How many times have you been told that "real runners" don't walk — ever? What about believing you can eat whatever you want as long as you run the next day?
These are just a few of the running myths that can lead to injuries, weight gain, and overtraining.
So, before you lace up your shoes and head for the streets, consider these seven running myths.
False. You can run and maintain (or possibly gain) muscle mass as long as you're eating enough calories and not overtraining. In fact, a study published in PLOS ONE found that endurance training does not impair the enhancement in maximal strength induced by a subsequent session of strength training.
Ultimately, running will only reduce your muscle size if you stop lifting and start running significant mileage. As long as you're strength training at least three to four days per week, hitting each muscle group two times per week, and allowing enough time for rest, you will continue to gain strength.
Ask any runner if they've ever gained weight while training for a race, and chances are, they will say they have. Running doesn't necessarily equal weight loss.
Just because you're burning calories during your training doesn't mean you're going to spend your day in a calorie deficit. Often times, people think they can eat whatever they want (including a diet packed full of processed foods and junk) when they're running several times a week.
Unfortunately, this thinking is what leads to extra pounds on the scale, despite high levels of cardio. Make sure your diet matches your activity level and you're eating a healthy, whole-foods diet.
Try telling Jeff Galloway that. Known as one of the legends in marathon training, Galloway is the founder of the Run-Walk-Run method, uses a very specific ratio of running (for a predetermined amount of time), followed by a planned walking break (for a predetermined amount of time), and then repeating until your run is complete.
By incorporating planned walk breaks during your runs, you can reduce injury, increase pace recover quicker, and possibly run longer. And don't think it's just for beginners. Seasoned runners have also benefited from this method, especially if they are dealing with a nagging injury.
Aaptiv fitness trainer Meghan Takacs told INSIDER this is the worst myth of them all. "Lots of runners, especially new runners, feel as though they are going to lose their fitness (progress) if they don't run every day," she said.
She tells clients that running more isn't what makes you a better runner. In fact, pounding the pavement too much often leads to injury. If your body isn't ready to handle the amount of mileage you're asking it to do, you can cause damage to your bones and joints.
Takacs said that when you work out, your body breaks down its muscle fibers, and therefore needs time to repair the muscles, and if you keep running so often, your body will never have a chance to repair. "It's just as important to rest and to cross train/strength train if you want to get better and to feel better, too. Strength training will make your bones and joints stronger and therefore makes running safer," she said.
"Static stretching might look good, but it does very little to nothing to help you before a run," explained Takacs. That's because static stretching doesn't activate fast-twitch muscles, and that is what you need for your run.
Instead, she recommends plyometrics and agility drill. "You're better off doing high knees drills and agility drills as opposed to just stationary stretching," she said. Being able to wake your muscles up in a dynamic and powerful way will actually make you a better runner.
Takacs said your body needs "mile maintenance." In other words, hard workouts should be complemented with tempo runs and speed work. She said to add steady pace runs to your regular schedule as well as speed work. These steady pace runs will establish and maintain endurance foundation.
But why is this "mile maintenance" so important? Takacs told INSIDER that it's important to train your aerobic state, just as much as it is to train your anaerobic state (speed work or harder workouts). There is a science behind getting better at running, and going hard all the time is not the best way forward.
Within the running community, this rule tends to be overemphasized. For long runs, particularly for marathon training, people oftentimes obsess about mileage, and Takacs said that's not the right metric to care about. She explained that it's the duration in which you run for your long run leading up to a marathon that matters.
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