How to Increase Your Running Distance… Safely!

Ah spring running! This is the season that many people come to running in the first place, or return to it, or decide to reach for a new running goal. With that comes the age-old question: How can I increase my running distance without getting hurt? We are an aspirational species. We get a lofty goal in our heads and then go out too aggressively to make it a reality NOW! Patience, friends. You’ve heard that saying, it’s a marathon, not a sprint? Well guess what… that applies to running too. 😉

“How Do I…” questions are what running coaches are for! If you have running-related questions, book a free consult with Rachel and/or meet up with the Unstill Life Half-Fast Walk & Run group for a workout and get some answers.

I’ve got some tried and true guidelines for you on how you can progress your mileage while avoiding injury. Let’s take a look.

Starting from Zero Running

If you are brand new to running, you’ll want to follow a walk-run plan. Go for a 30-min walk and intersperse :30-1:00 run segments with 1:00-2:00 minutes walking rest after each one. Once you have done that three times, you can increase the run time by about a minute. After doing 30 minute runs for 3-4 weeks, increase to 40-45 minutes, progressing the walk/run pattern. When you’ve reached 8:00 or 9:00 run segments, try shortening your rest to :30 or more frequent :15 rests until you are running with no walking. Or keep the walk breaks forever–there’s nothing wrong with walk breaks! They give you valuable mini-recovery and many runners employ them to reach major running goals like qualifying for the Boston Marathon.

Runners with a Base (5K to 10K, or 10K to HM)

For runners with an established base, the standard rule is to increase your total weekly mileage by about 10-15% each week. So if your running week is a 4 mile run on Monday, a 5 mile run on Wednesday and a 6 mile run on Saturday (15 miles total), you are safe to add 1.5-2.25 miles of total distance distributed over the week. An additional guideline, at least while your longest runs are under ~8 miles, is to not increase your longest run by more than 10-15%. So in the scenario above, you would be better off increasing distance for two runs by .5 and your longer run by 1 mile, rather than to add all 1.5-2.25 to your long run.

Consistently Build Distance Before Adding Speed

When your focus is on increasing your total volume of running, take speed off the table most of the time. This is especially true for your longest runs of the week. So if Saturdays are when you are mainly extending your distance, make sure your pace is slow and you are able to carry on a conversation or sing(!) without being breathless. This is going to flummox a lot of people. Isn’t running supposed to be hard? I’m supposed to be out of breath, right? No, not at this point. It may feel very awkward to go as slow as this conversational breathing dictates, but bias toward slower pace when extending distance.

Build in Recovery Weeks

When increasing your overall running volume, it’s important to do it in a way that allows you periodic lighter weeks where your body integrates the physiological adaptations from your training. Every 3-4 weeks, take a lower volume recovery week, dropping your overall mileage by ~20%. During this week, you still want to be running, but you can also increase your low and moderate intensity cross-training (swim, bike) and focus on mobility and recovery activities, such as getting a massage or foam rolling.

Other Things Matter!

This adding of distance does not exist in a vacuum! Just as important, and I would argue even more-so are things like…

You do your strength training 2-3 x a week- focusing on single leg, core and plyometric exercises, so your body can withstand the stresses of increased endurance and prolonged impact.

You prioritize rest and get 7-8 hours of sleep a night, very consistently, so your body can repair and build back stronger.

You fuel well, making sure you get adequate calories, protein and electrolytes, especially after long runs so your body has the fuel necessary to support such an intense activity and recover from it.

You warm up and cool down, easing your body into and out of running. These phases allow your cardio and circulatory systems to prepare for the intensity of running, and to begin the recovery process after a run. When you shortcut these, your body is not at its best, and you set yourself up for injuries.

And remember these are best practices and guidelines. Take them with a good dose of listening to your body and consulting with your trusted resources (coaches, PTs doctors, bodyworkers). Here’s to a great Spring of building toward your running goals.