Three Keys to Unlocking Your Running Potential: How to Break Through a Running Plateau

By Coach Matt Russ

When athletes first begin running or participating in endurance sports, improvements often come quickly. Almost any consistent training produces results, and the first season may bring dramatic increases in endurance, speed, and overall performance.

However, as athletes become more experienced, those improvements become increasingly difficult to achieve.

Each successive season may produce smaller gains, even when the athlete continues to train consistently. Workouts become more demanding, weekly mileage increases, and yet race times sometimes remain unchanged.

The faster you become, the harder it can be to get faster.

At this stage, simply adding more training volume or intensity may not be the answer. In fact, it may be counterproductive.

Experienced runners often need to look beyond cardiovascular fitness and consider other factors that influence performance, including running economy, neuromuscular coordination, training structure, and recovery.

If you've reached a running plateau, the solution may not be to train harder. It may be to train more efficiently.

Here are three strategies I use to help endurance athletes unlock additional running performance.

1. Improve Running Economy Through Video Analysis

One of the most overlooked components of running performance is running economy.

Running economy refers to the amount of energy required to maintain a given running speed. Two athletes with similar aerobic fitness can perform very differently if one uses less energy to sustain the same pace.

This helps explain why a runner can become fitter without necessarily becoming much faster.

Over the years, I've worked with athletes who trained diligently for multiple seasons but experienced little improvement in their running speed.

In some cases, the limitation wasn't a lack of effort or cardiovascular conditioning. It was how effectively the athlete translated that fitness into forward movement.

Why Running Mechanics Matter

Running involves thousands of repeated movements during a single workout.

Small differences in stride mechanics, posture, coordination, and muscle activation can influence energy expenditure and how forces are distributed throughout the body.

Some movement patterns worth evaluating include:

• Excessive braking forces: Landing mechanics that produce unnecessary deceleration during ground contact.

• Upper-body rotation: Movement that may be excessive or poorly coordinated with the running stride.

• Vertical oscillation: The amount the body's center of mass moves up and down while running.

• Stride characteristics: Cadence, stride length, and foot placement relative to the body.

• Left-to-right asymmetry: Differences in movement that may reflect individual anatomy, fatigue, or compensation.

However, not every visible variation in running form represents a problem.

Some vertical movement is necessary for running, and there is no single ideal foot strike, cadence, or stride pattern that applies to every athlete.

The objective is to identify individual mechanical characteristics that may be limiting performance rather than forcing everyone to run identically.

Use Slow-Motion Video to Identify Opportunities

One of the most useful tools for evaluating running mechanics is slow-motion video.

A qualified running coach can record an athlete from several angles and examine movement patterns that may be difficult to recognize while running.

Video analysis allows the athlete to see exactly what is happening rather than relying exclusively on verbal descriptions.

I have found that athletes often develop a better understanding of their running mechanics when they can compare footage and observe specific changes.

After an analysis, I encourage athletes to review their video clips and periodically record additional footage to evaluate progress.

This creates a feedback loop between what the athlete feels and what is actually occurring.

Practice Changes Gradually

Once a meaningful area for improvement has been identified, the next step is practicing the appropriate adjustment.

This might involve cadence drills, posture awareness, strength exercises, or other targeted interventions.

Technique changes should be introduced gradually because altering running mechanics can redistribute stress to different muscles and connective tissues.

Not every technique adjustment improves running economy, and some changes may temporarily increase energy expenditure while the athlete learns a new movement pattern.

The goal is measurable improvement in comfort, efficiency, or performance—not simply making the runner look different on video.

2. Maintain Running Speed and Neuromuscular Coordination

Long-distance runners and triathletes spend much of their training time developing aerobic endurance.

This is necessary, particularly for athletes preparing for half marathons, marathons, Ironman events, and other long-distance competitions.

However, a training program dominated entirely by slow running may provide limited opportunities to practice faster movement patterns.

This is where short speed and coordination drills can be valuable.

Speed Training Is Not the Same as High-Intensity Interval Training

One of the most important distinctions I make with athletes is the difference between practicing speed and performing demanding high-intensity workouts.

Speed-oriented technique training doesn't necessarily require prolonged efforts, extreme fatigue, or substantial recovery time.

Short strides, controlled accelerations, and cadence drills can help athletes maintain coordination at faster running speeds without turning every session into a hard workout.

These efforts should emphasize relaxed, efficient movement rather than maximal exertion.

Incorporate Running Strides Into Easy Workouts

Strides are short, controlled accelerations that can be incorporated into an otherwise easy running session.

They provide an opportunity to practice running at faster speeds while maintaining good posture, rhythm, and coordination.

Sample running strides workout:

1. Begin with 10–15 minutes of easy running.

2. Gradually accelerate over approximately 20 seconds to a fast but relaxed pace.

3. Concentrate on smooth arm movement, stable posture, and controlled foot contact.

4. Slow down gradually rather than stopping abruptly.

5. Recover with easy walking or jogging until breathing and movement feel comfortable.

6. Repeat four to six times.

These efforts should not be all-out sprints.

The objective is to reinforce effective running mechanics at faster speeds without creating unnecessary fatigue.

For runners who are new to strides or returning from injury, fewer repetitions and a more conservative pace may be appropriate.

Perform Regular Running Form Checks

Another technique I encourage is periodic awareness of running form during longer workouts.

For example, you can program your watch to alert you every mile and briefly evaluate your movement.

Ask yourself:

• Am I maintaining a relaxed upper body?

• Are my arms moving comfortably and rhythmically?

• Is my stride controlled rather than forced?

• Am I maintaining a natural cadence?

