Help to run faster
ellyseb1
Posts: 49 Member
I'm finally back to the point where I can jog for about 20-25 minutes without being completely wiped out. But I'm really slow (8min/1K)!! Anyone have tips to get faster? Winter is coming, so I'll be inside mostly on the treadmill.
2
Replies
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Speed comes with time and miles. Everyone wants to be faster. Nobody wants an injury. Unfortunately most running injuries stem from doing too much too soon.
Be patient. Run. Enjoy your return to fitness. Speed will come.10 -
Agreed.
If you can do 20-25 minutes slow... work on doing 30-45 minutes slow. If you can do 45 minutes slow, you'll be able to do 20 minutes less slow.
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To run faster you should run slower.
long slow runs will build your endurance over time.
Based on your numbers it looks like you are running about 3k so far right?
I think most runners recommend not working on speed until you can run at least a 10k, and I also think most runners do 80% of their training doing long slow runs.
Maybe some more experienced runners will chime in.1 -
I'm finally back to the point where I can jog for about 20-25 minutes without being completely wiped out. But I'm really slow (8min/1K)!! Anyone have tips to get faster? Winter is coming, so I'll be inside mostly on the treadmill.
All of the above.....
Focus on building your aerobic base (ie running longer times / distances) and a certain amount of improvement in speed will occur naturally. Don't worry too much about speed. It may surprise you to know that even the most experienced runners intentionally run very slowly during their longer training runs (I've been running for over 10 years and the target pace for my longer Sunday runs is around 7:15 to 7:30 per km)
Years ago I had a very wise coach tell me not to worry about running a fast (and that's a relative term) 5K until I could run a slow 10km. Following that advice 1 went from a 40 min 5K at my very first race to running 26:46 at the same race a year later (with no speed work).
Be patient, be consistent and have fun.4 -
BrianSharpe wrote: »I'm finally back to the point where I can jog for about 20-25 minutes without being completely wiped out. But I'm really slow (8min/1K)!! Anyone have tips to get faster? Winter is coming, so I'll be inside mostly on the treadmill.
All of the above.....
Focus on building your aerobic base (ie running longer times / distances) and a certain amount of improvement in speed will occur naturally. Don't worry too much about speed. It may surprise you to know that even the most experienced runners intentionally run very slowly during their longer training runs (I've been running for over 10 years and the target pace for my longer Sunday runs is around 7:15 to 7:30 per km)
Years ago I had a very wise coach tell me not to worry about running a fast (and that's a relative term) 5K until I could run a slow 10km. Following that advice 1 went from a 40 min 5K at my very first race to running 26:46 at the same race a year later (with no speed work).
Be patient, be consistent and have fun.
Curious how far your training runs are.0 -
I was of the school of thought that miles increase time, I increased miles and I went from 10 min miles to 9 minute miles and then sat between 9 and 9.30 depending on if I were 5 or 10k... I believe that the only way to increase speed is training! Hill training, intervals and instructed speed training.
You need to decide what you want to concentrate on first, a quicker 5/10k or the ability to run a consistent distance (marathon or ultra) and once you have picked your individual furthest, work on doing it quicker.
I know I will never do more than a half, Each one i do I look to take match or decrease the time taken, I have gone 2.20, 2.15 and 2.06. My next one im looking for 2.06 or pref 2. small steps but I'm out there running and I am proud of that.0 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »BrianSharpe wrote: »I'm finally back to the point where I can jog for about 20-25 minutes without being completely wiped out. But I'm really slow (8min/1K)!! Anyone have tips to get faster? Winter is coming, so I'll be inside mostly on the treadmill.
All of the above.....
Focus on building your aerobic base (ie running longer times / distances) and a certain amount of improvement in speed will occur naturally. Don't worry too much about speed. It may surprise you to know that even the most experienced runners intentionally run very slowly during their longer training runs (I've been running for over 10 years and the target pace for my longer Sunday runs is around 7:15 to 7:30 per km)
Years ago I had a very wise coach tell me not to worry about running a fast (and that's a relative term) 5K until I could run a slow 10km. Following that advice 1 went from a 40 min 5K at my very first race to running 26:46 at the same race a year later (with no speed work).
Be patient, be consistent and have fun.
Curious how far your training runs are.
