Running speed help needed

2

Replies

  • LtHammerhead
    LtHammerhead Posts: 33 Member
    The Nike app really just sets up a daily plan for your running based on what you want to do, easier than figuring it out yourself.
  • maiomaio71
    maiomaio71 Posts: 231 Member
    @owieprone there's a steep hill on my running route that I could use. I usually take the gentle uphill alternative but like the idea of sprinting up it and walking down. I can change my direction of running to anti-clockwise and incorporate this at the end of a run.
    I hate treadmills but with winter coming I know I'll be using one as the weather deteriorates. I'll bring in your treadmill session then. This is when I usually swim, so I might do a hiit running session and a short swim to warm down/recover. Really not looking forward to a hiit session but I need to do it!
  • owieprone
    owieprone Posts: 217 Member
    do it do it do it!! :)

    My old chiro pointed out that we should run our normal routes both ways changing each time... your body gets used to the camber etc so to make it harder and so you're not always tilting one way, change direction for each run. First couple of times makes your run seem much harder!

    Honestly, 10 mins on the treadmill isn't long, it'll go quickly while also feeling like a million years have passed. The longest I can go on them is 20 mins, after that i'm soooo bored! I much prefer running outside, but 10 mins for a quick warmup/cool down feels good. Swimming after would be good... but why shorter? Keep the swim the same :D
    You'll learn to love it, honest!

    How cold does it get where you are that it stops you running? The only time I don't run is when there's a layer ice on the ground and that's not often in the Home Counties England. Says me who hasn't run in about 2 years - I really need to get off my rotund butt-cushions.
  • maiomaio71
    maiomaio71 Posts: 231 Member
    It's not the cold that's the problem with winter, it's the shorter days. I don't run in the dark, freaks me out too much! By the time I get home from work I'm lucky to have an hour of light left. By the time I get home, change etc it's 45 mins max.
    And rain. I'm ok running in the rain but if it's thundering, which happens often, then I prefer not to.
  • owieprone
    owieprone Posts: 217 Member
    Ah, I don't mind running in the dark. I'm abit more wary doing it in my new town as more folk about. I'm from further north originally so I'm used to the same problem, rain or dark, if I didn't go out during those I wouldn't be able to do half my sports.
    I refuse to go out if it's raining and a cold wind though, that's just miserable, used to walk home from school in that... now I have the choice.. f-nope!

    Not running in thunder is probly a good call ;)

    Let us know how your hill HIIIT goes!
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,329 Member
    I really miss running in the dark 🙁
  • LoveyChar
    LoveyChar Posts: 4,335 Member
    In Texas spring and especially in the summers, I love running in the dark. Its been as high as 114 degrees during the day and I've run on 110 degree days and it's miserable. This time of year I like running in the dark. Late fall, early winter I prefer to run during the day but I run when I can. I run in an area with a sidewalk, houses, vehicles passing, and streetlights and I've been running that route for years so I feel safe there and I wear a bright shirt. I saw a lady wearing reflective shoes a couple of nights ago, good night shoes.
  • maiomaio71
    maiomaio71 Posts: 231 Member
    owieprone wrote: »
    do it do it do it!! :)

    My old chiro pointed out that we should run our normal routes both ways changing each time... your body gets used to the camber etc so to make it harder and so you're not always tilting one way, change direction for each run. First couple of times makes your run seem much harder!

    Honestly, 10 mins on the treadmill isn't long, it'll go quickly while also feeling like a million years have passed. The longest I can go on them is 20 mins, after that i'm soooo bored! I much prefer running outside, but 10 mins for a quick warmup/cool down feels good. Swimming after would be good... but why shorter? Keep the swim the same :D
    You'll learn to love it, honest!
    .
    @owieprone
    I've done two hiit sessions on the hill as you suggested. Really did not enjoy them but today's 10km run was 7 minutes faster than my previous so I'll keep doing them occasionally. It may also have helped that I had two rest days in a row due to bad planning. I've increased the number of weights sessions as well, and now swim after the weights. It's a struggle to swim as it's boring but I think the non-weight bearing work twice a week will help my arthritis.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,668 Member
    maiomaio71 wrote: »
    It's not the cold that's the problem with winter, it's the shorter days. I don't run in the dark, freaks me out too much! By the time I get home from work I'm lucky to have an hour of light left. By the time I get home, change etc it's 45 mins max.
    And rain. I'm ok running in the rain but if it's thundering, which happens often, then I prefer not to.

