The easiest way to check your running progress 🚀

Of course, it is better to measure progress at sporting competitions. For example, you ran 5 half marathons. Look at the results, compare and draw a conclusion. Is there some progress or not?

Don’t want to run 5 half marathons? You can “take” 10. For example, 10 “tens” will show you exactly whether you are making progress or not.

Taking into account the normal preparation period for 10 tens, you need about 30 months — ideally. For 5 half marathons it is the same — about 30 months. It seems to be not so much, but most likely you will not go this way 😉

There is an easier — and most importantly, much more humane — way to find out if you are running faster. Is there any progress? To do this, you just need to run with a heart rate monitor.

Imagine, you start running and get your first training task. Let’s say it is a 6 km run at a heart rate of 130–135. You’ve possibly run it at 6 min 30 sec/km (just an example). Now record it and put it into Strava.

Keep training and complete different tasks — fast and slow, difficult and simple, long and short. Most importantly — professionally compiled in the right order for your progress.

And after some time — not right at the next workout, but still after 3–4 months — you will “suddenly” see the change. Your pace of the next slow (HR 130–135) 6 km run is now 5 min 30 sec/km. That is 1 min faster. This 1 min / km is your progress.

Do you know what difference 1 min/km makes for 21.1 km? Exactly 21.1 minutes. For a marathon, that’s 42.2 minutes. Imagine: you finished a marathon, changed clothes, chatted with friends, took some fresh croissants or pizza or beer. While someone like you 4 months ago is still suffering in final kilometers of marathon. Do you feel the difference?

This is the progress. Pure and simple.