How do some runners make it look so effortless?
Some runners seem to glide over the ground, looking like they barely break a sweat as they effortlessly trot past the rest of us who look nothing like them! How do they do it?! What is their secret? How can you make a step towards more effortless running? Coach Tim discusses.
Ok, let’s be honest running is stressful; the high impact can hurt and lead to injuries. How many runners do you know that don’t currently have a niggle of some description? Even professional athletes who run for a living admit, sometimes it can be tough. Without a doubt, the more you do it, and the more conditioned your body becomes, the easier running feels. Some days, it can be really tough to get through those few miles.
If you’d like to become a better, faster and stronger runner, there’s a correct way to do it. It involves engaging multiple muscle groups as you run, from your trapezius to your core and down to your big toe!
As much as running can be a fantastic stress reliever and improve physical fitness, it can also be incredibly challenging, both mentally and physically. However, running does get easier with time Here’s how to get the most out of every run without dreading putting one foot in front of the other. Don’t underestimate the time and dedication required to focus on the following area’s to help improve your running to become a little easier.
Form and Technique
To become a better, faster and smoother runner, there’s a correct way to do it. It involves engaging those multiple muscle groups at the perfect time with every stride. Practise and dedication to technique help to dial in the most efficient looking run form. Running Drills are part of the running motion broken down and used to develop/exaggerate the movement; these can either be single or both legs, i.e. A-Skips, B-Skips, High Knees, Grapevines etc. These are all designed to help improve your running and become more efficient. Focusing on running tall, being light on your feet, relaxing, and finding your rhythm goes a long way at the beginning.
Strength
Strength in an efficient runner translates to stride. Running speed is a simple equation:
Speed = Stride Length x Cadence
Top runners keep their cadence and form consistent (primarily due to strength), and strength contributes to their stride length. They just travel further with each step. If you haven’t got strength training in your weekly programme, I suggest you start to consider it. Strength training can take different forms. It could be used as an activation process within the warm-up, or 30minutes twice a week doing bodyweight core strength at home or in the gym, shifting weights doing squats, lunges etc. This will depend on where you are in your yearly / season training plan. If your upper body is going side to side, your energy will also be going that way. By engaging your core, pulling the core in and minimising any side-to-side movement, you will keep all the energy moving forward.
Breathing
This also has to do with overall fitness, but an elite runner has learned to control their breathing to maximise oxygen intake and CO2 output. It takes discipline, effort, and focus, but getting your breathing under control will help you maximise your energy, go faster, and, more importantly, enable you to relax and enjoy your running. Starting your run too fast will force you into oxygen deficit with heavy breathing and laboured running. Remember those heavy legs, starved of oxygen? Build into your run; maybe start with a walk to get warmed up. Give your body time to shift into an aerobic state, and ease into your speed with a steady focus on your breath. A pre-run warm-up can help with this considerably.
Training Plan
There are different forms of run training, depending on your goal; varying these throughout the year/season will also help to alleviate boredom, injury, and fatigue both mentally and physically. These will also help to improve not only fitness but form and technique as well. A great way to help improve fitness and form with pace control is the Fartlek run, a Swedish term that means “speed play,” which is a form of interval or speed training that can effectively improve your running speed and endurance. Fartlek running involves varying your pace throughout your run, alternating between fast segments and slow jogs. When you run fast, your form generally improves; unfortunately, you’re not able to maintain it for very long. However, doing this type of speed work encourages muscle memory ready for the next time you run. Trail running is another great way to condition the body; it can be heavier underfoot, your core is having to work harder to stabilise you due to the uneven terrain.
Trust the process
Developing an efficient run form takes time and discipline. Knowing your pace, form, and limits will help you to understand what is required to progress. Yes, you have to push the boundaries to improve, but there is a time and place to do that and still within the realms of possibility. Most injuries come when we want to drop 5 minutes from our 5k time, so we start crazy fast with self-confidence and run at a super-fast pace and BANG, the Achilles, calf or hamstring is overloaded too soon. Trust the process, know your limits, and enjoy the incremental gains to build your foundation to excellent running form.
Above all, remember that running is a workout, and some days will be more challenging than others. You’ll get tired during long distances, feel a lack of motivation at times, learn to suffer through side stitches (understand why these happen) and/or want to throw up during sprints. But, you’ll also have runs that make you feel elated and ready to conquer the world. Like anything else, the more you do a particular activity, the more your body gets accustomed to it. Running consistently means that at some point, you’ll probably start to know what to expect, at least in a physical sense. You’ll find a comfortable pace that you can stick to for miles upon miles, either on a treadmill or outside, and explore runs at various times of the day to see what works best for you in terms of energy and performance.
Most of us will run with a device to record our run then upload it to Strava because if it is not on Strava, it didn’t happen, right!? Wrong, sometimes it’s good just to go and run, enjoy the freedom of not constantly checking on your pace or the mileage you’ve covered, or the ‘beep’ telling you to speed up or slow down. Sometimes you can play games with your head, don’t pay attention, just run according to how you feel, and it may surprise you.
After a long, tough day, you may notice some runs can be therapeutic, while others will be difficult from start to finish. Regardless, you’ll trust that you can get through any run as long as you keep moving.
Most of all, the mental ups and downs of running will likely become more tolerable. Running builds your confidence, and that goes hand-in-hand with achieving your goals and supports mental wellbeing.
If your running feels hard all the time, then it’s probably time to assess your programme as you could be doing too much, with not enough variation. Effective, efficient runners also practice self-care. They get enough sleep, are not afraid to skip a workout if ill, use a foam roller to release tight muscles, eat a nutritious and balanced diet, drink plenty of water and take rest days when necessary.
Being able to run consistently and frequently over time is key to improvement. The best way to make this happen is to make sure most of your running is done at an easy conversational effort.
Remind yourself why you run: If you’re having a tough time keeping your head in the game, think about why you’re running. What are your goals? Is it race-related? Is it health-related? Or is it just for the fun and enjoyment of running, meeting new friends at Park Run? Whatever that goal is, keep it front of mind throughout the run to stay present and focused. For example, if you are training for a race, visualise yourself succeeding in that race. If you run for fun, then just get lost in your run and have fun with it. Enjoy the process and the journey of becoming and staying a healthy, strong runner.
Qualified as a coach in 2010, in 2014 began coaching with a local Triathlon Club, in 2018 completed BTF level 3 coaching course. Now he is still enjoying the training but now concentrating on the coaching. Tim takes a lot of time over his professional development and then aims to share this knowledge, helping and supporting athletes achieve the best they can be.
Since joining Tri Training Harder Tim has worked hard in helping mentoring other coaches and run training camps abroad.
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