Run fast or far!?

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lysslax
lysslax Posts: 64
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all - I am wondering...I've been pushing myself to try to get faster. I started at about 10:30 min/miles and am down to 8:45 min/miles that I can maintain for about 5-6 miles. HOWEVER...I've noticed that running slow is burning more calories than running fast for the same distance...

Does anyone have recommendations on which I should be focusing on when trying to lose weight and build endurance? What's more important, distance or speed??

Replies

  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
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    Focus on distance, and speed will come.
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
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    Focus on distance, and speed will come.

    Truth
  • belgerian
    belgerian Posts: 1,059 Member
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    As your endurance builds for your longer runs your speed will naturally build for your shorter ones. Try intervals or hills once a week or so that helps build up both
  • chad23jl
    chad23jl Posts: 54 Member
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    As far as weight loss and running goes.....I find that an alternation between the two works best for me. The increase and decrease of heart rate is important to raise your metabolism. I have incorporated sprint/speedwalks into my routine and it has helped greatly in both my overall speed and in the duration that I can run.

    I usually start off with a 2 mile run at about an 8:30 pace...then I sprint .2 miles...speed walk .1 and I keep that up for another 4-5 miles.
  • RllyGudTweetr
    RllyGudTweetr Posts: 2,019 Member
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    Hi all - I am wondering...I've been pushing myself to try to get faster. I started at about 10:30 min/miles and am down to 8:45 min/miles that I can maintain for about 5-6 miles. HOWEVER...I've noticed that running slow is burning more calories than running fast for the same distance...

    Does anyone have recommendations on which I should be focusing on when trying to lose weight and build endurance? What's more important, distance or speed??
    As you get faster, you'll be able to go further within the same time frame, and the distance covered within a given time frame is what will have the biggest impact on caloric burn. In other words, you'll burn more calories running (for example) 5 miles than you will running 3 miles. Getting faster will allow you to do that more efficiently, but only if you can maintain over your entire intended timeframe.
  • lysslax
    lysslax Posts: 64
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    Thanks everyone for your input!!

    carsonruns and vpetryshyn - I guess I just need to be patient and push myself to go further, even if it's slow.
    I ran a half marathon a couple years ago and I was running 11 min/miles....I'd like to do another and crush my previous time!!

    Also chad23jl - your alternation sounds like something I should consider! I usually just run run run, but boosting my metabolism with different speeds would be great!

    belgerian - hills are the worst!!! :-P I've noticed on my normal running routes they're getting easier though, so that's a start....

    any good song recommendations for long runs?? i've run to girltalk or my "running" playlist for a few years now and I think I need an upgrade
  • lysslax
    lysslax Posts: 64
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    RllyGudTweetr - That makes sense.....I guess I'll just have to keep pushing further!! :-) thanks for the tip!
  • slortzMFP
    slortzMFP Posts: 1
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    I've noticed the same thing when looking at the stats on the elliptical trainer I use. For the same distance, you will exercise for less overall time if you go faster vs slower. I guess the time factor is more significant in terms of burning calories than the speed factor.

    I believe if trying to lose weight, there is an ideal target heart rate range that you should be in while running...there are generalized tables on this usually based on your age that you can find online. And just about every piece of cardio equipment I have used also has these tables listed, usually with one for fat burn and the other for high intensity cardio. The tables are just a basic guide and depending upon your capabilities you could come up with different target ranges.

    I'm no expert, but in general, if losing weight and building endurance are your goals, distance is more important than speed...but usually time is of the essence and so you always need to find a balance that is good for you. Walk for 5 hours at 2 mph or run for 1 hour at 10mph, same distance, more calories burned going slower but 4 hours more free time going faster and a better cardio workout. My guess is you'll find something that works for you somewhere in between those extremes. Good luck!
  • loseweightjames
    loseweightjames Posts: 365
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    far.
  • hotmamatodd
    hotmamatodd Posts: 33 Member
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    I am just new to running (6 months now!) I live on the east coast of Canada and our weather goes to extremes. On beautiful days I run outside and work on distance. On rain/snow/whatever days, I work on shorter distances/higher speeds...I get very bored on a treadmill. This has worked for me...shedding fat like crazy! Both my times and distances are improving and I find the change keeps me interested and my metabolism revving!
    Good luck!
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
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    Several things impact on your ability to run fast over a set distance.

