Guides

How To Rest Like An Elite Athlete

Published on January 20, 2021 By Knox Keranen

Rest is an essential part of training, regardless of what you’re training towards.

The stress and load of your workout must be tempered with downtime, where your body hits the ‘rest and recover’ switch, and actively promotes muscle recovery.

Not really. It turns out a little movement and light exercise is good for muscles during recovery. On the other hand, refusing to allow your muscles to recover by overtraining can actually set you back in your training program, and even do serious harm to your body.

You just finished a tough workout. You really went all out and now it’s time to hit the couch, watch Netflix and chill all weekend, right?

It’s why most elite athletes actually spend the majority of their days chilling out.

What?

That’s right, they spend more time on the couch than they typically do training.

This is because:

i) they’ve got all the time in the world to dedicate to their physical performance (no pesky day job to distract them),

ii) they understand how essential good rest is.

In this article, I’ll explain the tools and tricks pro athletes use to achieve deep, meaningful rest and recovery periods, and how you can incorporate these techniques for how to rest like an elite athlete. We’ll cover:

Active vs Passive Recovery

Examples of Active Recovery Exercises

7 Recovery Tools and Tips for Runners

How To Optimize Your Sleep As a Runner

Ready?

Let’s jump in!

How To Use Active Recovery

There are two types of recovery: active and passive.

Passive recovery is the situation I described above, basically lying down and doing nothing.

There is a clear consensus among training experts that active recovery is more beneficial than passive. So, while passive recovery is needed, today we’re gonna cover active recovery.

Active recovery means what it sounds like; letting your muscles rest a bit while maintaining movement.

But, let’s break that down a little more. There are three different types of active recovery:

Type #1: Between Sets

Staying active and mobile during the in-between periods of an intense workout. Hence, “between sets.”

This can mean a slower lap in-between fast intervals or hill runs or jogging in place in between weightlifting sets. Really whatever you do to keep moving will work, as long as you are going easy.

Type #2: Cool Down

A cool-down simply means remaining active after a workout. Often, this refers to a “cool down run,” which means a post-workout jog or even brisk walk.

Cooling down after a run or workout allows gradual recovery of your heart rate and blood pressure to pre-workout levels. This is important especially for endurance athletes, including marathon runners because it helps regulate blood flow, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Type #3: Rest Days

A rest day might seem like the perfect time for passive recovery, but this is when staying mobile is most important.

“When an athlete plans a productive rest day, active recovery is the name of the game,” said Dani Singer, certified personal trainer and director of FIT2GO Personal Training.

“A day that is not spent on training is a day full of opportunity for mobility work. Use this time to take care of any muscle tension or joint stiffness you might be carrying around. For example, if you’re a distance runner then you’ll likely find all sorts of knots in your hip flexors, hamstrings, and low back. Use a drill like the “Squat to Pike” to identify and address any issues in these areas,” said Singer.

When we workout intensely, tiny tears form in the muscles. Eventually, our muscles repair themselves and it’s during this repair process that they grow larger and stronger (it’s also why we feel sore in the hours and days after a workout.)

Staying active on rest days increases blood flow to those muscles, helping them to repair themselves faster and make us feel less sooner.

Examples Of Active Recovery Rest Day Exercises

These light exercises will help you stay mobile and recover faster, so that your body is ready for the next intense workout.

Walking, or power walking

Gentle jogging

Cycling

Pilates or yoga

Swimming

Using a foam roller

Gentle gym sessions (less than 50% your normal weight).

7 Rapid Recovery Tools and Tips For Runners

1.Foam Roll!

Standard foam rollers can help massage the soft tissue, ligaments, tendon that surround a heavily used muscle. It can increase blood flood and promote recovery in those areas.

When using a foam roller, stop whenever you hit a tender spot, inhale, and as you exhale roll your way down. Treat your body in sections and focus on the sorest muscles.

2. Massage guns

Alternatively, electronic massage guns can achieve the same tension release and increase in blood flow as foam rollers do, however, they are more suitable for passive recovery because they require little effort.

3. Recovery Boots

Recovery boots are similar to the blood pressure monitors that fit over your upper arm. They look like oversized boots that you fit onto your legs up to your hips.

The boots inflate pneumatically, compressing around the legs like a blood pressure monitor would around your upper arm. Recovery boots increase blood flow to your muscles after a tough run or workout, and promote faster muscle recovery.

4. Resistance Bands

Light workouts with resistance bands can keep muscles active on rest days. There are many exercises good for stretching out muscle groups that can take a beating during long distance running.

5. Use a Wall!

If you don’t have any of the equipment I listed above, don’t fret! Simply find a wall and lay down perpendicular to it, bring your legs up into the air with your heels gently resting against the wall.

Hold this position for 6-8 minutes or until your feet start to tingle. This technique helps more oxygenated blood flow into your sore legs.