    Instead of driving home, changing clothes, and then going for a run, why not bring your running clothes to work and run from there? That gives you all the extra time that you use commuting, plus you can run different routes. Or change at work, then stop at a park on the way home and run there. Or go to a school and run the track.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    maiomaio71 wrote: »
    It's not the cold that's the problem with winter, it's the shorter days. I don't run in the dark, freaks me out too much! By the time I get home from work I'm lucky to have an hour of light left. By the time I get home, change etc it's 45 mins max.
    And rain. I'm ok running in the rain but if it's thundering, which happens often, then I prefer not to.

    Instead of driving home, changing clothes, and then going for a run, why not bring your running clothes to work and run from there? That gives you all the extra time that you use commuting, plus you can run different routes. Or change at work, then stop at a park on the way home and run there. Or go to a school and run the track.

    Just bring a towel to sit on in the car if you sweat. I actually bought a purposely designed terry clothe seat cover for this purpose.

    I love doing this for a change of scenery. Hit some trails I'd normally never have time for. Use the lunch time for spying out routes from the office perhaps if wondering streets to avoid or use, online usually tells enough story about close by trails or paths.

    Glad you mentioned this - was just contemplating how the route I was planning to do tonight was going to feel boring, and where else I could go. Now I know - not from home.
  • maiomaio71
    maiomaio71 Posts: 231 Member

    Instead of driving home, changing clothes, and then going for a run, why not bring your running clothes to work and run from there? That gives you all the extra time that you use commuting, plus you can run different routes. Or change at work, then stop at a park on the way home and run there. Or go to a school and run the track.

    It's only a 10 minute drive home. And where I work is in a busy part of the city with nowhere nice to run, and only on pavement. My usual route is around the lake...nice area, safe, grass.
    But I could do this, I just need to plan a route I guess. If I run first, given that I run for about 90 minutes, by the time I would drive home, it would be rush hour. And that means a 10-minute drive becomes about 25.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,515 Member
    I'm pretty slow, too. I took up running in my 50s.

    To get faster overall, what you are training is your entire cardiovascular system. When you imagine all the changes that are needed to speed you up (to your lungs, heart, veins, arteries, muscles, etc.), you can appreciate that it takes years to make significant improvements. It's a bit easier if you are younger, but you can make improvements at any age.

    Many of these changes will occur just from running regularly at almost any speed such that your HR is sufficiently elevated. That is enough to signal to your body that it needs to make improvements. Keeping light is helpful as well.

    If you want to do an "interval day," you can do that too (assuming you are in good health). When you do it right, it's hard! For starters, I'd suggest an outdoor track or a treadmill, rather than a hill. Hill intervals are doubly hard.

    Before quarantine, I thought the most fun way to do running intervals was at an indoor "run clinic" which had a DJ/coach. Everyone was packed in together on treadmills with dance music. It was a little like a rave, but with running. The room was darkened so you could go at whatever level you wanted and no one would know. You definitely want to be all clear with your doctor before trying this! (I wonder how many people end up being carried out of the room the first time. The staff always looked worried when I showed up.)
  • littlegreenparrot1
    littlegreenparrot1 Posts: 694 Member
    maiomaio71 wrote: »

    Instead of driving home, changing clothes, and then going for a run, why not bring your running clothes to work and run from there? That gives you all the extra time that you use commuting, plus you can run different routes. Or change at work, then stop at a park on the way home and run there. Or go to a school and run the track.

