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How to Not Get Tired When Running: The Complete Guide for Runners

Running is a great way to get in shape fast. However, it can be difficult for beginners and even advanced runners to keep the ground running for long stretches.

If you want your runs to be a little longer without getting too tired, you might want to include these ways to avoid getting tired when running in your routine.

Whether you’re just a beginner or an intermediate runner, you may want to keep notes on the few things we will list below. Come and check it out!

What’s Causing Your Lackluster Running Performance?

It’s not always easy to have a definitive answer as to why you can’t keep up with your pace because you suddenly feel tired.

There are a few reasons why you are feeling exhausted more quickly than anticipated. This include:

Stress and Anxiety

It’s true. Running eases mood, anxiety, and other mental issues. But it can take a toll on you if you’re running with poor mental health.

It can incredibly affect your running if you are too stressed or anxious about why people are looking at you. As a result, you easily get tired even if you’re on your first mile.

One of the best ways to avoid this is to have a clear mind before running.

Before your routine, take a sip of your favorite tea or listen to your favorite music. This will help release some things that stress you out.

Lastly, do not run on an empty stomach.

If you are sleep-deprived, this can greatly affect your mood and entire performance, leading to even more frustrations. Always clear up your mind before running!

Poor Nutrition

If you have poor nutrition, you don’t have enough energy to push through your running routine.

It is one of the most obvious reasons why you easily get tired when you run longer than expected.

Your legs start to wobble, your vision is affected, and you suddenly start feeling tired.

Eating processed foods and consuming carbonated drinks regularly can easily leave you tired. Eat a balanced diet to endure a long run without feeling fatigued.

If you’re running to lose weight, cut down on carbs and start eating healthy. You will notice a huge difference in your running performance and recover properly after a long run.

Insufficient Boost

As we’ve mentioned, running on an empty stomach is a NO-NO. You can think of your body as a car engine, and a car needs fuel to get going.

For humans, you need enough food to keep you running for long stretches. So many runners have failed because they couldn’t eat the right amount before starting.

With enough fuel on your stomach, you ensure that your long runs aren’t too tiring or strenuous.

You can run longer without getting too tired, and having something to eat before your long run can also amp up your physical performance!

Type of Running Workout

The intensity of your workout dictates how quickly you get tired. For example, if you’re only a beginner and making sprints on an uphill stretch, you can get tired instantly.

Don’t force your body to do this right away. Remember, getting in shape takes a long amount of time to achieve. You can’t achieve your goals overnight.

You will only be disappointed if you aren’t meeting your expectations. After all, you tend to fall on shorter runs because your body can’t keep up with the pace or the intensity.

Overtraining

So many runners have faced endurance and stamina difficulties in between runs because they are overtraining.

Listen to your body. When you are overtraining yourself, you are burning more than you should. As a result, your body recovers far longer than it should.

One of the most helpful tips most advanced runners will tell you is to rest between sets. Do not exhaust your body until it screams it can’t take it anymore.

If your personal trainer will tell you to rest every other day after training, do it.

This way, your body will recover QUICKER and give you an added boost the next day during your long run.

10 Ways How to Not Get Tired When Running

Endurance and stamina are two factors that allow you to run longer without getting tired.

If you feel like there’s a dip in your performance and are looking for a way to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of your running routines, check out how to avoid getting tired when running.

1. Build Endurance and Stamina

Building your endurance and stamina means improving your cardiovascular endurance.

If you want to run without getting tired, consistency is the key. What we mean by consistency is you jog or run regularly. And when you train regularly, you increase your aerobic capacity.

With an increased capacity, you can run longer without getting tired while also tightening your core muscles in the long run.

2. Warm Up

Warming up means getting your legs and feet ready. One of the key objectives of a warmup is to reduce injury risk when running in longer stretches.

It gets your joints, muscles, and body ready. Warm up before you run allows your body parts to reach their peak form before the actual run.

However, most people warm up and get tired, and this is not a good way to start your run as you will easily get tired before even starting.

If you push it too hard, you can either perform poorly or incur an injury.

There are two parts to a proper warmup, one is to jog lightly, and the second one is to include dynamic stretches to help your muscles loosen and prepare them for this strenuous task.

If you want to run long distances comfortably, include accelerations and running drills in your warmup.