6. Recovery Runs

Marathoners should have recovery runs installed into their programs, if you aren’t following a program, find one here.

It’s key to reduce your effort and keep these recovery runs gentle, or you will risk overtraining and injury.

7. Maintaining Hydration

Maintaining hydration is vital for athletes during workouts, but also on rest days. Drinking water with electrolytes is a great way to stay hydrated longer than you would if you were drinking just water. Here’s a recipe to follow for a DIY electrolyte water!

Sleep Tips For Athletes

We’ve all heard the old wisdom about getting 8 hours every night, but did you know that athletes can aim for 10 hours of sleep? In this section, we’ll discuss best sleep practices for athletes.

“Getting above average sleep warrants above average performance,” said certified personal trainer and founder of The Fitness Tribe Brandon Nicholas.

Athletes – even us regular humans, after a hard workout – should get 10 hours of sleep each night because athletes expend energy and put strain on their muscles at a higher rate than non-athletes, therefore athletes should sleep for longer periods of time comparatively, in order to fully repair and recover.

Power naps can be an athlete’s best friend, but they have to be done right. A good power nap is a short rest during the day.

Power naps for athletes is only a 10-30 minute shut-eye at any point during the day. This brings out a two-three hour boost in energy and performance, while long naps that usually last for up to two hours can cause grogginess and is detrimental for your athletic performance later on,” said Nicholas.

Additionally, naps should be scheduled so that they don’t interrupt your night’s sleep, the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School recommends short naps before 5 p.m. to prevent a restless night.

I personally enjoy a pre-workout power nap a couple days each week. I usually set a timer on my phone for 25 minutes after I lay down. When I wake up, I don’t feel any sense of grogginess, rather recharged and ready to shift into a workout mentality.

A consistent sleep schedule is key for athletes who require high amounts of energy to get them through tomorrow’s workout. Going to bed and waking up at a regular time will contribute to aligning your body clock. A regular sleep routine can speed up muscle recovery and boost the body’s ability to recharge.

Keeping distractions like phones, computers and TVs out of your bedroom can promote an uninterrupted sleep, while solidifying your bedroom as a place to sleep, not a second living room or office.

I am guilty of this. When I crawl into bed it’s not sleep that’s on my mind, more often than not it’s, “what should I watch?” The truth is our minds will start to associate a place (the bedroom) with sleep, if we consistently train it to do so by using our bedroom for the sole purpose of sleeping.

Conversely, if I continue to watch TV in my bed before I attempt to fall asleep, it will be harder for me to fall asleep quickly than if I didn’t treat my bedroom like a movie theater.

Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed. These chemicals, along with nicotine, have been shown to either prevent or interrupt sleep, according to the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Why Rest Is Important

If you aren’t completely convinced that rest is an integral aspect of a top athlete’s performance, here’s some insight from professional Triathlete and Rower Nick Karwoski.

When training for a particular race, event or goal, rest becomes as important, if not more important, than the training itself. The only way for your body to perform at its best is to make sure that you are giving everything it needs to recover. This means more than just rolling out or stretching; it means hydrating, fueling, sleeping and timing your days off that are optimal in your training. The harder you push your body and ask of it, the more it may need to recover in order to repeat that training session.”

Rest and recovery are essential to any athlete’s training program; whether they are a pro, or training for their first half marathon.

Use these tips and try to dedicate the same amount of time, effort and concentration toward your rest as you would your workout.

Eating proper foods, maintaining hydration, stretching, and sleeping well are all pieces of the “feel-good-puzzle.” When they all fit together you perform your best!

How Many Miles Should I Run Each Week? Finding Your Training Sweet Spot

Published on January 18, 2021 By Mia Kercher

How many miles should you run each week?

Whether you’re a seasoned runner or a complete beginner, knowing how much to run is key.

Overdo it, and you risk injury.

Go too easy, and you hamper your progress.

Finding that perfect balance in between can be tough. Fortunately, we’re here to help.

In this article, we’re going to look at:

How Much Should I Run When I Start Running?

How Do I Increase My Distance?

How Many Miles Should I Run Each Day?

How Many Miles Should I Run Each Week?

Advice and best practices for building a sustainable running process!

Ready?

Let’s jump in!

How Much Should I Run When I Start Running?

So you’ve decided to pick up your running shoes and build a habit. Great!

Running is an excellent way to tone up, get in shape, boost your immune system, and keep your lungs and heart strong. Many runners will tell you that deciding to run regularly was the best thing they ever did for themselves.

It’s okay if you don’t know where to start. You don’t have to face this journey alone. You have the experience and knowledge of millions of runners before you to show you the way.

For those with no prior physical activity:

While it may be exciting, it’s best to start gradually. Hitting the road at a dead sprint for your first run can lead to injury and kill all that newfound motivation of yours.