Back then (2009 - 2010) my longest would have been around 10 to 12km and I would have been running a maximum of about 40km a week. It wasn't until 2011 that I started training for duathlons & half-marathons.
Now my longest runs may be around 20km or so during the latter stages of a HM training cycle.0 -
CharlotteAnneUK wrote: »I was of the school of thought that miles increase time, I increased miles and I went from 10 min miles to 9 minute miles and then sat between 9 and 9.30 depending on if I were 5 or 10k... I believe that the only way to increase speed is training! Hill training, intervals and instructed speed training.
You need to decide what you want to concentrate on first, a quicker 5/10k or the ability to run a consistent distance (marathon or ultra) and once you have picked your individual furthest, work on doing it quicker.
I know I will never do more than a half, Each one i do I look to take match or decrease the time taken, I have gone 2.20, 2.15 and 2.06. My next one im looking for 2.06 or pref 2. small steps but I'm out there running and I am proud of that.
Context matters here...
I think a person's ability is part of the conversation.
Someone looking to go from a 12minute mile to an 11 minute mile should really focus on their base - more miles at a modest pace/effort (whatever that is for them).
Someone looking to go from a 9 minute mile to an 8 minute mile will probably benefit from more structured/intentional training.
Can you more seasoned and accomplished runners confirm/correct that?
On a related note...
I also assume there is a degree of diminishing benefit in some situations. Someone who wanted to imporove their 5k time, regardless of ability/time, probably shouldn't be pushing out mileage to HM distances. It's one thing to increase distance to 6 or 7 or even 10k, but at some point more distance isn't helpful. I don't think OP is at that point, and I don't think anyone was suggesting HUGE distance goals for her.1 -
BrianSharpe wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »BrianSharpe wrote: »I'm finally back to the point where I can jog for about 20-25 minutes without being completely wiped out. But I'm really slow (8min/1K)!! Anyone have tips to get faster? Winter is coming, so I'll be inside mostly on the treadmill.
All of the above.....
Focus on building your aerobic base (ie running longer times / distances) and a certain amount of improvement in speed will occur naturally. Don't worry too much about speed. It may surprise you to know that even the most experienced runners intentionally run very slowly during their longer training runs (I've been running for over 10 years and the target pace for my longer Sunday runs is around 7:15 to 7:30 per km)
Years ago I had a very wise coach tell me not to worry about running a fast (and that's a relative term) 5K until I could run a slow 10km. Following that advice 1 went from a 40 min 5K at my very first race to running 26:46 at the same race a year later (with no speed work).
Be patient, be consistent and have fun.
Curious how far your training runs are.
Back then (2009 - 2010) my longest would have been around 10 to 12km and I would have been running a maximum of about 40km a week. It wasn't until 2011 that I started training for duathlons & half-marathons.
Now my longest runs may be around 20km or so during the latter stages of a HM training cycle.
Thanks. Still working on a steady 10km without walking. With some walking I'm around 7min/KM, so running faster. Thinking maybe I should slow the run part down to run more of it.
When you run slower, do you keep your cadence the same, or not pay attention to it?0 -
It will also help running with others, as long as they are paced as you or pref slightly quicker, not massively depending on your individual motivation.0
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Going slow for more miles will help you go fast for fewer miles. Just keep at it. I found at the beginning I had to go at a pace that felt excruciatingly slow, just to complete 1-3 miles. My first 1-3 miles are still usually my slowest miles, but after spending a year really working at it, I've run up to 18 miles. It simply takes time and practice. Try not to get discouraged and just enjoy your runs!3
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CharlotteAnneUK wrote: »I was of the school of thought that miles increase time, I increased miles and I went from 10 min miles to 9 minute miles and then sat between 9 and 9.30 depending on if I were 5 or 10k... I believe that the only way to increase speed is training! Hill training, intervals and instructed speed training.
You need to decide what you want to concentrate on first, a quicker 5/10k or the ability to run a consistent distance (marathon or ultra) and once you have picked your individual furthest, work on doing it quicker.
I know I will never do more than a half, Each one i do I look to take match or decrease the time taken, I have gone 2.20, 2.15 and 2.06. My next one im looking for 2.06 or pref 2. small steps but I'm out there running and I am proud of that.
