Running: Why You Are Not Getting Faster

As runners, we often get stuck in a rut. We've been running for years (or decades!) but see only slight improvement beyond the newbie gains we enjoyed initially. 

What gives? You put in the work and run the miles, race the races, and even do some speed work here and there, but you seem to have plateaued indefinitely. You aren't getting faster. Running may feel easier than initially and more enjoyable, but you haven't seen tangible improvements in a long time. Many runners ask, “Why am I not getting faster?”

The answer lies in training and understanding the difference between exercising and training. 

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EXERCISING AND TRAINING

First, what is exercise? Exercise is moving your body for health, enjoyment, or social/community interaction. It can be a jog, walk, cardio class, lifting weights, bike riding, pickleball, dancing, or any other intentional physical activity. Exercise is excellent for physical and mental health. It benefits us and has many positive health outcomes (preaching to the choir here: you should definitely exercise!), but exercising is not the same as training.

What is training? Training is practice—deliberate practice towards a specific goal. Running 10-20 miles a week for several years (or decades) without short-term goals for individual workouts and long-term outcomes is exercise, not training. 

Striving outside of your comfort zone to reach a stretch goal that is just beyond your capabilities is training. Identifying weaknesses and working to improve is training. Reviewing trends in your results and applying feedback and new knowledge with outcome-based decision-making is training. 

Training is hard; exercise can feel challenging, but it only qualifies as training (or deliberate practice) if it is actively working towards building a new skill that leads to a specific overarching goal.

My point is not that exercising is terrible; training is good. They both have their place. There is nothing wrong with exercising and moving to feel good and be healthy. But many people make the mistake of exercising, thinking they are training, and then wondering why they aren't seeing improvements. If you aren't analyzing and just doing, you are exercising. 

Pursue Mastery of Skills:

Running is a skill. Sure, anyone can strap on shoes and start running (and I encourage that—start!). However, to run faster, specific skills may need improvement. The skills outlined here are not an exhaustive list, but some things that come immediately to mind that, when improved, can affect your running performance. 

10 Skills to DEVELOP TO Improve Running Performance

1. Pacing (be able to feel, control, and increase/decrease speed)

2. Running form (body position for efficient running)

3. Technique (foot strike, cadence, stride length)

4. Heart-rate training (training to run faster at a lower heart rate)

5. Breathing for efficiency 

6. Nutrition for performance and recovery

7. Mindset for performance, resilience, and self-talk

8. Strength training for running performance and injury prevention (programming, technique, form, applying progressive overload)

9. Effective warmups, cooldowns, and stretching to enhance mobility and injury prevention

10. Recovery, sleep, and stress management for performance and recovery (understanding and applying the principles of rest and recovery on performance improvements)

As you can see, getting faster is about more than speed work or pacing. Many factors affect performance outcomes. You could have other underdeveloped skills holding you back from your potential. Most runners dabble in some of these skills for a short time but quickly move on when they get bored or frustrated.

WORK TO IMPROVE ONE NARROW ASPECT OF TRAINING

It is inefficient to work on everything at once. How could you? Many runners make the mistake of vaguely trying to improve everything at once with no real focus or intention, or they quickly move from one skill to another when things get hard. 

The best strategy is to focus on one or two narrow aspects of training to enhance and stretch outside of what feels physically or mentally comfortable. Deliberate practice should feel messy, uncomfortable, and slightly strained. Embrace this idea: Does it feel uncomfortable? Good. That feeling is how you know you are on the right track. And then you don't give up when it gets hard, you fail, or you feel frustrated. 

When the challenge equals the skill level, it feels easy; we feel good (which is great), but we don't grow or improve from this place. This place is called exercising.

If the challenge slightly exceeds the current skill, and we don't give up, this is where the magic happens.

STEPS FOR DELIBERATE PRACTICE

1. DETERMINE WHERE YOU LACK THE NECESSARY SKILLS

No matter where you start, skill development is critical to achieving your running goals. We all have varying degrees of natural talent, which can take us far, but you must employ deliberate practice to continue improving. If you have been running for many years and not seeing the desired improvement, the first step is determining where you lack the necessary skills and choosing a place to begin.

