General Discussion Triathlon Talk » IMPROVE RUNNING SPEED Rss Feed  
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2005-09-26 8:58 AM

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Subject: IMPROVE RUNNING SPEED
Now that my season is over and that I took a week off. I am getting back at it and will start my off-season training program. I started training about 9 months ago from being a couch potato and have focussed mainly on base training for the first season that I completed with my first Oly. My main goals for the off-season are to maintain/improve my overall fitness, core work and improve my running speed. Respecting my off-season schedule might be difficult at times since we are expecting our second daugther at the end of October. So, realistically, I will run twice a week. I will try to add a third run, but I don't want to count on it every week. One run will be a LSD of about 90 minutes. The other one will be anywhere between 45 and 60 minutes. It is this second run that I need help to structure. Should I just run at a higher pace for the duration of the run, or should I do intervals. What will be more effective to increase my speed?


2005-09-26 9:12 AM
in reply to: #253377

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Elite
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Subject: RE: IMPROVE RUNNING SPEED
Take my free advice for what it's worth:

I'd suggest doing intervals during that 45-60 minute run if you're only going to able to do 2 runs. Even better would be to add that 3rd run and make it speed work on the track. Keep the 90 minute run as an LSD. The 45-60 minute run you could run at a faster pace, a little slower than 10k pace. The track work could be intervals, things like Yasso 800's, etc, or even throw in some hill work once every couple of weeks for strength.
2005-09-26 9:17 AM
in reply to: #253377

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Expert
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Subject: RE: IMPROVE RUNNING SPEED

I would classify speed work into four categories - intervals, fartleks, tempo runs, and hill repeats.  Alternate between the four, so it stays interesting.

2005-09-26 9:21 AM
in reply to: #253398

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Elite
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Subject: RE: IMPROVE RUNNING SPEED
Huge hill repeats advocate here. It sucks so miserably when you start, but I see far better results with it than any other form of speed work (although I do agree with Glenn that you do have to change it up sometimes to keep it interesting).

bts
2005-09-26 9:39 AM
in reply to: #253377

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Subject: RE: IMPROVE RUNNING SPEED
Thx for the info. Here are a few questions:

1) What is the difference between intervals and fartleks?
2) For hill training, we have a nice hill in Montreal that is about 3km long. For hill work, do I get to the top and down? The first part is hard, but the going down part might be useless. Do I do segments? Up for 10 minutes and back down, then start over?
2005-09-26 9:44 AM
in reply to: #253377

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Champion
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Subject: RE: IMPROVE RUNNING SPEED
From my own experience and from what I've been told over the years, it takes two workouts a week to maintain your condition and a minimum of three workouts to make any significant improvement.
I'm also planning on working on my running in the off-season and plan to work initially on just building my base mileage and losing some more weight for the first couple of months.
On weeks where you can only manage two workouts I would suggest a long run and a tempo run (a shorter distance at a pace close to your race pace).
On weeks where you can fit in three runs, then that third run could be a interval or track workout.
If you try to mix just one long run and a interval workout I'd be fearful of injury.
Mark




2005-09-26 9:57 AM
in reply to: #253417

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Subject: RE: IMPROVE RUNNING SPEED
p4406 - 2005-09-26 8:39 AM

Thx for the info. Here are a few questions:

1) What is the difference between intervals and fartleks?
2) For hill training, we have a nice hill in Montreal that is about 3km long. For hill work, do I get to the top and down? The first part is hard, but the going down part might be useless. Do I do segments? Up for 10 minutes and back down, then start over?


1. Intervals are more structured (i.e. xxx time at xxx pace, and then xxx minutes of recovery & repeat), while farleks might be race pace, recovery, sprint, recovery, race pace - 2, mile time trial pace, etc, etc.

