how to run faster? (Page 3)

The reason for recommending three runs per week is because it allows a person to get in more mileage, plain and simple. Since higher mileage will lead to faster times, I feel that it's an effective way of breaking down training, so that's what I recommend.

 Additionally, I've seen more people successful with 3 sessions than with 2.  Can one improve?  Sure, obviously, you prove that case.  But if someone is asking how to get faster, I'm going to recommend more running.

Tough love time turtle.

Run. More.

No problem if that running is at your comfortable pace, but you need to run more. If your log is accurate, you've barely run 200 miles in the 18 months you say you've been running. You will not get "locked into this pace," but rather will get stronger, will build endurance, and ultimately get faster.

Edit: the reason you fade in your 10K is probably because that was, as far as I can tell, the only time you ran anywhere near that distance.

as usual, bear is right .

when i reinvigorated my running in october, almost all of my runs were at a nice easy 11-12 minute miles.  i couldn't really go any faster if i tried, but if i did, it would be for short bursts.

just when i wast starting to get frustrated, i pr'ed a 5K by about 2 minutes.

i kept going with the slow runs 2-3 times weekly, 3-5 miles at a time.  a couple months later, i hit another 5K PR by another minute and a half.  by this time, i was a convert.  i NOW do some speedwork because...well, i am getting bored and like to mix it up, but i honestly think if i just kept running the same way, i'd keep getting faster all the way until i hit a certain plateau which would come from running 20-30 miles per week for a few years.  only then would a lot of these things more elite people do really be necessary to gain any more improvement.

the thing you have to remember is, to be good at ANYTHING you have to DO IT A LOT.  it doens't matter what it is, cooking, sewing, biking, running, playing the piano, WHATEVER.  try to think of one thing, where if you are starting from zero you can just do one little easy thing for a short time and then get better. there is no such thing.  

running is no different.  RUN MORE .  that's all.  until you get to KNOWING you can run 8 miles at a time and still have a productive day ahead of you not involving lying on the couch eating ice cream and thinking of dying, then just keep runnin' .

Ok, point taken, but in my defense:

1. 200 miles at my pace takes a LONG time!! 
2. I often don't record distance for my runs, just times.

Though now that I look at things, my running totals are a bit embarassing. I've been working on a wildland fire crew for the last few months so i've done tons of hiking but had almost no time for running, so that explains some of it, but even before that I wasn't doing as well as i'd thought.  Even so, I would think I should see some improvement...especially since i've been doing lots of hiking, and lots of fast hiking which I would think would build endurance.  Anyway...the question still remains....as I start working on running more, should I stay at the same pace or try to do focus on doing some runs at a faster pace, or what?

**sigh**

Run. More.

Pace is immaterial at this point.

i think you should just keep running at whatever feels easy, just do it more.  and occasionally, every month or 2, do a 5K and work it hard.  you'll find that over months, what feels easy just WILL be faster. 

Your logs don't show much running.  I made progress on about 30 miles average per month over the last 8-12 months.    No matter, you need to run more consistently and more miles.  I would think that 6 miles a week would be a starting point for you and start increasing 10% a week from there. 

Don't worry about tempo and speed work now. 

Every once in a while, you can go to a track and time yourself running your training pace for a mile.  I bet that if you start increasing you milage and have some consistency, you will start to see it drop. 

Take a look at my post above.  I started at about the same as you about a year ago and finished a sub 10 min/mile 10k and a 9:09 min/mile 5k just recently. 

I disagree--I'm not saying go sprint a mile and call it speed work, but a little bit of interval work DOES help, even for the shorter distances.  If you just keep running the same distances at the same speed, you're going to stay the same you are...comfortable at that speed and distance, even if you do it often--thus adding mileage to your week, say going from 6 miles total to 9 miles total in a week.  You either have to increase the mileage you do at one time, i.e. running 5-6 miles in a training session for a 3.1 mile race, or you mix up your training to include some faster running within your normal running.  If you just stick with the status quo, then yeah, maybe in a few years you'll have some improvement.  But if you're looking at training to get speed improvement, then you have to push beyond that normal pace. I guess I read what the OP has written and see that she wants to get faster, but right now anytime she runs, she runs at the same pace cause that is what is comfortable.  Running more is the answer if it's qualified or defined that that running more must equal running more at one specific training time (like the 5-6 miles in prep for a 5K).  If it's just adding another 3 miler to a different day of the week, and thus increasing weekly mileage, but still going at the same comfortable speed, you stay the same comfortable speed.  There has to be something harder, in training, for the body to push through in order to increase speed.  Just my two-cents though.

Not a single person that has posted in this thread saying they can't get faster than 10 min/miles will plateau anytime soon with increasing volume. Adding intervals when not ready for them leads to one thing and one thing only.. and that is injury.. here are the facts for anyone doing below 25-30 mpw .. including myself who has been battling  injuries and haven't been able to get to this level.

1. Identify your current level of fitness be it 5mpw or 15mpw ... and start to increase your volume.. through adding runs and adding distance.. getting to something like 4/5 run a week with one long, one medium, and two/three short
2. do it at the 10% rule..
3. run at a Z2 pace all day every day.. vary the terrain and learn how to run at this comfortable pace..   so if you are doing HR training which I personally suggest because it is instant feedback from your body and you can push yourself without going to hard..  If not HR but RPE then conversational, and not as slow as possible conversational, a good conversational..
4. just start running.. and don't come back in 4 weeks and say I am not faster.. 6 months minimum. When you run, your body is going through adaptations from the impact and muscle use.. doing speed work/intervals when these adaptations are not in place will injure you

I will give you a 100% guarantee that it will work for every single person saying they cannot get below 11:00 or 10:00 min/mile..

the point people miss is that as you run more say 11:00 pace at 160 HR.. the HR will drop to say 150 for 11:00.. so then you increase pace to say 10:30 at 160 HR.. and then it drops again.. and eventually you will be doing 9:00 at 160 HR  .. all are still Zone 2 efforts if you Z2/Z3 boundary is 162

False, as a beginner, running slower for miles on end will get you faster, your HR lowers which allows you to run faster at the same effort level. That is proved by science.

This was the first line of the thread "im a sprint newbie and working on my weakness" .. we are talking about beginners that need time to have their bodies develop and adapt

The problem with introducing speed work early is that the marginal benefit is small while the probability of injury is high.  Beginners with little "aerobic training base" have MUCH to gain by simply running more.  There are diminishing returns to this type of training, but one will not likely plateau for years running 20 miles per week.

A reason the elite train with speedwork, be it Kenyans or Americans, is that they have a MASSIVE running foundation and have reached the upper echelon of distance running.   They are at the end of the curve where marginal gains in speed are made through carefully planned and executed speedwork.  Their bodies have adapted to take on the benefits of more intense training.  Still, the majority of their miles will be at an "aerobic" or conversational pace for them.

Most (95%+) BT'ers will get faster with lower probablility by running more at a conversational or Z2 pace.  Even those of us with solid running backgrounds should not be doing speedwork 52 weeks per year; rather use a periodized approach to peak for your "A" races.

I created this graphic to help others understand the risk/reward of more intense training.  Others (like J. Daniels) may describe it better; but this works for me and may shed some light for others...

(Speed vs Endurance.jpg)

Don't disagree, once you plateau.. which will take a while for a beginner.. I totally agree that there is a need for tempo runs.. just not by someone doing 6mpw or 10mpw