• Has fatigue caused unnecessary tension or changes in posture?

These brief checks help runners remain aware of their mechanics without having to concentrate on technique continuously.

The goal is to develop movement patterns that eventually become more automatic.

Why Neuromuscular Training Matters

Running performance depends on more than aerobic capacity.

The nervous system must coordinate muscle activation, timing, and force production to produce efficient movement.

Practicing faster running can help maintain familiarity with the coordination demands of higher speeds.

This is particularly useful for endurance athletes who spend substantial time training at relatively low intensities.

A small amount of well-placed speed and skill work can complement aerobic training without significantly increasing the overall training burden.

3. Eliminate Junk Miles and Prioritize Quality Training

One of the most common mistakes I see among endurance athletes is an excessive focus on weekly mileage.

Runners often become attached to a particular number.

Whether the goal is 30, 50, or 70 miles per week, completing the mileage target can become more important than the purpose of the individual workouts.

This creates what I call the check-the-box mentality.

The athlete completes the prescribed distance regardless of fatigue, recovery status, or declining workout quality.

However, more mileage does not automatically mean better performance.

Understand the Relationship Between Training Stress and Recovery

Training workload is influenced by several factors, including frequency, duration, and intensity.

Weekly mileage reflects only part of the total training demand.

Two runners can complete the same weekly distance while experiencing very different levels of stress.

One may distribute the mileage across mostly easy sessions with appropriate recovery.

The other may perform frequent hard workouts, run on tired legs, and accumulate substantial fatigue.

Running also places repetitive mechanical loads on muscles, tendons, bones, and other tissues.

Compared with swimming and cycling, running generally involves greater impact loading and eccentric muscle activity.

This makes recovery particularly important for triathletes who must balance training across three disciplines.

When More Mileage Becomes Counterproductive

A properly developed mileage base is essential for distance running performance.

However, there comes a point when additional volume may produce diminishing returns.

Warning signs that your training load may be exceeding your ability to recover include:

• Repeated inability to complete key workouts at the intended effort.

• Persistent fatigue or unusually heavy legs.

• Declining performance despite consistent training.

• Increased soreness that doesn't resolve normally.

• Poor sleep or reduced motivation.

• Recurring aches or discomfort.

These symptoms are not always caused by excessive mileage, but they warrant reviewing training load, recovery, and overall health.

Remove Training That Doesn't Serve a Purpose

I often encourage athletes to evaluate whether each workout contributes meaningfully to their training objectives.

Easy running is not inherently junk mileage. In fact, appropriately prescribed easy mileage is fundamental to aerobic development.

The problem arises when additional running creates fatigue that interferes with more important sessions or exceeds the athlete's capacity to recover.

For some runners, eliminating a small amount of unnecessary volume can improve the quality of the remaining workouts.

An athlete who reduces weekly mileage slightly but consistently completes effective training sessions may perform better than one who accumulates more miles while chronically fatigued.

The objective isn't to train as little as possible.

It's to find the amount of training that produces the greatest sustainable improvement.

How to Know When You've Reached a Running Plateau

Not every period of slow progress represents a true performance plateau.

Race results can fluctuate because of weather, course difficulty, pacing, illness, fatigue, and other factors.

Before changing your training program, evaluate whether performance has genuinely stagnated over a meaningful period.

Useful indicators include consistent race performances, training pace at comparable effort, workout quality, and recovery patterns.

If these measures have remained unchanged despite months of consistent training, it may be time to reassess your approach.

Rather than immediately adding more mileage or harder intervals, consider whether running economy, coordination, or accumulated fatigue may be limiting further improvement.

Putting the Three Strategies Together

The most effective training programs address running economy, speed coordination, and recovery as complementary elements.

Here's an example of how an experienced runner might incorporate these principles into a typical training week.

Training focus	Practical application
Running economy	Periodic video analysis and targeted technique drills
Neuromuscular coordination	Four to six relaxed strides after an easy warm-up or run
Training quality	Prioritize key workouts and adjust nonessential mileage when recovery suffers
Recovery	Include easy days and rest according to individual needs

These are not separate programs that require additional training hours.

Most can be integrated into the athlete's existing schedule.

For example, strides may take only a few minutes, technique checks can occur during regular runs, and improved recovery may require reducing rather than increasing total workload.

The key is identifying which factor currently represents the greatest limitation to performance.

Final Thoughts: Fitness Alone Doesn't Determine Running Speed

One of the most important lessons I've learned from coaching endurance athletes is that the fittest runner isn't necessarily the fastest.

Aerobic capacity, muscular endurance, and strength are essential, but they represent only part of the performance equation.

Running economy, neuromuscular coordination, training structure, and recovery all influence how effectively an athlete translates fitness into speed.

If you've been training consistently but your race times have stopped improving, don't automatically assume you need more mileage or greater intensity.

Take a closer look at your mechanics. Incorporate small amounts of controlled speed work. Evaluate whether your training volume allows sufficient recovery.

Sometimes a new perspective and a few carefully selected adjustments are enough to restart progress.

The key to unlocking your running potential isn't always doing more. It's making the training you're already doing more effective.

By Coach Matt Russ

Coach Matt Russ enjoyed a professional coaching career spanning over two decades of working with professional endurance athletes. His athletes have achieved numerous regional, national, international and championship titles under his direction. Matt achieved the highest level of licensing by both USA Triathlon and USA Cycling, and was a licensed USA Track and Field Coach. His accomplishments include being named "Team USA" Coach for the Beijing World Championship. Head Coach and founder of The Sport Factory, a USA Triathlon Certified Performance Center, he has authored many articles on a wide variety of endurance related topics.