Here are some dynamic stretches you might want to try:

  • Lateral leg swings
  • Knee hugs
  • Dynamic quad stretch
  • Hamstring sweeps
  • Front and back hurdles
  • Front and back leg swings

These stretches are great before a run, and you might also include some stretches most endurance athletes will tell you.

3. Pace Yourself

One of the difficulties of long runs is how to pace yourself so you don’t get exhausted too quickly.

Run as if you are jogging, but not to the point you are almost walking as it defeats your running purpose.

Pacing yourself means not getting too tired while running for longer distances.

Pacing yourself is a trial-and-error process. The more you run regularly, the more it will give you a good idea of how to pace yourself.

If you run for long periods, try starting at a conversational pace and go from there.

When you feel fresher towards your run, you might be tempted to take it up a notch, but you must avoid this scenario.

In addition, your pace will be highly dependent on the distance you cover.

If you are marathon training, you’ll have to pace yourself slower than usual, as most marathons cover longer distances.

Once you learn more about pacing, you will have a general idea of how you will pace yourself, depending on the distance.

If you’re running for a half-marathon, you should up the pace as this covers a short distance.

Pace Calculator

So many runners have already suggested using a running gear called a pace calculator.

It works by calculating your pace per mile in a specific distance.

All you have to do is input two important variables, your pace, and distance, and the calculator will dictate what your pace should be.

4. Clear Your Mind

If you’re bothered, facing problems, or anxiety kicks in, you might want to call off your running session.

Having a clear mind can help you run longer without getting tired.

In addition, one of the key aspects of good running is having great mental stamina. Without it, you tend to feel tired even just from warming up.

A depressed immune system can hinder your body from thermoregulating.

Running without sleep can also impede your progress. It is one of the reasons why most runners won’t perform well when something is bothering them.

If you feel tired, it would be better to rest, and if you force it, it may not be a comfortable running experience for you and everyone joining your company.

5. Strength Training

Running is a cardio exercise; it takes your entire body to run, too, right?

Building enough muscle strength can help you run without getting tired of long stretches.

In addition, as you become stronger and faster, you also become a more efficient runner. You not only prevent injuries, but you also get to run longer than normal.

The main concept of strength training while running is to target muscles that are used when running. You don’t need a bachelor’s degree to make your strength training plan.

You have to search health and fitness websites to learn more. Simple exercises that target your glutes, quads, and hips to help you propel your body moving forward.

These are some simple strength exercises you can do before or after your run:

  • Pushups
  • Lunges
  • Squats
  • Planks
  • Deadlifts
  • Triceps dips

It is best to use weights during your strength workout to maximize efficiency during a short amount of time.

6. Stay Hydrated and Fuelled

As you have already advanced a little further on your training plan, your body will need more fuel to power you up for a longer run.

If you don’t stay hydrated and fuelled, you will be most at risk of injury or cramping up. As a whole, your performance without fuel can hinder your athletic performance during your run.

During your run in the morning, it is important to eat a few energy-boosting meals such as a hard-boiled egg, bananas, granola, yogurt, and many more.

The key to fueling up before your training run is to jack up on glycogen, a substance used by your body for fuel during your run. It is also known as stored carbohydrates.

You can also eat healthy fats as it provides a feeling of fullness whenever you go for intense physical activity.

But, the amount you will eat depends on how much time is left before you run.

As a rule of thumb, you don’t need to eat a large portion of your meal; you only need a small portion that can boost your energy moving forward.

In addition, it is also important to have a post-recovery meal plan to help your muscle recover and promote muscle repair.

These highly nutritious and protein-rich meals should help you recover.

  • Fruits
  • Vegetables
  • Lean meat
  • Chocolate

Once your run is over, eat a meal within an hour and let your body rest.

7. Add Variations to Your Running

Running daily can be quite boring once you’re used to it. Why not try variations to your training to make it more appealing and exciting?

While we mentioned that strength workouts are a good variation, you can also include cross-training exercises to improve your explosiveness and agility.

Sometimes, you will encounter a plateau where your body no longer progresses as you have already evened out all the levels.

If you’ve plateaued, you aren’t progressing any longer and should look for other routines to help you get back.

After a long run, rest a little bit and do some cross-training exercises. You improve your condition and maximize some of your body’s potential by doing these exercises.

8. Use a Comfortable Running Shoe

Give your feet and body the support they most certainly need. If you’re running on a shoe that isn’t designed for running, it may hurt if you run for long distances.

