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In endurance sports, athletes obsess over pace — splits, PRs, and speed charts that define progress. But pace is the output. Running economy is the cost you pay to achieve that output. Two athletes can run the same pace with completely different levels of effort, purely because one uses less oxygen, wastes less energy, and transfers more force into forward motion.

This is running economy — the single most underrated performance metric in distance running.

Running economy isn’t about fitness. It’s about efficiency: how smoothly, economically, and mechanically soundly you move. Research shows that among elite runners with similar VO₂ max, running economy is the primary differentiator between the good and the world-class (Saunders et al., 2004). In early-season training, economy becomes your biggest performance multiplier, because you’re laying the foundation for every future tempo, threshold, and race.

So how do you build a more economical stride? And why do small changes create massive returns?

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The Main Feature

Leg 1: The Science of Running Economy — Oxygen, Mechanics, and Cost

Running economy is the oxygen cost (VO₂) of running at a set pace. The lower your oxygen demand, the easier the effort feels — even if pace remains unchanged.

Here’s what determines it:

1. VO₂ Cost and Energy Transfer

The majority of energy during running is spent stabilizing the body, absorbing impact, and reusing stored elastic energy. A more economical athlete:

• wastes less vertical movement

• maintains stiffer tendons for efficient energy return

• minimizes braking forces upon ground contact

These athletes run “quiet,” “smooth,” and “effortless.”

2. Ground Contact Time (GCT)

Shorter GCT = greater elastic return and better stride efficiency.
Elite runners often maintain GCT between 170–190ms even at moderate paces.

3. Vertical Oscillation

Every centimeter of vertical bounce is energy lost. Lower oscillation improves forward propulsion and reduces muscular demand.

4. Stride Stiffness and Elastic Recoil

Tendon stiffness is the unsung hero of economy.
A stiffer Achilles and plantar fascia allow the body to store and release elastic energy with minimal metabolic cost — like a loaded spring.

5. Neuromuscular Coordination

Economical runners have highly trained patterns:

• stable pelvis

• smooth arm swing

• midline control

• symmetrical foot strike

In early-season training, these patterns are rewired more easily because fatigue is low and volume is controlled.

This is why base season + economy training = next-level aerobic efficiency.

T1: Mental Preparation

Leg 2: How to Train Running Economy (Without Overhauling Your Stride)

Running economy isn’t changed through dramatic gait interventions — it’s improved through consistent neuromuscular training, better elasticity, and subtle mechanical refinements.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Strides: The Most Underrated Tool in Running

4–8 strides, 20–30 seconds at 90% effort, 2–3 times weekly.
Benefits:

• improves neuromuscular speed

• reinforces efficient mechanics

• enhances coordination

• resets posture at higher turnover

Strides are low volume, low stress, and high return.

2. Plyometrics: Building Elastic Strength

Plyos increase tendon stiffness and improve energy return.
Early-season staples include:

• pogos

• bounds

• low box jumps

• single-leg hops

• skipping drills

These stimulate connective tissue remodeling — one of the strongest predictors of running economy.

3. Drills That Improve Stride Mechanics

Running drills improve skill, not fitness. Early season is the perfect time for:

• A-skips

• B-skips

• high knees

• butt kicks

• straight-leg bounds

They refine foot strike positioning, rhythm, and hip mechanics.

4. Cadence Optimisation

Small cadence increases (e.g., from 166 → 172) reduce vertical oscillation and braking force.
Use metronomes or short cues like “quicker feet,” not “faster pace.”

5. Strength Training for Efficiency

Key movements improve force transfer:

• single-leg RDL

• split squats

• calf raises (especially eccentric)

• hip thrust variations

• core anti-rotation training

Stronger tendons and stabilizers = smoother, more economical forward motion.

6. Early-Season Long Runs

Long, steady Zone 2 runs improve economy by increasing capillary density and fat oxidation.
Low fatigue + high repetition = efficient patterning.

Economy is built in layers — mechanics, strength, elasticity, neuromuscular speed — and early season is where these layers settle.

Leg 3: Applying Running Economy to the New Season

Running economy training follows a simple principle: frequency beats intensity.
Here’s how to structure it across the first 8–10 weeks:

Phase 1: Neuromuscular Reset (Weeks 1–3)

• Strides 2–3x weekly

• Light drills

• No heavy plyos yet

• Frequent, short Z2 runs
  This lays the groundwork.

Phase 2: Elastic Development (Weeks 4–6)

• Introduce plyos 1–2x weekly

• Maintain strides

• Build strength

• Add light hills (short, controlled)
  This creates tendon and connective tissue adaptations.

Phase 3: Efficiency Integration (Weeks 7–10)

• Add longer drills

• Progress plyos

• Include tempo previews

• Combine drills + strides within sessions
  This blends mechanics with aerobic conditioning.

By the time intensity returns later in the season, your body uses less oxygen, wastes less energy, and holds pace with less cost.

That’s the power of economy.

Conclusion

Running economy is the secret performance multiplier hiding in plain sight. It determines how efficiently you can turn aerobic fitness into speed, how much energy you save at every step, and how long you can hold pace when fatigue sets in.

Improve economy, and every run becomes easier — not because your fitness changed, but because your efficiency did.

This is the essence of base season: refining the engine, sharpening the movement, and preparing the body for the intensity ahead.

Coaches Corner

Workout of the Week: The Economy Engine Session

Total Duration: 50–60 minutes
Goal: Improve neuromuscular coordination, elastic return, and running mechanics.

Warm-Up (10 min)

• Easy jog

• 5 minutes mobility

• 3 x 20s strides (full recovery)

Drill + Plyo Set (15 min)

Repeat twice:

• A-skips – 40m

• B-skips – 40m

• Bounding – 20m

• 10 low box jumps

• 20 pogo hops

Main Set (20 min)

4 x 4 minutes steady (Zone 2–3) focusing on:

• upright posture

• quick cadence

• minimal vertical oscillation

2 minutes easy jog between reps

Cool Down (10 min)

• Light jog

• Breathing reset

• Calf + hip flexor mobility

Why it works:
This sequence hardwires efficient mechanics, improves stiffness, and reinforces economy at sub-threshold intensities — perfect early-season neural conditioning.