Context matters here...
I think a person's ability is part of the conversation.
Someone looking to go from a 12minute mile to an 11 minute mile should really focus on their base - more miles at a modest pace/effort (whatever that is for them).
Someone looking to go from a 9 minute mile to an 8 minute mile will probably benefit from more structured/intentional training.
I also assume there is a degree of diminishing benefit in some situations. Someone who wanted to imporove their 5k time, regardless of ability/time, probably shouldn't be pushing out mileage to HM distances. It's one thing to increase distance to 6 or 7 or even 10k, but at some point more distance isn't helpful. I don't think OP is at that point, and I don't think anyone was suggesting HUGE distance goals for her.
Can you more seasoned and accomplished runners confirm/correct that?
Agreed, running longer distances / times will only take you so far, after that intentional speed work (hill repeats, fartleks etc) are needed.Tacklewasher wrote: »BrianSharpe wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »BrianSharpe wrote: »I'm finally back to the point where I can jog for about 20-25 minutes without being completely wiped out. But I'm really slow (8min/1K)!! Anyone have tips to get faster? Winter is coming, so I'll be inside mostly on the treadmill.
All of the above.....
Focus on building your aerobic base (ie running longer times / distances) and a certain amount of improvement in speed will occur naturally. Don't worry too much about speed. It may surprise you to know that even the most experienced runners intentionally run very slowly during their longer training runs (I've been running for over 10 years and the target pace for my longer Sunday runs is around 7:15 to 7:30 per km)
Years ago I had a very wise coach tell me not to worry about running a fast (and that's a relative term) 5K until I could run a slow 10km. Following that advice 1 went from a 40 min 5K at my very first race to running 26:46 at the same race a year later (with no speed work).
Be patient, be consistent and have fun.
Curious how far your training runs are.
Back then (2009 - 2010) my longest would have been around 10 to 12km and I would have been running a maximum of about 40km a week. It wasn't until 2011 that I started training for duathlons & half-marathons.
Now my longest runs may be around 20km or so during the latter stages of a HM training cycle.
Thanks. Still working on a steady 10km without walking. With some walking I'm around 7min/KM, so running faster. Thinking maybe I should slow the run part down to run more of it.
When you run slower, do you keep your cadence the same, or not pay attention to it?
Slowing down a bit will probably get to run the whole 10km non stop. Having said that, there are a lot of runners incorporating run/walk methods and turning out some pretty impressive times. There's also a school of thought that promotes the run/walk as a way of reducing injuries as your runs get longer.
I try to keep my cadence pretty much the same. One of the best things I ever did was to start running outside in winter, you have to keep your stride short in order to remain vertical which helps with a faster foot turnover.0 -
As a newer runner you certainly want to build your aerobic base by running longer and easy. However, adding interval training to your workout schedule improves your fitness faster than just running longer. Try warming up for 10 minutes at a comfortable pace and then do a series of 6-30 second intervals at 1.5 km speed faster than you normally go. Between each interval walk for 90 seconds. At the end do a gentle 5 minute jog. You'll find over time that you'll get more comfortable running at a higher speed and that you can sustain your longer runs at a faster pace. You can also do intervals with increasing incline and over time increase the duration of each interval. These workouts are more intense so starting off you should only do them 1x/week, over time increasing to 2x. Enjoy!0
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BrianSharpe wrote: »CharlotteAnneUK wrote: »I was of the school of thought that miles increase time, I increased miles and I went from 10 min miles to 9 minute miles and then sat between 9 and 9.30 depending on if I were 5 or 10k... I believe that the only way to increase speed is training! Hill training, intervals and instructed speed training.
You need to decide what you want to concentrate on first, a quicker 5/10k or the ability to run a consistent distance (marathon or ultra) and once you have picked your individual furthest, work on doing it quicker.
I know I will never do more than a half, Each one i do I look to take match or decrease the time taken, I have gone 2.20, 2.15 and 2.06. My next one im looking for 2.06 or pref 2. small steps but I'm out there running and I am proud of that.
Context matters here...
I think a person's ability is part of the conversation.
Someone looking to go from a 12minute mile to an 11 minute mile should really focus on their base - more miles at a modest pace/effort (whatever that is for them).