    It's only a 10 minute drive home. And where I work is in a busy part of the city with nowhere nice to run, and only on pavement. My usual route is around the lake...nice area, safe, grass.
    But I could do this, I just need to plan a route I guess. If I run first, given that I run for about 90 minutes, by the time I would drive home, it would be rush hour. And that means a 10-minute drive becomes about 25.

    Is it safe to walk to/from work? You might find it's quicker than driving at that time of day, and of course it's a handy warm up for the run.
  • maiomaio71
    maiomaio71 Posts: 231 Member
    The Nike app really just sets up a daily plan for your running based on what you want to do, easier than figuring it out yourself.

    Thanks for suggesting this. I've done some of the speed sessions (on a treadmill) and actually really enjoyed them. The Spotify playlists that go with each session have been enjoyable as well. There's a bit too much talking at times but I really like the sessions, and they didn't kill me like I thought they would.
  • LoveyChar
    LoveyChar Posts: 4,335 Member
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    maiomaio71 wrote: »
    I've been jogging for about 4 months now, having walked daily for 18 months.
    I am going about 3 or 4 times a week, with a one-hour bootcamp twice a week, occasionally swimming or cycling instead of a run and a few squash games thrown in.
    I had a target in mind, to run 10k by the end of term. I've managed that, in fact done it a couple of times now.
    My next challenge is to get faster.bim currently running 9 minute kms average over 10k. I really want to get down to 7 or even 6minute kms.
    I've tried fartlek running but I really struggled with it. I can run for 90 minutes or more at my slow pace, but as soon as I speed up I can't last long at all. At my 9 minute pace, my breathing is easy and it's my legs that give out first. As soon as I try to go faster, I struggle with rhythm and breathing.
    How can I build up speed so I'm running 10k regularly at 7 minutes a km? Do I even need to worry about speed?
    I've lost nearly 50kg and hoped as I got lighter I'd get faster, but that hasn't happened!

    Forgive me if I scanned this post.

    1. If I understand you have run 10k a few times.
    2.. You attempted fartlek with some resistance.
    3. You want to improve your 10k times.
    4. Your also doing a boot camp style train.
    5. You swamp out runs for other forms of cardio.
    6. All of this in a four month time.

    Correct?

    What programming are you running and does it include a long run day that is mpre than 10k?

    When you ran fartleks, did you run at random intervals and time lengths? If so, you immediately got winded?

    What means are using for proper load management?

    It seems you have a lot of fatigue accumulated from cardio that isnt specific to your goal.
  • barefootbridgey
    barefootbridgey Posts: 81 Member
    I'm a slow runner - always have been. At my best, I could run 12-14 miles, but no matter how short or long the run, I barely EVERY cracked under a 12 minute mile. I'm running only about 3-4 miles at a stretch now, but for the first time, I'm coming in at an almost 11 minute mile. I've also been lifting weights since January and this HAS to be way. Ive done like, boot camps, and HIIT workouts that involve resistance. I've don also sorts of circuit training stuff. I've done Body Pump classes. But never actually what I would consider actual (heavy) weight lifting. I'm certainly not an expert, but I have 2 different workouts that I alternate, I do 3 -5 total a week. One is Squats, chest press, calf raises, rows and kickbacks, the other is dead lift, lat curls, shoulder press, curls and abs (planks). I do 10 sets of 3 with a minute rest in between here I do what is like, a fast jog in place.

    world of difference, for sure.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,329 Member
    I'm a slow runner. I run around 8:20ish min/km most of the time. However I find that when I do a structured programme I run faster. It's not that the longer or whatever runs help. I've just started the second week of a 10k programme, and in the first week I ran faster than 7:50 average on every single run. My guess is that I have an aim, and put in more effort. Mind you, I still won't be able to run really fast regardless of how fit I am. But I know I'm able to run faster if there's a reason for it.
  • LoveyChar
    LoveyChar Posts: 4,335 Member
    tsazani wrote: »
    Have you ever tried or considered the MAF method?

    Google it.

    I did, interesting!