For your very first time, we recommend just walking. Your body will tell you how well it can handle using these muscle groups. Pay attention to how your muscles feel going up steep hills. Watch for the stress on your joints as you descend.

If you’re not too sore the next day, add a bit of running for a run walk method. Keep it light! 10-30 seconds of jogging followed by 1-2 minutes of walking for 30 minutes will be a good start.

If that still feels good the day after, gradually increase the time you spend jogging while lowering the time walking. Keep making adjustments until you can jog continuously for 30 minutes.

For your first few runs, don’t focus too much on distance. Think of them as a gauge. You can start setting distance goals for yourself once you get comfortable raising your mileage safely.

If you do best with a hard distance goal, aim for somewhere between 1-3 miles. Pace yourself well, and stop if you become too fatigued. Ask a doctor if you have any concerns.

For those with an athletic background:

“How Many Miles Should I Run Each Week ?” – if you already have some athletic background, starting from scratch may be too easy for you, so try jogging for a mile.

Bump it up to 2-3 miles if that feels good and you can keep your breathing comfortable. Then wait, and see how your body does the next day.

Even if that still feels too simple, don’t push too hard right away. There may be muscles you are unused to using in your other activities that need to be strengthened. Keep in mind that sports or training programs have different demands on the body. Not all workouts are created equal.

How Do I Increase My Distance?

The most often used rule of thumb for building up your endurance and pushing your limits is the 10% Rule.

The 10% Rule states that you should increase your weekly mileage by no more than 10% each week. Jumping into a more intense workout in any field before your muscles are ready can easily lead to injury.

Plus, you want to be able to sustain this new habit of yours without burning out. Making new demands on your body when it’s ready should feel good – not leave you exhausted and out of energy. Though there are many great rules distance runners can follow, the 10% Rule is key.

If you’re just starting out, keep your mileage consistent for the first 2-3 weeks. Allow your body to adjust to running first. Then, you can build from there.

If you find the 10% Rule too hard on your body, aim instead for increasing your distance every second week. Customize your workout.

How Many Miles Should I Run Each Day?

The number of miles depends on your overall goals.

Are you just looking for a good occasional cardio workout to go with your routine?

For people who want to run only as an addition, the rules are slightly different. You may have muscle tone, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the ones you’ve built are the ones best suited for running.

Say you do sports one day a week and swimming on other days, adding running into the mix where you have time. If you are only running one day a week, keep that in mind when you are pushing for further distance. Your muscles may not adapt to distance as quickly as someone running multiple times a week.

Go easy on yourself. Start at the beginner section of this article, and go from there.

Method also comes into play here. For cardio workouts, distance may not factor as much as intensity. Timed interval training with combinations of running and walking may be a better fit.

Do you plan to make running your main form of exercise?

This means endurance should be your main goal. For basic fitness goals, the real question isn’t “how far should I run,” but “how long should I run?” Increase your cardio endurance using the 10% Rule mentioned earlier.

Using this, you will naturally find the pace and distance that feels most comfortable for you. Maybe at your current level, three miles a day is best. If you’re doing super well, ten miles might feel better. It all depends on you.

Are you hoping to run a marathon?

This is where things start to get specific, and where the general 10% Rule starts to bend a bit.

If you’re shooting for a 5k, your distance goal each day will be very different than someone aiming for a full marathon. For these, you’ll want to have a plan to help you get to the finish line.

For many, running a marathon or even a 5K can seem impossible. Not true! With the right help, of course.

Take a 5k training plan, for example. Some days may focus on time, while others are length-based. The distance sections might go something like this:

Week One Distance Day: 1.5 miles

Week Two: 2 miles

Week Three: 3 miles

Week Four: 5K!

It seems simple, but it gets a whole lot more complicated once you start adding half-marathons and such into the mix. Be sure to have a specialized training plan to make sure you meet your milestones and finish strong.

How Many Miles Should I Run Each Week?

For beginners:

For now, it’s best to keep a buffer of space between running days. Give your muscles and joints time to heal. Rest is crucial.

2-3 days a week for 20-30 minutes is a great starting point. It gives you the recovery time you need while keeping your momentum going. Distance-wise, this would be around 2-4 miles. Avoid overextending yourself until you’ve built a solid foundation.

If you don’t want to be completely stagnant during your off days, we recommend adding some cross-training to your weekly workouts. Almost any type of cross-training will up your running game, though some are definitely better than others. Go ahead and explore what’s best for you.

For athletes:

Experienced runners can push their runs to five days a week if they find their bodies are up to the task. As always, listen to the signals your joints and muscles send you to know if you need to slow down or call it a day.

A 2019 collection of data from Strava put the average distance per run at 4.4 miles for men and 3.7 miles for women. This data was pulled from over 14 million logged runs.

