Tips to Improve Running Performance

If you are an experienced runner, running at least 4-5 times each week and are logging in twenty miles per week or more, here are some helpful tips on how to improve your performance.

In order to improve your running performance, you will need to improve your endurance and your speed. Simply put, you can improve your running endurance by running more miles, but it is important that you increase your weekly mileage by a specific (and small) amount, and also that you vary the distance or time that you run each day. By doing so you can keep your training organized, and measure your progress. Such training organization can help you to avoid overtraining, optimize performance, and, most importantly, peak for a specific event.

Two training variables: distance and intensity

You can consider your twenty plus weekly miles that you currently run your base. This is your starting point. Working off of either this mileage or the total time run each week, we recommend that you increase this total weekly amount of running by no more than 10% each week. It is important to note, though, that there are two variables that you must control when trying to improve running performance, distance and intensity. To avoid breakdown, we recommend against progressing both of these variables at the same time. Therefore, if you plan to increase the total weekly distance covered next week, then don’t also plan to increase the speed at which you run during that same week. Save speed for the following week, and when that week comes and the focus is on quicker runs, leave your weekly distance alone. Remember too that all runs should not be the same. Vary your runs within each week, making some runs longer, but slower, and other runs short and fast.

Building speed

You can incorporate some speed work into your weekly training regimen by doing short sprints after a short distance run. If this is the first time doing speed work, we advise that you avoid all-out effort (e.g., running as fast as you can) as this will likely lead to injury. Run moderately faster than your usual jogging pace for a short distance of 50-100 meters. You can do this 3-6 times, with a 60-90 second rest period in between runs. As you get more comfortable running at this faster pace, increase you speed a bit over the same distance, or increase the sprint distance that you run.

You can also increase your speed by adding interval training into your daily run. Interval training involves periodically mixing in brief periods of faster, more intense running into your day’s run, and then resuming your usual, or slightly slower than usual jogging pace.

Terrain and elevation:

Running on a flat, or level, surface requires the least effort. Some would argue this is also the most boring surface on which to run. Find places with some elevation. Running up, and even down, hills is a great way to improve leg strength and flexibility. You can also consider taking your runs off-road. Running on a wooded trail offers additional challenges that can help improve your speed, balance, and endurance. Beware, while these additional challenges mean more benefit, including more interesting and enjoyable runs, they also carry more risks, like turning an ankle on a root, or falling and injuring yourself elsewhere. Please be careful.

Cross train

There are many other types of exercise that you can enjoy that will help to improve the strength in your legs. Weight training activities, including squats, lunges, toe raises and step-ups, with either free weights or machines, is very beneficial to help runners get and stay strong.

Eat and rest

Remember, your body is a machine. Like all machines, your body will only perform at its peak if you fuel it properly and give it lots of rest after working hard.

If you are interested in becoming a runner, or already run, but want to improve your performance, please give our Physical Solutions office a call. We have personal trainers that can help.

Join us next week when we discuss common running injuries, how to handle them when they occur, and how to best try to avoid them in the first place.