Fitness is a gift but it needs hard work to qualify for the gift. It isn’t free. And once the fitness journey begins, it only can get better, provided you stick to a plan. How to build endurance and attain your goals is a meticulously planned process. There are no magic bullets, no hidden secrets. Training for endurance takes time and effort. Thankfully, most who follow this set of principles will increase their endurance and see it in their performance. Here are some simple principles that can help build your endurance and get you where you want to be.
1. Make a plan and stick to it: A common mistake people make in the athletic world, particularly in the beginning, is that they idolize their “God” but often forget the work that took them to get there. And that means planning.
To build endurance means to execute a well-articulated plan. And that plan must consist of specifics. In many ways, endurance training is like scaling a start-up. You have signed up for a venture, you want to prove that it is sustainable, and then you want to scale it. So, to start, make a plan. Define your goals—not just the ultimate goal of “I want to be an endurance athlete” but your goal in specifics—something like “I want to run 5K three times a week in X amount of time at X pace”. Now that’s a plan. Then write it out on the white board and stick to it. Mental discipline is the key attribute you need to be an endurance athlete.
2. It's a marathon, not a sprint—take your time: One key to building endurance is patience. Running, swimming or biking, all three can be lonely as a sport. But you can change that by training with a group or having your own trainer.
The goal is to get there, slowly. Yes, you may see people winning awards. And you may feel you are behind, or maybe you started too late. Doesn’t matter. It still takes the same amount of time for everyone. If there is one mantra to endurance training, it is this—It takes time, keep training.
3. Focus on conditioning: Our body can do miraculous feats, when it’s trained to do so. Conditioning is a way of building your endurance without crashing your body. Which means, you train and grow, and train some more.
As you condition your body for exercise, it gets easier and easier when you push harder. So when you start with those 5K runs, the least you should do is 5K. And then grow your pace as well as your distance. This is the backbone of endurance running.
4. Train to run longer and slower first: If your goal of building endurance is for triathlons or marathons, these are feats that stretch along the whole day. This involves a slower paced running more than sprinting. So, the goal should be for you to run longer in terms of distance and time. And intuitively, how to build endurance for this will require you to do this over and over again.
Here is a good starting point- if you are a complete beginner, start with 1-2 mile runs every other day for a week. Increase the distance by about 0.5-1 mile a week as you can tolerate it. To build your running endurance further, make sure you do not skip a week completely.
As you hit your first 5K mark, stay on it for a week or two and assess if the 2nd week of the same activity appears a bit easier on your body. Take notes. Then continue to add 1 mile to your run every other week. You should be able to do a 10K run in about 3 months and be comfortable with it. Congratulations, you have reached your 1st milestone.
5. Perfect your tempo runs: Tempo runs is one of the best ways to build endurance. Tempo runs are designed to allow longer time before the lactate can accumulate in your muscles and cause cramps. In other words, tempo (literally meaning time) allows you to increase your endurance running time.
For tempo runs to work, they need to be at a slightly lower pace (about 30 seconds slower) than what you would otherwise do for a 5 or 10 K run (your race pace). Consider a tempo run to be at an 80% pace of that of your race pace. Endurance running training involves a lot of tempo runs after an initial slow pace followed by a cool off period.
6. Don't forget the sprints or interval runs: Once you have grown your endurance running forte and are able to do longer runs, add in an interval run or a sprint.
This quick burst of energy consuming feat is needed to improve your running endurance because it allows your body to be challenged. Those muscles that are good to support you at a steady phase need to be accustomed to be pushed in a challenge—and that challenge is the sprint. Not to mention, that burst of cardio is actually good for your heart and can dramatically build your endurance.
Another method to help build endurance is through plyometric exercises. These are a short bursts of explosive exercises that depend on stretching a group of muscles maximally before they contract through series of workouts. Commonly used in CrossFit, plyometric exercises can be the answer on how to increase endurance quickly.
7. Analyze, refine, repeat: Building endurance will require data. Invest in some technology- a smart watch that tracks your progress. After you have analyzed your training, it is time to critically think about what didn’t go according to plan. Take notes on when you cramped, how long you could push and what happened specifically after your tempo and sprint runs. Training for endurance requires all of these to fall in perfectly on that day you race.
8. Follow healthy habits: Not enough can be said about how you support your endurance training. Building endurance is not just about exercising those muscles, but also about nourishing them appropriately.
Hydration is key- staying hydrated and avoiding dehydration is one of the best supporting tasks that are key to building endurance particularly if that involves challenging feats such as triathlons.
Ensure your hydration is not just with water. Using an electrolyte formula such as MAGNAK® Endurance mix that has enough magnesium and is rich in other nutrients such as sodium and potassium is key to improving your endurance. Use a healthy balanced diet rich in protein, vegetables, nuts and grains. Minimize sodas and alcohol if you are serious about your endurance training.
9. Get enough rest: Muscles cannot grow without getting some rest in between. Ensure you get at least 8 hours of sleep every night.
Studies have shown that adequate rest mixed with workouts is the ultimate combination that can help build endurance. Take that Sunday afternoon nap after a heavy work out on Saturday. Try training 3-4 times a week with days off in between to allow for conditioning. In short, take rest equally seriously.
10. Don't forget the mind: Lastly, your mind controls your body. If your mind is healthy, your body is going to follow.
Spend some time doing your favorite activity. Meditate if you find peace in it. Relax your mind with positive thoughts and delve into simple pleasures. Remember, endurance training is as much about the soul as it is about the body. And the mind possesses an incredible ability to absorb information. Indulge in it and grow!
By: Sourabh Kharait, MD, PhD-Founder/CEO.
Dr. Kharait is an MD and a practicing Nephrologist in Northern California. He completed his Residency in Internal Medicine and Fellowship in Nephrology from the University of California, San Francisco. He has a PhD in Molecular Physiology from the University of Pittsburgh and specializes in treating patients with electrolyte disorders and kidney diseases.
