How to increase my speed...

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shadowkitty22
shadowkitty22 Posts: 495 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So a few weeks ago I completed the C25K program. I'm currently doing the walking portion at a 3.5 and the running (which is really more of a power walk/jog for me) at a 4.2. I'd really like to work on increasing my speed but I'm unsure of how to do it. Should I restart the program and just alter my speeds to where I'd like to be? Or should I just continue jogging as I am (30 straight minutes) but just slowly increase my speed every couple of weeks? As in start going at a 4.3 the next week and then once I feel comfortable maintaining that speed bump it up again?
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Replies

  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
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    Run longer, run farther. Increasing the amount of time/distance that you run will make your body more efficient and you will naturally get faster.
  • cole_carter
    cole_carter Posts: 174 Member
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    in my opinion the most effective way to build speed is to run intervals one day per week.

    Find a track somewhere. Every high school has one. Then you should run a number of 300 meter sprints (a good number is 10 of them). This means you run 3/4 of the way around the track as fast as you can. Then you wait 60 seconds to recover and then run another 300 meters and afterward wait another 60 seconds and then start again.

    One other variant is to run a sprint 3/4 of the way around the track and then walk the last 1/4. You might want to start of with 5 or 6 sprints and then add one each week.

    You should only do this once a week. The other running days you go for distance at your normal pace. Within a month you will see a significant change in your pace. Good luck
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    I am a big proponent of interval training, but I don't think that sprinting is always the best choice. A beginner will likely find it more enjoyable and effective to do intervals at "threshold"--a hard effort just slightly slower than 5K race pace, or a hard effort that is still controlled--than to do all-out sprints. You can usually do more volume at that intensity and there tends to be better carryover into your everyday training. That, and some squats and lunges.
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
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    in my opinion the most effective way to build speed is to run intervals one day per week.

    Find a track somewhere. Every high school has one. Then you should run a number of 300 meter sprints (a good number is 10 of them). This means you run 3/4 of the way around the track as fast as you can. Then you wait 60 seconds to recover and then run another 300 meters and afterward wait another 60 seconds and then start again.

    One other variant is to run a sprint 3/4 of the way around the track and then walk the last 1/4. You might want to start of with 5 or 6 sprints and then add one each week.

    You should only do this once a week. The other running days you go for distance at your normal pace. Within a month you will see a significant change in your pace. Good luck

    Before the intervals will do you any good, you have to have the aerobic base to support the work, which is generated by lots of slow, easy, conversational pace running. If you don't have the base, you will only get marginal gains from the intervals before quickly hitting a plateau.
  • arc918
    arc918 Posts: 2,037 Member
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    I'm with Carson, true speedwork is a waste until you have built up your endurance.

    What you need is more miles, more miles and more miles - you will get faster or your money back!
  • natalie412
    natalie412 Posts: 1,039 Member
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    I have only been running for about 8 months, and I agree with run longer, run farther! I am up to 12 miles for my longest run, and can now comfortably run 6 mph on shorter runs - faster if it is a race (I did 5 miles in 48 min recently). I have tried some interval training, but I think I am still at the stage where the long runs are benefiting me most. Just keep an easy pace for those longer runs - it really will benefit you immensely and you are less likely to injure yourself.
  • Chigger56
    Chigger56 Posts: 105
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    I agree with arc and Carson. Speed will come as your body gets more efficient and fit. Just run...run...run!!!
  • lizzybethclaire
    lizzybethclaire Posts: 849 Member
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    First off, Shadow Kitty, great job on your weight loss! 70 pounds is a lot of weight to lose. I"m not sure what increases your running speed, but I do know if you shave your all your body hair off supoossedly you can swim faster. That wouldn't work in this case, but I still thought it was interesting enough to share :tongue:
  • Lift_hard_eat_big
    Lift_hard_eat_big Posts: 2,278 Member
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    Train with a weight vest, then during race day, run without the weight vest.
  • davert123
    davert123 Posts: 1,568 Member
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    I'm in a running club - worth joining one for the advice. I'm at about the same level as you and my weekly schedule is

    1 - 4 miles in my own pace (slow)
    2 - 1.5 miles fast (as fast as I can anyway)
    3 - 2.5 miles medium pace - not too hard for 2.5 miles
    4 - 3 miles a bit slower than 3 but a bit faster than 1

    The speed increase is from 2 - the idea is I'm pushing my system to its maximum to improve the way my body processes oxygen. The long runs are there to increase my endurance. Endurance and speed are loosely related but just running longer won't get me faster it will just allow me to run longer.

    The programme gradually adds distance (mainly to one long run with starts to streak ahead in distance) and I will end up turning the number 3 run into a fast one as well

    I've done this before and they started me on intervals about 4 months from now to make sure my body is up to it. Once I started these there are many ways of getting there - I know a really steep hill I can sprint up - lovely jubbly - if I try now though I'm likely to injure myself (even if I don't want that to happen) so Its best to take it reasonably easy.
  • dbevisjr
    dbevisjr Posts: 183
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    The way I'm currently doing it is this:

    Day 1 intervals
    Day 2 easy run between 3 and 5 miles at a sustainable pace
    Day 3 Tempo run, shorter distance at the pace to which you wish to improve
    Day 4 off, or do something low impact, swimming, cycling or some light resistance training, up to 60 min
    Day 5 easy 2 miles
    Day 6 long run, 5 or more
    Day 7 off

    It's working great for me. But if a slow run maxes your heart rate, I would stick to light runs until your hr comes down a bit.
  • davert123
    davert123 Posts: 1,568 Member
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    in my opinion the most effective way to build speed is to run intervals one day per week.

