During the week before a major race, cyclists and other endurance athletes temper their training schedule. Instead of continuing to push themselves and improve their times, they reduce the duration or intensity of their workouts. This phase of training is called tapering, and coaches recommend it before every significant race. Talk to your coach about the particular demands of your road race and how you should taper during your final week of training.
The Sprinter Stick and Stiff Stick are both massage tools that offer benefits for athletes and individuals who enjoy soft tissue manipulation. The two products are similar and allow you to use each for various reasons. The prod...
Whether it's your first marathon or your 31st, everyone wants to perform well on race day. The key to your best performance is rest through a practice called "tapering" -- scaling back mileage and frequency in the las...
This system is responsible for producing hormones, many of which -- notably insulin, testosterone, growth hormone and thyroid hormone -- play a direct role in how you feel and perform while running. Disturbances to your thyroid...
Although sprinters and distance runners participate in the same essential activity --- trying to outrun the competition --- a curious antipathy often exists between the two. This begins at the high school level, where it is per...
Tennis requires short bursts of speed and agility, not prolonged endurance, so it may come as a surprise that distance running can benefit tennis players. In addition to increasing overall fitness levels and burning unwanted fa...
Each of your ankles must flex and extend some 750 times per mile of running. That's just shy of 20,000 flexion-extension cycles per foot in a 26.2-mile marathon. It's no wonder that overuse injuries, such as various tendon prob...
Both require aerobic capacity and muscular effort. The differences are mainly in intensity. Sprinters need short bursts of intense energy while marathoners and other distance runners need the ability to sustain effort for long ...
Your nutrition greatly influences how you perform when exercising. Long-distance running can be very taxing on the body, and your day's diet can help or hinder how you feel when running. Some people use supplements to help them...
The duathlon is a race competition defined as a combination of two running distances with a biking distance in between. The duathlon appeals to multisport athletes who do not excel at swimming, which is included in a similar co...
A runner's stride is a weighty component of her performance. A stride that does not fit the type of running you are doing can result in worse performances and unnecessary difficulty. Since your stride is the most fundamental pa...
A lower pulse, or heart rate, is an indicator of better health. A lower heart rate means a healthier and stronger heart. Because distance running improves cardiovascular fitness, the slower than average rate is one tell-tale si...
Nearly every distance runner has been plagued by blisters at some point. Blisters can slow you down and make running uncomfortable or take you out of running altogether, if severe enough. Some simple self-care steps can help yo...
The American College of Sports Medicine highly recommends running as a form of exercise to improve physical fitness, cardiovascular functioning and control body weight. The distance you run has a large impact on how many calori...
You must gradually increase your tolerance for both training volume and your endurance. You will not need much speed work or many hill runs to build power. The bulk of your transition to distance running will involve simply log...
Time and distance are the two main variables when it comes to gauging your running performance and require the application of different measuring methods, or metrics. Each metric serves different physical goals, and requires d...
Sprinters train persistently at exploding out of their starting blocks and running for an all-out effort for brief distances. This type of running uses an entirely different energy source in the body than steady distance runnin...
While four-legged mammals are build for speed, humans cool their bodies via sweating rather than panting, which is more efficient for long-distance running. In fact, a 2007 article in "Sports Medicine" written by Harvar
Long-distance running is not something you just decide to do one day. In a marathon training program, a long-distance run can be anywhere from 10 to 20 miles and take several hours to complete. It requires proper training, nutr...
A proper recovery program is crucial for any long-distance runner. Cooling down, stretching and nutrition are equally important components to recovering from a distance run. Drinking chocolate milk after a run can help promote ...
When you run, you fuel your muscles by burning calories in the form of complex carbohydrates. Your muscles are analogous to the engine of a car and the calories you consume are analogous to the gasoline used to fuel the car eng...
Running wears your body down even as it strengthens it. If you experience a lasting injury that is not alleviated even after taking time off from running, consult an athletic trainer or sports physician. Some basic guidelines t...
Metaphorically, whether running long distances might slow down sprinters can be compared to entering the same car in an endurance race and a drag race. The two types of racing require different engine setups and gearing. Long-d...
Training for distance races, including half and full marathons, takes dedication. Distance running can be intimidating, especially if you are new to the running scene or are racing for the first time. If you are a running veter...
Whether you are a beginning runner or a seasoned pro, recording your running distances and speeds can help your training program and boost your motivation. There are a variety of running monitors on the market, including GPS sy...
Uterine prolapse is a condition where the uterus moves from its normal position. It often develops when the pelvic floor muscles weaken to such a degree where they're no longer able to support the uterus. While most women with ...
Beginner runners might initially find themselves huffing and puffing through a run, but with constant training you will be able to run harder and longer with relative ease. Running stresses your body. Your body reacts by making...
People often see weight training and long distance running as two entirely separate activities, which are rarely mixed. However, if you are a long distance runner, then weight training may help to increase your performance and ...
Ankle problems are common among long-distance runners. Many factors raise the risk of ankle problems, including overpronating, running on worn-out shoes, failing to warm up properly, adding too much distance too quickly and run...
At the same time, you're also building muscle. And because muscle burns more calories than fat, its addition helps increase your metabolism. Both factors can obviously lead to weight loss, which can thin your legs. But long dis...
While motivations for joining teams vary, many young people are interested simply in finding out how fast they can run. Whether "fast" means all-out running for the duration of an event -- a sprint -- or running longer events i...
Running in Central Park is a rite for any runner visiting or living in the Big Apple. The Park boasts 843 acres of woods and trails smack dab in the center of Manhattan and is one of the world's most popular and populated place...
