Hello runner friends!
Welcome back to the Bass Pro Fitness Series
MIDWEEK MđTIVATIđN blog!
Now let's get started by talking about getting better at running. After all, that's why we get out there day after day right?
But âgetting betterâ begs the question... how do runners measure their success? Well⊠if you're an elite runner like Emily Sisson you measure the growth of your ability by breaking your own half marathon record. The 31-year-old ran 1:06:52 at the Houston Half Marathon on January 15 to become the first American woman under 1:07 in that distance. It was reported that her long-time training partner Molly Huddle finished as fifth overall and second American in 1:10:01, nine months after giving birth to her daughter, Josephine. Huddle, who had set a new American record with a 1:07:25 on the same course in 2018, cut three and a half minutes from her last half marathon outing this past fall.
So as you can see, Emily progressively became faster so could measure her success by her times. Molly, on the other hand, didn't run her best half marathon time but could measure her success by beating her last half marathon time while balancing a new baby and life. As someone who knows what it's like to have a newborn, Huddle's success could even be measured by the fact she had the energy to even put on her shoes much less put in the training it takes to run so well.
See where I'm going with this? So while speed is an accurate indication that a runner is getting better, it isn't and should never be the only measure. Especially as we get older. In an article posted by SELF in 2021 Subha Lembach, a certified running coach in Columbus, Ohio said, âI often find that people identify too much with their pace. That can lead to bigger psychological challengesâand potentially tempt runners to quit altogetherâwhen injury, age, or other factors slow them down. For longevity, it becomes really important for people to identify at least a couple of different ways that running gives them benefit, value, and identity beyond pace." I couldn't agree with her more.
That being said, check out these "12 Ways to Tell Youâre Getting Better at Running That Arenât All About Your Time" as reported by SELF.
1. Youâre more consistent with your training.
Running can bring tons of benefitsâeverything from making you feel happier and healthier to boosting your cardiorespiratory fitnessâas SELF recently reported. But reaping all those rewards requires getting out there on a regular basis, Kaitlin Gregg Goodman, an elite runner and running coach in Boston, says.
Running can bring tons of benefitsâeverything from making you feel happier and healthier to boosting your cardiorespiratory fitnessâas SELF recently reported. But reaping all those rewards requires getting out there on a regular basis, Kaitlin Gregg Goodman, an elite runner and running coach in Boston, says.
If youâre running once a week or less, your body will feel like itâs nearly starting from scratch every single time, which can make your session feel a lot more challenging. On the flip side, with regular practice, your musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and neurological systems learn to absorb the impact of runningâand make adaptations to get better at it.
Because consistency underlies so many of runningâs effects, itâs a good idea to set regular runs as an early goal, Goodman explains. If you can swing three runs per weekâeven super-short onesâfor three to four weeks, itâll likely start to feel easier. âRunning might not be a lot of fun for the first month. But if you can get over the hump and stick with it for a month, you see the change,â she says. (If three a week seems daunting to you, just remember itâs likely dose dependent, in that if youâve been running once every couple weeks, increasing that to just once or twice a week would likely bring some regularity benefit.)
2. The motions feel more natural.
Megan Roche, M.D.,âan elite trail runner, researcher, and coach based in Boulder, Coloradoâagrees that running form can feel awkward and uncomfortable when youâre first starting out, ramping up, or coming back after a break. Every step and leg swing can feel arduous, like youâre conscious of exactly what your body is doing.But once you lock into a groove, the connections between your brain and your muscles become more efficient and less effortful. âItâs almost like this feeling of floating,â Roche says. Bonus: If youâre able to run outdoors, getting to this point helps you take in and appreciate the scenery around you, another sign youâre making progress.
3. Youâre able to handle longer distances.
Knowles first dabbled in running in 2012. She remembers struggling along a stretch of streetlights that lined the canal path in downtown Indianapolis. âI could not run the length of those lightsâat some point I always had to stop, catch my breath, and walk a little bit,â she says. In 2016, she returned to the sport on a more consistent basis, and her cardiovascular system grew strong enough to carry her from the first streetlight to the last.
