http://www.nomeatathlete.com/63-running-ideas/

Written by Matt Frazier in Running

Run.  Run a lot.

That's the answer I give to new runners when they ask me how to get better at running.  When they ask how they'll ever be able to run a marathon (http://www.nomeatathlete.com/marathon-roadmap-system/) or an ultra when it kills them to run six miles now, the answer is that simple.

It's like the 10,000 hour rule.  The more you run, the better your body and brain learn to do it.  It doesn't have to be every day, and it doesn't have to involve awful workouts that leave you sprawled out on the track by the time they're done.

But it does have to be consistent.  Every time you get burnt out and take three or six months off from running, you miss hours upon hours of opportunity to build those neural pathways that help you run efficiently, even effortlessly.

The trick then, is to keep your training interesting.  Here are 63 ways to do just that.

41.  Core training has become a bit of a cliche. But there's no doubt it works and can make you a stronger runner, especially if you run trails, which requires a wider variety of movements than does road running.  I personally like the Core Performance (http://www.coreperformance.com/) books, including their Endurance and Essentials programs, for their focus on form, efficiency, and the ability to do the exercises without joining a gym (http://www.nomeatathlete.com/gym-free-strength/).

42.    Be a numbers nerd-there's tons of data you can use to measure your progress and help you train better.  Time, speed, distance, elevation change, heart rate, calories burned, all of which can be measured or estimated with a single device on your wrist nowadays.  What's more motivating than seeing your progress in cold, hard numbers?

43.    Some people have this idea that you can only race a few times per year or season.  While it's true that if you're looking for PR's in longer distances, you should probably only race every few months, there's no reason a fit runner can't do a lot of long races each year.  So if you're looking for a change, plan a race every month or even a race every week, depending on your fitness level.

44.    Try bigger shoes.  Stu Mittleman, an American ultrarunner who once ran 1000 miles in less than 12 days, claims that the vast majority of people run in shoes that are way too small, often by one or two sizes!  Mittleman says your toes should be a full thumb-width from the front of your shoes.  Some of Stu's ideas are a little out there, but if you're not getting the results you want or you're having foot problems, it's worth a try.

45.    If you always run for miles, run for time.  If you always run for time, run for miles.

46.    Meditate while you run.  Several books on meditation (not running) mention that exercise is an ideal time for meditating because of the repetitive movement, lack of distraction, and ability to focus on simple things while you run.  Leo at Zen Habits has a great post on Zen running (http://zenhabits.net/the-zen-of-running-and-10-ways-to-make-it-work-for-you/); try it during your next long run and you find yourself with two hours to spare.

47.    Yet another way to add variety to your long run: Make it a progressive run, one in which your speed gradually increases as you get further into the run.  Running Planet has a good post about different types of progressive runs (http://www.runningplanet.com/training/basic-progressive-running-workouts.html).

48.    Try being a minimalist runner (http://strengthrunning.com/2010/06/minimalist-running/).  In addition to getting a pair of minimalist shoes, ditch the watch, Garmin, heart rate monitor, iPod, everything.  Enjoy.

49.    Find a way to race a person, not just a clock.  You can just pick some random person in front of you on your next run, but I promise you it's much more fun if they know about it.

50.  Watch a great running movie.  Two that make me want to lace up my shoes: Spirit of the Marathon (http://www.marathonmovie.com/) and Running the Sahara(http://www.runningthesahara.com/).

51.  Run every day for a month.  Jack Daniels says that when you're so tired you want to stop running, try running faster.  When I was in a funk last year and didn't feel like running, I tried running every day to break out of it.  Another interesting idea: Blaine from Run to Win (http://news.runtowin.com/) suggested running one mile the first day, two the second day, three the third day, and so on for as long as possible.  Hey, at least the first week is easy!

52.  Become a superhero.  I love this idea from Nerd Fitness (http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2010/08/26/how-to-become-a-superhero-in-4-easy-steps/): Create a persona, complete with name, attitude, goal, theme song, and (optionally) costume.  When it's time to train, be that character.  Go crazy with it!  You don't have to tell anyone.

53.  Don't ignore your upper body.  While a lot of muscle mass with eventually slow you down, strength can only help.  Rather than heavy bench presses or bicep curls, try bodyweight exercises like those in the (free) 100 Pushups (http://www.hundredpushups.com/) and 50 Pullups programs.

54.  Try compression gear.  Compression socks work amazingly well at keeping your legs and feet from getting sore on long runs.  I've noticed little benefit from compression shorts, however.

55.  Create while you run.  Whether you're an artist, a student, or a businessperson, it's worth it to try brainstorming about a project during your next mid-length run.  Many find that their focus and creativity are heightened after 20 to 30 minutes of relaxed running.  For me, a little bit of caffeine from green tea or yerba mate helps the process along.

56.  It's not really my thing, but a lot of runners like to listen to a running podcast during their long runs.  RunningPodcasts.org (http://www.runningpodcasts.org/podcast-directory/) has a directory of what must be 100 different ones to choose from and subscribe to.

57.  Work short speed intervals into your normal runs.  While the term "speedwork" might be intimidating to some, it doesn't have to be.  You don't even need to go to the track.  Simply run at near-sprint pace for 30-second or 1-minute intervals, depending on what you can handle, with 2- to 3-minute rests in between.  As you get stronger, increase the interval length and decrease the rest.

58.  Any decent running store will offer group runs on certain nights of the week.  Usually they attract runners of a variety of fitness levels, so you'll almost certainly find someone to run with.

59.  If you're one of the select few in this world whose idea of a perfect vacation involves lots of running, why not plan a trip around it?  Your running vacation (http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=10726) could be as simple as a destination race, or as involved as a two-week running tour of an island or country.

60.  Confession: I once bought an outfit specifically to wear for a marathon.  I was going to qualify for Boston that day (I didn't), and I wanted to look good doing it (I did, I think).  But you know what?  Having that outfit added to my excitement about the big day.  If you have a big race coming up, get yourself something nice to run it in.  Just make sure you wear it at least once beforehand, to make sure it's comfortable.

61.  Runners, especially ultrarunners, like to celebrate the end of hard run (or the start, I've seen it) with a cold beer.  The two go together great, and there are lots of "drinking clubs with a running problem" out there.  Check out Beer Runner (http://beerrunner.draftmag.com/new/), a blogger for Draft Magazine who posts about this match made in heaven.

62.  Try walking.  Former Olympian Jeff Galloway popularized the walk/run method (http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/walk_breaks.html), in which runners take short walk breaks (usually a minute or less) every few minutes or miles, depending on speed and fitness.  While it might seem wimpy and is arguably better for first-time marathoners, Galloway claims that many marathoners have broken three hours for the first time by implementing a walk/run plan.

63.  Find a great running blog.  I've made it easy for you: Follow the links in this post and you'll find lots of them.  Or, better yet, start your own.

 

63 is a lot, but that can't be them all.  What's your favorite way to mix things up?