Someone looking to go from a 9 minute mile to an 8 minute mile will probably benefit from more structured/intentional training.
I also assume there is a degree of diminishing benefit in some situations. Someone who wanted to imporove their 5k time, regardless of ability/time, probably shouldn't be pushing out mileage to HM distances. It's one thing to increase distance to 6 or 7 or even 10k, but at some point more distance isn't helpful. I don't think OP is at that point, and I don't think anyone was suggesting HUGE distance goals for her.
Can you more seasoned and accomplished runners confirm/correct that?
Agreed, running longer distances / times will only take you so far, after that intentional speed work (hill repeats, fartleks etc) are needed.Tacklewasher wrote: »BrianSharpe wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »BrianSharpe wrote: »I'm finally back to the point where I can jog for about 20-25 minutes without being completely wiped out. But I'm really slow (8min/1K)!! Anyone have tips to get faster? Winter is coming, so I'll be inside mostly on the treadmill.
All of the above.....
Focus on building your aerobic base (ie running longer times / distances) and a certain amount of improvement in speed will occur naturally. Don't worry too much about speed. It may surprise you to know that even the most experienced runners intentionally run very slowly during their longer training runs (I've been running for over 10 years and the target pace for my longer Sunday runs is around 7:15 to 7:30 per km)
Years ago I had a very wise coach tell me not to worry about running a fast (and that's a relative term) 5K until I could run a slow 10km. Following that advice 1 went from a 40 min 5K at my very first race to running 26:46 at the same race a year later (with no speed work).
Be patient, be consistent and have fun.
Curious how far your training runs are.
Back then (2009 - 2010) my longest would have been around 10 to 12km and I would have been running a maximum of about 40km a week. It wasn't until 2011 that I started training for duathlons & half-marathons.
Now my longest runs may be around 20km or so during the latter stages of a HM training cycle.
Thanks. Still working on a steady 10km without walking. With some walking I'm around 7min/KM, so running faster. Thinking maybe I should slow the run part down to run more of it.
When you run slower, do you keep your cadence the same, or not pay attention to it?
Slowing down a bit will probably get to run the whole 10km non stop. Having said that, there are a lot of runners incorporating run/walk methods and turning out some pretty impressive times. There's also a school of thought that promotes the run/walk as a way of reducing injuries as your runs get longer.
I try to keep my cadence pretty much the same. One of the best things I ever did was to start running outside in winter, you have to keep your stride short in order to remain vertical which helps with a faster foot turnover.
Yeah, I did a fair bit of that last winter. And will do more this winter. Still would rather not have ice/snow, but I'm Canadian
Thanks.0 -
Long distance itself will not help you get faster but you should establish yourself a base with slower, long runs to build endurance. Then do 30-60 (30 seconds sprinting, 60 seconds walk) or 60-120. Overtime you will get faster.0
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Tacklewasher wrote: »BrianSharpe wrote: »CharlotteAnneUK wrote: »I was of the school of thought that miles increase time, I increased miles and I went from 10 min miles to 9 minute miles and then sat between 9 and 9.30 depending on if I were 5 or 10k... I believe that the only way to increase speed is training! Hill training, intervals and instructed speed training.
You need to decide what you want to concentrate on first, a quicker 5/10k or the ability to run a consistent distance (marathon or ultra) and once you have picked your individual furthest, work on doing it quicker.
I know I will never do more than a half, Each one i do I look to take match or decrease the time taken, I have gone 2.20, 2.15 and 2.06. My next one im looking for 2.06 or pref 2. small steps but I'm out there running and I am proud of that.
Context matters here...
I think a person's ability is part of the conversation.
Someone looking to go from a 12minute mile to an 11 minute mile should really focus on their base - more miles at a modest pace/effort (whatever that is for them).
Someone looking to go from a 9 minute mile to an 8 minute mile will probably benefit from more structured/intentional training.
I also assume there is a degree of diminishing benefit in some situations. Someone who wanted to imporove their 5k time, regardless of ability/time, probably shouldn't be pushing out mileage to HM distances. It's one thing to increase distance to 6 or 7 or even 10k, but at some point more distance isn't helpful. I don't think OP is at that point, and I don't think anyone was suggesting HUGE distance goals for her.
Can you more seasoned and accomplished runners confirm/correct that?
