Four Suggestions That Worked For Me
Over the last few months, I have been trying to push my running distance to another level while improving my speed and endurance. Given it is New Year’s Eve, we are often exploring new goals for 2019 I thought it would be good to share how I have gone about this in the hopes it might help others.
This post is primarily about running but I have seen similar effects when applied to other strength and flexibility routines.
We often hit a plateau in any routine. Exercise routines often fail when we are bored or feel demotivated by our performance. Changing up your routine just a bit or re-energizing your routine with a new goal can sometimes be the spark you need to stay on track.
I am a casual runner, I don’t run races and I generally do not get too competitive about running; my times and distances belong to me and I don’t worry about how others define “runner”. I am also a solitary runner. So, my distance and pace are whatever I make them and are not dictated by a running partner. There is some freedom in this, but it also means I rely on my own sense of performance and need to stay motivated and accountable to myself since I have no support to get me out or encourage me.
I was very consistent in my running routine from spring through fall, even managing to push through my first blistering hot summer in Arizona. I was content just getting through my run when the temperature was 85 degrees at 5 am. But as I got into September, I was feeling malaise creeping into my routine. I decided I would try to push my performance a bit. I made 5 incremental improvements. I planned these improvements to be small enough that I would actually do them and simple enough to be sustainable.
- Improve Posture and Breathing.
I recognized that I needed to improve the rate at which I collected oxygen and expelled carbon dioxide. To improve this part of running, I focused on running with my head up and chest forward. I had a tendency to run looking at the ground, a holdover from running on uneven sidewalks.
I also focused more on breathing deeply, using my stomach to expand and contract my diaphragm.
These changes felt very unnatural for several weeks, kind of like trying to write with my other hand. I needed to concentrate on keeping my eyes on the horizon and breathing deeply even when not really necessary. I came to realize I was actually limiting my breathing. I still don’t understand why I did this.
- Exercise on “Off” Days.
I found that doing something that enhanced my endurance on my non-running days helped my running days. I used my elliptical to increase my cardio. Put the resistance on a low level without any incline to ensure I was not taxing my legs. If I added this one day per week I found it helped improve breathing. Most importantly, I found my recovery during running was greatly improved. My heart rate dropped to a more comfortable level even while still running.
Aside from increasing my endurance, this additional exercise made me anxious to get out for my run the next day.
- Add Distance a Little at a Time
I increased my distance on Monday, which is the start of my exercise week. I added the distance at the bottom of a hill when I had recovered from getting up the hill. I felt more motivated when my heart rate had slowed to a more comfortable level. I simply added about 200 yards by turning and running 100 yards out and back at an intersection. This was approximately the distance between street lights. I added one street light every week. Going out 100 yards was a small enough change that I did not really notice the change. The key was that I was not exhausted when I made the turn.
Obviously, adding 100 yards per week is not a lot. It takes many weeks to make a difference. But I have persisted for 4 months, so I am now running 2 km farther than I used to. The changes were so small that I don’t notice the extra time required and I feel motivated to keep improving.
- “Hill-Assisted” Interval Training
For people really intent on improving their athleticism, High-Intensity Interval Training is really effective. That is not me, however. I want to improve my speed and endurance but slowly and at my own pace. In order to build up, I have opted to use the recovery part of my run to increase my overall endurance. I push at normal pace going up the hills and then push hard going down.
The effect has been to improve my average pace over time and to improve my heart rate recovery times a lot. However, my top speed has not increased much. I now average about 10% faster per km since I started pushing going down the hills.
I am generally pleased with the process I have taken to gradually increase pace and distance in my regular running routine. I am not striving to win races but I do have a desire to keep improving without burning myself out or getting frustrated or bored with my run. The most important thing about these improvements is that my level of enthusiasm is much higher.
Happy Running!
