Answering your questions about running
Hi! For this LL, I'm going to answer the top three questions you guys have been asking about running. Full post and references can be found on my Notion.
HOW DO I TREND FASTER/RUN FOR LONGER?
Research has shown that adequate time to warm-up your body leads to improved performance, and evidence also suggests that it may decrease the risk of injury. Specifically, dynamic stretching as a warm-up implements active movements of your muscles in a full range. In order to accustom your body to the motions involved in running, try some of these dynamic stretches before you hit the road:
leg swings: lateral, forward
glute activation: lateral lunge, reverse lunge and twist
controlled articular rotations (CARs)
bodyweight exercises: glute kicks, A-skips, jumping jacks
For your actual run, try out some running workouts. Start with a base run (moderate-length, natural pace); if you do these frequently enough, can be foundational for your running.
Then, surprise your body with various speeds. Intervals are a great way challenge yourself by alternating short bursts of intense efforts and recovery periods. For more variation, try fartleks (Swedish for "speed play"), which are intervals except the distance and duration are constantly changing. You never know how long or how short the fast interval is, so your body has to constantly adapt to different speeds. Finally, hill runs are a great mix of both cardio and strength training. Running on an incline increases resistance, thus building muscle strength.
WILL RUNNING KILL MY GAINS?
In short, no. Nothing can really "kill gains" (so don't worry about missing a workout, or gyms closing, or poor eating for a day).
However, if you do a 15K one day and then do heavy squats the next day, don't expect optimal results. Long distance running can lead to muscle protein breakdown, requiring a prolonged period for recovery. Furthermore, resistance training can impede optimal muscle contraction needed for running.
The good news is that there are ways to optimize your training so that your cardio training and strength training don't interfere with each other, but instead complement each other.
As a rule of thumb, the higher the intensity of strength and resistance training, the more recovery is needed before high intensity running.
So, you just hit a heavy weightlifting day - when is the most optimal time to run?
1 day after strength day: low-to-moderate intensity cardio (think slow jog, or walk). You won't be gaining anything if you do intensive training days and running days back to back - if anything, you're more prone to injury
2 days after strength day: moderate-to-high intensity (think hill runs, intervals, speed runs). It may take 24 hours or more to recover from DOMS after leg day. The more recovery time you give your lower body, the more effective your cardio and strength training will be.
If you have strength training and running scheduled for one day, aim for the run to be at a low-to-moderate intensity. To build muscle, run first as part of your warm-up after dynamic stretching, but don't run for an extended distance. To build endurance, do a short run after your workout as a finisher (this is recommended).
HOW DO YOU STAY MOTIVATED?
Running is as much a mental game as a physical activity, and it requires patience and perseverance. That being said, everyone has it in them to be a runner. It doesn't matter if your weekly mileage is 5 km or 50 km; what matters is that you hit the road.
I plan my runs out meticulously, and the process of planning my run means that I better go out and get it done. Some tips include:
have a designated playlist that pumps you up or have songs or remixes match your running cadence
schedule running into your calendar
decide on a route in advance
compete with others on Strava
set a SMART goal (30 mins non-stop, 5K non-stop, etc.)
It's okay if uncomfortable runs (cramping, low motivation, runner's stomach) happen! It just means that the next run will definitely be an improvement.
YOU ARE ALL RUNNERS!
If you have more questions or just want to chat about running, feel free to message me!