FITNESS: Running – Speed vs. Endurance

One of the most important skills in regards of becoming a well rounded “tactical athlete” is and always will be running.

Running not only let’s you travel distances faster but also is a good thing for your whole cardiologic scores. Runners will always have superior oxygen saturation compared to the athlete who only lifts.

But there are some things you can really fuck up when you do your running routines the wrong way. First of all, running can be bad for your knees when you exercise to often or you are simply to heavy. So don’t do the mistake of running every day. Fewer runs but with higher intensity is the keyword here. I only do running every two days as a set max.

Use common tracks to compare your scores.

It can also happen that you put to much emphasis on pure endurance running. Endurance running on long distance is good for your heart, but you will only build aerobic endurance while your anaerobic skills will degrade over the time. So only do one or a max of two endurance runs a week. It’s better to do some fast 4km runs every two days to enhance your speed.

Always remember that you still need those white fibres.

Also if you do to much running your white muscles (the ones responsible for strength and speed) will fade and get replaced by red muscle fibre. So always keep in mind that you still have to give your legs some tasks with high weight or high speed to keep this white fibres where they belong.

Once you have got over yourself and have started running you will experience that you like running more and more. In fact running can get very addictive. That’s because your body will release some hormones while you run. Keep that in mind, because it can be very tempting to simply run to much while putting less emphasis on strength.

Also always try to be competitive. Running for the serious athlete isn’t just going out and do a distance at a relaxed speed. It’s running and not jogging. To be competitive always time and monitor your runs. Always ask yourself:

What’s my average time per kilometre?
Does my speed enhance or degrade?
Do I feel exhausted with my current pace?

A good pace is below 6 minutes per kilometre if you do runs over 5km.

A good pace for short distance runs is below 5 minutes per kilometre.

It’s also important to have the right equipment. You need proper running shoes, not simply athletic footwear. You should really visit a retail store that has subject matter experts for this case. Also your shoe needs a little break to recover its foam padding after a run. If you don’t have time for breaks make sure that you have at least two pairs of shoes. Regarding shoes I like LALO and Salomon very much. Always watch for your shoes profile.

Gear for long distance running. You don’t need hydration on short tracks.

Socks shouldnt be to thin, to give you some padding and wicking capabilities.

You will also need a tool to measure time and speed. This may be a phone with a running app or even better a GPS watch, I prefer Garmin models here. I don’t watch my heartrate, because there is already so much I need to track and because I know when I have to speed up. My watch is programmed to give me a sign if my pace is to slow, this works for me much better than monitoring my heartbeat.

Watch your gear. Those shoes for example need to be replaced ASAP.

What you dont need for short distance runs is additional hydration. Drink twenty minutes before you start your run. You dont need additional weight in form of a camelbak or a bottle.

When doing longer distances try to use a camelbak or a small bottle like a Nalgene.

When you are finished with your run try to use the cool down time to do some fast paced calisthenics. Do for example 100 push-ups and 200 crunches. This trains your body to switch from aerobic to anaerobic exercises.

To get everything in line. To really integrate your running into your skillset you need to: