How To Increase Endurance

How To Increase Endurance

Whether you’re preparing for your first 5km as a beginner runner, or for a marathon, endurance is a key ingredient that, together with other qualities, gets the job done. From the definition of the word itself, it can be deduced that endurance in running simply means the will to keep up when there’s an urge to give up. This write-up is a compilation of some strategies to adopt in order to increase endurance. How to increase your endurance as an athlete.

Points to talk about:

• Easy Long runs
• Tempo/Fartlek
• Recovery
• Consistency
• Diet

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Easy Long Runs

Every athlete must add the “easy long runs” to their workout each week, both sprinters and distance runners. This type of run helps the whole body to adjust to a full load of training. It also helps the athlete to select the best and correct running form during the process. Add the easy long runs to your training routine and you will enjoy it each time. During this type of run, if you’re running with a running partner, you can chat with your partner for the whole duration of the workout. You need to run at a pace that you feel comfortable with and beginners can run easy long runs for a duration of 20-30 minutes.

Tempo Runs / Fartlek

While you’re training for your race, in-between your training sessions, twice or three times a week, tempo runs can be incorporated into your schedule. Tempo runs are runs that require a higher than normal pace but cover a shorter than usual distance. They do not have to be too vigorous, but they should be challenging enough to make you run at a higher speed for between 30-60 minutes per session, depending on the individual and the distance of the race being prepared for. Tempo runs also help to increase running speed.

Fartlek is a short interval speed workout that comprises a combination of intervals of sprints and moderate speed runs. This type of workout is mostly done on the roads.

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Recovery

Enough sleep, stretching and good nutrition are keys to adequate recovery after an intense workout or race. About 30-40 minutes after a race, carbohydrate- and protein-based meals should be consumed for optimum absorption of nutrients for recovery and refueling.

After each workout, wet clothes should be changed immediately, hydration should be a priority, as stated earlier, enough rest and sleep should be had. One thing about recovery also, with regards to the entire training plan for the week is the fact that easy days should be easy days. You don’t want to put too much pressure on the body by continuously having intense training day after day and ignoring easy days.

Consistency

In every aspect of life, consistency leads to accumulated effort, which in turn leads to a bountiful harvest. As a runner, being consistent is proof of discipline and commitment to the cause, and well, it’s always a good feeling when you invest in something and see results. Depending on the
the distance you’re training for, you can start off with 3 training sessions of about 45 to 60 minutes per session, weekly, and later increase it to 4 sessions, with the aim of making one of those 4 sessions a long run, whereby you cover more distance than the other three runs that week.

Diet

With reference to athletes from all disciplines, when there is talks of diet, carbohydrates are what are mostly being referred to, together with some reasonable amounts of protein and some other nutrients. Having a meal that is based on carbohydrates is very necessary in a long run, as
it is highly required for a constant supply of energy. Complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, oatmeal, whole grains, etc, are always a better option as compared to refined carbohydrates and sugary foods.

As an athlete, investing in endurance is a move that you’ll always appreciate for the rest of your life. Reviews show that after following a particular endurance workout training plan and getting results, motivation improved in athletes, leaving them with a feeling that if they put in more effort, there will be even better results. So if you’re motivated to, go all out and grab some more, for one thing about endurance is: there can never be too much of it.

By Prince Allotey Addo