I know what you might be thinking. That's a lot of different skills. Now I'm overwhelmed. I always assumed that if I wanted to get faster, I needed to do more speed work. How do I know where to start? 

As I mentioned, simultaneously dabbling in all the skills will produce less dramatic results than honing in one skill and working on it for a long time. The time will pass anyway. If you have been running for years with slight improvement, imagine what progress you can make with deliberate skill development over the next few years. 

WHAT SOUNDS FUN OR INTERESTING?

One way to choose where to start is to consider what sounds exciting or fun. It will get physically or mentally hard, so if you start with a challenge you think you might enjoy, you'll likely stick to it. Hill sprints or track intervals could be a great place to start if they sound weirdly fun (even if scary fun). What interests you? 

WHAT IS THE LOW-HANGING FRUIT?

Another way to choose is to look for the low-hanging fruit. What sounds like the easiest skill to learn or change at first? After all, small wins and building confidence can snowball into more significant accomplishments. For example, if you already have experience with weights and are comfortable in the gym, fine-tuning your training for running-specific strength training could be an effective way to start. I saw my most significant improvements in running performance when I started lifting heavy weights. It can be a game-changer for some runners.

WHAT WILL MAKE THE BIGGEST IMPACT?

You can also choose a skill that will have the most significant impact, even if it is the hardest or will take the longest. Remember, stretching beyond what feels comfortable is vital. Identify a weakness and work to improve it. For example, runners often struggle with heart-rate training because it is a long and slow process to train your heart to run faster at a lower heart rate, but it can be rewarding and performance-enhancing over time. 

2. SET A SMART GOAL

Set short-term goals specific to the skill you want to develop using the SMART goal format: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound.

Ineffective: I will eat better to improve my running.

Effective: I will track my nutrition in an app and aim for 120 grams of protein and 300 grams of carbs to support my training five days per week for the next four weeks. I will journal before and after my workouts and make weekly adjustments based on how these nutrition changes affect how I feel and perform. (For example, actual nutrition goals may vary according to individual needs.)

3. ANALYZE RESULTS

Look at your training as an experiment and enter into problem-solving mode:

• Log and track results over time.

• Seek feedback (what can you improve instead of seeking cheer and praise).

• Adjust strategy with outcome-based decision-making by applying new knowledge to training.

You can do this independently with a training journal (I highly suggest journalling outside your Garmin) or with a coach. I may be biased, but working with a coach on your goals and skill development can fast-track the process. 

HELPFUL TIPS FOR DELIBERATE PRACTICE

1. The point is failing (and then learning). If you always achieve the goal you set for yourself, then you are not reaching enough.

2. Try to approach practice without self-judgment. You are not a failure, stupid, incapable, weak, or slow (or whatever else your unhelpful brain comes up with) because you didn’t hit a goal. You are doing work that most people won’t do.

3. Deliberate practice does not mean beating yourself into the ground. It is not a hard effort for hard effort’s sake. See skill #10 (applying the principles of recovery).

You can improve almost anything with an applied effort at the far edge of your current skills. Often, the difficulty is in the mental work as much as the physical practice, which makes the deliberate practice so strenuous (and why so many runners skip over it). 

Run because you love it; then, you can take that love to new levels when you practice and apply new skills for continuous improvement. Does it mean you will make the next Olympic team or qualify for Boston within six months? Probably not, but you can improve beyond what you ever thought possible with focused training and dogged determination. 

The payoff is not just in the results but in the person you become in the process.

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The Ultimate Guide To Fat Loss For Runners

Like many, I turned to running when faced with the need or desire to lose weight. I'm grateful for running, as it was the launching pad for my fitness journey and transformation. But as a runner, a coach, and a personal trainer, I've noticed several common misconceptions about fat loss and running that could impede your progress. 

One of the most common questions for many of us is, why am I running so much but still not seeing the weight loss results I desire?

Running burns many calories, so why aren't the pounds falling off?