Lembach advises new runners to begin with a run/walk, and count it a win every time they decrease their walking interval and increase their running one. Once youâve worked up to a consistent run, you can set a goal to go even farther.
Neely Spence Gracey, an elite runner and coach also based in Boulder, recommends designating one run per week as your long run. If your goal is to go longer, slowly increase the distance of that one weekly outingâsay, from two miles to three miles or four to five, and eventually more, if you like. Your pace may not be changing, but powering through more miles is a clear sign your cardiorespiratory system is getting stronger.
Megan Roche, M.D.,âan elite trail runner, researcher, and coach based in Boulder, Coloradoâagrees that running form can feel awkward and uncomfortable when youâre first starting out, ramping up, or coming back after a break. Every step and leg swing can feel arduous, like youâre conscious of exactly what your body is doing.But once you lock into a groove, the connections between your brain and your muscles become more efficient and less effortful. âItâs almost like this feeling of floating,â Roche says. Bonus: If youâre able to run outdoors, getting to this point helps you take in and appreciate the scenery around you, another sign youâre making progress.
3. Youâre able to handle longer distances.
Knowles first dabbled in running in 2012. She remembers struggling along a stretch of streetlights that lined the canal path in downtown Indianapolis. âI could not run the length of those lightsâat some point I always had to stop, catch my breath, and walk a little bit,â she says. In 2016, she returned to the sport on a more consistent basis, and her cardiovascular system grew strong enough to carry her from the first streetlight to the last.
Lembach advises new runners to begin with a run/walk, and count it a win every time they decrease their walking interval and increase their running one. Once youâve worked up to a consistent run, you can set a goal to go even farther.
Neely Spence Gracey, an elite runner and coach also based in Boulder, recommends designating one run per week as your long run. If your goal is to go longer, slowly increase the distance of that one weekly outingâsay, from two miles to three miles or four to five, and eventually more, if you like. Your pace may not be changing, but powering through more miles is a clear sign your cardiorespiratory system is getting stronger.
4. You can run more, week by week.
Most runners also track their weekly mileage, Gracey notes. Because itâs a high-impact sport, adding too much, too soon can put you at risk of a running injury. But gradually building up is a sign your muscles, tendons, and joints are adapting to become stronger and more resilient.
Say youâve run two days a week for a few weeksâtry adding a third and see how your body responds, Lembach recommends. If you want, you can then work up to four or even five. Just aim not to increase your total weekly mileage by more than about 10% at a timeâso that might mean making each day shorter at first.
One way to make sure you build up instead of burn out: Track your training. Digital logs on sites like Strava, Garmin Connect, or TrainingPeaks, can help you monitor your mileage, but itâs also important to note how your body feels. Gracey and Lembach both use the Believe Training Journal ($22, believeiam.com), which offers space to note goals, aches and pains, and also emotional states along with numbers like miles and times. Revisit your logs frequently and youâll start to notice patterns in how you feel, how much your body can handle, and all the progress youâre making, Lembach advises.
Most runners also track their weekly mileage, Gracey notes. Because itâs a high-impact sport, adding too much, too soon can put you at risk of a running injury. But gradually building up is a sign your muscles, tendons, and joints are adapting to become stronger and more resilient.
Say youâve run two days a week for a few weeksâtry adding a third and see how your body responds, Lembach recommends. If you want, you can then work up to four or even five. Just aim not to increase your total weekly mileage by more than about 10% at a timeâso that might mean making each day shorter at first.
One way to make sure you build up instead of burn out: Track your training. Digital logs on sites like Strava, Garmin Connect, or TrainingPeaks, can help you monitor your mileage, but itâs also important to note how your body feels. Gracey and Lembach both use the Believe Training Journal ($22, believeiam.com), which offers space to note goals, aches and pains, and also emotional states along with numbers like miles and times. Revisit your logs frequently and youâll start to notice patterns in how you feel, how much your body can handle, and all the progress youâre making, Lembach advises.