2. That really depends on the workout. My personal preference is 1/4 to 1/2 mile uphill effort then recovery. Much more that than that and I get bored and find myself just trying to survive rather than pushing it.

bts

Edited by Brett 2005-09-26 9:57 AM
2005-09-26 11:20 AM
in reply to: #253377

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Subject: RE: IMPROVE RUNNING SPEED
A hill of about 200 meters should do the trick. Work you way up to doing 10, probably starting with 5-7.
2005-09-26 11:50 AM
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Subject: RE: IMPROVE RUNNING SPEED
Not to hijack but how do you normally structure a hill workout?

I have a great hill for this, right at .2 mile or so. Should I go up fast as I can, come back down and do it again OR Go up as fast as i can, then run it out at an easy pace around the block and back to the hill as fast as I can again? The latter is my normal routine, but I've only done it a couple of times.

TIA
2005-09-26 12:31 PM
in reply to: #253377

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Subject: RE: IMPROVE RUNNING SPEED
My way may not be the greatest but I usually start out at a pretty good pace and try to increase my speed as I get closer to the top. When I finish at the top I am at 5k pace or a little better. Then I jog down the same hill as a recovery and start again. Actually the jog down is slower than a jog to start. More like a foot shuffle into a jog. My breathing is under control when I start the next hill but my heart rate is still accelerated. I usually do not wear my heart rate monitor during hill workouts so I cannot tell you the zones I am in. Maybe some one else can provided information with which zones you should be in during hill repeats.
2005-09-26 1:05 PM
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Subject: RE: IMPROVE RUNNING SPEED
I am no expert, particulary on running (my recent 10K pace was 12 min/miles), but from what I've read about periodization training in both Chris Carmichael's books as well as the traithlete's training bible, winter training should focus mainly on building an aerobic engine base, basically, LSD, or anything keeping your HR in an aerobic level.

Speed, fartleks, hills, etc, are all anearobic intervals, and done early in the year (like winter), may not be the best timing for them. Increasing intensity by doing speed and interval work can happen as the last phaseb efore your goal event when you ahave a strong aerobic base to build your speed upon.

Free advice from a fairly well-read, non-expert.



2005-09-26 2:05 PM
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Subject: RE: IMPROVE RUNNING SPEED
AdventureBear - 2005-09-26 2:05 PM

I am no expert, particulary on running (my recent 10K pace was 12 min/miles), but from what I've read about periodization training in both Chris Carmichael's books as well as the traithlete's training bible, winter training should focus mainly on building an aerobic engine base, basically, LSD, or anything keeping your HR in an aerobic level.

Speed, fartleks, hills, etc, are all anearobic intervals, and done early in the year (like winter), may not be the best timing for them. Increasing intensity by doing speed and interval work can happen as the last phaseb efore your goal event when you ahave a strong aerobic base to build your speed upon.

Free advice from a fairly well-read, non-expert.



I agree. With swimming, and a somewhat lesser extent cycling, there is a lot of technique involved and you can make some fairly rapid improvements that way. With running, it's more just a matter of putting in the miles and building up your aerobic engine. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen overnight - it takes a lot of patience and persistence.
Mark
2005-09-26 2:07 PM
in reply to: #253377

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Subject: RE: IMPROVE RUNNING SPEED

From a total non expert as well, but I did a hill repeat workout wih a running coach a few months back.  Hill was about 200 yards long, he set up 4 cones about 50 yds apart. 

First run - run easy to last cone, run hard from there.  Second, ez run to second to last, third, ez run to third to last, fourth, no ez run

Repeat one to two times

2005-09-26 3:04 PM
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Subject: RE: IMPROVE RUNNING SPEED
Everyone had really good advice. I am a big advocate of tempo runs. Build up to a designated heart rate or mile pace after a 1 or 2 mile warm-up followed by a 1-2 mile cool down. Track workouts are great but are a very high level workout and the risk of injury can be high.

I always found the best way to get faster is to race. Try to get a 5k race in regularly through out the winter and really push it. I can run a sub 18 5k (not bragging at all as there are way too many guys much faster than me). I just want to point out that I rarely do speed work. Every now and then I will do a tempo run or a hill workout but I would never sacrifice good old mileage for the sake of speed. If I could only run twice a week, I would do one LSD and one tempo run.