    Find a track somewhere. Every high school has one. Then you should run a number of 300 meter sprints (a good number is 10 of them). This means you run 3/4 of the way around the track as fast as you can. Then you wait 60 seconds to recover and then run another 300 meters and afterward wait another 60 seconds and then start again.

    One other variant is to run a sprint 3/4 of the way around the track and then walk the last 1/4. You might want to start of with 5 or 6 sprints and then add one each week.

    You should only do this once a week. The other running days you go for distance at your normal pace. Within a month you will see a significant change in your pace. Good luck

    Before the intervals will do you any good, you have to have the aerobic base to support the work, which is generated by lots of slow, easy, conversational pace running. If you don't have the base, you will only get marginal gains from the intervals before quickly hitting a plateau.

    ...and you could well end up injured which will screw everything up for you :-)
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
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    Train with a weight vest, then during race day, run without the weight vest.

    This is just a bad idea. The extra weight just increases the chances of getting injured.
  • shadowkitty22
    shadowkitty22 Posts: 495 Member
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    Train with a weight vest, then during race day, run without the weight vest.

    This is just a bad idea. The extra weight just increases the chances of getting injured.

    Besides I like to think of my body as its own personal weight vest. I started off this year 70 pounds heavier and with each week I'm shedding a couple of pounds here and there. But yeah, I wouldn't actually run with added weights.

    Thank you for the suggestions so far everyone. If it makes any difference at all, I currently prefer to run on a treadmill as I hate heat and the coolest it gets right now is 75 and that's at about 5 am and I can't go running then because my husband has to leave for PT and we have two young children. I'm liking the idea of combining the endurance runs and the speed interval runs into my weekly routine. I guess I'll just have to see what works for my body. All I know is that while I don't yet "LOVE" running, my body does frequently tell me on my off days that it's looking forward to my next run. Haha
  • tappae
    tappae Posts: 568 Member
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    The long runs are there to increase my endurance. Endurance and speed are loosely related but just running longer won't get me faster it will just allow me to run longer.

    That's how I thought until I increased my mileage farther than I ever have this year and ran most of those miles at an easy pace (conversational). I added speed work back in last week and I have definitely gotten faster while I wasn't doing it. Lots of slow running will develop your aerobic system. Then you can run faster at the same effort level. I run faster now at an easy effort than I ran at a hard effort before I upped my mileage. I broke 40 miles for a week for the first time this week and I'm setting personal bests at multiple distances even while running mostly at an easy pace. Today I ran 9 miles total with 4 half-miles at a fast pace and it was my fastest 9 miles yet even though 7 of them were at a conversational pace.
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
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    The long runs are there to increase my endurance. Endurance and speed are loosely related but just running longer won't get me faster it will just allow me to run longer.

    That's how I thought until I increased my mileage farther than I ever have this year and ran most of those miles at an easy pace (conversational). I added speed work back in last week and I have definitely gotten faster while I wasn't doing it. Lots of slow running will develop your aerobic system. Then you can run faster at the same effort level. I run faster now at an easy effort than I ran at a hard effort before I upped my mileage. I broke 40 miles for a week for the first time this week and I'm setting personal bests at multiple distances even while running mostly at an easy pace. Today I ran 9 miles total with 4 half-miles at a fast pace and it was my fastest 9 miles yet even though 7 of them were at a conversational pace.

    Testify! :happy:
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,616 Member
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    I finished C25 in January. At the time I was probably 'running' at about 4.5mph, three times a week. (13 mpm) I did exactly as carson, tappae and others have described, I added mileage steadily, increasing my distances, and slowly increasing frequency too. My shorter runs are now 6 miles, my long runs are always over 10miles. In terms of your question, the most noticeable shift is in speed. I am still very heavy for a runner (which slows me down), but I'm much faster than I was, with most of my short runs coming in at under 11mpm. This is still pretty slow for most people, but I'm sure you can see what an increase it represents in speed, over a relatively short period of time. And excitingly, I now get just a teensy bit faster all the time.

    I didn't start interval work until I'd built up some secure mileage - I started adding intervals in about 8 weeks ago. I also started doing tempo runs at about the same time. But to reduce your risk of injury, you want to make sure your legs are good and strong before you start working with fast intervals.

    So yeah, as a fairly recent C25 graduate, I'd agree with these very experienced and seasoned runners (who do generally know *exactly* what they're talking about.... ) Run longer. Your speed will come naturally as your distance increases.
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,616 Member
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    Oh and OP, you're *definitely* right about the impact of weight on training and on speed. I know I speed up very rapidly in phases where my weight loss is good.
  • decdav
    decdav Posts: 41 Member
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    Add hill work. Keep your running pace the same, but make it up hill and then walk down to recover. Repeat. I've been told on some runnig forums and running friends that hills are the best way to build speed. (Plus when you hit the hills in a race they aren't so bad.)
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    Wanna run faster? Enter a 5k. You'll be surprised how much more you push yourself in a race environment! :smile:

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