Keep in mind these numbers are based on a pool of people who are active fitness app users, not the average person. If your own distances don’t match these numbers, it does not mean you’re behind.

Body type, height/weight, and underlying conditions are all important factors in determining the right pace and distance for you.

Overall Advice For All Running Levels

If there is one thing that you should take from this, it’s that even if you’re running a marathon, distance doesn’t matter as much as time.

Asking, “How many miles should I run each week” means you’re already on your way to success. Setting a distance goal for yourself can be a great way to feel accomplished. But the true measure of physical fitness will depend more on how long your body can sustain all that hard work you’re putting it through.

A person with a lean build may fly through three miles, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he or she is in better shape than the sturdier individual who just powered through two.

If you’re finding it difficult to increase your run time, don’t get discouraged. A study of over 55,000 people found that just 5-10 minutes of running per day:

Adds to your lifespan
Reduces risk of cardiovascular problems
Reduces risk of health issues overall

You’re already helping yourself just by doing it, no matter how short the amount of time. Hang in there!

For those that want to get serious on their running journey, check out our library of FREE marathon training plans. They range from complete beginner fitness levels to the dedicated athletes. No matter where you are, there’s a plan for you.

Runner’s Diarrhea: How to Soothe Your System and Get Back to Running

Published on January 13, 2021 By Mia Kercher

Runner’s diarrhea. As if you didn’t have enough to worry about while prepping for your next marathon.

It can happen to anyone, and for distance and marathon runners, often does.

Dr. Amy Oxentenko, a gastroenterologist and professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic, defines this unfortunate experience as, “a change in stool form (looser or watery) or frequency (number of stools) that occurs in a runner, and may occur immediately before, during, or after running.”

Runner’s diarrhea has a few names, including ‘runner’s trots’ and ‘runner’s colitis.’

Certain people are more prone to runner’s diarrhea, Dr. Oxentenko notes. People using diuretics, who have chronic irritable bowel syndrome, or whose digestive tract has been damaged are more likely to suffer from this. It also tends to affect younger runners more than older ones, and more women than men.

If this has happened to you, don’t fret.

Runner’s diarrhea is incredibly common, most often seen in runners of three miles at a time or more. This means most people training for a marathon are bound to experience it at one point or another.

A survey of 707 runners in a marathon revealed a whopping 19% of participants had diarrhea at some point during the race. In addition, 10% of those surveyed had to head for a restroom break in the middle of their run!

Fortunately, there are many steps you can take to prevent this from happening to you.

But first, let’s take a look at the causes.

The Top Causes of Runner’s Diarrhea

Frustratingly, when this condition happens, the cause isn’t always clear. A lot is going on inside your body during distance running, and any one of them could trigger a rebellion.

The constant up and down motion of running puts more physical strain on the body than usual. Your digestive system will still need to perform all its normal functions under greater stress, and it does not always like this.

Running reduces blood flow in the intestines. When exercising, that blood flow slows down and redirects to other places that need it, such as your torso and leg muscles.

Food intake can be a factor. An electrolyte imbalance could be putting things off-kilter. Other possible culprits include foods high in fiber, spicy foods, caffeine, or dishes containing lots of fat.

Changes in hormones may set it off. Exercise that requires high endurance such as running cues the body to release the stress hormone, cortisol. Cortisol can then make you feel like you need to go to the bathroom.

Too much stress and anxiety in general is never a good thing. But in this case, they can actually irritate your system and trigger diarrhea. Yet another reason to breathe deeply and find your center.

Runner’s Diarrhea Prevention Tip #1: Eat Like a Runner

The best way to make sure your digestive system behaves on race day is to give it less to do. For this, we have three methods.

Try to avoid eating for at least two hours beforehand.

This spares your system from having to work hard while you’re running. Plus, keeping your digestive tract empty will minimize the need for any bowel movements.

Eat the right types of meals.

Foods that bind well are good options for what to eat before running. Keep them super simple so that less waste is left over when they digest. This will mean less bowel movements for you.

The BRAT diet has some great examples. BRAT stands for:

Bananas

Rice

Applesauce

Toast

This diet is usually for calming symptoms once they’re already happening. But for a runner, it can help stop them from cropping up in the first place. Try to stick whole grain rice (not white) for even better results.

Know what to avoid

It’s just as important to know which foods to skip to avoid triggering the condition. Stay away from anything with:

High fiber content such as beans or lentils

Large amounts of fat

Spiciness

Sugar alcohols taking the place of real sugar

Dairy if you’re lactose intolerant

If you’re considering trying anything new, include it in your diet during training, not on race day. You don’t want to end up with surprise stomach issues.

Choosing the right foods with all of their complex ingredients can be tricky. Make it easy on yourself by using a marathon training meal plan that takes the guesswork out of what to eat. Meal plans aren’t just for building muscle and weight loss.

