How do you learn to run long and why it’s not as hard as it seems?

How to learn to run long and why it’s not as hard as it seems?

To overcome the unthinkable, in your opinion, distance – it is real.

Long is how long? For a professional 10 km – a trifle, for an amateur – the norm, and for someone who has never run, and the limit of dreams. In fact, such a distance is within everyone’s power, if you approach it gradually. And in general, it is better to measure running training not by distance, but by time.

founder and coach of the ERA club – Elkonin Running Addicts.

Compete with yourself, not with others.

How do you overcome your fear of long distances?

According to the ultramarathoner, to get into long distances, you should start with 20-30 minutes of running. Alternate between running and walking in a ratio that is comfortable for you and increase the duration of the load by 7-10% per week. In this case, in 2.5-3 months you will be able to reach an hour of continuous movement, and this is very close to the cherished 10 km.

For those who are constrained by psychological fear of the length of the distance, there is a useful lifehack: do not set yourself the goal of running a whole marathon. Run to the nearest traffic light, then catch your eye at the next one and run to it. Concentrate only on the small section you are running here and now.

Is it okay for beginners to run long distances right away?

Not everyone can get up from the couch and run 10 kilometers at once – and that’s normal. For example, healthy young people without excess weight will be able to cover this distance in one run. But this does not apply to those who suffer from overweight, heart disease, arterial hypertension or joint problems. It is important for such people to dose running loads carefully, so as not to harm their health. In general, you should not look back at the professionals and think that you will never be able to do this. It is quite possible that they came to running a long time ago and also not from the first time they were able to overcome a large distance.

How to learn how to run for a long time?

Before answering this question, it’s important to understand what is limiting you in terms of how long you run.

• If the problem is that you are panting or getting tired quickly, then most likely you lack overall endurance. All of this can be developed through long (relative to your current state) slow running.
• To run for a long time, you need to gradually increase the duration of the exercise.
• Regularity of training is also important – ideally 4-6 per week. While running, you can concentrate on your thoughts or listen to music, an audiobook, foreign language lessons. Imagine that running is a kind of meditation.
• There is also a psychological factor – many people, for example, are banally bored to run for a long time. To solve this problem, think about the fact that the time of jogging is a period when you can isolate yourself from the outside world. There is an interesting movie on this topic, “The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner”, where the main character reveals to the viewer running as a means by which you can escape from your problems.

Alexander: It’s usually very difficult for a beginner to make himself go out for a run several times a week. Even 2-3 workouts a week he perceives as a feat. This is due to the fact that in his system of life priorities, running is still somewhere on the 10th place, between reading a book and going to the movies. But later, after a few years of regular training, running will become a necessity and as integral a part of his life as watching a TV show or browsing Instagram.