Best Runners Tips

dsjohndrow

I started C25K in March '11 and it took me until March '12 to complete. Since then I have had a few milestones and run 9 races.

What I want to know is what have you done to run faster and/or farther? And what have you done which you think I should avoid?

scottb81

I think the best thing to do is read some training books and develop your own plan based upon the received wisdom and your own strengths and weaknesses. Two things all the books have in common are "run lots of miles" and "be consistent".

Here are a few recommendations
Athletic Training by Arthur Lydiard, available free at http://www.lydiardfoundation.org/pdfs/al_training_eng.pdf
Daniels' Running Formula by Jack Daniels
Run Faster from the 5k to the Marathon: How to be Your Own Best Coach by Matt Fitzgerald & Brad Hudson

This one is not really a training book but more an encyclopedia on everything running.
Lore of Running by Dr. Timothy Noakes

ShannonMpls

I'm far from the most experienced runner here, but what has helped me:

1) Time.

2) Sprint intervals. I do these on a treadmill. After warming up, I alternate all-out sprinting with a slow walk or jog. You can decide the time intervals. I sometimes do one minute on, one minute off, or 45 seconds if it's faster than normal. You can also do speedwork outside, I just haven't really incorporated it (google fartlek).

3) Gradually adding on mileage. I'd do a 5k, then the next week 4 miles, then the next week 4.5, then 5, then 5.5, etc.

4) Regular training. I mistakenly thought I'd improve in running even though I was running only once or twice a week, but doing a lot of cross-training. Wrong. My pace didn't get better, even though I could add mileage and built up to 10k. Now that I'm training for a particular race and running is my only cardio, I'm seeing major gains in speed (I'm about a minute a mile faster than a month ago) and distance (I am comfortably at 8 miles; my race is one month away and it's a 10 miler). I started c25k in January.


Edited to add:

What to avoid? Adding on mileage too fast, and skipping stretching after runs. For me, I need to roll my IT bands EVERY SINGLE TIME or I end up with knee troubles.

jturnerx

Don't run on trails. It's the gateway drug to all sorts of bad things.

mmk137

speedwork
temp runs
hills

if you can, sign yourself up with your local running club. The motivation of running with someone else pushes you further. Well this is what I have found effective for me at least

dsjohndrow

Wow - some good stuff!

I am consistent.

I have a plan for the 1/2, but it doesn't include speed work. I do have hills in all my routes from 3- 13 miles. And I am going to a meeting of the local running club next month.

Trails are tough for me - bifocals and changing ground underfoot is not easy. Heck, I have trouble with the curb cuts in the neighborhood!

iWaffle

Don't run on trails. It's the gateway drug to all sorts of bad things.

I was in Rocky Mountain National Park the first week of this month. I saw all sorts of crack-head trail runners. The must be on something in order to run on those rocky paths at 9,000 - 12,000 feet. Just pure crazy stuff.

wolfgate

GIven where you are experience wise, the biggest thing that will make you run faster is to run more miles. If you want to do speedwork, feel free - it's fun to run fast and may help you mentally to feel good and prepared. But building a more solid base will give the biggest payback in terms of improvement. So, if you decide to do intervals, do not let recovery from them reduce the number of miles you are running. For injury reasons, it's safest to NOT add speedwork and increase distance at the same time. You'll need to plan around that.

P.S. Hills are speedwork in disguise. Use them as possible!