I Don’t Have The Endurance For Running

This post is part of the 31 Excuses To Not Run series, where I asked 31 friends to give me their excuses.  31 excuses for 31 days – you have an excuse for every day of the month. And now you have a little motivation and some ideas on how to get past those excuses.

I don’t have the endurance for running – Genni

When I first started running, I was ambitious. I thought sure, I could go run for a mile or two without a problem. Well, any new Runner will tell you that it gets hard after even 30 seconds of running. I think one of the misconceptions about running, when you haven’t done it before, is that your body is in good running shape. Even if you are athletic by Nature, running endurance is different than being athletic. Your cardiovascular system has to adapt to being able to run long distances for a sustained amount of time.

Interval Training To Win at Running

My running Journey started out with interval training. Interval running is probably the best way to start running you haven’t run very much in the past. It also helps build cardiovascular capacity and helps you burn calories. The key with interval training is to stick to a routine and slowly build up over time. A 10 or 12 week time frame and map out the intervals that you want to run based on time, and rest time. Each week you should increase the amount of intervals or the length of time that you are running. When I started out it was run 30 seconds and walk 30 seconds. After week one, week 2 was Run 1 minute, and walk 1 minute. And once you get going, take The Weekend split it up into two sections, with the first day or two of running being four or five intervals, and the second half of the week add one more interval. Be sure to not overdo it, you will probably feel exhausted after the first week or two, and that’s likely because the pace that you are running at is a little bit too quick. I think one of the biggest challenges that I had when I started running was that I had no clue what a comfortable Pace felt like. Should I be running at a 12 minute mile, or a 10 minute mile, maybe I can push myself and run at a 9 minute mile. Even today, a comfortable 11 minute pace sounds great when I’m just going out on a run. So how do you figure out what pace you are running at? And how do you know whether you can push your running pace a little bit more? The answer is to use a running tracking watch, like a Garmin. Read more about that here.

Be Consistent With Your Interval Training

Remember to be consistent, running a few times per week with some variation, will build up your stamina and running endurance. Adding in a day or two each week where you take a slightly longer run or run a little bit faster, but also help you build up your running base much more quickly. Once you are feeling more comfortable with reading, take a day each week and designated for a tempo run. Temple Runs are a run that is at a higher pace then normal, but you still cover a similar distance that you have been running. Not only does this help with your confidence, but your body will actually clear lactic acid from your bloodstream quicker, allowing you to fatigue less and last longer on a normal run.

Eating Well Means Better Running Endurance

Eating well can help your running endurance, believe it or not. You may have heard that Runners will carb load before a big race. Well there’s science behind that, a runner should be eating about 55% to 65% of their food as carbs, the day before a race. Complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, oatmeal, and other whole grains are what you should focus on. Cut out eating extra bread, and swap that in for a good pasta the night before you have a longer run.

Recovery Time Is Part Of A Smart Running Strategy

Recovery is an important part of running. After you have pushed your body to exhaustion, you definitely need to take some time to let your body rest. Within about 30 minutes of running, eating some meals that are high in protein, well allow your body to start to replenish its nutrients and repair any muscle damage that has occurred. You will see a lot of Runners take protein shakes with them so that they can immediately drink them after a long run.

Running is not easy, especially if you are a new Runner or have not run in a while. Keep in mind that a plan will help you get their further and quicker, and a consistent running  schedule is key to helping build up your endurance.