Okay firstly lets make things clear. Here by the word “long distance” I mean around 15–16 km distance. I’m not a marathon runner (42 km) and running marathon is whole different world which Im not familiar with.
The phrase is actually depend on the person. 15 km might be not long distance but only moderate distance for you but here I will call it long distance.
So lets come to the point. What is the most ideal body shape for running long distance ?
I will be straight and honest here. If you are way above your BMI then unfortunately it will be difficult for you to handle a long distance running.
You can calculate here your BMI.
But at the other hand not necessarily you should look like the guy above.
Marathon running doesnt require big muscles. On the contrary how light you are that much good for your stamina.
However lets back to our 15 km body standards. If your body fat is down to %25 and you adopt an active life style then nothing big to worry about your shape.
But here I will give you some big keys for your shape.
Strong spine is important.
If your back is weak then you are tending to lean forward which will consume your energy for vain. While running you should lean forward slightly but not a lot.
Below drawing presenting an example of leaning forward more than you should.
If you run like above for more than 5 minutes then it will tire you. This kind of body posture is good for speed running but not for long distance running.
Solid abs are a big advantage.
It doesnt mean that if you dont have rock solid abs then you cant run long distance but if you will have strong abs then certainly it will make a difference.
While your abs will prevent you to lean forward it will also keep your balance proper so you wont gas out in 10 minutes.
Muscles are disadvantages.
In daily life muscles look good yeah but if you want to run more than an hour then muscles arent there for your favor. Here is the same logic with any other kind of long period sport activity. Football (soccer) players dont have big biceps and triceps but strong calves instead.
Again I dont say that this is a big ‘no no’ but this is a disadvantage. Of course you can look like Rambo but handle 15 km easily anyway. Its up to your stamina-endurance.
Do not let your knees get rusted.
When you run you load lots of weight on your knees for long time of period. So knee injures are such a common problem in running. Especially newbies should be very aware of knee injures because knees are the main tool in running and once you injure them then it will not let you run for couple months.
If you will have meniscus then you will cripple even for a year. So here the best advise is keeping your knees active with light exercises always.
Long talk short endurance all day long.
When you run 1 km per 5–6 minutes and you dont breathe by mouth then nothing to change in your body.
But there is always a room for improvement for a goat.
