here is something exhilarating about running: the wind against your skin, how your muscles work in harmony, the feeling of moving forward, each step taking you closer to your goal. It all culminates in a deeply fulfilling and engaging experience.
Unfortunately, despite putting in the time and effort, progress doesn’t always come as fast as we would like. If the thought, “Why can’t I run longer even though I’m consistent and always push myself hard?” has come through your mind, don’t worry because you are not alone.
Many people struggle to run longer, and some even give up out of frustration.
Fortunately, that doesn’t have to be the case, as there are multiple things you can do to start covering more miles in the upcoming weeks.
Ready to learn what these tactics are? Read on because we are breaking it all down for you today. And hey, if you’re looking for a more engaging and structured running experience, check out our app––Supersonic. We have a 0 to 5k program you can start right away.
Understanding the basics of running
Running is one of the most natural activities. It comes naturally to most people, and we spend countless hours of our childhood running. Interestingly, despite that, it’s surprising how our running technique can change for the worse as we get older.
The Importance of proper form
Imagine your body is a well-oiled machine, with each major part moving in perfect sync for maximum efficiency. That’s how things should look when running, as proper form minimizes the injury risk and allows you to move through space.
Running is not just about stepping forward one foot at a time; it’s also about synchronizing your movements by taking care of your posture, stride, arm motions, and breathing. How well you can execute all the small things can be the difference between tiring out at the mile mark and effortlessly gliding through five times the distance (1).
Of course, proper technique alone won’t turn you into a marathon runner, but it can lead to more efficient and less painful workouts, allowing you to run longer with each passing week.
Why you need consistency
There is no magic pill or shortcut to running success. Even if you understand running on a fundamental level, it still comes down to a lot of sweating and miles to optimize your technique and build the necessary endurance.
In other words, consistency is the foundation you must build upon. It’s about lacing up your shoes even in bad weather or when you just don’t feel like running.
Consistency allows you to progress and build upon your previous performance, gradually adding miles to your run. You might not progress at the desired speed, but improvements are always worth celebrating.
With every mile covered, you train your body and teach your mind that perceived limits are merely the stepping stones to running success.
5 simple and effective strategies to run longer
1. Warm-up well
While running might not seem that intense or demanding, preparing your body before each session with a good warm-up is vital. It ensures better performance, good mobility, and a lower risk of aches (2, 3).
Warming up activates your muscles, prepares your joints and connective tissues, puts you in the mood for a good workout, and helps you block out distractions. Plus, warming up can serve as a pre-workout ritual––a sequence of events that makes it easier to start each session and stay consistent.
Here’s how to execute a productive warm-up:
Start with walking and gradually pick up the pace until you’re just about to start jogging.
Stop and do some dynamic stretching in the form of arm and leg swings, torso rotations, and deep squat holds.
Resume walking and gradually pick up the pace until you’re jogging. Go for a few extra minutes before finally transitioning to your average running speed.
2. Give yourself time to recover
Running as often and as long as possible sounds exciting, especially for people new to the activity. After all, why not turn it into a daily ritual?
The problem is that running is physically demanding, and your body needs time off to recuperate. Otherwise, stress builds up, causing your performance to decline (4, 5).
A good rule of thumb is to run every other day. Having 48 hours of recovery between sessions is enough for most people.
3. Pace yourself
Pacing yourself is one of the most important things you must do to run longer and keep injuries at bay. The idea is to train within your limits and gradually cover longer distances while keeping the rating of perceived exertion somewhat consistent.
You can push yourself to your limits and see good results, but only for a while. The stress will catch up to you at some point, leading to burnout or overtraining (5).
If you’re unsure how to do that, your best approach might be to follow a structured running program that outlines all the details––when and how long to run, when to recover, and when to push for progress before taking an extended break.
Check out our app Supersonic, which offers a 0 to 5k progression plan. It spans nine weeks and is designed to boost your endurance for running success. We’ll be adding more plans in the upcoming months.
4. Mix running and walking
Going for a long run can be intimidating, especially for a beginner who doesn’t know what to expect. It gets even more difficult when you’re halfway through your workout and already feel exhausted: breathing heavily, your muscles burning, the whole shebang.
