So you might have overdone it during the last few days. We don’t blame you, we’re still very much in the dark depths of our food comas here at Cornerstone. So we thought this
might be the perfect time to share our interview with Gil Cramer (a.k.a. Running Coach G), a trail runner and endurance athlete to share his top tips for running like a pro- how to endure it and how to run longer.
Gil, who for the past decade, has been helping people find their love of running, by minimizing their injuries, pain and discomfort, has also taken part in 7 ultra-marathons, running over 1,200km in total during those races; so he knows a thing or about long-distance running.
Increasing your running distance
Running long distance is a beautiful thing and once you have the knack of it, you’ll truly love it, but like most skills it takes practice and persistence. Working up to your goal distance is a big part of training – try adding just 5 -10 extra minutes to your run each week and the mileage will start to build without you even realizing it. Your mind can have a powerful influence over your body; shift your focus into the present moment rather than wishing ahead to the end of run. Focus on your technique and breathing, if you can learn to stay connected to what you are doing rather than wishing the run was over, it really helps you overcome temporary discomfort. Make it an experience you’ll enjoy and work it into your day such as replacing your train commute with running to or from work; that way you won’t mind a few extra minutes and you’ll forget about any aches and pains.
How can we train for a long-distance race?
The three fundamental aspects of distance running are technique, strength & endurance in that order. These three elements are your foundation and just like building a house, without a strong foundation there is bound to be a pile of rubble at the end. Technique is all about learning which muscles need to work and which need to be relaxed while running – I always recommend focusing on this aspect during the winter month. Strength is where we train the muscle to work correctly and cope with the demands we place on them, and finally endurance is about making sure the muscles can function correctly for the full length of the race.
My favourite exercises you can incorporate into your workouts are deadlifts (for hamstring strength), kettlebell swings (to build a powerful posterior chain), skipping (to help with rhythm and timing) and swimming (to ease your breathing).
Is it all down to just genetics?
Interestingly research about distance running finds that your capacity to sustain longer steady state exercise increases with age – in other words the older we get, the better we are at long distance running. Debatably genetics may play a part in the ability to run fast for a long time but ultimately I believe it’s the power of the runners’ mind that will allow them to hit great distances. I truly believe anyone can be a long distance runner if that’s their goal.