I frequently get asked the question on how to get faster at running. The first answer I always give is, "Run more and stay in the comfort zone." It is true that by increasing (gradually) the number of minutes that you are running each week that you will improve your efficiency, and hence your speed.
But after a while you will either run out of available time for training, or you will reach the maximum benefit from aerobic base running. Nevertheless I want to be clear here: the two workouts I am about to describe should only be initiated AFTER you have 4-6 weeks of steady running.
Hill Repeats and Pick-Ups are excellent first forays into speed work running. These are the two lowest impact forms of intensity running. They are harder than steady running, but you should be able to recover reasonably fast if you don't overdo it.
Hill Repeats: To do this workout you need to find a hill that is medium grade and takes 2-3 minutes to run to the top. Start with a 10 minute easy jogging warm-up. For the first rep run to the top of the hill at a steady pace. Not sprinting, just steady and strong. Make sure you run a little ways past the top of the hill, 20-30 yards after it has flattened out. When you get to this point turn around and jog back down the hill WITHOUT STOPPING.
Once you have started your first hill, you are to run continuously until you are done with the last repeat. Your "recovery" during this set is while you are jogging easy back down the hill. If you are on a walk-run program, you can do some walking on the downhill portion, but keep going all the way to the top on the uphill.
Again, the pacing on the hill repeat is somewhere between "steady" and "strong," but not heaving and gasping for breath. You should focus on your form during every repetition: Keep your posture upright. Keep your eyes up the hill. Do not stare at the ground. Keep your foot turnover (cadence) high with short quick steps up the hill. Keep your time on each hill repeat by measuring either bottom-to-top or bottom-top-bottom to ensure that you are holding your pace steady or getting faster throughout the set.
Start with 5 hills and build up to ~12 for the workout, which will eventually amount to 45+ minutes of solid up-and-down the hill.
Pick-ups:This is a great workout that will spice up any run and give you some good speed. A pick-up is a 30 second burst of very fast running, with plenty of easy running between each one. During the pick-up your speed should be 90-95 percent of your top speed. Again start with 10 minutes easy to get warmed up. Then do 6-20 pick-ups during the run. Each pick-up should be separated by at least 1 1/2 minutes, but you can jog easy/steady for up to 5 minutes between each one. Start conservatively and gradually increase both speed and # over weeks.
Overall Comments on Speed Running There are no shortage of coaches, programs, and workouts that will woo you with promises of speed work. Having done hundreds of such sessions myself I can tell you they work. But as an experienced coach I want you to see the big picture of how speed work fits into an overall running program. Speedwork is the icing on the cake, and you need to make sure you have some cake first to put the icing on.
If you are a new runner or just coming out of an off-season, then do not worry about this kind of workout. You want to get your several weeks of steady running first.
If you are training for a half marathon or marathon, and this represents a challenging endurance distance to you, then your most important focus is your long run. After that you want several short and medium runs for recovery during the week. You may do 0-2 of the outlined sessions per week. But be VERY CONSERVATIVE in the first few times, because it is more important to AVOID INJURY than to BUILD SPEED. If in doubt, leave the speed out.
If you are training for fast 5K or 10K runs and have a base, then do one each of these sessions each week. There will be more intensity sessions of even greater rigor to follow, but only if you are training for short-and-fast races.
If you are a more experienced runner with a well-established baseline of running then by all means start doing these workouts. The way to get faster at half and full marathon distance is to include appropriate, rigorous intensity workouts. You will enjoy the increased results of these kind of sessions.
Hill Repeats: To do this workout you need to find a hill that is medium grade and takes 2-3 minutes to run to the top. Start with a 10 minute easy jogging warm-up. For the first rep run to the top of the hill at a steady pace. Not sprinting, just steady and strong. Make sure you run a little ways past the top of the hill, 20-30 yards after it has flattened out. When you get to this point turn around and jog back down the hill WITHOUT STOPPING.
Once you have started your first hill, you are to run continuously until you are done with the last repeat. Your "recovery" during this set is while you are jogging easy back down the hill. If you are on a walk-run program, you can do some walking on the downhill portion, but keep going all the way to the top on the uphill.
Again, the pacing on the hill repeat is somewhere between "steady" and "strong," but not heaving and gasping for breath. You should focus on your form during every repetition: Keep your posture upright. Keep your eyes up the hill. Do not stare at the ground. Keep your foot turnover (cadence) high with short quick steps up the hill. Keep your time on each hill repeat by measuring either bottom-to-top or bottom-top-bottom to ensure that you are holding your pace steady or getting faster throughout the set.
Start with 5 hills and build up to ~12 for the workout, which will eventually amount to 45+ minutes of solid up-and-down the hill.
Pick-ups:This is a great workout that will spice up any run and give you some good speed. A pick-up is a 30 second burst of very fast running, with plenty of easy running between each one. During the pick-up your speed should be 90-95 percent of your top speed. Again start with 10 minutes easy to get warmed up. Then do 6-20 pick-ups during the run. Each pick-up should be separated by at least 1 1/2 minutes, but you can jog easy/steady for up to 5 minutes between each one. Start conservatively and gradually increase both speed and # over weeks.
Overall Comments on Speed Running There are no shortage of coaches, programs, and workouts that will woo you with promises of speed work. Having done hundreds of such sessions myself I can tell you they work. But as an experienced coach I want you to see the big picture of how speed work fits into an overall running program. Speedwork is the icing on the cake, and you need to make sure you have some cake first to put the icing on.
If you are a new runner or just coming out of an off-season, then do not worry about this kind of workout. You want to get your several weeks of steady running first.
If you are training for a half marathon or marathon, and this represents a challenging endurance distance to you, then your most important focus is your long run. After that you want several short and medium runs for recovery during the week. You may do 0-2 of the outlined sessions per week. But be VERY CONSERVATIVE in the first few times, because it is more important to AVOID INJURY than to BUILD SPEED. If in doubt, leave the speed out.
If you are training for fast 5K or 10K runs and have a base, then do one each of these sessions each week. There will be more intensity sessions of even greater rigor to follow, but only if you are training for short-and-fast races.
If you are a more experienced runner with a well-established baseline of running then by all means start doing these workouts. The way to get faster at half and full marathon distance is to include appropriate, rigorous intensity workouts. You will enjoy the increased results of these kind of sessions.
COMMENTS FROM READERS:
I just finished 5 hill repeats...it kicked my ass! Thank you for this great info! I really needed to get out of the rut. ---SUZANNE
I'm definitely keeping this one. Thanks. ----AMY
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