The idea of the easy day is to give the running
muscles a decent break.
So, it does not have to be complete rest.
Distance Running Tip #5: Hydrate and Eat Well
Take a holistic
approach
to your running and fitness.
Now, doing all the running required to
become fitter and faster is great.
But you need to make sure other
elements of your life are in sync with this.
This means eating and drinking
healthily.
And getting enough rest via
sleep and recovery.
Check out more about healthy eating on the runner's
diet page.
About eating and drinking during running.....
Water is vital to efficient running.
It is important that you are well hydrated during long distance running.
Even if you don't feel thirsty during your run, get used to drinking a
few mouthfuls every 20 minutes on your
long runs, provided your long runs go well over 60
minutes or when it is very hot outside.
Running for 90-120 minutes
or more? Then you need to bring a beverage that contains electrolytes
to keep your body well hydrated.
Furthermore on really long runs, e.g. when
preparing for running a marathon it is recommended that you eat at
least 30-60 grams of quick burning
carbohydrates every hour to give you fuel for running.
Remember, you need to choose fast
or quick burning carbs over the slow
burning carbs. This is because fast burning carbs can get into the
blood stream rapidly, thus, providing your body with the needed energy.
After your running it is always good to replenish
with some water and a tasty snack to refuel your muscles and help
stimulate recovery.
Maybe the single largest benefit of long distance running is guilt-free
snacking afterwards...!
Distance Running Tip #6: Get Motivated
The abovementioned distance running tips
won't work if you don't have the right attitude and mindset. The
importance of having the right motivators
can't be underestimated.
Why are you
running? Think deeply. What is it
that you want from this?
Is it to lose some weight? If so, how much and by
when? Is it to run a marathon? If so, when are you running it? Is it to
set a time goal on a challenging distance? Whatever it is, make sure
you know for yourself what you want to achieve
and why
this is important to you.
Only if this desire comes from within you will be
able to keep things going when the weather is bad, you are tired or are
having a bad day at work.
So, set some clear attractive goals and follow it up with the right
actions!
These distance running tips are just the top of
the iceberg.
There are plenty more tips to improve.
Depending on what you are after or what your starting level is you may
want to have a look at the following pages:
Like this page:
|
|
|
|