Prevention Tip #2: Wear Comfortable Clothing

Clothing that is too tight around your midsection can restrict blood flow. This can not only irritate your digestive tract, it could make you much more uncomfortable if you start to feel symptoms. The very last thing you will want if you need to go to the bathroom is more pressure from clothes.

Keep them light and flowy, or at the very least, with plenty of stretch. With the right layering, this can work even while running in cold weather.

Prevention Tip #3: Visit the Bathroom Just Before Running

If you can, empty your bowels right before your race or distance run. A mild laxative the night before may help make that possible.

If you’re planning on going just before the race starts, arrive early so you don’t get stuck behind any long lines.

Chances are other runners will be doing the same thing.

Runner’s Diarrhea Prevention Tip #4: Drink Plenty of Water

Runner’s Diarrhea: How to Soothe Your System and Get Back to Running 4

Hydration is key with any form of exercise, and running is no different. For diarrhea in particular, dehydration can be a trigger.

As mentioned in the food section, sugary drinks with fructose can send you racing for the bathroom. Opt for plain water or healthy alternatives like coconut water or natural fruit juices instead.

Skip the coffee. Caffeine can increase intestinal contractions and worsen cramping. It also functions as a mild diuretic.

Remember, warm liquids can speed up the digestive tract, so keep them cold!

Runner’s Diarrhea Prevention Tip #5: Pain Relievers Come After the Run

While it may sound proactive to stock up on pain-blocking meds before your big run, they’re not a good idea.

Anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen or naproxen can actually irritate your stomach.

Save them for later.

Emergency Rescue Tricks to Save You on Race Day

If you feel the sudden, very urgent need to find the nearest restroom, don’t panic.

You don’t necessarily have to pack up and go home. Keep the following tips in mind.

With a little luck (and accessible portable toilets), you’ll be able to keep calm and carry on.

Plan your route beforehand.

Knowing where you’ll be running could be a lifesaver. For a marathon or just a run through your neighborhood, have a general idea of where you’ll be going. Take note of places you could stop along the way if disaster strikes.

Stop for a moment.

Sure, now feels like a great time to sprint home. But take a second to walk slowly or even come to a complete stop. The change may win you a bit of control over the urgency.

Also, the fight to keep everything where it should be is probably affecting your posture. You don’t want to risk injury by continuing on like that. Come to a halt and use that time to scan the area for the closest place to do what you need to do.

Sip water throughout whenever possible.

Each time you sweat or dip into a public restroom en route, you’re losing fluids. When you can, replenish those. Bonus points if you pick a drink that includes electrolytes.

Try not to worry about it too much if it does happen.

Like we mentioned earlier, it happens to the best of us. Sometimes we are at the mercy of our own bodies. Take these two marathon runners, Catherina Mckiernan in 1998 and Paula Radcliffe in 2005 as consolation.

Both runners came down with marathon diarrhea at the very worst time, but they still went on to win the whole race.

When to Get a Doctor Involved

In most cases, runner’s diarrhea is temporary and will go away in a couple of days. If it happens to you a lot, though, you’ll want to see a professional to figure out the cause.

Important issues to watch out for:

You get diarrhea often even when not running

It happens suddenly with no change in lifestyle and no obvious cause

There’s blood in your stool

You have abdominal pain or fever

In these cases, you could have a serious underlying problem on your hands. These symptoms could indicate a wide range of issues, from inflammatory bowel disease to infection. Take them seriously, and don’t wait.

Any number of things can happen to your body during distance running. Make sure you’re prepared beforehand, stay alert for any warning signs, and know what to do if diarrhea does start at a bad time.

Pushing yourself too hard or for too long can be harmful to your body, so having a good marathon training plan is essential. Download your free plan here – You’ll find one to fit your individual fitness level, no matter where you’re at in your running journey.

How To Increase Lung Capacity for Running

Published on January 11, 2021 By Mia Kercher

Knowing how to increase lung capacity for running – or rather, aerobic capacity, as we’ll discuss – can help you make some quick gains when you’re starting out on your running journey.

It plays a crucial role in our ability to run continuously, and without decent aerobic capacity you’d never get that far without having to stop to walk.

In a perfect world, we would all have the lungs of Olympic athletes. You just picture yourself gliding over the finish line with ease, right?

But if you clicked on this article, chances are you might be more in the “huffing and puffing” stage than the “never break a sweat” stage.

Don’t worry. We’ve got you.

In this article, we’re going to look at:

How much lung capacity actually matters for runners (whether newbies or marathon runners),

Whether or not lung capacity is really a limiting factor in your running performance,

Why aerobic capacity is the metric you really want to think about,

The breathing exercises you can do now to help your lungs and aerobic capacity.

Ready?

Let’s jump in!

how to increase lung capacity for running

How Much Does Lung Capacity Matter For Running?

