There are lots of different kinds of ways you can train. Training for distance running differs from resistance training, for example.

Because I’ve started to be a bit more interested in taking care of my body – I blame getting older – I’ve been reading more and more about this topic. Much in the same way that I didn’t know much about resistance training, I don’t know a lot about distance running. Other than the obvious. That you run. For a distance. So I took it upon myself to learn a bit more about the two kinds of running, long- and short-distance running. The latter is more focused on endurance, whereas short-distance running is more interested in speed.

What is distance running?

A quick search into the matter shows that the most common question about distance running is “what are good long distance running shoes?”. I’m sure that this is really important, but it doesn’t quite give me information about what I want to know.

While there are lots of different kinds of long distance runs, the commonly accepted minimum distance is 3 km (or 1.9 miles). With this kind of running, there are generally two kinds of respiration that can occur: aerobic and anaerobic.

Aerobic respiration

Aerobic exercise is when oxygen is used to provide the body with energy. This is what helps humans run for long stretches of time (in fact, many mammals have the ability to run for extended periods of time). Aerobic exercise (or “cardio”, as it is commonly referred to) has been shown to have a number of different benefits.

Recently, a study examining the effect of a twice-weekly combined exercise (1 hour sessions of strength and impact aerobics) was conducted. It studied body composition and dietary habits after one year of treatment with aromatase inhibitors in breast cancer survivors. The research found improved body composition in postmenopausal women treated for breast cancer with ALS. It also recommended a combination of diet and exercise.

Anaerobic respiration

Contrary to aerobic exercise, anaerobic exercise is when there is a deficit of oxygen and occurs when the body presses itself beyond what it is able to normally maintain. Aerobic respiration is more efficient than anaerobic respiration.

Long distance training research

Aside from helping to improve cardiovascular and general health, distance running can also help you get a good night’s sleep. Exercise has long been known to offer great benefits. From increasing physical strength to lowering the risk of adverse health-related events, long distance running has a lot of perks.

A new thing to consider for distance running

In a recent article, researchers measured blood lactate concentrations as the main parameter and compared it with an ideal range. While this work was to characterize the training pattern in some world-class middle- and long-distance runners, taking the results could possibly benefit many other long-distance runners. The authors reviewed the potential physiological mechanisms explaining its effectiveness.

While there are various approaches to training, including the “hard day/easy day” approach that emphasizes the need for a low-intensity recovery period

, new methods to train and improve are always of interest.

How is long distance running good for you?

There has been data showing the benefits of exercise for a long time. Recently, MDPI has published papers on how exercise can benefit people undergoing surgery for lung cancer and more. As noted in another article about the differences between trail and road running,

“Regular physical activity, such as running, enhances cardiorespiratory and neuromuscular performance and is associated with a delay in all causes of mortality and morbidity”

With all these health benefits in mind, maybe it’s a good idea to start incorporating long distance running into more and more training regimens?