How To Prevent Fatigue When Running

Running can be hard in its own right.

We often struggle on board the lack of motivation bus. Then once we get going we feel like we are running with flat tires.

Other times it feels easy.

It feels like the movement just flows with each limb. It’s runs like this where we feel like we can just go on forever.

But then fatigue sets in.

Nothing messes up our flow than feeling like we are too tired to go on. Especially since it takes so much inner strength sometimes to even get started.

But there are ways to prevent fatigue when running. Here are the best tips for fighting that tired feeling. 

Warm Up Before Running

The biggest mistake many new runners do is skip a warm-up.

But warming up the muscles is important to get the blood pumping and ligaments nice and loose.

Stretching and warming up helps to prevent feeling fatigued because the muscles have the time to “wake up” and get fired up.

Power Up Before And During The Run

It’s extremely important to pay attention to our diet when running. That’s because the food we consume is used as fuel.

If a runner indulges in fast food, chances are they feel sluggish, bloated and unmotivated. But healthy fresh, healthy foods helps to power the body to perform.

Think a simple carb, protein, and veggie.

It’s a good idea to eat a snack 30-minutes to an hour before a run. This gives the body enough to digest while preventing running on empty. Think a handful of nuts, peanut butter, and a banana and the like.

It’s also important to fuel during a run. But this is only for runs longer than an hour.

Experiment with sports nutrition products that work for you. All gels, sports beans, and chomps are not created equal. And some find a particular brand works better for them than others.

Great options include Kramp Krusher energy chews because they have electrolytes via natural sea salt that help keep the runner hydrated. Its formula prevents muscle cramping caused by lactic acid build up and aids in recovery. All while providing the glucose needed to get through a long run.

All these factors help prevent fatigue during a long run. The body needs glucose in order to continue to power through and continue to run. Make sure to always incorporate both water, sports drinks and nutrition for those long runs.

Learn Your Pace

Runners should push themselves when it comes to their pace every so often. Intervals are great ways to increase speed and overall average pace.

But runners shouldn’t overexert themselves too much throughout the duration of the run. This only leads to major fatigue.

Instead, learn what your pace feels like. This should be a relatively comfortable pace with room to speed things up without feeling like death.

Most runners start off too fast and burn out over the course of their mileage. Start slow and steady and aim to have the second half, especially the end of the workout the fastest.

Get Enough Sleep

It’s important to get enough sleep when consistently running.

The muscles need time to recover, which is why resting is super important.

Aim to get seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Also, try to get in a nap on days of a long run.

Don’t Run Or Race Back-To-Back

On those more intense runs make sure to take the following day as a recovery day to not overuse the muscles.

Instead, cross-train by strength training or doing other beneficial exercises like yoga.

Strength training further builds up the muscles and increases overall fitness, which will help combat muscle fatigue while running.

Also racing back-to-back isn’t always the best idea. This can lead to fatigue or an injury when exerting the muscles too much. However, there are many runners who successfully run a 5k then a 10k or half marathon the following day.

A good rule of thumb is to “race” one and “just run” the other one for fun.