Once your feet hurt, then fatigue might start to kick in and ruin your running routine in such a quick time. Even an experienced runner runs on comfortable running shoes!

So, always invest in a good set of running gear, such as running tights, running shoes, running gloves, and eyewear.

A comfortable running shoe should get you going for long periods without your feet getting blisters.

In addition, it also prevents injuries that may hamper your progress towards your journey of becoming a healthier you.

Injuries such as plantar fasciitis and tendonitis are nagging injuries you don’t want to deal with along your fitness journey.

  • Always wear proper running shoes. The shoe should fit perfectly and comfortably with a little space from the big toe and at the end of the shoe.
  • After a long run, drench your feet under cold water to reduce swelling. It is one of the most basic fitness tips most athletes will recommend after a long run.
  • When faced with a swollen ankle, try elevating that ankle above your heart while lying on the bed. If it’s still painful, try ibuprofen, which will speed up the process and relieve your pain.

9. Focus On Your Running Form

Before you start your long run, it is important to be mindful and conscious of your running form. Your cadence and running posture should be well above the natural form.

When running, position yourself as tall as possible and take small to medium strides.

If you are conscious about your running form, this will help you maintain a proper form during your long run.

After a long run, you might notice that your legs start to wobble, and you start to get out of position.

Don’t worry because this means your body is starting to accept the long run.

Once you’re done with the long run, your muscles and body start to recover, and you become stronger.

As a result, you can run longer without getting too tired while maintaining good form.

FINAL TIP: When fatigue kicks in your legs, focus more on your arms and maintain a quick rhythm while swinging back and forth simultaneously with your legs.

This form will help you maintain a high cadence and efficient small strides that are still doable even if you’ve already traveled a long distance.

Small strides are better than wobbly strides that get you tired fast.

10. Be Consistent

If you want to comfortably run without getting tired, then be consistent about your training! As the saying goes, consistency is the key!

You need to run, train, and work out regularly to build your endurance, running stamina, and strength if you want to run without getting tired.

Sure, there will be days when you can’t run or do your workout; that’s why a good training plan is a good way to stay consistent with your goal.

Always keep track of your weekly progress, such as mileage, pace, and distance covered within a certain amount of time.

In addition, there are various training plans for experienced and new runners.

Always choose the right one for you according to your fitness level. This way, you ensure that you keep pace without getting too tired.

Additional Tips to Achieve the Proper Running Form

If you’re unsure if your posture is correct, here are some additional tips to achieve that proper running manner.

  1. Don’t look down. Look straight ahead
  2. Keep your hands around the waist level
  3. Keep your feet and hands as relaxed as possible
  4. Stand tall and ensure your posture is erect
  5. Keep your shoulders squared and relaxed
  6. Arms between the sides
  7. Small strides
  8. Don’t bounce

Whether you’re preparing for a full or half marathon, always take note of these additional tips, as they can help you achieve the basics of running posture.

TIP: A helpful tool called RPE or rating of perceived effort is a great way to measure tiredness. Perceived exertion levels usually go from 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some common questions about running.

1) How Do I Run Faster When Tired?

It’s all about pacing. When you’re tired, DON’T go overboard.

Try slow and steady strides and increase the pace a little faster once you’ve grown accustomed to it.

Drink a sports drink.

Most sports drinks can also help boost your running endurance during long runs as it packs electrolytes and necessary carbs to achieve peak performance during your run.

2) Do I Need Energy Before a Run?

It is recommended to munch on chocolate during your runs and speed workouts.

This will give you an added boost and makes you run longer without getting tired. Banana is also a good source of carbs and sugars.

3) Is It Ok to Run on an Empty Stomach?

NO, it is important to eat before running.

This will give your body proper fuel and energy to ensure you don’t get tired during your long runs.

But if you prefer running on an empty stomach, it is advisable not to overtrain yourself, and it is highly advisable to stick to light to moderate running.

This way, you don’t experience running fatigue in a short amount of time due to an empty stomach.

Conclusion

Running longer without getting tired is a process.

It is important to stick with what we listed above to ensure you get to run longer without feeling tired.

Improve your running endurance, strength, and mental stamina.

These are all important aspects not to get exhausted easily. Lastly, plan your rest days; you and your body will need it far more than you know.