An ultimate guide to road running

Road running is by far the most popular type of running. Both professional athletes and amateurs practice it to keep fit, improve one’s health or get ready to competitions and tournaments. What else should you know about it?

The discipline

Road training is a sport that involves covering long distances that are located on the roads. Competitions usually take place in the countryside where there are not so many cars. The distances are usually longer than 10 kilometers, but for amateurs it is possible to cover only 5 kilometers. As a rule, though, road running involves taking part in a marathon or a half-marathon. Anyone can join the process, which is why such competitions usually attract a lot of attention.

Those who are well-experienced and have a lot of endurance can do their best to cover the longest distance in the Death Valley, in California. Not everyone will be allowed to do this: it is necessary to have a lot of experience in road running. The most difficult thing about this marathon is that the distance is 241 kilometers and the weather is too hot and sunny. Sometimes the temperature may reach 50 degrees. Other popular marathons take place in New York and London. At the same time, up to 40000 participants may start running, while millions of spectators will be watching them.

Differences between road running and trail running

Trail running is a discipline that is known as running uphill. Although both types of running require a lot of physical effort, they are not similar at all. First things first, the key to success in trail running is improving muscle strength because it is necessary to run uphill. Road running, however, involves getting energy from the act of strengthening of the muscles. Secondly, for a trail runner it is crucial to have a good sense of coordination.

Training

To succeed in road running, it is necessary to train on a regular basis. Although any running will come in useful to reach high speed or improve one’s endurance. However, to achieve the best results, it is important to train on asphalt roads in order to get used to the tracks that are used in terms of the competitions. Of course, cardio training is not enough. To build the muscles and become stronger, each athlete has to incorporate working out with additional weights into their workout routine. Since marathons are an inevitable part of road running, many sportsmen train to participate in such events. However, to get ready to such competitions, it is advisable to start with shorter distances and then slowly cover longer ones.

In addition, it is crucial to keep track of one’s meals and eat nutritious food. Fast-food, carbonated drinks, roasted and sweet food is not the best choice for a runner. Moreover, drinking enough water will help to prevent being exhausted.

Another important thing to learn is how to start running. To be able to cover a long distance, an athlete must use his or her abilities wisely. In the very beginning of the marathon, it is better not to run at the top of one’s abilities, otherwise the sportsman will have got exhausted by the middle of the distance. The closer the athlete to the finish, the faster they should run.

Organizations

The governing body of this discipline is the international organization that is called the IAAF. This is where the standards for competitions are set. These standards require the sportsmen to be drug-free and use only legal equipment that will not help them to cover the distances faster than they are capable of.

In many countries, there are national organizations that release the sets of rules for the races held on their territories. Each race is certified by the governing bodies of road running. Among the thousands of races held worldwide on the annual basis, 238 of them belong to the Assosiation of International Marathons and Distance Races. Some races are considered ‘elite’ due to the fact that the winners get cash prizes. These races include the Great Run serried and the World Marathon Majors.

Advantages and disadvantages

As any other sport, road running has impact on one’s health. There are many advantages:

• Long distance running helps to build muscles and enhance endurance and strength. This discipline involves hard work of all muscles.
• Marathons serve as a way of motivating oneself and becoming more persistent and purposeful. Since training takes a lot of time and effort, an athlete becomes more patient and learns to work hard.
• The more time the training takes, the more energy is used. Fat is burned after 30 minutes of working-out, which means that road running will boost your metabolism and help you get in shape.

At the same time, road running has some drawbacks. First of all, regular training helps to enhance the volume of the heart. Yet, when a sportsman stops training due to becoming older, the heart becomes unable to work as hard as it used to. Secondly, beginners often start training without taking into account their initial abilities. They start working out every day and spend too much time in the gym, which is why they do not have enough rest and get exhausted too soon. Finally, if the clothes and footwear does not fit the athlete, he or she may get injured.

Training hard, becoming better and achieving one’s goals – this is what road running is about. This sport is harder than it seems, but still many athletes practice it and get positive emotions from running and working out.