Tips To Improve Your Running Performance?

How to improve your running performance?

A person strives for perfection, and this is not only about demeanor and culture of life. In modern society, the sport has taken a high step and with unhurried steps climbs higher and higher. Today it is fashionable to play sports, and not to follow fashion is stupid. Therefore, any novice athlete is interested in keeping up and trying to surpass people with similar interests.

The most popular sport that millions of people on the planet have taken up in recent years is running. Not surprising, since jogging doesn’t require purchasing a gym membership or expensive equipment. It is enough to get a pair of sneakers, which are probably hidden in the closet, and go to the nearest park.

As practice shows, the first runs are given with great difficulty, and many quit after several attempts. If you are not timid, then I propose to study a few points that will definitely improve your running.

Improving the technique of movements

An experienced trainer will tell you that running techniques should be learned from a very young age. This proves the importance of technique in achieving results. An adult can single-handedly master the basic elements of the technique in one or two months. If an instructor joins the training, then 4-6 sessions are enough.

It is worth remembering that there is no ideal running technique that would be exactly suitable for every person, regardless of his height, weight, other anthropometric data, and physiology. Each person is individual in his own way, and therefore technical training is individual for all athletes.

Mastering the running technique involves doing exercises on the spot and in motion. In this case, the learning of each element begins with a smooth repetition with a gradual increase in the frequency of movements.

Hand movements in running are performed along the ribs in the forward-inward direction and backward-outward. The elbows are bent and form an angle of 90 degrees, the hands are clenched into a fist, the thumb grabs the index finger. During the work of the hands, the shoulder girdle is relaxed, the neck is not tense.

There is a direct relationship in the work of the arms and legs – frequent movements of the arms induce the legs to move faster. Therefore, an exercise to improve technique is to imitate the work of the hands in place.

Take a position: the legs are slightly bent at the knees, the left leg is on the foot in front of the right one. The right hand is in front, the left is behind. Perform at a slow pace and gradually increase the speed of your movements.

Leg movements are an important prerequisite for mastering the technique. If the legs work correctly while running, then the athlete moves with high efficiency. Particular attention is paid to the height of the knees. For light jogging, a run with a minimum incline angle is used, which saves energy and runs longer. If you need to pick up speed, then the angle of rising of the knees becomes higher.

To simulate the movement of the legs in place, these steps are worth trying:

Start running in place, raising your knees high. Gradually increase the frequency of movements, connect the work of the hands.

Perform a simulated run with minimal knee lifts. It is not necessary to increase the frequency of movements, the hands work in pace with the legs. This exercise is called “crumpled run”.

After trying the exercises on the spot, go outside and repeat on the move. At the first stages of learning the technique, it is necessary to control every movement performed and correct mistakes in a timely manner.

increase the speed capabilities

When famed sprinter Usain Bolt set the 100m record, his top speed was recorded at 44.1 km / h. Since then, this figure has been accepted as the best result of humanity in determining speed capabilities.

Sprinters use a wide variety of exercises in their training. 

• Running in place 

An exercise is known to us that was used to master the running technique. Now we will use it to increase the running speed. Get into a comfortable starting position and run in place with a maximum frequency of movements, actively working with your hands. Knee lifts 90 degrees. Try to do the exercise not only for speed but also for technique. Continue for 15 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds and repeat the exercise.

• Running across the line 

We need to mark the line in any convenient way (draw, imagine). Now we step over the line and back at maximum speed. Do 20 seconds, rest time is the same as in the previous exercise.

• Running on one leg 

A technically challenging exercise that will not only reinforce our running ability but also improve our speed capabilities.

The exercise consists of running on one leg and moving your arms. That is, we always raise one leg, but the arms work as when running on two legs. Moreover, the execution time is 15 seconds, the rest duration is the same.

You can calculate your pace with an online pace calculator.