When will I run faster?

I'm not gonna tell you when you'll get faster because many have addressed that already. It will happen all in good time.

What I am gonna say is, "Bwhahaha ... I told you so!" Ha! I knew you'd get the desire to do a full marathon. I'm just smart like that.

My first 5K (since I started tracking my times) was about 36 minutes. I just finished the last one I did in 26:56. Several things have helped me. Once a week I get on my treadmill and do 1/4 mile intervals of my desired 5K pace and speed walking. I do this for about 3.5 to 5.0 miles depending on how much time I have. I also train on my 4-5 mile runs outside doing long gradual hills. I have found that these things have really helped me. I try not to run any less than 3.5 miles on a regular run day. Keeping these runs longer than a 5K, helps on 5K race days because my body feels like it can keep going when i have increased my pace for the race. Right now I am working on decreasing my longer distance run pace. That has been a bigger challenge. I am consistently at a 6mph pace for anything between 4 and 7 miles. Working to try to get that down for my next half marathon next month.

I was in the Army for almost 10 years. During this time, I was the Master Fitness Trainer for our company and worked with soldiers that needed to improve their fitness testing scores (or be discharged for lack of sufficient fitness). HIIT was a key part of helping these soldiers improve their time. Here is the formula I had the male AND female soldiers follow. I hope this makes sense.

Your pace per mile (PPM) on the best 5K was 12:55 (roughly 13mins PPM). On a typical running track, this means you would be doing a 1/4 mile lap in roughly 3:15. With this in mind, use the track to help you apply the concept of higher intensity running. After warming up properly, begin a run and do 1-2 laps at an easy pace (slightly less than your ~ 13min PPM). On lap 3, increase the pace of the run on the straight portion of the track. If you divide the track into quarters, each straight portion is roughly 110 yards. Using your 13min PPM, this means you are running this distance in roughly 49 seconds. What you want to aim for is doing the straight portions in 42-44 seconds. This will be a 10% increase in your PPM on the straight portions. When you hit the curved portions of the track, immediately resume the PPM you initially started the run. Repeat this higher intensity running on EACH straight portion through the next several laps. Conclude your run with 2 laps running at your best PPM. Additional goals can be increasing the PPM you run during the curved portions of the track....or increasing the pace at which you run the straight portions. Obviously, the goal will be to apply any increase you are able to make in your PPM.

One other tip that helps IF you are a runner motivated and driven by music and rhythm (in the ARMY we often ran to cadence, vocal chants). I no longer run to these cadences, but use music to help me maintain pace when exercising/running/cycling. That's all fine and dandy...but the trick is to find music that matches your present or objective PPM.

Enter PodRunner (available on iTunes or at http://www.djsteveboy.com/mixes.html). BTW, PodRunner is free, but there is a request to make a small donation (although it is NOT a requirement to get any music selections)

When you are running at your objective PPM, count the number of times your feet are striking the ground in a 15 seconds. Multiply this by 4 and you have your BPM pace. Then look through PodRunner for music that aligns with your BPM. The length of the music varies and there are different styles of music offered. Next time you head out for a run, take your iPod, and turn on the PodRunner selection that matches your objective PPM (aka BPM). I've shared this tip with numerous friends looking to improve their run or cycle pace. Almost everyone of these people said they had successfully used this technique to improve their PPM and overall performance.

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