Regardless of whether you've just started out running,considering doing your first 5k,or you're a seasoned veteran with many marathons under your belt.Well, I'm guessing that the allure of bettering or improving on your personal best times is pretty strong. If so, then you'll be pleased to hear that today, I've got three tips to help improve your speed.For a lot of people, they have a very little range in their run speeds, and by that I mean there's a very small difference between their steady-run pace and their top-end speed.Now, to improve your speed, we need to bump that top-end speed up, raise that ceiling.And the first parkour for that is to increase your run volume.Now, the idea behind increasing your run volume isnot only to improve your aerobic fitness,which is actually going to make you faster, anyway, it's also to improve your running efficiency,and give you a really good foundation and base to work off.
Now, to go about doing this, actually what you want to do is gradually overload your body, and then recover and adapt to that new stimulus,then overload, adapt, overload, adapt,But to go about doing that, just be careful.What we normally suggest is you follow the 10% rule.The idea is that you never increase any run mileage or any weekly volume by more than 10%,and that'll prevent you from over-training or even the risk of potential energy. Now, trying to improve your speed needn't be over-complicated and thought of as rocket science.If you want to run faster, then we need to start including some speed workouts into your training. it's a bit of a reminder we've got a few different types of speed sessions that you can start incorporating into your training.
.jpg)
So, first on the cards is a form of interval session.Now, this needn't be too daunting,because actually the reps are quite short and they're almost over before it really starts to bite.I like to think of it as if you're unleashing and untapping this new speed.So, this could be something like eight to ten lots of 30 seconds hard, somewhere between 3 to 5k pace followed by 30 seconds easy.That can then be extended out to six to eight lots of 45 seconds hard followed by 45 seconds easy,and then even progressed up to five to six lots of 60 to 75 seconds hard followed by 60 seconds easy.Or indeed an alternative session template could be five lots of three minutes at 5k pace followed by two minutes easy jog between.Or moving up to three lots of five to six minutes at 10 k pace, followed by three minutes easy jog.So, as I've said, those interval sessions can be progressed to, or you can, in fact,just alternate between the two week to week.
And now onto our second type of session, the tempo session.Now, the idea behind these is to get you feeling comfortable whilst being uncomfortable.I know, that sounds quite odd,but the tempo pace is actually somewhere around one's half-marathon pace.The real idea is actually to try and bump our lactate threshold up.Our lactate threshold is the point at which our body starts to produce lactic acid. That's the stuff that makes us feel pretty horrible, it slows us down.So, if you can get that higher, that's great.Also, it's going to improve our fitness,and with that also our tolerance of feeling uncomfortable.So, starting out with these tempo sessions,I like to prescribe something like four lots of five minutes at tempo pace with two minutes jog recovery between each.Then, progressing to two lots of ten minutes at this tempo pace, again with a two minute jog recovery between those two ten minute reps.
And then finally getting ourselves to a point of being able to do 15, 20, or maybe even 25 minutes continuous at a tempo pace.You could also consider alternating your tempo runs with some hill repeats.Hill repeats are great for adding some strength to your running.So, if you do have a short, sharp climb, maybe use this for doing some fairly intense intervals,similar to the interval workouts we were discussing before.But if you're using a slightly longer incline with a lesser gradient, then of course knock that intensity back, and increase the length of those efforts.Now, for our final workout. And this is actually including some speed intervals into our long run.Now, I know the long run is often regarded as an opportunity just to get some long miles in,time on the feet, and just keeping things steady,but actually, by including some intervals into our long run,can actually help teach us how to deal with that fatigue. We're now onto our final point, which is a little bit of a taboo subject and a subject that I actually often avoid talking about,but there really is no escaping the fact that running is weight-bearing, and with that there is a direct link between running and our own weight.
Now, to be clear, I'm not talking about lean muscle mass, here, because actually that is great, that helps us with our running,and I'd often always advise using some strength training to help with your running and improve our speed. What I am focusing on, here, is any unnecessary fat.Now, it's very important that we remain healthy,so if you are trying to lose some weight,you do that incrementally and do it healthily.Maybe even seek some advice whilst you're doing that.I often, actually, advise that if you are increasing your mileage,maybe following some of the tips I've suggested today,then you may see those changes quite naturally,as long as you just keep that healthy diet in place.I hope you do find that you start to improve that speed.I'll tell you now, there is nothing better than lacing up for and preparing for a race,
.jpg&description=Increase your running speed){kind=link}
0 Comments