Runners: Speed Training for Distance

My $.02: you don't speed, you need endurance. Work on running without walk breaks. Once you can run for 8 or 10 miles without stopping, then you can add in some speedwork.

Totally agree!

I'm no expert but I tend to disagree with the posts in here. I'm training for a half marathon and think that sprint work is an important part of that training. I do minimum 2 sprint sessions a week and one long slower run on the weekend. This doesn't mean that you are focusing on speed but sprint work can increase your endurance. HIIT has been shown to be just as, or more effective for increasing endurance as longer steady state runs.

Just something interesting. Google 'Yasso's 800s'. It predicts that if you can run 10x800m in a certain time this will be your marathon time. I.e. 10x800m with each 800 done in 2min40sec would be a 2 hour 40second marathon time.

My $.02: you don't speed, you need endurance. Work on running without walk breaks. Once you can run for 8 or 10 miles without stopping, then you can add in some speedwork.

Agreed 100 percent!

Find a speed you're comfortable with that you feel like you can somewhat easily keep up, stop taking walking breaks start off aiming for a 5K without stopping to walk. You'd be surprised how easily it comes when you learn to pace yourself

I'm no expert but I tend to disagree with the posts in here. I'm training for a half marathon and think that sprint work is an important part of that training. I do minimum 2 sprint sessions a week and one long slower run on the weekend. This doesn't mean that you are focusing on speed but sprint work can increase your endurance. HIIT has been shown to be just as, or more effective for increasing endurance as longer steady state runs.

Just something interesting. Google 'Yasso's 800s'. It predicts that if you can run 10x800m in a certain time this will be your marathon time. I.e. 10x800m with each 800 done in 2min40sec would be a 2 hour 40second marathon time.

I respectfully disagree. All the HIIT in the world will not take the place of endurance. Also, 800 repeats (Yassos) are intervals, but not HIIT.

OP - given the novice level you described, the most effective way for you to increase speed is to run more miles. Build a bigger base, run a higher peak on your biggest mile weeks, add additional long runs. Over time work on decreasing the walk interval, but even if you don't more miles will increase the pace of your running portion. Greater endurance = greater speed.

If you find it fun to run faster and want to do some intervals to do so, fine. It is enjoyable. But don't sacrifice increasing miles in order to do the intervals. The miles are where you are going to see improvement.

The day will come where you're getting close to the max amount of time you're willing/able to spend running. Then tempo runs and other speedwork become more valuable.

Hill training, treadmill speed work, and joining a local pace group shaved 18 minutes off my half marathon split in only two weeks of training. I ran my first marathon this past September and clocked 4:25. My pace group has me set to run the L.A. Marathon in 3:16 in March. Maybe a pace group will work for you?

I used to do intervals as part of my three days a week running routine. Tuesdays - intervals, Thursdays - Tempo run, and Saturdays - long run. I did find that my speed improved on my longer runs (eg. Half marathons). However, if age is an issue, and, with me it is, the risk for injury is greater.

For me, my goal is to do the longer runs about 25% longer than the run I am racing. I am hoping that improves my time, while preventing injury.

Ah, the joys of growing old.

My $.02: you don't speed, you need endurance. Work on running without walk breaks. Once you can run for 8 or 10 miles without stopping, then you can add in some speedwork.

Yup, what this man says.

Yep. The way to decrease your time is to run more miles. The marathon is between 97% and 99% aerobic, so that is the system that you need to develop. This is done by running lots of slow, easy, conversational pace miles over time.

I just finished my 3rd marathon last month. 85% of the miles I ran were at around a 9:30 pace. The other 15% were a combination of tempo runs that varied between 6:45 and 7:30 pace and once a week doing strides of 100 meters, usually 8 to 10. So, you can see, the vast majority of the mileage was done at an easy pace. Was this plan successful for me? I set a PR in the marathon by 14 minutes, running 3:12. I ran a 6:00 negative split. My overall pace was 7:17, right in the middle of where my tempo runs were. I ran the last 4 miles at 6:51 pace, right at the fastest end of my tempo runs.

So, my easy runs were about two minutes per mile slower than my marathon pace. I think this is a pretty good illustration that running more slow, easy miles will make you faster.

Good luck on your next one!

I'm no expert but I tend to disagree with the posts in here. I'm training for a half marathon and think that sprint work is an important part of that training. I do minimum 2 sprint sessions a week and one long slower run on the weekend. This doesn't mean that you are focusing on speed but sprint work can increase your endurance. HIIT has been shown to be just as, or more effective for increasing endurance as longer steady state runs.

Just something interesting. Google 'Yasso's 800s'. It predicts that if you can run 10x800m in a certain time this will be your marathon time. I.e. 10x800m with each 800 done in 2min40sec would be a 2 hour 40second marathon time.

I respectfully disagree. All the HIIT in the world will not take the place of endurance. Also, 800 repeats (Yassos) are intervals, but not HIIT.

I agree with disagreeing, endurance first, speed last....most of your marathon speed will come from endurance not interval training. Yasso's are also only a good negative predictor, i.e. if you can't run 10 in 2:40 or less, you have no shot at a 2:40 marathon, but if you can do them it still doesn't mean you can run the time, unless you have the endurance which comes from building miles, not speed work.