THE PROBLEM WITH RUNNING FOR FAT LOSS

Let's start with adaptation. The first time you laced up your new shoes and ran around the block, you were huffing and puffing when you reached the first corner. Your heart rate shot up, your lungs burned, and your legs were tired. You ran inefficiently, and your body had to work very hard. But over time, it got better. You could run a mile or five with much less effort than that first time around the block. Improved efficiency is excellent for the joy of running, race results, and general fitness performance, but it makes fat loss a bit harder. Essentially, the harder your body works and the more inefficient (harder) the exercise is, the more calories you burn. 

So you may have noticed when you started a running routine, you may have experienced fat loss, but after four to six weeks, your results seemed to fade. 

If you run the exact 15-30 miles per week, at the same pace, week after week, month after month, year after year, your body will adapt and become very efficient and burn fewer calories for the same workouts.

One way to combat this is to run more volume (miles) or increase intensity (i.e.run faster, sprints, or hills). If your body works harder than it is accustomed to, it will burn more calories. Excellent! Except that your body will also adapt to this new stimulus, which is good! It's why you can train to run a marathon or improve your 5K time. The beautiful thing is when you incrementally give your body more stress (workouts), it adapts and gets stronger or faster as long it is paired with proper recovery. It's good news for performance but not great for continued fat loss because if you keep piling on the miles or intensity after a certain amount, you won't have the time in your day or the ability to recover from hours of prolonged or intense workouts.

One way to add more movement for fat loss without too much extra stress on your body is to take walks or move around more to increase your daily step count. If you get considerably less than 10K steps daily, working up to 8K to 10K a day can be beneficial. 

Even as a runner, a running coach, and an advocate for running for health and longevity, I still believe running is not the best tool for continuous fat loss. It works until it doesn't. More is not always better, and it more often leads to injury or burnout. Don't get me wrong. Running is fantastic for weight maintenance, mental health, and heart health. I love to run. Keep doing it.

So, if running, as many people have led to believe, is not the best tool for continued fat loss, then what is? 

CALORIE DEFICIT FOR RUNNERS WANTING FAT LOSS

Enter calorie deficit. A calorie deficit means taking in fewer calories than you burn. It is the primary driver of weight loss. Many people interpret this to mean moving more and eating less. But we already discussed how moving more (and more and more) only works for so long. If you are sitting on the couch (sedentary) and eating fast food, by all means, move more and eat less. But if you are a runner and already very active, this may not be the best advice either. 

The issue for endurance runners and a calorie deficit is that asking your body to do more and then feeding it less can be problematic. Your body needs calories, macronutrients, and micronutrients to fuel and recover from exercise. If you deprive your body of what it needs to perform and heal, it will break down, and you may end up either burnt out or injured. 

I do not recommend a calorie deficit if you are training for an endurance race. Having fat loss and race performance goals simultaneously can be counterproductive. Which is more important? Do you want to lose fat or run a race? If you choose one at a time, i.e., train for a race and set a fat loss goal between race training cycles, you will get better overall results for both goals. 

You will need calories to fuel and recover properly when training for a race. Depending on the distance of your race, you may even need intra-workout calories. Reducing calories is not ideal during endurance race training. Setting fat loss goals aside until after your race is usually best.

Some people even find they gain weight during marathon training. Read here for more on why that can happen.

If you are running to maintain fitness between race cycles, it can be a good time for a slight calorie deficit to increase fat loss. However, it's important not to cut calories too drastically or lose weight too fast to avoid muscle loss and increase the chance of rebound weight.

FAT LOSS AND YOUR METABOLISM

We discussed how your body adapts to exercise; the same applies to your metabolism. Metabolism is the chemical reactions in the body that convert food into energy. Simply put, when you give your body less food, it adapts (called metabolic adaptation) to function on less food. In the same way, you can't just add more and more miles to burn more calories; you can't eat less and less to lose more fat. Your body will try to keep you alive by using those fewer calories for your brain, organs, and other essential processes. Your body sheds weight such as fat (yay) but also muscle (not yay) and reduces other non-essentials due to nutrient deficiencies, so you feel low energy while on a low-calorie diet for an extended time. Your hair starts falling out, your nails get brittle, your feet are cold, and you do not recover well (or get injured) from workouts. In some cases, you may lose your period. These symptoms can result from low energy availability, not giving your body the nutrients to look, feel, and perform its best. 

