Running is rarely approached the same way as strength training. It is often taken as unplanned jogs around the block, followed by sprints. But in actuality, running workouts that are targeted towards your specific fitness goals – for example, improving your sprint speed, getting fitter, or training for a marathon – make a big difference. Runners should incorporate endurance running training into their workout regime to become more methodical with their runs. During endurance workouts, a different energy system is trained to help you improve your vitality, speed, and power.
Warm-Up
Before each workout, remember to start with a dynamic warm-up. Performing warmups minimizes your risk of injury, increases your heart rate, increases blood flow to your muscles, and helps you burn more calories during exercise. To prepare your body for your workout, perform the following drills after jogging for 5 to 8 minutes. Mark 20 yards. The key is to nail the proper form for each drill and to increase your speed as you progress.
- Ankle pulls
- Walking lunges
- Carioca
- Straight-leg kicks
- High knees
- Lateral shuffle
- Butt kicks
- Knee hugs
Also, take time to cool down after working out. When your muscles are still warm, jog to flush out the lactic acid in your legs, and stretch while they are still warm. You will also be able to reduce soreness by foam rolling, as well as prevent tense muscles.
Are you ready to hit the ground running? Now, give the following endurance running training a try to help you improve your running stamina.
Best Endurance Training For Runners
Below you’ll find a description of nine common endurance workouts for runners. Let’s get started with the simplest one.
1. Easy Run Workout
Many running workouts require going out full force, even for a short time. There are also benefits to running at an easy pace. These include increased performance and improved mental health. The goal pace for an easy run is roughly half to three-quarters of a 5k pace, which ranges from 8:00 to 9:40 minutes. This helps support optimal capillary and mitochondria development
2. Hill Workout
According to a study conducted on animals, hill running increases lactate threshold. This is a condition in which lactate accumulates in your blood faster than your body can remove it. Increased fatigue, cramps, and weakness may result from this. Runners living in flat terrain can simulate hills with treadmill workouts. A similar effect can be achieved by raising and lowering the running platform.
3. Sprint Workout
Sprint workouts offer a variety of health benefits. Speed and endurance are two. Besides building muscle, sprinting burns fat as well. It is important to warm up properly before sprint exercises because they require maximum effort and speed. This helps reduce injury risk. It also prepares the body for intense, physically-exhausting exercise. To add sprints to your running regimen, start small. Pick an item or object that is 20 meters away and run toward it at half-speed. Upon mastering this, increase the speed, then the distance. In addition, swinging arms can also help increase your sprint speed. So too does increase your stride length. You can control the exercises with the Viturve encoder.
4. Long Run Workout
It’s a great idea to run a long-run workout if you’re interested in running a marathon. This training helps the body sustain an elevated heart rate and more stress for a longer period. Running long distances also helps improve run pace. Marathon pace is important because starting too fast can cause the body to burn out. Therefore, long runs help you better identify the speed you need to run to make it to the finish line.
5. Interval Workout
A high-intensity interval training (HIIT) session alternates between short bursts of high intensity with longer but lower intensity intervals. There are many benefits to interval workouts that runners can reap without spending all day in the gym. In terms of interval workouts for runners, the ladder run is a good choice. This involves running for a specific distance at a faster speed (the workout interval), doing a one-minute jog (the recovery interval), then running the distance again (another workout interval).
6. Tempo Run Workout
A tempo run workout comprises a run that feels difficult, but not too hard. The goal of this run is to push your body in a controlled, sustainable way. These types of running workouts are generally 30 minutes or less and cause labored breathing at the beginning before the body adjusts. The tempo pace is slightly slower than a 5k pace, by about 30 seconds per mile. In addition, warm-ups and cool-downs are important for a tempo run.
7. Fartlek Workout
The fartlek workout differs from most other types of running workouts because it has no structured program. The runner switches from moderate to high intensity in an unpredictable fashion. The benefit of this type of workout is that it facilitates the runner to modify the exercise based on how they feel. One way to do a fartlek workout is to look for landscape markers and run as fast as you can toward them before slowing down to recover.
8. Progression Run Workout
Progression runs involve starting slowly and then speeding up. This helps boost endurance, reduce fatigue, and aid in recovery. An additional benefit of a progression run is that it lets the body warm up before increasing speed. This reduces injury risk and contributes to a more successful workout.
9. Recovery Run
Running a recovery run one day after intense training or competition is not uncommon for endurance athletes. These sessions involve short, easy runs that increase heart rate to roughly one-half of the runner’s max. Recovery runs help reduce the risk of overtraining. They give the muscle and tissue time to heal from more intense exercise sessions.
When it comes to benefits, endurance running training increases vitality, stability, and strength in runners. The other benefit of this is that it enables runners to place better in races. Some runners also use max speed to rectify their progress over time. Also, endurance training provides auxiliary benefits to speed training which can use a VBT. Improved aerobic capacity, for instance, is good for the circulatory system, according to the American Heart Association. By doing so, runners can reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke. Increasing running stamina through aerobic endurance exercises also improves metabolism. A specific metabolic hormone known as fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is believed to be responsible for this effect. Furthermore, endurance athletes have been found to live longer according to some studies.
Wrapping Up
The best way to train for running is to focus on sustainability. You will not succeed as a runner in your training goals if you train sporadically, whether it is for a marathon, half-marathon, 5K, or one-mile run. Make sure you incorporate the workouts above into your endurance running training plan. Although it may seem logical to replicate race-day conditions often in your training, this can lead to injuries and burnout. Moreover, training the same way all the time can lead to overuse injuries and underuse weaknesses.
Endurance training for runners included in this article will allow you to stay injury-free for as long as possible. These small, sustainable improvements will lead to big progress over time. Besides, these workouts are great for losing pace time or increasing mileage. Hence, for endurance runners of all levels, it is an effective method!