Agreed, running longer distances / times will only take you so far, after that intentional speed work (hill repeats, fartleks etc) are needed.Tacklewasher wrote: »BrianSharpe wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »BrianSharpe wrote: »I'm finally back to the point where I can jog for about 20-25 minutes without being completely wiped out. But I'm really slow (8min/1K)!! Anyone have tips to get faster? Winter is coming, so I'll be inside mostly on the treadmill.
All of the above.....
Focus on building your aerobic base (ie running longer times / distances) and a certain amount of improvement in speed will occur naturally. Don't worry too much about speed. It may surprise you to know that even the most experienced runners intentionally run very slowly during their longer training runs (I've been running for over 10 years and the target pace for my longer Sunday runs is around 7:15 to 7:30 per km)
Years ago I had a very wise coach tell me not to worry about running a fast (and that's a relative term) 5K until I could run a slow 10km. Following that advice 1 went from a 40 min 5K at my very first race to running 26:46 at the same race a year later (with no speed work).
Be patient, be consistent and have fun.
Curious how far your training runs are.
Back then (2009 - 2010) my longest would have been around 10 to 12km and I would have been running a maximum of about 40km a week. It wasn't until 2011 that I started training for duathlons & half-marathons.
Now my longest runs may be around 20km or so during the latter stages of a HM training cycle.
Thanks. Still working on a steady 10km without walking. With some walking I'm around 7min/KM, so running faster. Thinking maybe I should slow the run part down to run more of it.
When you run slower, do you keep your cadence the same, or not pay attention to it?
Slowing down a bit will probably get to run the whole 10km non stop. Having said that, there are a lot of runners incorporating run/walk methods and turning out some pretty impressive times. There's also a school of thought that promotes the run/walk as a way of reducing injuries as your runs get longer.
I try to keep my cadence pretty much the same. One of the best things I ever did was to start running outside in winter, you have to keep your stride short in order to remain vertical which helps with a faster foot turnover.
Yeah, I did a fair bit of that last winter. And will do more this winter. Still would rather not have ice/snow, but I'm Canadian
Thanks.
Another Canuck here too.......needed my gloves & toque yesterday as there was definitely frost on the pumpkin, soon the tights will have to be dusted off too.1 -
Tacklewasher asked:
Thanks. Still working on a steady 10km without walking. With some walking I'm around 7min/KM, so running faster. Thinking maybe I should slow the run part down to run more of it.
When you run slower, do you keep your cadence the same, or not pay attention to it?
When I run slower, my cadence is slower. I don't worry about it. The only time I get to optimum cadence is when I am doing tempo runs or intervals or running a steep hill.
You should try slowing down so that you can run farther. If you have trouble breathing, you're going too fast.
To the OP: formal speedwork isn't a good idea until you are running 25+ mpw, because it puts more strain on your body than simply jogging easy. Also, you should be doing a mile or two warm-up and cool down before after your hard speedwork, which is impossible if your total distance is only 5k. Doing too much too soon is likely to get you injured. When you are running a bit more, you can try varying your pace a bit during your runs, aka fartlek or speedplay, to train your legs to move faster, but too much can cause tendonitis so you don't want to do a lot of it until you are running a lot more. Add 5 minutes a week to your runs until you reach a level that works with the time you have available. 15-20 mpw is a good goal for a beginner. Then decide what goals you want to chase next year. Faster 5k? 10k? HM?2 -
BrianSharpe wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »BrianSharpe wrote: »CharlotteAnneUK wrote: »I was of the school of thought that miles increase time, I increased miles and I went from 10 min miles to 9 minute miles and then sat between 9 and 9.30 depending on if I were 5 or 10k... I believe that the only way to increase speed is training! Hill training, intervals and instructed speed training.
You need to decide what you want to concentrate on first, a quicker 5/10k or the ability to run a consistent distance (marathon or ultra) and once you have picked your individual furthest, work on doing it quicker.
I know I will never do more than a half, Each one i do I look to take match or decrease the time taken, I have gone 2.20, 2.15 and 2.06. My next one im looking for 2.06 or pref 2. small steps but I'm out there running and I am proud of that.
Context matters here...
I think a person's ability is part of the conversation.