Eating fewer calories smartly and sustainably is necessary for fat loss, but consuming fewer and fewer calories is not always better, especially for athletes who have already reduced calories or have been operating on low calories for a long time. 

So, if runners with fat loss goals struggle to lose fat by running more and eating fewer calories effectively, how can they do it?

STRENGTH TRAINING FOR RUNNERS FOR FAT LOSS

Start by building muscle. Woah, woah. Wouldn't building muscle make me big and bulky, the opposite of my desired result? I want to be smaller and faster. All the extra weight will slow me down and be counterproductive to my goals. This common misconception holds many runners back from reaching their fat loss goals. 

Lifting weights and performing resistance training exercises will not make most women big and bulky or add significant weight. I wish I had large and bulky muscles, and I have been working for a long time toward that goal, but the results are slow. It is hard to build large muscles, especially for women who run endurance. 

Building strength and muscle can help improve your metabolism, increase the amount of calories you can eat without gaining fat, help you lose fat while preserving muscle, improve your running performance, and prevent injuries.

The best strategy for fat loss for runners is a strength training program and adherence to nutrition. Running can be part of the plan, although it is not the primary driver of continued fat loss. 

But doesn't running build muscles in my legs? They should be really strong from all these miles. Yes, and then no. 

When you first start running, you will develop muscle and strength in your legs and glutes as you work previously unused muscles. But over time, as is the theme of this article, your muscles adapt. As you run longer miles, up hills, or sprint, you can build muscle, but without additional stimulus to continue the growth (aka resistance training), your body adapts, and you do not gain new strength or muscle from the same workouts, and can lose muscle over time. The workouts need to be progressive: a little more (more weight, more reps, more sets, less rest, slower reps, or new exercises) to continue seeing positive changes. So, yes, you can build some muscle and strength when you start running, but over time, you need to provide additional resistance to continue progressing.

Strength training should be a full-body progressive program that covers all the movement patterns: squat, hinge, push, and pull at least twice a week. The weight should feel heavy enough to feel challenging towards the end of a 6-12 rep range. Then, runners can also benefit from single-leg (SL deadlifts, lunges, or SL bridges) exercises and multi-planar (multidirectional, like side lunges and lift and chop) exercises for performance and injury-prevention benefits. It doesn't have to be complicated or take too much time. It needs to be consistent and progressive. Need help? This is my expertise.

Strength training will help you preserve (and even build) muscle, so when you lose weight, your body loses fat and keeps your metabolism revving up with muscle. 

Muscle is denser than fat, so it takes up less space in the body. If you build muscle and lose fat simultaneously (the holy grail), the scale might stay the same (or even increase), but you may wear a smaller pant size. 

Losing weight without muscle training results in a smaller body size, less muscle mass, slower metabolism, more frailty, and greater susceptibility to injury and weight regain. Losing weight by preserving or building muscle results in a new athletic shape that is more flexible with the calories you consume (i.e., you can eat more without gaining weight).

Muscle is metabolically expensive. That means the body burns more calories while sitting around, watching TV, and sleeping when you have more muscle. Those calories are not as easily stored as fat when you eat because they are needed to preserve and build muscle. You can eat more and maintain or even lose fat. 

NUTRITION FOR FAT LOSS

Of course, nutrition matters for fat loss. We want our nutrition to work for us, to fuel our bodies and recover effectively, and to allow us to enjoy life, celebrations, and meals with friends and family. 

One of the best ways to improve nutrition for fat loss is to limit processed foods as much as is reasonable in your lifestyle. Eating whole foods from nature helps naturally limit calories because processed foods are easier to overeat. I don't mean to go extreme here; look to eat mostly meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts, etc. It doesn't mean you must make everything from scratch or grow and hunt all your own food. Aim to make the most reasonable, least processed option available when it makes sense. Aim for a small and sustainable calorie deficit when not training intensely.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PROTEIN FOR FAT LOSS

We discussed how vital resistance training is to fat loss, and protein is a crucial contributor to muscle building and fat loss. Protein needs vary from individual to individual, but if you are an adult woman who weighs over 100 pounds, is a runner, and lifts weights, you would likely need at least 100 grams of protein per day. Your needs may increase from there depending on your current body weight, goals, and activity level. But I suggest tracking your protein intake for a few days to a week to get an average. Are you effortlessly passing the 100-gram mark, or do you fall short? You may be surprised when you track. Review nutrition labels and serving sizes, and measure and weigh for the most accurate tracking. 