Over time, these feelings can sap your motivation to run and cause you to give up. Fortunately, the solution is simple:
Blend walking into your running workouts. That way, instead of seeing your workouts as these huge, barely surmountable challenges, you introduce ‘breaks’ at regular intervals, making each session far less intimidating.
5. Monitor Your Heart Rate
Monitoring your heart rate allows you to keep track of your effort, see if you’re making progress, and ultimately run longer. For example, if your average heart rate goes down while you cover the same distances for the same time, it likely means you’ve experienced aerobic adaptations.
Keeping an eye on your heart rate can also reduce the risk of overtraining because it makes it easier to adjust your speed to stay within a specific heart rate zone.
The most effective way to measure your heart rate is with a monitor, preferably one you strap on your chest. These appear to be more accurate than the ones designed for the wrist (6). You can export the data and review your performance on your computer.
Building endurance: core principles to consider
Gradual progression
Nobody wakes up one day suddenly capable of covering 10 or 20 times more distance. It’s all about small and consistent steps that ultimately get you to your goal, whether a 5k, 10k, or a full marathon. To do that, you must focus on gradual progression over the weeks and months.
Here are a few tips:
Adhere to the 10 percent rule - don’t increase your weekly mileage by more than ten percent at a time
Mix up your workouts - go for slower, longer runs, as well as quicker, shorter ones; mix up the pace and the type of stress you place on your body to keep your workouts engaging and reduce the risk of overuse injuries
Listen to your body - don’t ignore excessive fatigue or pain, as these are often signs that you’re training too hard and should step back for a while
Incorporate step-back weeks - reduce your mileage and intensity for a week every month or two to give your body a chance to recover; doing so can also be a nice way to take care of nagging aches that tend to creep up (7)
If you want to learn more about progression and how it might look in a practical setting, check out our app––Supersonic. Start your first 0 to 5k program today.
Mixing running with other types of training
You need to run to boost your endurance and cover longer distances. However, doing only one type of exercise can be repetitive and put you at risk of overuse injuries (8). Because of that, we recommend mixing your running training with other exercise modalities like:
Strength/resistance exercise - hit the weights one to three times weekly
Mobility/flexibility work - take care of your range of motion by performing various static and dynamic stretches
Other types of cardio - occasionally do other forms of low-intensity aerobic exercise, such as hiking, riding a bike, or swimming to change things up
The Mental side of Running
While most runners focus on the physical side, the activity also heavily depends on one’s attitude and mindset. Just as your muscles can get tired, so can your mind. For example, knowing that you have several more miles before you’re done can feel daunting when your legs are burning up, and you’re panting.
Fortunately, there are ways to overcome these issues, often by just changing the way you think about your runs:
Break it down. Instead of looking at the miles ahead, break down the remaining distance into smaller, more manageable chunks. For example, instead of thinking, “I’ve got 5 miles left.” reframe it to, “I’ve got five sets of one mile.”
Use positive affirmations. Rather than obsessing over fatigue, remind yourself that you’re stronger and far more capable than you might think.
Visualize success. Leverage active imagery to see yourself completing your run before and during your workouts (9).
Be mindful. The burning sensation in your legs and your panting can sometimes be overwhelming but try to be mindful anyway. Focus on your surroundings, cadence, pace, posture, and breathing. If you’re listening to music, focus on the rhythm or the lyrics to take your mind off the fatigue.
The Impact of breathing on your performance
How you breathe can significantly impact your performance and ability to cover long distances (10). Running is energy-demanding, which means your muscles need a constant oxygen supply to produce energy.
Shallow or tense breathing fails to deliver the oxygen your body needs, leading to fatigue and an inability to keep going. In contrast, deeper and more relaxed breathing fills your lungs and provides all the oxygen molecules your muscles can use.
Deep breathing can also help control your heart rate and blood pressure, promote relaxation, and help you feel better (11). Even demanding runs can feel like active meditation rather than a fight for survival.