Long-distance running can leave the body depleted of fluid, particularly if you're not well-hydrated before your run. But there are several other explanations for dry mouth, including medications such as antidepressants, decong...
A prize fighter's ideal exercise program will look very different than the program for an obese person trying to lose some weight. When comparing basketball against long-distance running, the same idea applies. The form of exer...
Distance running burns more calories than any other form of aerobic exercise, improves cardiovascular fitness, and promotes better mental health through stress relief and endorphin production. However, it is a high-impact activ...
A caveman diet is likely to be a more natural eating plan, but it may not sound too tasty. Especially when you are trying to fuel an hour or longer run, proper nutrition is essential. There are benefits to eating a Paleo diet, ...
The two major hurdle races for men appeared in the mid-19th century in England. Around 1830, hurdle races of 100 yards were run over heavy wooden barriers. The distance was extended to 110 meters in 1888. The elongated hurdle r...
The first running watches designed to track distance were bulky GPS units that were often no smaller than the ones going your car's dashboard and you needed to be a NASA engineer to make sense of the numbers. According a review...
A number of theories help to explain the abundance of Kenyan elite runners. Increased lung capacity due to an acclimation to high altitudes, a running culture among Kenyan tribes, physiology and genetics all likely play a sign...
A triathlon is a three-part race that requires participants to bike, run and swim on certain distance, depending on the event. California hosts several different triathlon events throughout the year that are open to the public ...
The longer you run the more benefits you will experience; Fitness Magazine reports that running just one 10-minute mile will burn 135 calories and a 30-minute run can burn a whopping 400 calories. Covering more running distance...
Running longer distances is a natural progression for many runners. A longer-distance run increases your endurance, allowing you to continue running longer distances. Your shorter runs may also be easier and faster because of y...
If you run on a college or high school track, you're most likely running 400 meters per lap. Because these tracks are used for competition, they're likely to use this standard distance. If the track is not used for meets, such ...
Long-distance running pushes your body to its limits, but it does not have to be about pain and force. Although sheer determination can get you to the end, rhythm and relaxation sustain you throughout your run. Breathing proper...
Keeping track of long-distance runs is essential for optimizing a runner's training. Running watches help a runner keep track of his pace and distance as well as his heart rate, allowing him to measure not only how fast and how...
Running outside, you often have to guess about how far you've gone or listen more to your body to tell you when it's had enough. There are a few ways you can measure your distance, before, after and even during your run.
Running long distances is an effective way to improve your cardiovascular fitness. Experienced runners know that a long-distance run once a week is necessary to get into shape for an endurance event. Running long distances is d...
Customer reviewers at the Nike Store and Amazon.com recommend Impel Swift for distance running.
Sprinting is a different activity from jogging. It's like the difference between a Ferrari and a Prius. Joggers are built to go long distances. Sprinters, on the other hand, need explosive power, so they have different muscle t...
With today's modern technology and a sky filled with satellites, Global Positioning System devices have replaced the car odometer as the preferred way to measure a run. Several manufacturers make GPS units suitable for running....
Long-distance runners face the challenge of pushing their bodies through high levels of performance for extended periods. Peak Performance Online notes how costly improper breathing can be, saying a 1 percent increase in breath...
In sporting terms, stamina can best be described as staying power. A high level of stamina is needed to be successful in endurance sports such as long distance cycling, running or triathlons, as having staying power really mean...
If you are a track athlete, or someone athletic who likes to test your limits, making your running leap longer can be a challenge. When it feels as though you have gotten all you can out of your body, there are some ways to get...
If you have stamina, you have the ability to sustain prolonged physical or mental effort. Often associated with sport, stamina can be applied equally to all areas of life. A physically or mentally demanding job requires just as...
For the serious distance runner, a watch must be much more than just a chronograph in cheap casing. Distance runners yearn for maximum performance, and a running watch should offer the same. To that end, a distance running watc...
The demands on a runner's body while running longer distances can take its toll physically. A distance runner needs to do the right conditioning and training in order to handle the force of three to four times his body weight p...
Running long distances such as marathons is an incredible feat. Passing this test of endurance, strength and stamina requires a proper diet that is high in carbohydrates, moderate in protein and low in fat. Running burns approx...
Tracking your running distances is a great tool to help you train. Not only does it gauge the number of miles you are running on a given day, but it also can help you to gradually increase the distance of your average route whi...
In order to maintain your speed over 200 meters, you have to work on your start and your stamina, and use the right technique throughout the distance. Tactics are involved in your positioning at the starting block since the fir...
Runners may need to verify or determine the distance of a running track. Running tracks are oval-shaped and divided into individual lanes for runners. The track is measured in meters based on the distance of the innermost lane,...
It is very beneficial for runners to know the distances they are traveling on a given workout. Tracking mileage for performance and safety helps runners tremendously. Knowing distance is important because the runner can then pl...
The race can take as little as a minute and half to three minutes to run. It involves a variety of styles and abilities. The middle distance race is run in quick spurts or put together in a series of courses. This type of runni...
The 20-yard shuttle is one of the most popular short-distance running exercises. Some people also call it the short shuttle race. The 20-yard shuttle is a running exercise that is usually practiced by athletes who play footbal...
Long distance running is all about endurance. Sprinters and short distance runners push themselves to run as fast and as hard as they can in a short distance but long distance runners focus on running smoothly for as long as t...
Ultrarunning is not for those new to distance running. It's recommended that you have three or more marathons under your belt before attempting an ultra. Since an ultra is anything longer than a marathon, it makes sense to hav...