5. You charge up hills.
If you live in a place with undulating terrain, consider it a built-in benchmark. âOften the first thing I see from athletes who are rapidly improving is âOh, my gosh, I feel so much stronger on this uphill,â Roche says. Perhaps they once had to walk, but now can ascend without breaking stride.
Hills not only provide a supercharged boost to your cardiovascular system, they also fire up nearly every muscle in your core and lower body. The stronger you get, the easier it is to climb. âThereâs something about running uphill that makes people feel powerful too; thereâs some good energy tied into that,â Roche says.
If you live where itâs flat, see if you can seek out an inclineâeven a parking garage will doâand practice running short, fast efforts up it while walking or jogging down. If you can do more of these repeats without slowing down or taking a break, youâll know youâre getting stronger, Knowles says.
If you live in a place with undulating terrain, consider it a built-in benchmark. âOften the first thing I see from athletes who are rapidly improving is âOh, my gosh, I feel so much stronger on this uphill,â Roche says. Perhaps they once had to walk, but now can ascend without breaking stride.
Hills not only provide a supercharged boost to your cardiovascular system, they also fire up nearly every muscle in your core and lower body. The stronger you get, the easier it is to climb. âThereâs something about running uphill that makes people feel powerful too; thereâs some good energy tied into that,â Roche says.
If you live where itâs flat, see if you can seek out an inclineâeven a parking garage will doâand practice running short, fast efforts up it while walking or jogging down. If you can do more of these repeats without slowing down or taking a break, youâll know youâre getting stronger, Knowles says.
6. Your heart rate is lower.
When you first start running, your heart has to work extra hard to keep oxygen-rich blood flowing to your working muscles. As your cardiovascular system becomes more efficient, each pint of blood can carry more oxygen, and your heart can push higher volumes of it with each pump.
Tracking your heart rate over time can help you see this happening, Goodman says. Your baseline will vary based on factors like your age and family historyâbut wherever you start from youâll likely see your average decline even as you run the same pace. (A chest strap will usually give you more accurate readings than a wrist-based monitor, she notes, but either will probably allow you to spot trends.)
Lembach used this method when returning from a foot injury several years ago. âI wouldn't necessarily see improvements in my pace. But my heart rate would be about 10 to 20 beats lower than it had been a few weeks ago,â she says. âTo me, that was another really good indicator.â Your resting heart rateâwhich you can measure when you get up first thing in the morningâmight decrease too.
When you first start running, your heart has to work extra hard to keep oxygen-rich blood flowing to your working muscles. As your cardiovascular system becomes more efficient, each pint of blood can carry more oxygen, and your heart can push higher volumes of it with each pump.
Tracking your heart rate over time can help you see this happening, Goodman says. Your baseline will vary based on factors like your age and family historyâbut wherever you start from youâll likely see your average decline even as you run the same pace. (A chest strap will usually give you more accurate readings than a wrist-based monitor, she notes, but either will probably allow you to spot trends.)
Lembach used this method when returning from a foot injury several years ago. âI wouldn't necessarily see improvements in my pace. But my heart rate would be about 10 to 20 beats lower than it had been a few weeks ago,â she says. âTo me, that was another really good indicator.â Your resting heart rateâwhich you can measure when you get up first thing in the morningâmight decrease too.
7. You can breathe more easilyâand even chat while you stride.
Have you ever felt like you couldnât even run a block, let alone a mile? When youâre first starting out, any distance can leave you huffing and puffing as your lungs struggle to pull in enough oxygen, Knowles says.
Training-induced changes in your muscles and cardiovascular system eventually raise your ventilatory thresholdâthe point during a workout where your breathing becomes labored. As a result, you can go farther and faster without becoming winded.
Eventually, you might be able to carry on a conversation with your running buddy, or on the phone if youâre running alone, Knowles points out. âBeing able to tell stories and engage with people on the run is funâand itâs a good sign of fitness,â Roche says.
