Running News Daily

Four reasons why you’re not getting faster

Hitting a running plateau can be a natural phase in the training journey, where progress can seem to stall for weeks or even months. But if you’ve been stuck in the same rut for over six months or have cycled through several training plans without noticeable gains, it might be time to re-evaluate your approach and make some changes.

Identifying factors that could stall your progress

It’s completely normal to hit periods where your performance seems stagnant, only to have a breakthrough and achieve new personal bests. “Your running, and your fitness, has a natural flow of peaks and valleys as you train for races, recover, go through base-building etc.,” says Elisabeth Scott, a Connecticut-based running coach and host of the Running Explained podcast. Embrace these ebbs and flows as part of your running journey.

When assessing whether you’ve hit a plateau, consider other factors that might be holding you back: warm weather, the need to slow down on easy runs while building volume, or external factors like feeling unwell or dealing with unexpected life stress. If none of these apply and you’re still not improving, it might be time to dig deeper and figure out what’s going on.

Running everything too hard

Scott says this is the number one training error she sees. We know we should run our easy runs easy, but it can be tempting to pick up the pace in practise. “Your easy runs should be very easy, probably much slower than you’ve been running them,” Scott adds. The key is to keep the effort level low and your heart rate down on those easy runs.

Not doing hard running, at all

“If you’ve plateaued and haven’t been doing any hard running in your training, it might be time to start,” says Scott. Many runners fall into the trap of running at a medium-hard effort—a pace that’s a bit faster than an easy run—without incorporating any truly intense workouts. “Most runners should include at least some hard running in almost every phase of training, from simple strides and hard uphills, to more structured speedwork, depending on the context of your training and your goals,” Scott explains. Shake up your routine with some high-intensity sessions to bust through that plateau and reach new heights.

Not running enough (volume and/or frequency)⁠, or repeating the same thing each cycle

Your training needs to get more challenging over time and should evolve with different workouts targeting various training zones.

Scott explains that many lower-volume runners, who only train a few times a week, can boost their performance simply by running more—though it’s crucial to increase volume safely. “Additionally, our training needs to change and progress over time to continue increasing our fitness,” she says. Keep your workouts dynamic and progressively more challenging to ensure continual improvement and peak performance.

Over-training or under-recovering

Scott points out several common culprits that can stall your progress: calorie deficits, lack of sleep, running too hard, overtraining with excessive fitness challenges, and extreme life stress from work, family or emotional issues. “These things all “count” as stress in your body’s way of understanding things,” she says.

To overcome a running plateau, it’s crucial to address these areas. Make sure you’re fueling your body adequately, getting enough rest and balancing your training intensity. Manage life stressors effectively and ensure your fitness routine is sustainable. By taking a holistic approach, you’ll be better equipped to break through barriers and reach your running goals.