How can I improve my endurance?

Question

I want to improve my endurance in running. I can run a mile at a good pace really easily, but every time I try to push myself, I tire myself out quickly. How can I improve my endurance?

Answer 1

There are many ways to push yourself in running. Speed is one, distance is another. If you try to run multiple miles at your "all out" one-mile race pace, chances are you won't get much farther than one mile. (Or, if you do it means you should be pushing yourself harder in races. Ha ha.) Different physical systems are involved when you go longer.

Endurance is built by mileage. THERE I SAID IT! To improve your endurance you need to increase the distance you run. Like everything in running though you need to be sensitive to your individual limits - don't go pound out 120 miles next week just because you want to build endurance. You need to find the level of running that works for your body and your life. You might be able to handle 120 or you may find your body works best with 80 or 60 or 30 miles a week.

If you are interested in maximizing endurance then increase both your weekly mileage and average daily mileage. Start by checking out the following articles from Running Times' web site:

"Base Camp" http://www.runningtimes.com/rt/articles/?id=5691&c=82

"Mileage Madness" http://www.runningtimes.com/rt/articles/?id=5839&c=82

"Essential Efforts to Elevate Endurance (part I)" http://www.runningtimes.com/rt/articles/?id=4342&c=82

"Essential Efforts to Elevate Endurance (part II)" http://www.runningtimes.com/rt/articles/?id=4344&c=82

Answer 2

Here are some helpful tips to improve your endurance:
1. Get or create a schedule which gradually increases distance. Track your runs including distance, weather conditions and how you felt during and after the run.
2. Leave the watch at home. If your goal is endurance you have no need to time yourself.
3. Run at a comfortable pace. Resist the urge to push yourself to run faster until you have run that distant repeatedly.
4. Consider taking walk breaks at timed intervals, such as run 6 minutes then walk 1 minute (if so, ignore #2 as you will need your watch). Your recovery from longer runs will be much quicker.
5. Run with a friend or group which share your goal. Perhaps a group training for an upcoming run (10K, half-marathon, marathon). It keeps you committed and makes the runs more enjoyable.

Answer 3

ok this is what you have to do, if your goal is 7 miles a day then you need to for 2 weeks run 3 in morning and 4 at night, for 2 to 3 weeks untill you stop getting as much soreness in your legs, then you need to start running 4 then 5 then 6 then 7 increace one extra mile a day, but the trick is..... first 2 miles pace your self, 3 dont slip to much, 4 slow it to a jog, 5 pick it back up to same time as 3, 6 slow to about 4, and 7run it like it was the first! good luck

Answer 4

To improve your endurance you must run like you are, but more. While you are running you have to change paces regularly. Doing this will improve your endurance and train your body to handle any pace for any amount of time.

Answer 5

You should be practicing for butterfly by swimming longer distances in practice. If you work out doing 100 meter repeats, you should feel like a 50 is a breeze. Also, if you are going to use kicking as a method of practice, DO NOT use a kickboard for butterfly kick. When you use a kickboard for fly, you don't get the full range of motion needed to do the kick properly. Instead, you should kick underwater in streamline position coming up for air, or kick on your back with your handfs at your sides. Underwater will help more with your stamina than on your back. When you are practicing, and when you are racing, you should religiously breathe every other stroke. This will help you to build stamina, which is needed to finish strong, but it also conserves energy. Michael Phelps can afford to breathe every stroke, he is an olympic level athlete, but doing so uses more energy than skipping every other breath. Using paddles for fly practice can be tricky. If not done properly, it can cause shoulder injury and can mess up your technique. Butterfly is a very tough stroke that takes a lot of dedication and practice to master. Good luck achieving your goals.

Answer 6

I just got out of the military, and let me tell you, they are not super athletes by any means, but through the right kind of training, they are able to accomplish anything.
Then first thing you've got to do is evaluate your running style, and find your own tempo. What works for someone in a magazine may not work for you. Try setting visual goals (running to the next tree, etc.) or if on a treadmill, until a song/show is over. I've found that when I visualized myself to run past the goal and not just at the goal, I was able to lower my heart rate and control my tempo better. Avoid chemical enhancers of any type just keep it normal, try different terrain (beach, track, mountain trails, etc.) and maybe run with someone else. Good luck and just keep at it.

Answer 7

just slow down... don't go by the mileage, but by time instead. Take walk breaks every few minutes, and eventually, you'll be running three miles. I'm up to five, and I started in July walking 3 min and running 5 min, alternately. Now I can run for an hour without any walk breaks...

Good luck!

Answer 8

run more miles at a 70% pace, try putting in three 10km runs per week, for speed add fartleks to the run twice a week.

Answer 9

go at a more moderate pace, and increase distance a little bit every few days.

Answer 10

Keep at it, and your endurance will continue to increase...it won't kill you to pump up the speed and go that extra few meters...