Good luck

Mark
2005-09-26 4:38 PM
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Subject: RE: IMPROVE RUNNING SPEED
Another non-expert opinion here, for whatever it's worth.

I also agree that building your base up is very important. If you really want to add in speed work on your shorter days, perhaps consider doing it every second or third week. That will increase your ratio of base training to speed work even though you may only run twice a week.

One way to practice running faster without going out of a base training heart rate zone, is to speed up for very short distances. Increase your pace, keeping good form, for no more than a dozen steps or so and then return to the pace that maintains your HR zone. It allows you to re-inforce the neuro-muscular reflexes, the feel, of running faster. If you do several of these, let your heart rate settle back to the lower end of your zone after each time.

In addition, I've been reading a lot lately about running technique and you may want to do some research into that too. There seems to be several schools of thought as to what good running technique is, but many share some common elements like good posture and relaxing non-involved muscles. You should be at least aware of which part of your foot you are landing on and what your rate of turnover, or cadence, is. As in swimming, I've even found some drills you can do for running. Here is just one example:
http://www.endurancecoach.com/Running_Drills.htm

Good luck and have fun.
2005-09-26 7:20 PM
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Elite
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Subject: RE: IMPROVE RUNNING SPEED

There is absolutely no reason to be doing interval workouts during the off season.  If you're not hitting weights, I suggest doing this during the off season.  Your speed will increase much more dramatically after the off-season if you have done good/solid off-season weight work.



2005-09-26 9:13 PM
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Pro
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Subject: RE: IMPROVE RUNNING SPEED
Congrats on the past 9 months!

Last year there was a good Base post with an article included:
http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp...

Never mind the HR info, we've covered that pretty well with Mikes's thread! I like the part in the article about running slower to run faster. Work on your form and stride rate on your runs.

Don
2005-09-26 10:53 PM
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Subject: RE: IMPROVE RUNNING SPEED
Frequency is more important than duration or intensity. Build frequency first. I would rather see you do 4 thirty minute runs than two longer runs. Even 15 minutes is better than nothing. Try to see if you can sneak in some extra running here and there, no matter how short. If you want to improve speed, more frequent runs would be the way to go (even if they are shorter.).

Mike
2005-09-27 7:33 AM
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Subject: RE: IMPROVE RUNNING SPEED
Technique plays a HUGE role in sustained, fast running. Work on developing efficient technique and endurance first, before worring about lactate threshold or aerobic capacity workouts. Below is some information about efficient running technique and I'll be happy to send more to anyone who writes me at [email protected] Good luck, Ken

10 Commandments of Evolution Running

What are the differences between the techniques used by most runners and Evolution Running? We have broken the movements down into categories, each with a commandment.

1st Commandment: Land with your foot directly beneath your center of mass.

2nd Commandment: Never let your foot extend forward beyond the knee.

3rd Commandment: Land on the balls of your feet and keep the heel unweighted throughout footstrike.

4th Commandment: Minimize contact time between your feet and the ground.

5th Commandment: At any running speed, maintain the same high turnover rate (approximately 180 – 182 steps per minute).

6th Commandment: Maintain a straight line from the toes, through the hips, to the shoulders, but lean slightly forward with the hips and ribcage.

7th Commandment: Maintain a constant, slightly-bent, knee angle from just before to just after footstrike. Do not bend or straighten knee for propulsion.

8th Commandment: Begin to pull leg back, from the hip with a constant knee angle, before footstrike.

9th Commandment: Use quick, light movements, not forceful ones, to propel yourself forward.

10th Commandment: Immediately after the follow-through is completed, begin to drive the knee forward powerfully. As the knee drives forward, allow the foot to lag well behind during leg-recovery, using momentum, not muscular contractions, to raise the heel.
2005-09-27 8:03 AM
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Subject: RE: IMPROVE RUNNING SPEED
Thanks everybody for all the posts. As far as technique, I worked on it quite a bit, so its not too bad. I do have to work at maintaining a higher cadence. I will definitely try to sneak in another run to improve.
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