Have you ever felt like you couldnât even run a block, let alone a mile? When youâre first starting out, any distance can leave you huffing and puffing as your lungs struggle to pull in enough oxygen, Knowles says.
Training-induced changes in your muscles and cardiovascular system eventually raise your ventilatory thresholdâthe point during a workout where your breathing becomes labored. As a result, you can go farther and faster without becoming winded.
Eventually, you might be able to carry on a conversation with your running buddy, or on the phone if youâre running alone, Knowles points out. âBeing able to tell stories and engage with people on the run is funâand itâs a good sign of fitness,â Roche says.
8. You finish a run feeling strong.
Over time, youâll likely find that not only can you run longer, youâll feel better as you do it. Whereas you once thought you might pass out a quarter-mile before the end of a two-mile run, you might have enough left in the tank to speed up a bit at the end. This increased energy will come naturally as your body adapts to the sport, and to the distance and duration youâre covering.Plus, you can deliberately practice positive self-talk to further boost your stamina. When you feel yourself fading, try repeating an affirmationâyou can also adopt one for your week or your whole training plan, Gracey suggests. Some of her favorites: âYou can do this,â âStrong, smooth, smile,â and âTrust the process.â
Over time, youâll likely find that not only can you run longer, youâll feel better as you do it. Whereas you once thought you might pass out a quarter-mile before the end of a two-mile run, you might have enough left in the tank to speed up a bit at the end. This increased energy will come naturally as your body adapts to the sport, and to the distance and duration youâre covering.Plus, you can deliberately practice positive self-talk to further boost your stamina. When you feel yourself fading, try repeating an affirmationâyou can also adopt one for your week or your whole training plan, Gracey suggests. Some of her favorites: âYou can do this,â âStrong, smooth, smile,â and âTrust the process.â
9. Youâre less zonked immediately after a run, and less sore the next day.
The first time you take on a new distance, you might feel like you need a nap, or at least a healthy dose of Netflix time on the couch afterward. âYou might find yourself super sore, or when you wake up the next day and youâre getting out of bed, youâre feeling pretty creaky,â Goodman says.
As your muscles and connective tissue grow stronger, they sustain less damage when you run and also repair more quickly from the stress and strain of running. So youâll be able to handle the same amount of runningâor even moreâwith fewer aches and pains.
Eventually, you might be able to knock out a long run in the morning, then get on to the rest of your day energized instead of exhausted, Roche says. (Also note: Fatigue can also serve as a good gauge of whether youâre striking the right balance in your runningâif youâre always zonked after a run, you might be overdoing it or not allowing enough time for recovery between outings.)
The first time you take on a new distance, you might feel like you need a nap, or at least a healthy dose of Netflix time on the couch afterward. âYou might find yourself super sore, or when you wake up the next day and youâre getting out of bed, youâre feeling pretty creaky,â Goodman says.
As your muscles and connective tissue grow stronger, they sustain less damage when you run and also repair more quickly from the stress and strain of running. So youâll be able to handle the same amount of runningâor even moreâwith fewer aches and pains.
Eventually, you might be able to knock out a long run in the morning, then get on to the rest of your day energized instead of exhausted, Roche says. (Also note: Fatigue can also serve as a good gauge of whether youâre striking the right balance in your runningâif youâre always zonked after a run, you might be overdoing it or not allowing enough time for recovery between outings.)
10. Itâs emotionally easier to do it again the next time.
The improvements in fitness and recovery youâll experience when running regularly also influence your motivation. Sure, even experienced, elite runners sometimes have a hard time getting out the doorâor have moments of doubt or frustration along the way.
But on the whole itâs a lot easier to lace up once youâve gotten into a groove and made running a habit. âThat confidence starts to build, the ability to know youâre going to get through whatever day is out there,â Roche says.