What I’m about to say may surprise you.

When it comes to distance running like marathon running, a high lung capacity is actually not as essential as you think.

It’s easy to make this mistake. When you’re doubled over and fighting for breath, it feels like you need more air, right?

Not so fast.

Dr. Todd Buckingham, an exercise physiologist and world champion triathlete, asserts that the lungs are actually overdeveloped for a runner’s needs.

“Unless you are one of the best runners in the world,” he says, “Your lung capacity is not a limiting factor in your running performance. Your ability to transport and utilize oxygen is your problem.”

His math checks out, according to the American Lung Association. They tell us the average adult lung capacity is 6 liters (a little over 1.5 gallons).

So at rest, a normal breath takes only half a liter. When exercising, a breath is 2.5-4 liters each.

How This Affects a Runner’s Lung Capacity

Our lungs have the capacity to hold 1.5-2 liters more air than we use.

You’re definitely getting enough air. So what’s really the issue?

There are a lot more processes going on behind the scenes.

Here’s what happens each time you breathe:

You take in oxygen (among other gases).
The oxygen diffuses from your lungs to the lungs’ blood vessels.
The oxygen is moved to the leg muscles by your red blood cells.
The oxygen diffuses from the blood to the muscle.
Your body converts the oxygen to ATP (energy) in your mitochondria.

That’s a lot going on, right? As you can see, creating energy is so much more than just being able to take in a lot of air.

What This Means for Your Training

How To Increase Lung Capacity for Running 5

When people are thinking of how to increase lung capacity for running, they are actually looking to streamline that complicated process up there. They want their bodies to better transport and use the oxygen that comes in with each breath.

Lung capacity is more like aerobic capacity.

This means the types of strategies you may have thought you’d need will be a little different.

Lung training for running won’t be about expanding so much as conditioning.

Okay, you say. Then I want to know how to strengthen my lungs for running.

How to Increase Lung Capacity for Running Through Breathing

How To Increase Lung Capacity for Running 6

All right, so working off of the idea that lung capacity equals aerobic capacity, there are several ways to improve this.

The first is through a series of breathing exercises for running designed to warm up the lungs and make it easier to breathe in the first place.

Runners often favor these 3:

Diaphragmatic breathing

Pursed lips breathing

Rhythmic breathing

Let’s take a look at each one.

Diaphragmatic Breathing

How To Increase Lung Capacity for Running 7

People with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) often have long-term problems and poor airflow.

To fight this, one thing they turn to is diaphragmatic breathing or “belly breathing.” Runners get huge benefits from this.

Here’s how you do it:

Sit against a wall or chair, or lie all the way down.
Place one hand on your upper chest, and the other below your ribcage.
Inhale through your nose for about two seconds, paying attention to your breath as it moves through your abdomen, making your stomach rise.
Tighten your stomach muscles as you breathe out, exhaling through pursed lips. Keep the hand on your upper chest still.
Repeat for 5-10 minutes, 3-4 times a day.

Pursed Lips Breathing

If you find yourself short of breath, pursed lips breathing is a way to control it and get you back to normal.

This involves breathing in a structured, purposeful way, keeping your airways open longer.

You’ll gradually build lung strength if you practice this regularly.

Breathe in for two seconds through your nose.
Purse your lips like blowing out candles on a birthday cake.
Breathe out slowly, dragging it on for a full 4-6 seconds.
Repeat for 5-10 minutes.

Rhythmic Breathing

The final breathing exercise for running can be done right in the middle of your run.

Rhythmic breathing distributes that force evenly by timing your inhales and exhales. This way, the opposite foot hits the ground for each breath.

With rhythmic breathing, you can save yourself from repetitive motion injury and long recovery times.

Rhythmic breathing isn’t just for running, either. Studies show that practicing this shows significant improvement both in cardiac health and coping with stress.

Here’s how to do it properly:

Inhale through your nose.
Use your stomach to breathe in, rather than your chest.
Though there are different options, a good rule of thumb is the 5-step pattern: 3 steps on inhale, and 2 steps on exhale. This will naturally place your feet in the right position.
When you need more oxygen, shift to a 3-step pattern: 2 steps on inhale, and 1 step on exhale.

Feel like you’ve got the hang of the breathing and are ready to try something more taxing? I’m on it.

Four Great Lung Exercises For Running Endurance

The second best way to increase lung capacity is by pushing yourself. As you make more demands on your body, it will eventually rise up to meet you. Here’s how:

1. Interval running. One of the most effective ways to build lung capacity is by working your body hard in short bursts followed by rest. By running intervals, your body gets used to more strenuous effort without taking it too far.

2. HIIT training. Have you ever heard of the term “muscle confusion?” Continuing the interval idea, HIIT (high intensity interval training) workouts keep you from hitting a lung capacity plateau by varying the types of exercises you perform.

