Here at Rainier Fruit we strive to support the hobbies and interests of all of our employees whether it’s charity races, running relays or even soccer tournaments. As a sponsor of the Boston Marathon we have launched our #RunWithRainier program that features a variety of stories from our own runners here at Rainier, and experts like Laura from This Runner’s Recipes.
This week, Laura is here to give us some tips on how to pick the race distance that works best for you. And we had no idea that it was different for everybody.
Lace Up Tips with Laura
Some runners love the 5K, while others prefer the marathon (or even longer!). And you may be wondering how exactly you pick the right distance for you.
Individual genetics and personal preference will both affect which distance you prefer. Each individual has a unique composition of fast twitch and slow twitch muscle fibers. Fast twitch muscle fibers are anaerobic, which means they generate energy without needing to use oxygen. These muscle fibers produce powerful movements and generate lots of speed but fatigue within a short amount of time. Runners with a high percentage of fast twitch muscles excel at sprinting, track workouts, and short distances such as the mile and 5K.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are slow twitch muscle fibers. These muscle fibers use oxygen to generate energy, which means they are efficient and do not fatigue easily. Slow twitch muscle fibers are primarily used for endurance running, so those who do well at the marathon distance often have a high composition of slow twitch muscle fibers.
Everyone has a combination of both slow twitch and fast twitch fibers, but the ratios vary from runner to runner. How you train also affects these fibers: runners who do speed work will have more developed fast twitch muscles than those who only run at a low intensity.
While your muscle fiber composition does affect which distances you will perform best at, your personal preferences do as well. So all things considered, here’s how to pick the right running distance for you:
First, certain factors should not be considered when choosing the right distance for you. After all, you are considering the right distance for you – not for your running buddies. These factors are not important when trying to find the right distance for you.
- What distance your friends enjoy the most.
- What you feel like you “should” be running.
- The finisher’s medal or race swag.
- Which distance race is most common in your area.
Second, you want to look at the practical factors. Schedule, injury risk, and terrain should all be considered when determining the best distance for you.
- If you love the marathon but cannot commit to training at least 30-35 miles per week, then you may want to pick another distance.
- What causes injury – even if you love the marathon, it’s not the right distance for you if you get injured each time.
- Consider what terrain you want to run on. If you enjoy running long on trails, then the best distance for you probably isn’t a road 5K.
With those factors considered, now it’s time to think more about what you prefer in running. Use the short quiz below to determine if your best distance is running short and fast in the 5K/10K or if you prefer to go long for the marathon and half marathon.
If you agree with a majority of these statements, your perfect distance is the 5K/10K:
- You love to push your pace as fast as possible.
- A hard speedwork on the track sounds fun for you.
- You prefer to race frequently.
- You do not like long runs and will avoid them if possible.
- You enjoy incorporating plyometrics and heavy weight-lifting into your routine.
- You don’t have several hours a week to train and so you focus on quality over quantity.
- Running a high volume of miles in a week leads to injury, but you can do speedwork without getting injured.
If you agree with most of these statement, your best distance is the half or full marathon:
- You avoid speedwork as much as possible.
- Any run under an hour feels short.
- You look forward to your weekly long run.
- You love being able to zone out and enjoying running during long runs.
- You can and want to run for several hours per week.
- Speedwork often causes your injuries, but the overall volume of mileage does not.
- You like to train long and hard for only a few races a year.
- It takes you about 5 or so miles to warm up and get into a rhythm during your run.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with being either type of runner! Even elite runners have their preferences with distances. But picking the right distance for you will make running and races so much more enjoyable for you, keep you injury-free, and help you stick to the habit of running.
Just get out and start moving…no distance is the wrong distance…a healthy active body is #WholesomeToTheCore.