Embrace These Running Tips for Success

Dr. Will Simmons
Jul 22, 2023
4 min read

Two runners in stride along the road with the morning sunrise in the background.

Whether you’re a seasoned running machine, or you’re thinking about incorporating running into your fitness programming, there are always steps that you can take to ensure your longevity and boost your performance. I first began distance running in 2009 while studying at Florida A&M University in the hills of Tallahassee, Florida, where the crisp, cool air of a winter morning filled me with happiness as many of my worries faded away with the rhythm of my footsteps.

Health care provider checking a patient's blood pressure.

Starting Strong

As a physical therapist and health coach with over a decade of experience, I've discovered a few tips to keep you running your favorite routes with less likelihood for injuries and faster times. It feels appropriate to begin with health considerations. Certain health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, respiratory issues, and musculoskeletal disorders can affect your ability to run safely (Riebe et al., 2015). It's important to consult with a healthcare professional and get a thorough health check before embarking on a new running regimen.

A muscular athlete performing heavy weighted kettlebell lunes in a gym.

Building Your Foundation

Prior to beginning a running program, let’s ensure that you have devoted some time for building a strong foundation of abdominal and lower extremity strength, mobility, and balance. Strength training is necessary to protect the joints from adverse forces that can wreak havoc on one's body over time (Lauersen, Bertelsen, & Andersen, 2014). An exercise program that provides variance in stimuli is ideal.

Starting with traditional multi-joint exercises like squats and hip hinges can go a long way in improving your ability to not only run faster, but run safely (Krøll, Quistorff, Sahlin, & Nielsen, 2019). These two legged activities should be progressed to variations such as off-set reverse lunges holding a single weight, single leg dead lifts on unstable surfaces, and lunged position soleus lifts, with your program also including dynamic tasks such as jumping rope, plyometrics, or other agility/speed training methods. Plyometrics are a great way to condition the body for the magnified forces it experiences when jumping from one leg to the other during a runner’s stride (Komi, 2018).

Two men and Two women running in a metropolitan area together on a sunny day.

Safeguarding Your Stride

A faster paced running style for shorter distances can be a huge difference maker when it comes to beginning a running habit when looking to maintain muscle. Opting for this style can minimize the damage to joints and other structures (Opar, Williams, & Shield, 2012). The dynamics of sprinting are evident in the analysis of a sprinter’s body in comparison of a long distance runner’s body. The utilization of type II dynamic muscle fibers in the sprinter support her muscular and athletic appearance. The stride of a sprinter involves the full capacity of lower extremity muscles to absorb load and propel the athlete forward, minimizing the damage to joints and other structures. Choosing the correct footwear is also important to provide adequate support and protection for your feet (Richards, Magin, & Callister, 2009).

Four bowls filled with healthy foods such as broccoli, chickpeas, kale, avocado, quinoa, and healthy beverages such as fruit water with mint and chia seed water with strawberries.

Fueling the Engine

Proper hydration is key to support performance, with the amount needed varying based on the intensity and duration of the run, and individual sweat rates (Montain, 2008). Additionally, ensuring an adequate intake of carbohydrates can fuel training and optimize the recovery of liver and muscle glycogen stores (Burke, Hawley, Wong, & Jeukendrup, 2011).

A large crowd of runners participating in a fall marathon running along a roadway.

The Journey Ahead

Embarking on a running journey can be an exciting endeavor. However, remember that running is a high-impact activity and injuries are common (Van Mechelen, 1992). Therefore, it is advantageous to work with a performance expert to maximize progress while minimizing injuries. Take your time when beginning a new exercise program, resist the urge to progress too quickly. Initially the most important aspects of performance training are consistency and quality movement patterns. As you begin to achieve your running goals, additional training modifications may be necessary. My favorite running based training split has always been a four-day-per-week schedule consisting of a short distance day, a medium distance day, a longer distance day, and a speed day (pick a 50-100m distance and run sprints and work on agility and footwork variations). Ideally, having a rest day prior to your long run days is an excellent rule of thumb. When your body needs a break, give it some recovery time and every few weeks replace a running workout with something different like swimming or yoga. I hope you've enjoyed this edition of The WillTransform Blog, and may these training tips keep you running for a lifetime!

Wishing you endless good vibes,

Dr. Will Simmons

References

Burke, L. M., Hawley, J. A., Wong, S. H., & Jeukendrup, A. E. (2011). Carbohydrates for training and competition. Journal of Sports Sciences, 29(sup1), S17–S27.

Komi, P. V. (2018). Stretch-shortening cycle: a powerful model to study normal and fatigued muscle. Journal of Biomechanics, 51, 129–135.

Krøll, L. S., Quistorff, B., Sahlin, K., Nielsen, J. (2019). Strength Training for Marathon Runners. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 33(9), 2465–2479.

Lauersen, J. B., Bertelsen, D. M., & Andersen, L. B. (2014). The effectiveness of exercise interventions to prevent sports injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 48(11), 871–877.

Montain, S. J. (2008). Hydration recommendations for sport 2008. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 7(4), 187–192.

Opar, D. A., Williams, M. D., Shield, A. J. (2012). Hamstring strain injuries: factors that lead to injury and re-injury. Sports Medicine, 42(3), 209–226.

Riebe, D., Franklin, B. A., Thompson, P. D., Garber, C. E., Whitfield, G. P., Magal, M., & Pescatello, L. S. (2015). Updating ACSM’s Recommendations for Exercise Preparticipation Health Screening. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 47(11), 2473–2479.

Richards, C. E., Magin, P. J., Callister, R. (2009). Is your prescription of distance running shoes evidence-based? British Journal of Sports Medicine, 43(3), 159–162.

Van Mechelen, W. (1992). Running injuries. A review of the epidemiological literature. Sports Medicine, 14(5), 320–335.