Here are our recommended HIIT Running Exercises.

Be sure to warm up and cool down before and after!

3. Build endurance with the long, easy, slow run. This pushes you in a different way, combating fatigue by getting your muscles used to working longer.

Keep your heart rate at a manageable level, but aim for longer than your usual running sessions. Shoot for 20-30% of your usual weekly mileage.

4. Run at a high altitude. Training at 8,000 feet or higher forces your body to work much harder by reducing your supply of oxygen.

Over time, your body will adjust, increasing the number of red blood cells and moving oxygen more efficiently. If nearby mountains aren’t your landscape, look for a gym with a hypoxic chamber to simulate the altitude. Or invest in an elevation mask to restrict airflow.

How to Keep Your Lungs Super Healthy

Of course, none of this matters if you don’t take care of your lungs in the first place. Make sure they’re in top shape by:

Not smoking

Having an air filter and dusting often to keep irritants out

Keeping up with your vaccines to prevent problems like pneumonia

Eating antioxidant-rich foods such as kale and blueberries

Stay consistent with your workouts

After all, if you’re going to go through all this effort with breathing and exercise, that effort should be added to a solid base. Why build a house with a shaky foundation?

If you want to get more in-depth measurements of your lung capacity, here’s how: VO2 max.

What is VO2 Max?

VO2 max, in short, is a measure of a person’s maximum rate of oxygen consumption during exercise. In other words, VO2 max gauges the athlete’s max capacity to use oxygen.

Sound familiar? That’s the same process that happens every time you take a breath – the one we just went over.

VO2 max is considered the gold standard for measuring an athlete’s aerobic and cardiovascular fitness.

You can get a higher measure by taking the difference between two people of the same age, fitness level, and body type, who finish a race at completely different times. One has more oxygen flowing, so their muscles can work harder.

To calculate VO2 max and what to do with it, we’ve put together a guide with all the ins and outs of your VO2 max.

If you feel like you’re trying all of these tips and you’re just as red-faced and exhausted as before, you might just be working too hard. Training for a marathon is intense and difficult. It’s easy to get burned out.

Avoid that frustration by getting real help with your training. Download our free marathon bootcamp to get you up to speed safely. When you step up to the starting line you’ll be ready to take on anything.

Cross Country Running Guide: What It Is, How to Train

Published on January 6, 2021 By Cathal Logue

Cross country running – abbreviated as XC running – is a form of racing that takes place in natural, open-air environments – it arose in the UK but is popular worldwide, especially in schools and athletics clubs. If the very sound of the word cross country fills you with dread, then perhaps it takes you back to those miserable wet and cold experiences from your school sports classes.

In fact, even for a lot of experienced and accomplished runners over the road and track, the very thought of toeing the starting line of a cross country race would be equally unappealing. It´s a bit like Marmite in a way – you either love it or you hate it!

Some of the top endurance athletes over the years have included cross country races as part of their winter training plan – Paula Radcliffe, Paul Tergat, Kenenisa Bekele, and Steve Ovett.

However, many others avoided the cross-country season, notably Sebastian Coe, Haile Gebrselassie and in later years Mo Farah.

In this article, we’re going to get into:

What is Cross Country Running?

The background and history of Cross country

Jargon and peculiarities of Cross Country Running

How to train for a XC Running Race

XC Running Strategies and Tips

Ready?

Let’s jump in!

the complete guide to cross country running

What Is Cross Country Running (XC Running)?

Cross country running involves races which are usually run over undulating courses, mostly on grass in parks and forests.

The distance of the race depends on the age-group but normally ranges from 4km to 12km. They normally take place during the autumn and winter seasons.

Some of the biggest races in the cross-country calendar include World Cross Country Championships, NCAA Cross Country, and The English National Cross-Country Championships.

The World Cross Country Championships

The pinnacle of the cross-country season for elite athletes is undoubtedly the annual World Cross Country championships.

The event is steeped in history and after his victory in 1978, a majestic and remarkable performance by John Treacy of Ireland winning on home soil in the 1979 edition held in Limerick sparked a passion for the sport for many an Irish athlete in the succeeding decades.

In recent years, the African countries of Ethiopia and Kenya have dominated in both the male and female races. The senior men´s team race has been won by Ethiopia or Kenya every year since 1981. In the women´s race, the only other nation to have won the team race since 1991, was Portugal in 1994.

In the case of Paul Tergat, his dominance over the country was unrivaled during the mid to late 90s. He was a 5-time winner, but despite this, he failed to win Olympic gold in the 10,000, as he was unable to overcome his nemesis Haile Gebrselassie, from Ethiopia.

Even the foot and mouth disease in 2001 didn´t stop the event as the organisers switched the cross country running event from Dublin to Ostend in Belgium.

