Today’s tough topic “How to progress in the running and run better?”. I will not give you a miracle formula to progress in the running. If it existed, it would have known for a long time! I will try to show you that if the magic potion does not exist, there are still a lot of means at our disposal to better run and ultimately progress in the running. Performance as such is a matter of detail. But from my point of view, it rests mainly on three pillars. And it is to these three pillars that we will be interested today to build our progress over the long term.
In this article, you will find multiple links to related topics. You can check them out on the water or come back later. One thing is for sure; once you have covered this topic, you will feel like you have a much better understanding of how running progression works!
How to progress in the running and run better?
We all tend to look no further than the tip of our noses. We are interested in our present form, and we want to improve it at all costs. But running is a long-term story. And most importantly, make progress in the race walk that is accessible to all! You have to be patient and accept that the progression may not be immediately visible.
Yes, it can take months or even years to reap the benefits of the work. It is through training, perseverance, and motivation that we succeed. But it is also thanks to experience in the management of fatigue and recovery that we will succeed in progressing and running better year after year. Patience is one of the main qualities of a runner who wants to progress!
Moving up in the running is a long-term vision
To progress in the running optimally, it is necessary to master the basics. For those who haven’t read it, I suggest you read the beginner’s guide to running (at worst fly over it, beginner or not there are some interesting elements to take out !)
Once the basics are known and mastered, you can focus on making progress in running. And for a good progression, I assume that the training should be as individualized as possible. Group training is not forbidden, on the contrary it stimulates and makes it possible to excel. But your training plan must be adapted to your specific needs. Because we’re all different. We have a different sporting past, different strengths and weaknesses. And even at some point, our fitness level won’t be the same as it was six months ago.
In short, use a training plan standard, it’s good but not enough. We need to integrate a touch of individualization. Otherwise, we risk not making as much progress as we want. The ideal training plan should focus on your weaknesses while strengthening your strengths. (starting with a regular VMA test to validate our current level!)
Measuring progress in running with goals
A training program, however effective, must have a purpose. Because there are multiple methods of running training. But the method you need is the one that corresponds to the goal you set for yourself. I have already talked about this in this article, but we need to know what we want to achieve in order to make good progress. Run faster or run longer ? Prepare a short race like a 5km or aim for long events like a semi or a marathon ?
If you know yourself a weak point in speed, but you are preparing a marathon, without forgetting it, it is of course not wise to focus on this point during your marathon preparation. On the other hand, planning a specific training cycle at a weak point outside the preparation of an objective would be ideal. A training cycle focuses on the 5 or 10km, and doing some competitions over these distances will allow you to make great progress. And in the end, it will also be useful for long distances!