There are things we should do to improve the productivity of our running session. Here are things we should do to make our whole running experience more productive.
- Lose some weight: It is obviously not a good thing to carry extra body weight, because this could put extra stress on our cardiovascular systems and joints, when we are running. Common sense would tell us that we will be able to achieve faster running speed after losing enough weight. By losing one pound of body weight, we can increase our speed by 2 seconds per mile. It means that by losing 30 pounds, it is possible that we could reduce two hours of running speed to one hour fifty minute.
- Use proper breathing technique: It is also important for us to breathe properly. Breathing is considered as a natural process and this will allow our body to adapt properly. Many people who have poor breathing technique are not able to achieve the right kind of running performance. We shouldn’t become misinformed runners who think that we could breathe only through our nose when running. In reality, effective breathing means that we get enough oxygen into our system, despite the intensive physical workout. We should take numerous deep, large breaths through both our mouth and nose. We should wait for a couple of miles before we start breathing deeply. This will allow our body to get properly oxygenated. Our strides should match the good breathing rhythm and we should breathe in enough air in the proper quantity. When we breathe out, we should make panting noises. This should allow us to take bigger breaths and our breathing can be aligned with our steps.
- Visualization: Runners, both amateurs and professionals, should have good visualization technique. This also applies even if we don’t plan to participate in a running event. Before a running session, we should take a few deep breaths and relax for a few minutes. We could close our eyes and think about what we want to achieve. We should know about our end goal, such as running for two hours with moderate pace, regardless of the distance. We should think about the type of training that we are planning to have. It is important to picture ourselves running effortlessly and smoothly. This should allow us to choose the proper running techniques and we can imagine how we should beat our target.
- Posture: It is important for us to use proper postures. There are many articles discussing about the proper running postures. Some promote leaning forward, while others argue that we should have straight backs. Regardless of the method we choose, it is important for use to use proper basics, so we will be able to run more efficiently. As an example, we should focus our eyes far to the horizon, instead of seeing the ground. For more effective running position, we could imagine that a string is attached to our belly button and it pulls us along the road.