How to Run Longer Distances

It's no doubt that running can give your life more benefits that can help you be healthier and live longer. If you are like me, running does not excite you. It can be a daunting and terrifying task. However, you can run longer, and you can run faster, you need to build up to it. The most simple and effective way to run longer and more quickly is to run in intervals. For me, it's sprinting for one minute and walking for one minute. I do this for an hour each day.

Set a goal

This step is crucial as you need to create a milestone for yourself. What I did, was start a stopwatch and run until you are physically out of breath. Time how long it took you to get there. Then cut that time in half and use it as a placeholder. My first time was only two minutes, so I knew that one minute was my running time. This is how long you are going to run each interval. You will sprint for one minute and walk for another minute.

Eat better

During this time, you will be burning calories like crazy, you need to ensure that your body is receiving all the nutrients that its needs during this time. Not only will you perform better, but your body will heal and benefit from the food you put in. If you are like me, you might have a poor diet. A poor diet makes it very hard to run for long periods. The moment I changed my diet, I found I could run not only longer but faster.

Distract yourself

Running can be very dull or very fun. It's all about how you entertain yourself during the process. If you have nothing to distract yourself besides looking at a timer, the running will seem like it's taking forever. Some people listen to music, and some people run with friends. I run with my labradoodle dog, and he, in a way, encourages me to run longer. I believe Labradoodles were ranked #1 for physical activity. You can check out Labradoodle Puppies For Sale at Preferable Pups. They make a perfect running buddy.

Increase the challenge

When you have found your running interval time, and you are eating healthier, it might be time to challenge yourself once again. Do you have a hill next to where you live? Running uphill is difficult, but you will be pushing your body to the next level.

Add longer intervals

Congratulations if you have made it this far, it's time to add another minute to your running interval. Please do this when you feel 100% confidant in your running abilities as if done too early, you can hurt yourself. You don't feel like you can add another minute yet, wait another week or so until you feel confident enough.

There are lots of resources online and communities that can help you on this journey. Vocal Media has lots of information about health and wellbeing. Just don't give up easily; this is a challenge and will take effort, time, dedication, and practice. It took me almost a year to have the energy and stamina to run a 5k. Today I am very thankful I chose this challenge and started focusing on my health. It helped me become more clear-minded and stressfree. Sometimes during high-stress moments, I put my running shoes on and hit the pavement.

Pro tip: Find a friend that is interested in running too, friendly competition between friends is a powerful tool. Also, find a pair of comfortable running shoes priced in the $90-$120 range.