If your goal is to become a faster runner, you might consider many options, such as wearing lightweight running shoes, increasing your workouts per week, or taking part in sprint races, but have you ever considered including base run exercise in your training schedule?
When world record-breaking athletes train for running races, they do not always train on those top speeds. This may increase the chances of injury, which may prevent them from their training. 80% of the weekly training of athletes consist of base runs, while 20% of their training sessions are dedicated to fast jogging. This can reduce injuries, help athletes train regularly, and continue their success.
What is a Base Run?
Base run is a low intensity running exercise, by slowing down your speed. When we practice base runs, we train our bodies to endure the hardship of running, strengthen our muscles, and strengthen our heart and lungs, which ultimately increases our speed and enables us to cover longer distances than before.
Base runs exercise helps us consume stored fats as a source of energy; knowing that burning fat is more efficient than burning carbohydrates, because the amount of energy produced from burning a certain amount of fat exceeds the energy produced from the same amount of carbohydrates. Base runs exercise differs from one person to another in terms of speed; a person who covers 5 kilometers in 20 minutes will have a slower running than a person who covers 5 kilometers in 30 minutes.
What is the right pace for base runs?
The right pace for base runs is what allows you to carry on a conversation without pausing to take your breath after three words. If you increase your speed and have difficulty while speaking, then the appropriate speed for a base run is slower than that. Another way to calculate the best speed for base runs is to sing while running; if you do not face any difficulty in taking your breath while singing, then it is the best speed for you to base run.
What are the benefits of base runs?
The benefits include:
- Prepare joints, ligaments, tendons, and bones for stress.
- Increase endurance.
- Improve overall body shape.
- Strengthen the muscles.
- Strengthen the heart and lungs.
- Reduce the possibilty of injury.
One of the advantages of base runs is that you will not feel tired after this exercise, but rather you will be able to continue exercising. This is a result of the improvement in the flow of oxygen to the muscles, so the time from the start of the run until feeling tired increases.
Base run exercise is suitable for everyone and is beneficial for physical and mental health. It aims at preparing the body for the hardship of running and training the muscles to bear stress. When you include base running in your exercise routine, you will increase your ability to resist fatigue and become faster over time.
References
theconversation.com
health.clevelandclinic.org
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