Let’s go over some tips to improve your breathing:
Practice diaphragmatic breathing - take deep and slow breaths, allowing your belly to expand
Sync your breathing with your strides - for example, breathe in for two strides and exhale for two strides
Relax your upper body - allow your arms, shoulders, and upper back to follow the motion of your lower body
Check out the Supersonic and embark on your first 0 to 5k program today. Follow the intelligent progression and watch as you run longer each week.
Final words
Running longer seems like a straightforward objective. Show up consistently, put your reps in, fuel your body, and give yourself time to recover. Be patient long enough, and you will cover impressive distances.
However, as with most things, the Devil is in the details. Sure, being consistent with your running is arguably the most important thing, and you can eventually reach your goals so long as you’re willing to work hard enough.
The problem is that not paying attention to the details can lead you down a path of less efficient and enjoyable training, making each run a tedious task. The good news is that there are plenty of things you can focus on to pace yourself better, run longer, and make each session far more enjoyable.
We hope our guide has given you at least a few actionable ideas to try. Each has the potential to improve your performance and help you run longer, and we believe that applying everything you’ve learned today will bring the best possible results.
References
Folland JP, Allen SJ, Black MI, Handsaker JC, Forrester SE. Running Technique is an Important Component of Running Economy and Performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2017 Jul;49(7):1412-1423. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000001245. PMID: 28263283; PMCID: PMC5473370.
Faelli E, Panascì M, Ferrando V, Bisio A, Filipas L, Ruggeri P, Bove M. The Effect of Static and Dynamic Stretching during Warm-Up on Running Economy and Perception of Effort in Recreational Endurance Runners. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Aug 8;18(16):8386. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18168386. PMID: 34444136; PMCID: PMC8391672.
Fradkin AJ, Zazryn TR, Smoliga JM. Effects of warming-up on physical performance: a systematic review with meta-analysis. J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Jan;24(1):140-8. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181c643a0. PMID: 19996770.
Hausswirth C, Lehénaff D. Physiological demands of running during long distance runs and triathlons. Sports Med. 2001;31(9):679-89. doi: 10.2165/00007256-200131090-00004. PMID: 11508523.
Kreher JB, Schwartz JB. Overtraining syndrome: a practical guide. Sports Health. 2012 Mar;4(2):128-38. doi: 10.1177/1941738111434406. PMID: 23016079; PMCID: PMC3435910.
Pasadyn SR, Soudan M, Gillinov M, Houghtaling P, Phelan D, Gillinov N, Bittel B, Desai MY. Accuracy of commercially available heart rate monitors in athletes: a prospective study. Cardiovasc Diagn Ther. 2019 Aug;9(4):379-385. doi: 10.21037/cdt.2019.06.05. PMID: 31555543; PMCID: PMC6732081.
Smyth B, Lawlor A. Longer Disciplined Tapers Improve Marathon Performance for Recreational Runners. Front Sports Act Living. 2021 Sep 28;3:735220. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2021.735220. PMID: 34651125; PMCID: PMC8506252.
Jung, A.P. The Impact of Resistance Training on Distance Running Performance. Sports Med 33, 539–552 (2003).https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200333070-00005
Slimani M, Tod D, Chaabene H, Miarka B, Chamari K. Effects of Mental Imagery on Muscular Strength in Healthy and Patient Participants: A Systematic Review. J Sports Sci Med. 2016 Aug 5;15(3):434-450. PMID: 27803622; PMCID: PMC4974856.
Harbour E, Stöggl T, Schwameder H, Finkenzeller T. Breath Tools: A Synthesis of Evidence-Based Breathing Strategies to Enhance Human Running. Front Physiol. 2022 Mar 17;13:813243. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2022.813243. PMID: 35370762; PMCID: PMC8967998.
Zaccaro A, Piarulli A, Laurino M, Garbella E, Menicucci D, Neri B, Gemignani A. How Breath-Control Can Change Your Life: A Systematic Review on Psycho-Physiological Correlates of Slow Breathing. Front Hum Neurosci. 2018 Sep 7;12:353. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00353. PMID: 30245619; PMCID: PMC6137615.