Someone looking to go from a 12minute mile to an 11 minute mile should really focus on their base - more miles at a modest pace/effort (whatever that is for them).
Someone looking to go from a 9 minute mile to an 8 minute mile will probably benefit from more structured/intentional training.
I also assume there is a degree of diminishing benefit in some situations. Someone who wanted to imporove their 5k time, regardless of ability/time, probably shouldn't be pushing out mileage to HM distances. It's one thing to increase distance to 6 or 7 or even 10k, but at some point more distance isn't helpful. I don't think OP is at that point, and I don't think anyone was suggesting HUGE distance goals for her.
Can you more seasoned and accomplished runners confirm/correct that?
Agreed, running longer distances / times will only take you so far, after that intentional speed work (hill repeats, fartleks etc) are needed.Tacklewasher wrote: »BrianSharpe wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »BrianSharpe wrote: »I'm finally back to the point where I can jog for about 20-25 minutes without being completely wiped out. But I'm really slow (8min/1K)!! Anyone have tips to get faster? Winter is coming, so I'll be inside mostly on the treadmill.
All of the above.....
Focus on building your aerobic base (ie running longer times / distances) and a certain amount of improvement in speed will occur naturally. Don't worry too much about speed. It may surprise you to know that even the most experienced runners intentionally run very slowly during their longer training runs (I've been running for over 10 years and the target pace for my longer Sunday runs is around 7:15 to 7:30 per km)
Years ago I had a very wise coach tell me not to worry about running a fast (and that's a relative term) 5K until I could run a slow 10km. Following that advice 1 went from a 40 min 5K at my very first race to running 26:46 at the same race a year later (with no speed work).
Be patient, be consistent and have fun.
Curious how far your training runs are.
Back then (2009 - 2010) my longest would have been around 10 to 12km and I would have been running a maximum of about 40km a week. It wasn't until 2011 that I started training for duathlons & half-marathons.
Now my longest runs may be around 20km or so during the latter stages of a HM training cycle.
Thanks. Still working on a steady 10km without walking. With some walking I'm around 7min/KM, so running faster. Thinking maybe I should slow the run part down to run more of it.
When you run slower, do you keep your cadence the same, or not pay attention to it?
Slowing down a bit will probably get to run the whole 10km non stop. Having said that, there are a lot of runners incorporating run/walk methods and turning out some pretty impressive times. There's also a school of thought that promotes the run/walk as a way of reducing injuries as your runs get longer.
I try to keep my cadence pretty much the same. One of the best things I ever did was to start running outside in winter, you have to keep your stride short in order to remain vertical which helps with a faster foot turnover.
Yeah, I did a fair bit of that last winter. And will do more this winter. Still would rather not have ice/snow, but I'm Canadian
Thanks.
Another Canuck here too.......needed my gloves & toque yesterday as there was definitely frost on the pumpkin, soon the tights will have to be dusted off too.
We're running between 0 when I get up to 15 when I go home from work. But I did haul out the tights for a 10K trail race last Sunday. Toque came off around halfway.0 -
I'm finally back to the point where I can jog for about 20-25 minutes without being completely wiped out. But I'm really slow (8min/1K)!! Anyone have tips to get faster? Winter is coming, so I'll be inside mostly on the treadmill.
Wouldn't worry about speed at this point...you need to continue to build your base.1 -
I've been running for about 8 years now, with the exception of the month of August each year- it's too hot where I live so I take the month off and just bike and walk. I would say since the OP is running about 1.5 miles (20 or 25 minutes divided by 8Kms equals about 1.55-1.75 miles), I would suggest that you start aiming to run at that pace for 25-30 minutes. Once you can do that, add in another 3 minutes. Once you can do that, add another 3-4 minutes until you can comfortably run for 1 hour. But don't add time if you feel like you're dying at the end of your run. Add time once you feel strong and confident in completing that time. Assuming your pace remains the same give or take, (you will become more fit, but you will slow down the farther you run), you will be running about 4.5-5 miles. Now, at that point, you can decide what type of runs you like to do. Do you want to race 5Ks, do you want to run for the calorie burn and fitness aspects, do you want to increase distance to eventually run a marathon?
