advice on how to run faster needed (Page 2)

The other part of that mantra is "sometimes hard".  If you are comfortable at 40mpw then yeah you should do some speedwork of some sort, IMO.  I'm at 35mpw (and still building) and I find that the speedwork really does what it advertises -- speeds you up.  Most noticeably, it makes all other paces feel MUCH easier.

I agree with newbz on all of this.  I have not done a single speed/interval workout, but have been steadily building my weekly mileage after reading people's advice on here.  Back in September I was running ~10miles/week.  After recovering from a HIM (in early Sept '09) where my run went to crap just over half way into it I started taking my running seriously.  I started to build my mileage... I was up to around 15-20miles/week by late October.  Did a 5k in 25minutes.  I continued to build my mileage since then and have seen a steady decrease in my 5k times and a steady increase in my ability to maintain a faster pace for longer.  I am now up in the 35-40mpw range, still haven't done a single speed workout and ran a 21:04 5k when I was still recovering from being sick with a fever a few days earlier.  I also ran my first marathon a month and a half ago and 'took it easy' and did a 4:02 on an fairly hilly course (1800ft of climbing), with the last 5k taking me 26minutes.  Considering I was able to run a 5k after "warming up" for 23.1miles that nearly beats my stand alone 5k from only 3 months before, I consider that a HUGE gain, simply by running more.  Not to mention now having my eye on a sub-20 5k, something I didn't think I'd be looking at after only 4 months.

I'm only now considering speed work... and I think speed work might still be a little premature for myself considering the gains haven't stopped or slowed down yet.

Yes, I know it isn't 'proof' and it's just anecdotal, but I listened to people like newbz and have come a long way in a short period without getting injured.

that is awesome to hear things going well!

I wish i had listened to people about mileage and intensity years ago instead of more recently and had done exactly what you are doing now back when i started.

where is scout for a thread like this..

Run lots, mostly easy, sometimes hard.  (emphasis on sometimes)


FWIW, I've seen awesome gains simply being consistent and running more, and still haven't even reached 25mpw.  I do almost no speed work, just a few shorter races here and there, and have been doing pretty well in them at that. 

I'm around, I just figured everything I would say had already been stated.

Gives me warm fuzzies, and brings a little tear to my eye.

we do our best