Ultimately, youâll also develop whatâs known as self-efficacyâa belief in yourself and your ability to succeed that transcends running. Lembach puts it this way: âIâm capable, Iâm valuable, and I can accomplish things.â One great but surprising potential sign youâre improving as a runner is when that feeling starts to carry over into other areas of your life, from your work to your relationships, she says.
The improvements in fitness and recovery youâll experience when running regularly also influence your motivation. Sure, even experienced, elite runners sometimes have a hard time getting out the doorâor have moments of doubt or frustration along the way.
But on the whole itâs a lot easier to lace up once youâve gotten into a groove and made running a habit. âThat confidence starts to build, the ability to know youâre going to get through whatever day is out there,â Roche says.
Ultimately, youâll also develop whatâs known as self-efficacyâa belief in yourself and your ability to succeed that transcends running. Lembach puts it this way: âIâm capable, Iâm valuable, and I can accomplish things.â One great but surprising potential sign youâre improving as a runner is when that feeling starts to carry over into other areas of your life, from your work to your relationships, she says.
11. You make other changes on behalf of running.
And speaking of the rest of your lifeâonce running becomes a habit, you might find yourself shifting the rest of your priorities. Lembach and her familyâher husband and daughterânow prioritize nutrient-dense foods to fuel their regular running habit, for instance.
You might also find yourself going to bed earlier or investing in a foam roller or similar tools to enhance your recovery. And if you want to stay healthy as a runner in the long term, youâll find ways to make strength training and mobility workâwhich might include yoga and Pilatesâa regular part of your routine as well, Lembach says.
And speaking of the rest of your lifeâonce running becomes a habit, you might find yourself shifting the rest of your priorities. Lembach and her familyâher husband and daughterânow prioritize nutrient-dense foods to fuel their regular running habit, for instance.
You might also find yourself going to bed earlier or investing in a foam roller or similar tools to enhance your recovery. And if you want to stay healthy as a runner in the long term, youâll find ways to make strength training and mobility workâwhich might include yoga and Pilatesâa regular part of your routine as well, Lembach says.
12. Youâre motivated to aim bigger, while having fun along the way.
If you take a healthy approach to gaining speed, thereâs nothing wrong with having goals linked to timeâalthough theyâre far from the only option. Whether they have to do with pace, distance, consistency, or otherwise, youâll know youâre moving forward as a runner when you set goals, reach them, and then feel compelled to set new ones. (On the flip side, setting goals that are too extreme, such as running every day when youâre currently lacing up a couple times a month, or progressing straight from two-mile regular runs to five-milers, can make them way less sustainable for the long haul.)
âNot every day will be great, but you should choose goals that get you excited and have you enjoying the work,â Gracey says. âSet attainable goals at first, then check them off as you go. Youâll build the staircase that will take you to those bigger goals that seemed a dream at first, but after a little work, feel realistic.â
If you take a healthy approach to gaining speed, thereâs nothing wrong with having goals linked to timeâalthough theyâre far from the only option. Whether they have to do with pace, distance, consistency, or otherwise, youâll know youâre moving forward as a runner when you set goals, reach them, and then feel compelled to set new ones. (On the flip side, setting goals that are too extreme, such as running every day when youâre currently lacing up a couple times a month, or progressing straight from two-mile regular runs to five-milers, can make them way less sustainable for the long haul.)
âNot every day will be great, but you should choose goals that get you excited and have you enjoying the work,â Gracey says. âSet attainable goals at first, then check them off as you go. Youâll build the staircase that will take you to those bigger goals that seemed a dream at first, but after a little work, feel realistic.â
So there you have it friends. Getting better at running is about so much more than nailing those PR's. It's about making friends, living life to the fullest and having fun along the way. But however you measure your success, I do hope you'll remember that success isn't really measured by what you do for yourself or what you can accomplish but by what you do for others and what you can help them accomplish. Because believe me when I say this... people will never remember your finishing times but they will always remember a kind word you said along the way or the helping hand you extended on the racecourse. So smile big and remember that running is most certainly a gift but the people you share it with are the greatest gift.
HAPPY RUNNING!
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