All amateur runners start about the same way: the first timid laps on the sports field, then the distances of five and ten kilometers, some even conquer the marathon distance and stop there. And only a few continue and continue to increase the length of their races. What helps these people to run such long distances? How to learn to run really long?
Many people think that running is an activity exclusively for the legs and pay attention primarily to them. This is a big mistake, in running it is equally important to use the strength of the body and the movements of the hands. Proper hand movements greatly facilitate the work of your legs and allow you to run long distances with less effort.
Strength training is necessary for runners no less than wrestlers or swimmers. Strong muscles make any physical activity easier. They will help you spend less effort on each step taken, thus overcoming ever greater distances. In 2010, an experiment was conducted at the American College of Sports and Exercise Medicine, during which it was found that runners engaged in additional strength training increased their results by 21% in eight weeks.
Alternating length and intensity of training segments improves cardiovascular endurance and allows you to work longer. Such training may include several small segments with a very high running speed, separated by short intervals of rest. The presence of high-speed high-intensity loads in the end result will help to increase your usual running distance.
Well, this is quite logical — in order to learn to run for a long time, you need to run for a long time. It is clear that not enough time can be allocated every day, but at least once a week it is necessary to arrange a long race. Its distance should be about 80% of the distance you want to conquer. For example, if you are preparing for a marathon, then you need to run 30 km once a week. Pay special attention to the intensity. Running long distances at too low a pace makes no sense. Reducing the tempo too much significantly changes your condition, technique and load. Try to keep your speed at 80% of your competitive speed to really increase your stamina.
