When it comes to long-distance running – whether you are running for yourself, or professionally – not everyone is naturally a great runner. Being a great runner has a lot to do with genetics, the make-up of your muscle fibres (slow versus fast twitch), and of course personal training and nutrition. Some of these key factors you cannot control, however, you can control your personal training and your nutrition to make you a better runner and improve your running results.
There is a lot of information at your disposal that you can use to help you achieve better results. Whether you implement these is your choice but it could be beneficial to at least consider implementing some of these tips. Let’s look at 9 tips for better running results.
1. Begin Runs With Easy Relaxed Strides
As a regular runner, you probably already know that it is important to pace yourself, especially in the beginning of the run. You might be tempted to give it all you’ve got because your energy levels are high, but you want to keep your energy expenditure consistent so that you have enough to get you through the run.
2. Prevent Dehydration
Not too much water, but definitely not too little. It is not only important to hydrate yourself during your run, but also before and after. Going for a run while you are dehydrated could impact your performance and running results negatively – and even worse, it could be damaging to your health. (Our article – Why Water Is The Most Important Health Booster – tells us why drinking water is important for overall health.)
3. Stretch Before Running
It is imperative that you stretch before and after your run. Stretching prepares your body for the exercise it is about to do. Starting exercise without a proper warm-up and a bit of stretching could lead to injury.
4. Don’t Run Within 2 Hours Of Eating
Your body is under enough pressure to digest the food you’ve just eaten. It simply cannot handle digesting and running at the same time. You will feel heavy and lethargic and your run will not be enjoyable, not even mentioning the impact it will have on your results. (Want to learn more about nutrition and its relationship with exercise? Trifocus Fitness Academy’s Specialised Nutrition Course as well as their Personal Training Course will teach you this and so much more. Click here for more information about their other fitness courses.)
5. 10 Minutes Of Walking To Warm Up And Cool Down
Your body needs to be eased into a running session. Apart from stretching, walking to get your body temperature up and muscles warm will really benefit your run. You will also reduce the risk of getting injured when you warm up properly for a run.
6. Emphasise Carbs
Carbohydrates are important macro nutrients that you, as a long-distance runner, should consume every day to help you get better running results. Your body is like a car and cars don’t run without fuel. Carbohydrates are the fuel your body requires to keep running, literally.
Watch this video to discover what people – who are not athletes – should be eating to maintain a healthy diet.
7. Sleep And Rest
Many runners underestimate the importance of sleep and rest. Your body recovers from a strenuous running session during sleep. If you don’t sleep enough, your body will not fully recover for the next running session, which could negatively affect your running results.
Says Dr James B Maas, psychologist from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., and author of Sleep to Win.
“You might be able to get by with one or two lousy nights of sleep, but your best performance is when you’ve had a good night’s sleep.”
8. Get Running Strong Through Personal Training
Besides doing a running session to train and get better running results, you could also consider adding other kinds of training to your routine that will better your running results. Exercises like weight and plyometric training are great options to consider.
9. Nutrition
As mentioned above, your body runs on nutrients, lots of it. However, that doesn’t mean that you can just eat anything and as much of it as you want. Your nutrition as a runner is extremely important and you will need to consume the right amounts of protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats to keep your body performing optimally.
These are a few very simple but effective ways you can better running results. For more informatin on how to get the optimum benefit in your training, visit Trifocus Fitness Academy’s website today and sign up for one of their accredited fitness and health courses!