Running Tips – How to Run Faster

So, you want to run faster! Don’t we all – there’s nothing more satisfying for a runner than a PR. Whether you’re a new runner just starting to race, or you’re a veteran stuck in a pace rut, these running tips on how to run faster will help your goal.

As with the last post in this series, Intervals for Beginners, you should be in a regular routine of running before trying these workouts to get faster. I’d suggest incorporating these once you’re running comfortably at least 2 – 3 times a week, or up to a weekly mileage of about 15 miles or more.

There are two major components to increasing your running speed. The first is to train specifically. That’s right – if you want to run faster in a race, you need to incorporate running faster in your training. The second is to increase your overall strength and endurance levels, so that you’re primed to go faster when it counts.

TRAIN FOR SPEED

So, where do you start with incorporating speed work into your running? The answer is, it all depends on your current level of fitness. If you’re a beginner, or if you’re getting back into running after a break, I would suggest trying a Fartlek run to introduce speed work into your routine. Fartleks (Swedish for ‘speed play’) are fun because they’re not formally structured so you can literally make up your workout as you go along. Usually, when you read about Fartlek running, the suggestion is to pick a landmark in the distance, run fast until you get there, then slow back down to your regular pace, until you feel like trying it again. The point is that you are not focused on certain times or mileage, just incorporating faster segments into a regular run.

A fun spin on the Fartlek workout is to do it based on music. Put together a playlist of some of your favorite songs to run to, get into your regular pace, then base your speed intervals on the music. You could try running fast through the chorus and then back to regular pace for the verses, or if you are listening to a song that has faster sections, your Fartlek workout is pretty much mapped out by the song.

If you’re a more experienced runner, looking for your next PR, try incorporating one formal speed workout a week into your training. Running intervals, or repeats, are a great way to get your body used to a hard effort at a fast speed. You can also try out tempo running, or maybe a workout where each mile gets progressively faster, if you want to try something different from intervals.

STRENGTH + ENDURANCE = SPEED

Runners, don’t be afraid of weights! While it’s true that the less you weigh, the faster you will run, don’t confuse weight from body fat with weight from muscle. If your muscles are strong, it will only help you when you’re trying to get faster.  If you want to be a better runner, you need to run – but don’t discount the edge a good strength training plan will give you. The key is to match how you train in the gym to your running goal.

Fo example, a runner who is focused on short distance (think Usain Bolt!) will benefit from strength training focusing on power and explosiveness. An awesome workout in the gym for that runner would be plyometrics, power-lifting, and speed and agility drills. For runners looking to increase their speed for longer distance, whether it’s a 5K or a marathon, focusing on strength training for endurance will be of most benefit. A great workout for a distance runner would be higher reps of lower weights, particularly circuit training, so you are going from one exercise to the next with shorter rest periods.

However, you should also plan your strength training based on your timeline. I attended an interesting course on endurance training, in which the instructor recommended programming strength training for an endurance event as if it was an endurance event itself. The longer the goal event, the longer the strength-training program should be. For a client running a marathon, she contended their strength training should be at least a year-long program tailored to their end goal. Assuming her client is beginning with an excellent cardiovascular fitness level, at the beginning of the year she would focus her clients on training for strength; followed by a focus on explosive movement and power workouts; then move on to balance and flexibility; and ending the year’s programming with endurance training. The theory behind this was that you build a base of strength, power and flexibility, before training as an endurance athlete right before the event for which you’re preparing.

The types of exercises you select are also important when you’re strength training to benefit your running. I love deadlifts and squats as much as the next personal trainer, but it’s important for a runner to work your muscles in the same way you will be using them while running. You are not landing feet together, or staying in one position when running. Therefore exercises that work on one leg; or are open-chain exercises, like lunges, or step ups, are excellent choices for runners.

STRENGTH DOESN’T ALWAYS MEAN THE GYM

Build running strength by incorporating more hills into your regular run. Try running stairs as part of a workout. If you’re on the treadmill, increase your incline to make it a harder run. You can always do some body-weight strength training as well – you could even incorporate this into a run! Think walking lunges, push ups, pull ups (monkey bars in kids’ playgrounds are great for pull ups), squats and step ups.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!

So, now I’ve convinced you to add a weekly speed work session and do some strength training, here are some more general tips on training to be a faster runner: