I’ve aked this question before, read it multiple times on the interwebs, and been asked it more than a few times: How do I get faster? While I am certainly no speed demon, I have gotten faster over my years of running. I started as an over five hour marathoner and worked my way down to a sub four hour marathoner. I also started as a 30 minute 5K runner and worked my way down to a 22-23 minute 5K runner. Getting faster is totally possible.
One of the first things I learned about getting faster is from an older runner I used to train with on track night. I was lamenting my speed and asked him how I could get faster. What he said made me laugh and think. He said, “If you want to run faster, you have to run faster.” And he was definitely right.
Since I took that six weeks off of running, I’ve sort of started out as a new runner again. I have had to work at getting “fast” again. Of course, the term “fast” is relative so what’s fast to me is painfully slow to others. I’m looking at you Adam. I’m still working on getting faster myself. I’ve learned one thing for certain, if you want to get faster, you have to work at it.
Here’s some thinngs that I’ve done that have helped me run faster.*
1. Speed work at least twice a week. I do one night of track and one tempo or race pace run. If you are new to speed work of any kind, start easy. For example, run three miles with one mile warm up, one mile at race pace, and one mile cool down. And if you want to do some speed work at a track start with either 400’s or 800’s. It’s easy to hurt yourself doing too much too soon. Always follow that 10% rule. Only increase your distance by 10% each week. As a caveat, if you are coming off an injury, be careful with how much speed work you throw back into your schedule.
2. Run longer, run more. If you want to run a faster 5K, you’re going to have to run longer training distances than just three miles. The same is true, IMO, for most distances. I don’t ever run a full marathon in marathon training but I do get my weekly mileage up fairly high. In addition, increasing your weekly mileage definitely helps, but again, refer to that 10% rule in number one.
3. Insert a few faster miles on your long runs. Those longs runs should be comfortable but I think throwing in a few surge miles at the end can help simulate how a race will feel and get you used to pushing the pace when you’re tired.
4. Train on hills. Let’s face it, hill repeats are hard. And they hurt. But they are great at improving your run in SO many ways. Click HERE for Runner’s World reasons hills are great and how to run them.
5. Keep running. There’s not an athlete out there who got faster by sitting on their butt. I absolutely have days where I think, “nope.” I don’t want to run on those days. I don’t want to hurt on those days. I want to sit on my butt and watch TV. Unfortunately, those days never get me anywhere and I always regret them.
6. Listen to your body. Ok, so this one may not make you faster but it will allow you to keep running and working on that speed. If you feel a niggle anywhere, back off. Take a rest day. Do some crosstraining. You’ll get there.
Now get out there an channel your inner gazelle!
Happy Hump Day kids!
*I’m not a certified running coach. These tips are from my experience and should be used with caution to avoid injury. You can do it!
Great advice B.S.!! I feel you because I'm just coming back from a knee injury and about 3 weeks of no running. It's tough at first but it gets better. Tempo runs and Speed work are where it's at if you want to get faster. As I gain my fitness back that's what I will be doing every week. Hey you know "we" have a marathon coming up in December… Can you say "training partner"… 🙂
TY
Train Healthy Be Wealthy
Great tips! Running faster would definitely be a bonus, I mostly want to run longer. I love running the bridge, in a sick and twisted way because it's hard but good. I have never done speed work, so I probably should try that. My half training plan I just started will have me running longer than I am used to, except in races. I always listen to my body, it's my brain I have to tell to shut up. Probably you should be my running coach. 🙂
That looks like great advice! I would also advocate a bit of strength/core training and flexibility too. Flexibility (yoga practice) is easy speed. This also looks a lot like my "how I got fast" series, which is fantastic since I never really finished those. <3
Great tips! I would also add strength. My short lived bursts of speed have come from strength.