The NCAAs every year is the biggest race in the American collegiate system and has produced some famous winners over the years: Steve Prefontaine (1971), Dathan Ritzenheim (2003), Galen Rupp (2008), and Shalane Flanagan (2002,2003).

The English National Cross Country was an incredible event during the 70s and 80s, with fields of over 2,000 runners. The opening 400m felt like a stampede on a battleground as plucky and courageous runners ran their hearts out for their local running clubs.

Cross Country Running: Jargon and Unusual Aspects

1. Every person counts

This is probably where cross country running distinguishes itself from the individualistic nature of track racing and road racing. You are not only running for yourself as you try and place as high up the field as possible, but you are counting towards your team´s score.

The scoring system works by aggregating the positions of all your counters (i.e the first 4 or 6 of your runners across the line who count towards your team score).

2. Countback

Another term that is commonly heard on the cross country running course is the countback rule. This is applied when 2 or more teams have the same points, and the winning team is determined by comparing the position of their final counter.

For instance, imagine Team A had runners in positions 1, 5, 7, 10 and Team B had 2, 4, 8, 9. In both cases, the team points total is 23. However, the winning team would be Team B as their final counter was in 9th position and ahead of the final counter from Team A.

Despite only 4 runners counting towards the team points, the other runners can push the final counters of the other teams down the field and so it is extremely important to finish as high up the field as you can even though you don’t think you´ll count towards your team points total.

3. Mixed terrain

Undulating would best describe a typical course. While most modern cross-country races are held in large expansive parks, a number of unusual aspects featured in the traditional races in the past.

It would have been common to expect a number of small ditches to jump over, sand covered sections of the course, and in Ireland a favourite was having to wade through a small stream after running diagonally across a ploughed field.

Most courses will leave runners muddy from head to toe and may include some cambers – sloped parts of the course where you feel that you are running on our side.

How To Train For Cross Country Running

Most cross country running races range from 8km-12km for men and from 6-10km for women.

All these distances are predominantly aerobic. If you go off too fast you will incur an oxygen debt and lose ground rapidly in the latter stages of the race.

There is nothing worse than being passed by numerous runners over the last part of a cross-country race.

So, the ability to run well over 10km is a key factor in cross country success. If we look the at winners of the men´s WWCC over the last two decades, they all have 10k personal bests times under 27 minutes 15 seconds! This ability is not produced by solely running 90-100 miles a week but is a result of structured training at specific paces.

Using a recent performance or predicted race pace can be used to help you to determine how to structure your training:

How To Train Based on known 10km pace

Cross Country Running Guide: What It Is, How to Train 8

If you have a 10km time from a recent race, take the time and calculate the time per 400m. For example, you ran 35 minutes for a 10k a month previously. This equates to 3.30 per km/5.36 per mile and 84 secs per 400m.

A typical week based on this known 10k time would include:

Long run at your marathon pace (Add 8-10 secs per 400m to your 10k time, i.e., 92-94 seconds per 400m.

4 x 1600m or 5 x 1k at 5K pace (Subtract 4 secs per 400m from your 10k time) with 90 seconds recovery, i.e., 80 secs per 400m

A session at your 3k pace (8 seconds per 400m quicker than your 10km pace) – 12 x 400m with 45 secs recovery or 5 x 600m with 90 seconds recovery

Include 2-3 recovery runs of 30-45 minutes between these harder sessions.

Note that Cross-country races are not always run on the flat. So, you should also try and incorporate hill running into your weekly plan, either as a session to replace one of the above or as part of your long run.

In summary, the best way to make the most of your training is to use a logical and structured approach. Moreover, you should add some progression into your training and a gradual increase of 10% over a 2-month period would be sufficient.

XC Running Race Strategies

Cross Country Running Guide: What It Is, How to Train 9

Another important factor is the length of spikes. This will depend on the state of the course, how firm the ground is, and how much rain there has been in the days prior to the race. A good tactic is to do a “recce” of the course beforehand (perhaps get there a few hours before the start and walk around the loop).

Also, it is advisable to get used to running in spikes to get the feel of the grass and mud. You can do this once per week and may choose to run your weekly 10k pace or 5k pace session on the grass.

If a rival has been hanging on to you all through the race and you are getting tired, it is probable that the other person is also getting tired. Or you could use the old trick that was passed down by my grandfather.

Turn to the other runner and ask them “Do you think the pace is a bit slow, maybe we should push on?”

This often fools the other person into thinking you are fresher, and it will give you a psychological boost and help you to push on with greater purpose in the later stages of the race.

When going to a cross country running race bring a black bin liner to put in the layers of clothing that you used in your warmup. This is an old favourite of the Irish cross country teams as it´s not uncommon for the heavens to open during the race and the last thing you want is your clothing to be soaked after your finish.

Finally, after the race, take stock when looking at the results. You should remember the person who finished just ahead of you. That person is a future scalp to collect.