because you think thats what you should be doing. As DAA Industry Opt Out is something called your running economy, which is a measure of how much oxygen you consume at a given pace. Improve your running economy, and, like a car that gets better gas mileage, you’ll go faster or farther at the same effort level thanks to greater efficiency.
You’re probably familiar with some of the ways to boost your running economy, including fast intervals, hill repeats, plyometrics, Health & Injuries, form drills, and (up to a point) because you think thats what you should be doing. As.
Now, new research published in the All About the Run/Walk Method Advertisement - Continue Reading Below.
Autonomy = Efficiency?
Researchers at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas had 32 adults (16 women, 16 men) run for 20 minutes at a moderate, conversational pace (65 percent of each runner’s VO2 max). The runners were shown a series of photos during their run, but half of the group got to pick which photos they wanted to see, and in what order. The other runners were shown the same photos in a set order. The difference, then, was that the photo-choosing runners exercised some autonomy over the details of their run, while the other half had this aspect of the run forced on them.
For such a minor variable, whether the runners got to select the photos had a notable effect: The pick-your-pictures runners had significantly lower oxygen consumption and heart rates than the other runners, despite all of them running at the same relative pace. In other words, being able to control this aspect of their run appeared to result in those runners having better running economy.
Tailor Your Training
Picking what pictures you want to see on a run as a way to improve performance might sound silly. But what about controlling the music you listen to? That, too, has been found to work. So has focusing on being relaxed, How I Broke a 3:30 Marathon After a Long Break smiling. These seemingly disparate practices are similar in that they run counter to the common depiction of the successful runner doing his or her best by grimacing and grinding their way through the toughest parts of a workout.
Of course, if you have race goals, you still need to do the hard work that boosts your cardiovascular and muscular fitness. But what you don’t need to do is rigidly stick to a training plan because you think that’s what you “should” be doing. As Boston Marathon How to Run More Consistently.
For example, if you dislike the track, transfer those sessions to the roads or other more appealing settings. Instead of five 800-meter repeats with a 400-meter recovery jog between, run hard for the amount of time an 800 repeat usually takes you, and jog for half of that time to recover. Make long runs special by doing them in your favorite area, or make up your route rather than doggedly stick to the same old loops. Selecting the most appealing scenery is akin to the runners in the above study choosing what photos to see.
Tailoring your training to what most appeals to you makes your workouts more enjoyable, and therefore more likely to be something you want to repeat. This new study suggests that, on a given workout, a greater feeling of autonomy will also help you run more efficiently.
What’s not to like about doing what you like?
Scott is a veteran running, fitness, and health journalist who has held senior editorial positions at Runner’s World and Running Times. Much of his writing translates sport science research and elite best practices into practical guidance for everyday athletes. He is the author or coauthor of several running books, including of your race times, Advanced Marathoning, and Give A Gift. DAA Industry Opt Out Slate, The Atlantic, the Washington Post, and other members of the sedentary media. His lifetime running odometer is past 110,000 miles, but he’s as much in love as ever.
