When a non-runner asks a runner-runner, “How do you get better at running?”, their answers will usually mention high intensity workouts, arduous long runs, unfathomable weekly volumes, and gym sessions.
Even when runner-runners ask each other about training, the conversation tends to stay around the sexy sessions.
But any rational person will begin to ask themselves some unanswered questions… “Is that all they do?” “if so, how do they recover day-to-day?” “How are they hitting such high weekly volumes?”
The answer: Easy Running
Whether it is implied when talking to fellow runners, or just overlooked when explaining training to the uninformed...easy running is rarely seen as a contributor to fitness.
Similar to the chores you have to get done before you can go outside and play with your friends...Easy running is the boring and monotonous activity that Coach says has to get done between the workouts. But like chores, there is a purpose to easy running and we are going to focus on “5 Performance Benefits” of the Easy Run
Continuity Of Training
This has to be the most important product of the easy run, in the grand scheme of training, and that is consistency. Training to run well, like most things in life, has to be a consistent endeavor. That doesn’t mean you have to run everyday, but it also doesn’t mean you can take 2-3 days off between every workout.
If we think of Running Performance as a (Fully) Brick House, then there are 2 materials (Brick and Mortar) that will eventually constitute the foundation, 4 walls, and ceiling.
The walls of Fitness are built on a foundation of consistent training. If we do not take the time to create a level foundation, then the foundation can be easily cracked or lopsided...which would cause the whole house to come down. To avoid that, we patiently instill the importance of consistency and a proper build-up
Once we have laid down a proper foundation, it is time to build up the walls of fitness. Each brick represents a session that challenges our physiology and the mortar is easy running. If we stack the bricks without any mortar, there is nothing to hold them together...and if we smother our brick in mortar, there won't be enough space to place the next brick. Both of these processes earn the same outcome: A wall that is going to crumble.
Finding a balance between workouts and easy runs is imperative, but there is no denying that without easy running, it would be impossible to stack workouts together and our ability to perform to the fullest would be greatly diminished.
*We will discuss the ceiling in a future article ;)
Improve Running Economy
If you run everyday, you will get better at running. Simple as that.
The human body is an amazing adaptor, but it is also incredibly lazy. It wants to find the most efficient way to survive. Survival in this case is running.
Running is a very simple task, you are bounding from leg-to-leg over a certain distance or time. The longer you spend performing this activity, the more your body will attempt to decrease the expenditure needed to perform. This is done in several ways; but the main facets are improving biomechanical, metabolic, neuromuscular, and cardiorespiratory effectiveness...by making those “systems” more efficient.
By becoming more effective and efficient in your ability to run easy, these efficiencies will eventually translate to workouts and races. Making you a more effective and efficient runner, which usually means faster runner.
Sport Specific Active Recovery
Running for relatively long durations at high intensities, though necessary to improve running performance, demands a lot from our muscles and the body needs ample time to recover between high intensity sessions.
Recovery should NOT be sitting around and waiting for things to heal (unless there is a specific requirement for being sedentary), recovery is an active process that requires movement to stimulate blood flow to affect areas.
Though there are MANY modalities to facilitate the recovery process, the more “sport specific” (pertaining to the exact demands of your chosen sport) that various facets can be...the more overlap there is going to be between recovery and progression.
If we are attempting to recover and adapt to the demands of high intensity running, then it would make sense that easy running (low intensity, low to moderate volume) would provide the necessary catalyst for optimal recovery.
Strengthen Musculoskeletal System
Like mentioned in the previous section, running demands a lot of our body...but not just the muscles. The tendons, ligaments, bones and joints are all stressed during running, especially those found in the hips and legs.
If our musculoskeletal system is not strong enough to handle the demands we place upon it, we will experience running related injuries. Some common ones are achilles tendonitis, iliotibial band syndrome (IT band issues), “runners knee”, and general hip pain.
Easy running, if the volume is built up slowly, is one of (if not the best) way to minimize these injuries from occurring. You will be placing your body in a position to experience the demands of running, but with a lower intensity/duration, allowing your tissue to recover adequately and even compensate for future demands that may be placed on the tissues.
The more consistent we are with the demands of running, the better our bodies will be at mitigating running related stressors.
Capillarization
This refers to “The formation and development of a network of capillaries to a part of the body”. This is done mostly through aerobic exercise, which is exactly what easy running is.
Why is the formation of capillaries important? Well, capillaries are the junction point between veins and arteries. Arteries carry oxygenated blood from the heart to tissues, and veins carry deoxygenated blood from tissues to the heart. Capillaries are the transfer point for materials (nutrients and waste) and tissues.
This means that the more capillaries we have, the better our bodies will be at getting the tissues their necessary nutrients AND removing waste from those same tissues, making you a more efficient and effective runner.
There are tons of benefits to running at an easy aerobic pace, that didn’t make this list.
Today we are focusing on the performance benefits of easy runs and how they affect our ability to training/perform to the best of our abilities.
If there is something you would like us to cover, DM us on Instagram ( @Simple_Athletics_ ) or email us directly at simpleathleticscoach@gmail.com
If you want to learn more or inquire about coaching, please fill out this quick survey and we will get back to you in the next 24hrs!