Whatever your distance you are training for or what you goal is, all runner need endurance. Endurance training increases the bodies ability to resist and recover from fatigue. Endurance training is exercising for long periods of time and results in two important things:
- Improves Cardiovascular System
- Increases Muscle Oxygen Usage To Create Energy
Your muscles require oxygen to create the energy your body needs to keep going. The key to building endurance is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the system that the body uses to oxygen from the air into your muscles. This system is know as the Oxygen Transport Pathway, air enters the lungs where oxygen diffuses into the red blood cells which are then pumped by to heart to you muscles. Oxygen then enters the capillaries and flushes into the muscle fibers. Mitochondria in your muscles then use the oxygen to burn fuels to create energy. You use this energy to run. |
Endurance Training improves every aspect of the Oxygen Transport Pathway. Your lungs grow larger and the heart becomes stronger. Red blood cell production increases which in turn allows more oxygen to be delivered to the muscles. Muscle blood vessel and mitochondria production is also increase help to produce more energy.
How To Build Endurance:
- Long Slow Distance (LSD) - build endurance by doing longer slow runs at a comfortable pace that is quick enough that you can hear yourself breathing but slow enough that you are easily able to have a conversation at. This pace should be about a minute or minute and half slower than your race pace. One LSD should be part of your weekly training plan.
- Increase Training Volume - slowly increase but by no more than 10% per week, building fitness levels gradually and reducing the risk of injury. Ensure you stay hydrated and take on some carbohydrates and fluids within 30 minutes of completion to aid recovery and reduce injury.
- Diet - eating food high in Iron and Vitamin C as this will mean increase oxygen delivery by the red blood cells to the muscles. Diet is an essential part of any training place so for best practices check out The Runners Guide To Nutrition.
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