Protein has added benefits for fat loss. It is more satiating, so you feel fuller between meals. If you track and find you are only getting 50-70 grams per day (which is common for people who were previously unaware), then you can slowly start adding more protein into your day over time to get closer to your goal. Don't feel the need to double your protein grams overnight. Add 10-20 grams extra at a time, over time, to allow your body to adjust. 

A few high-protein options are meat and poultry, fish, tofu, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, egg whites, edamame, and protein powder (if whole foods are inconvenient or unavailable). Download my free high-protein meal ideas PDF. While some foods like peanut butter and cheese contain protein, which can add to your daily totals, these are not high-protein foods. I categorize them as fats in the diet. 

DOES EATING FAT MAKE YOU FAT?

Eating fats does not make you fat, as previously believed in popular culture. Include healthy fats in proper portions as part of a fat loss plan. Healthy fats are necessary to absorb nutrients and keep your hormones balanced. Fats have more calories per gram (nine) than carbohydrates and protein (four each), and they are usually delicious, so they are easier to overconsume. A mistake many people make is overeating healthy foods like nuts and avocados, not realizing their portion sizes or high-calorie content. The overconsumption of calories beyond your body's needs leads to fat gain, not one particular food or macronutrient. 

Aim for proper portions of healthy fats like avocados, unflavored nuts, and extra virgin olive oil. A thumb-size of fats is a good measure of an appropriate portion. 

BUT SURELY CARBOHYDRATES ARE OFF-LIMITS FOR FAT LOSS, RIGHT? (WRONG!)

Fat may have been the villain in the 90s, but today, the world thinks that carbohydrates and sugar lead to fat gain. As mentioned above, fat gain does not happen from consuming a single food or macronutrient. It is caused by the overconsumption of calories, as a whole, in relation to your body's needs. 

As a runner, it is essential to understand that carbohydrates are protein-sparing. That means the body uses glycogen (energy stored from eating carbohydrates) instead of breaking down muscle for energy. Once you understand how vital muscle is for healthy metabolism and fat loss, you know why eating smart carbohydrates in proper portions is essential for a runner's fat loss goals. If you have concerns about eating carbohydrates, try to time them directly around your workouts, before and after, to use them for performance and recovery. 

IMPROVE SLEEP AND STRESS MANAGEMENT FOR FAT LOSS

I can't close out this lesson without mentioning rest and recovery in fat loss. If you feel like you have been doing everything right but still are not seeing the desired results, look at your sleep and stress levels. If left unchecked, poor sleep and high stress can inhibit fat loss due to their impact on hormones.

Sometimes, we expect immediate results, but fat loss, the right way, takes time. Slow it down, train hard, fuel appropriately, and expect results, no matter when they may come. Most importantly, enjoy the process! We can't force outcomes, but the results come more naturally when we fall in love with the journey.

FAT LOSS FOR RUNNERS RECAP

1. Running is excellent for health and weight maintenance, but there are better long-term strategies for fat loss.

2. Increasing your daily step count can be an effective way to get more movement without adding a lot of additional stress to your body.

3. The key is a small calorie deficit, but to balance your unique energy needs as a runner so you do not eat too little and sabotage your results and performance. 

4. A combination of nutrition adherence, progressive resistance training, and running or walking will yield the best fat-loss results.

5. Protein is essential to retain and build muscle as you lose weight. 

6. Fat doesn't make you fat, but pay attention to portion sizes to avoid overeating.

7. Smart carbohydrates don't make you fat and can help preserve muscle, give you energy, and help with recovery. 

8. Aim to eat whole, unprocessed natural foods as much as feasible in your lifestyle.

9. Prioritize sleep and stress management when in a fat-loss phase.

10. Train hard, expect results, but enjoy the process.

Lea

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