1) Get with the Hills
Taking a peek at the infographic above, you can easily see that running hills unlocks a whole new slate of benefits for you. For starters, running hills strengthens the muscles used for sprints. So, the grueling challenge of literally going above and beyond will help to make you faster. It also engages chronically under-used muscles, which can prevent injury during routine runs.
2) Variety, Variety, Variety
The more you fall into your routine and refuse to diverge from it, the faster your body gets used to it. While it may be comfortable or feel good to consistently hit a time or distance, there are diminishing returns on the actual benefit you give your body. To really get the most from your run, you need to be able to switch it up at a moment’s notice. As soon as you begin to find yourself getting comfortable, ramp up the intensity, or go for interval training. Fartleks are a great running workout that is organized on this principle. Check out this awesome guide and try it for your next run.
3) Lift
Yes, you heard that properly. What do you run with? If you answered with “legs”, you’re already in good mental shape. Running strengthens the legs, so it follows naturally that training the legs with resistance will allow them to propel you further on the trail. Some exercises to think about are squats, leg presses, and calf raises.
4) Get the Right Shoes
You should never go out of your way to pick up the latest running shoes because the colours are nice or the sole looks cool. When you pick running shoes, you need to go beyond aesthetics and opt for the footwear that will optimize your runs and help you achieve the best running form possible. Everyone runs differently, and each running shoe aids a different aspect of the activity.
from Jason Andor’s Fitness Blog http://ift.tt/1zdMuxN
from WordPress http://ift.tt/1EIlj09
