How To Build Endurance Video

Endurance is a slow and gradual process to build when running. Learn how exercises can build endurance in this workout video.

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Building endurance is slow & gradual process
Increase only five percent per week for injury prevention
Dedication & commitment is key
Consult local training programs

About this Author

Tim Borland began running in 1997 to lose weight and stay in shape. In college he joined the triathlon team, and then went on the compete in Iron mans, adventure races, marathons and much more. Tim most recently participated in the AT&T Cure Tour, an event that had him running 63 marathons in 63 days in 63 communities across the United States.

TIM BORLAND: Hi, my name's Tim Borland and today we're going to talk about how to build endurance. We can also call this how to go the distance. Building endurance is a definitely slow, gradual process. Building endurance can mean a lot of thing to different people. Endurance could be being able to run 5 miles or 10 miles or 20 miles, whatever it might be to you. But really the process in getting to the place where you can run extended miles is going to be a slow, gradual process. You're going to want to maybe start one day a week, oftentimes it's doing one long run a week and then you're going to start increasing a little bit each week. 5% a week, really, is the maximum that you should do. And this is for injury prevention; it's for your own sake. Sometimes it can be hard because you're impatient and I do the same thing and I want to get out there and run those miles. But to really get your body, to accustom your body and to build it up, it's going to just be a process where you're at a mile, you add 10 minutes this day and the next day, and you find that your weekly runs are getting a little bit longer. But really, it's going to be that one long run that you do once a week, whether it's Saturday or Sunday. And you're going to take that one day and really focus on--maybe its 8 miles and then 10 miles. Bump it up maybe by 2 miles a week, and 12 and 14. And you're going to start to find that as you're really consistent with that and you're building those miles and you're spending more time in your shoes, you will build endurance. You will, but it takes the commitment. It takes dedication. It takes really, just sticking at it. But again, be patient. Don't build too fast, too quick, or injuries definitely result when this happens. And so, have a plan, have a calendar. There's a lot of places you can go to get good training programs that will help you get there. It's good to have guidance when you to do this, so I recommend that you find whether it's in a magazine or somewhere online, a good training program and run with it.

How to Build Endurance Video

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