Speeding up on longer runs

LindsayGii
LindsayGii Posts: 33 Member
edited November 26 in Fitness and Exercise
Tips wanted please. I have a 10k in three months. I've started losing weight and being fit again for the first time in forever, am 50 years old, dodgy knees and am too slow!

By doing intervals I've done c25k in 40 mins since January. I just want to speed up so the 10k is less than 90 mins. All ideas welcome :)

Replies

  • 30kgin2017
    30kgin2017 Posts: 228 Member
    edited April 2018
    I am suppose to be training for a 13km in a month. I was doing well on my training plan until I tried 10km too early in the day and got heatstroke. Been a bit all over the place since then. I was doing 2 x 5km runs a week and the added in a 3rd run which I was making progressively longer each week. My 5km times got better with this strategy. While I am not worried too much about my time for the 13km race, my goal is to be able to run the whole thing (last year I got to about 9km and then had to do walk/run intervals). So I am aiming to be able to do slightly longer than 13km so when I drop back to 13 it’s easier and I should be faster as what happened with my 5km runs.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    LindsayGii wrote: »
    Tips wanted please. I have a 10k in three months. I've started losing weight and being fit again for the first time in forever, am 50 years old, dodgy knees and am too slow!

    By doing intervals I've done c25k in 40 mins since January. I just want to speed up so the 10k is less than 90 mins. All ideas welcome :)

    Run farther to get your 10k speed up.
  • sofchak
    sofchak Posts: 862 Member
    Run intervals, fartleks or sprints.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,692 Member
    edited April 2018
    I improved my speed a little bit by running a short distance (1.5 or 2 km) faster than usual. That was usually a mid-week, after work run when I didn't have a lot of time. And because it was short I didn't have to pace myself.

    On weekends I would continually increase my distance.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,749 Member
    Running more miles overall will help your speed. Do most of your runs easy, but once a week do some faster running, with either intervals or strides. You might want to follow a program like Higdon's intermediate to train for the race: http://halhigdon.com/training/51123/10K-Intermediate-Training-Program
  • dewd2
    dewd2 Posts: 2,445 Member
    As a beginner the best thing you can do is run more each week. Don't worry about speed - it will increase as your body adapts. Slowly increase the total distance each week and work your long run up to 10 miles. Be patient. Going too hard too quickly will increase the risk of injury.

    Save the speed work for later when you body is ready for it.

    Good luck.
  • kathleenneriducharme
    kathleenneriducharme Posts: 46 Member
    I'm 54 and I find as I get older I need to do more strengthening stuff. Squats, lunges, weights, plank.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    Logging more miles. There are no shortcuts to improving fitness quickly. Ramp up you mileage at a reasonable rate, that will do wonders for your "speed" more than anything else.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    LindsayGii wrote: »
    Tips wanted please. I have a 10k in three months. I've started losing weight and being fit again for the first time in forever, am 50 years old, dodgy knees and am too slow!

    By doing intervals I've done c25k in 40 mins since January. I just want to speed up so the 10k is less than 90 mins. All ideas welcome :)

    What's your weekly mileage at the moment?

    I'd support the suggestions of more steady paced running, as a beginner. No point in anything more sophisticated until you've got quite a solid weekly mileage.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    At fifty years old with sketchy knees your goal is to avoid injury and complete the run.

    To do that you will first work on your endurance and cardiovascular capacity. Do your stretches and follow up or stop if you get weird joint or ligament pains. Don’t soldier through an injury or risk months of recovery.

    A little bit of DOMS won’t hurt you however.

    Speed comes later.
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    1) strength training to protect your knees
    2) run farther
    3) sprint, fartleks, and hills
  • pondee629
    pondee629 Posts: 2,469 Member
    Increase your distance at the same perceived effort (easy). It, the run, doesn't get easier, you get faster.
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