But for now, I would focus on running for longer time. Also, how many times are you running per week? When I first started running, I ran every other day and increased my time by a few minutes (like 2 or 3) after every 6th to 8th run until I could run 90 minutes. Then I started do some varying workouts.
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More miles! I'm a pacer, not a racer, myself. lol My speed only increases when my endurance is stronger, and that happens with more miles. Increase your running distance safely by adding just 10% more each week, as you feel comfortable. Doing a bit of 'cross training' helps too. My time increased when I would do some light lifting or yoga on off days, and switched up some days to do the rowing machine instead of lower body focused cardio to give my lower body a break. But do what works for YOU, and don't try to force yourself to be fast right out of the gates.1
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CharlotteAnneUK wrote: »I was of the school of thought that miles increase time, I increased miles and I went from 10 min miles to 9 minute miles and then sat between 9 and 9.30 depending on if I were 5 or 10k... I believe that the only way to increase speed is training! Hill training, intervals and instructed speed training.
You need to decide what you want to concentrate on first, a quicker 5/10k or the ability to run a consistent distance (marathon or ultra) and once you have picked your individual furthest, work on doing it quicker.
I know I will never do more than a half, Each one i do I look to take match or decrease the time taken, I have gone 2.20, 2.15 and 2.06. My next one im looking for 2.06 or pref 2. small steps but I'm out there running and I am proud of that.
Given where the originator is, they'll make rapid gains just pushing steady pace distances. Without the aerobic base the other types of training don't generate significant improvements.0 -
I also assume there is a degree of diminishing benefit in some situations. Someone who wanted to imporove their 5k time, regardless of ability/time, probably shouldn't be pushing out mileage to HM distances. It's one thing to increase distance to 6 or 7 or even 10k, but at some point more distance isn't helpful. I don't think OP is at that point, and I don't think anyone was suggesting HUGE distance goals for her.
In general there is a balance between total weekly distance, distance of the long steady run and the number/ distance of speed work sessions.
For a 5K improvement plan I'd veer towards about 35-40 now with no more than a 10mi LSR and all the other sessions being 10K.
For a novice runner wanting to improve a 5K performance about 10K is as far as you'd want to go. Once someone is on 30-40Kpw of steady paced, then look at starting to bring in some speed sessions. For a novice to speed sessions that might mean two 10K LSRs, a 5K steady run and a 45 minute spread session. So cycling the total distance down to accommodate the increased intensity, and manage risk.
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Run on a beach where the sand is thick enough, but not too thick. You will have a harder time running on sand than on paved roads. You will be faster eventually on paved roads.1
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Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I’m mostly interested in being able to do a faster 5k next spring. Nothing longer than that on the horizon. I took the advice and ran a little longer today. The weather was great so I managed 4k in 34 min. Slower pace but longer time! Tired, but not exhausted.3
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Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I’m mostly interested in being able to do a faster 5k next spring. Nothing longer than that on the horizon. I took the advice and ran a little longer today. The weather was great so I managed 4k in 34 min. Slower pace but longer time! Tired, but not exhausted.
That's terrific! Just remember to work your way up slowly. Adding too much distance too quickly is almost as bad as going too fast for a beginning runner (or any runner). The speed will come. Save the crazy speed workouts for next year when your body is ready for them.
Good luck.1 -
Great suggestions!!!!0
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Ran a full 10K yesterday. Still ended up a 7min/km average. Was a trail run so portions of it were real slow, but still running. Might try a flat run next weekend to see if I can do a 6:45. That seemed to be my pace on the flat part at the end.Tacklewasher wrote: »Thanks. Still working on a steady 10km without walking. With some walking I'm around 7min/KM, so running faster. Thinking maybe I should slow the run part down to run more of it.
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Hi there,
I started running about 3 months ago, at first I couldn't even run for a minute without being out of breath and having to stop!
I can now do 10km without stopping...my pace is 12:30min mile / 8 min km. But way I see it is that I'm out there doing it and can now run for 69 minutes longer than I could 12 weeks ago 3 -
Look for a local track club that you can work out with. In my experience, speed workouts and sprints made my 5k and mile paces faster really quickly, and I also benefited from the coaching and trying to race other people. You might also want to just add pickups to your run, like every 2 minutes run harder/faster for 30 seconds. You can also run hills. Pushing your comfort level seems to help speed.0
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