If you’ve ever wondered why some runners seem to glide effortlessly down the trail while others burn through energy like a gas-guzzling truck, the answer usually comes down to running economy. On the Strength Running Podcast, host Jason Fitzgerald sat down with Dr. Bill Evans — PhD in Exercise Physiology, former senior scientist at Johns Hopkins, and founder of Endurance Laboratory — to break down exactly how trail and road runners can get more out of every step.
**Easy Running Is the Foundation of Efficiency**
It might feel counterintuitive, but logging consistent, honest easy miles is one of the most powerful ways to improve your running economy over time. Dr. Evans explains that aerobic base training teaches your body to move more efficiently at lower intensities, reducing the energy cost of running before you ever hit a hard workout. For South Texas runners grinding through summer heat, this is especially critical — efficiency means less energy wasted and more fuel left in the tank.
**Workout Sequencing Matters More Than You Think**
Dr. Evans emphasizes that it’s not just what workouts you do, but when you do them in your training cycle that determines how much adaptation you actually get. Building an aerobic and strength base early in a season sets the stage for higher-quality speed and race-specific work later. Jumping into intense sessions too soon — before your body has the structural and metabolic fitness to absorb them — limits your gains and raises injury risk.
**Drills, Plyometrics, and Strength Training Are Non-Negotiable**
If you’re skipping the extras, you’re leaving efficiency on the table. Dr. Evans breaks down how running drills reinforce proper mechanics, plyometrics improve tendon stiffness and elastic energy return, and strength training builds the muscular foundation that keeps your form intact mile after mile on technical terrain. For ultrarunners covering 50K to 100-mile distances on Hill Country trails, this kind of neuromuscular training can be the difference between a strong finish and a death march.
**Think in Seasons, Not Just Weeks**
One of Dr. Evans’ most important points is the distinction between short-term and long-term adaptations to economy. Some improvements — like neuromuscular efficiency from drills — show up relatively quickly. Others, like structural changes to tendons and mitochondrial density, take months or even years of consistent training to develop. Patience and progressive overload across multiple training cycles is the long game that separates good runners from great ones.
**Efficiency Compounds Over Time**
Small, consistent improvements in running economy add up to massive performance gains across a season and a career. Whether you’re racing the Cactus Rose 100, tackling Bandera, or just exploring the greenbelt, becoming a more economical mover means you go farther, feel better, and recover faster. That’s the kind of running we’re all chasing.
We want to know — are you already incorporating drills, plyos, or strength work into your training? Drop a comment, tag us on socials, or come find us at the next local race. The Bexar Country community runs wild together, and we’re always out here learning how to run smarter in the heat, on the trails, and beyond.
—
Originally aired on The Strength Running Podcast · Go to podcast →