    1. The ability to move your legs fast with good form, efficiency, and a long stride.
    2. The ability to handle increasing lactate levels in the muscles as they work harder.
    3. The ability to deliver oxygen to the working muscles and their ability to use the oxygen to create energy - Aerobic Capacity.

    # 3 takes the longest to build and will continue to improve for years. It is also the most important ingredient. Without this, the others don't matter. It is primarily trained with easy runs over increasing distances. Total weekly running volume is important because the higher the volume the faster and higher the aerobic capacity will build.

    # 2 requires you to run faster for 20 to 60 minutes about once a week. The pace should be hard, but sustainable. If using heartrate it should be around 82 to 92% max.

    # 1 is easy to train and improves quickly, within a matter of weeks. Once a week during or after an easy run do 6 to 10 strides. These are accelerations up to around max sprint for about 20 seconds. Strength training for your legs can also lead to improvements here.
  • lysslax
    lysslax Posts: 64
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    Some great insight so far, I appreciate it!!

    Sounds like the consensus is FAR! Although I know I'll need to do what's right for the time and circumstances of each workout....I also think based on these replies I should probably look into a reliable HRM, it would probably keep me on track when trying to keep the "fat burn" level HR.

    Thanks again!!


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  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    Focus on distance, and speed will come.

    Truth

    Yup.....endurance first, speed later.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,472 Member
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    slow and close?
  • Sublimely_Self_Righteous
    Sublimely_Self_Righteous Posts: 429
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    I read this thread title as "Run fast or fart?"

    Yes, I know. I'm 32 years old and it's time to stop thinking like a 15 year old.
  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
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    Thanks everyone for your input!!

    carsonruns and vpetryshyn - I guess I just need to be patient and push myself to go further, even if it's slow.
    I ran a half marathon a couple years ago and I was running 11 min/miles....I'd like to do another and crush my previous time!!

    Also chad23jl - your alternation sounds like something I should consider! I usually just run run run, but boosting my metabolism with different speeds would be great!

    belgerian - hills are the worst!!! :-P I've noticed on my normal running routes they're getting easier though, so that's a start....

    any good song recommendations for long runs?? i've run to girltalk or my "running" playlist for a few years now and I think I need an upgrade

    The long slow run is the cornerstone of endurance training, so yes, even if it is slow, run longer (your long runs should be 1-2 min/mile slower than your planned race pace anyway). Once you get your endurance up, then you can start to worry about things like tempo runs, intervals, and hill repeats. Those are all great workouts, but they are for sharpening speed skills. The majority of your gains right now will come from running more miles. Plus, if you jump into too much speedwork without a good base, you might injure yourself. A good way to ease into that is by doing strides

    http://www.runnersworld.com/workouts/add-strides-your-next-run?page=single

    My favorite running songs - Eminem "till I collapse"; Maino and T-Pain "All the above", most songs from Chronic 2001; just anything that makes me feel fierce after 16 miles has taken its toll on my brain.
  • JNick77
    JNick77 Posts: 3,783 Member
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    Here's a simple answer, which of these (in relation to a woman) would you rather look like??

    http://www.jtsstrength.com.php53-2.ord1-1.websitetestlink.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/marathoner-vs-sprinter-men.jpg
    1. The ability to move your legs fast with good form, efficiency, and a long stride.

    Mostly true... Speed is not related to how fast you move your legs but rather how much pressure/power you apply to the ground to propel yourself forward. That's where and why strength training helps. That's additionally why speed is "taught" to athletes through the use of plyometrics such as box jumps, broad jumps, lunge jumps, and bounding.

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