Dear Runners....advice???

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  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
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    bump!

    I can run 15km+ at my slow-ish pace (7:00min/km) - but as soon as I try to increase the pace, I can barely make it 4km. I feel like I'm permanently stuck at this pace.

    Thanks to everyone providing suggestions!
    That's not because you lack the speed. Since you can run 4 km at a faster pace you know that you have a faster speed. You just lack the endurance to keep going at that pace for longer than 4 km. The answer is to increase your aerobic capacity by running more training miles at an easy pace and increase your stamina with a tempo run every week or two.
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
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    My usual three tips:

    1) more miles
    2) more miles
    3) more miles

    So, do you think more miles will help? :D
  • brandyk77
    brandyk77 Posts: 605 Member
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    You have to run more to run faster. If you haven't built an appropriate aerobic base, all the speed and hill work in the world isn't going to make a whole lot of distance.


    This

    Just realized I mistyped that last sentence. Should be "difference".

    yet oddly fitting the original way
  • lauleipop
    lauleipop Posts: 260 Member
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    My usual three tips:

    1) more miles
    2) more miles
    3) more miles

    ^^^This.
  • sarah2954
    sarah2954 Posts: 291 Member
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    I'm new to running, so I'm also pretty slow. I'm okay with that though - a girl on here wrote something that stuck with me: "I may be slow, but I'm lapping the people on the couch."
  • cbu23
    cbu23 Posts: 280 Member
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    I'm new to running, so I'm also pretty slow. I'm okay with that though - a girl on here wrote something that stuck with me: "I may be slow, but I'm lapping the people on the couch."

    Hahaha, that's a great quote!
  • pweinzap
    pweinzap Posts: 8
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    Slow down and run more.
  • SirBen81
    SirBen81 Posts: 396 Member
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    I'm wondering how to work on my speed. I can run for a while, but I'm not a very fast runner. Any advice on how to get my speed up?

    Thanks!

    Doing sprints
  • balfonso
    balfonso Posts: 370 Member
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    I'm new to running, so I'm also pretty slow. I'm okay with that though - a girl on here wrote something that stuck with me: "I may be slow, but I'm lapping the people on the couch."

    Hahaha, that's a great quote!

    I must remember that. That's a good one! :laugh:
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
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    One other thing about running faster. It is not just a faster version of running slow. Running slow is easy once you get past the stage of staring out. Running fast is hard and it hurts. You have to zip up the man suit and embrace the pain. I like this quote from Steve Prefontaine about running fast in races.

    "A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest. I run to see who has the most guts, who can punish himself into exhausting pace, and then at the end, punish himself even more."
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
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    One other thing about running faster. It is not just a faster version of running slow. Running slow is easy once you get past the stage of staring out. Running fast is hard and it hurts. You have to zip up the man suit and embrace the pain. I like this quote from Steve Prefontaine about running fast in races.

    "A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest. I run to see who has the most guts, who can punish himself into exhausting pace, and then at the end, punish himself even more."

    And the pain of every race distance hurts differently.
  • kellapicola
    kellapicola Posts: 28 Member
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    bump
  • mlb929
    mlb929 Posts: 1,974 Member
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    I've been pleased with the information I read in the book Run Less Run Faster - mainly because I had NO CLUE what speeds I should be running to get faster or to ever meet a goal, it's all laid out in the book for you.
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
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    I've been pleased with the information I read in the book Run Less Run Faster - mainly because I had NO CLUE what speeds I should be running to get faster or to ever meet a goal, it's all laid out in the book for you.

    The FIRST program may provide some results to beginning runners, but to have sustained progress over time, you have to run and run quite a bit. Lydiard training is widely accepted as the basis for all successful training programs today.

    If you want to take your 5K from 28 to 26 minutes, FIRST may work for you. If you want to continue to improve and go sub 20, you have to run a lot of miles.
  • brandyk77
    brandyk77 Posts: 605 Member
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    I've been pleased with the information I read in the book Run Less Run Faster - mainly because I had NO CLUE what speeds I should be running to get faster or to ever meet a goal, it's all laid out in the book for you.

    The FIRST program may provide some results to beginning runners, but to have sustained progress over time, you have to run and run quite a bit. Lydiard training is widely accepted as the basis for all successful training programs today.

    If you want to take your 5K from 28 to 26 minutes, FIRST may work for you. If you want to continue to improve and go sub 20, you have to run a lot of miles.

    agreed

    Best short distance dude I know (who is nationally competitive in masters) runs over 100 miles a week. He races 1 mile and below only.
  • arc918
    arc918 Posts: 2,037 Member
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    And the pain of every race distance hurts differently.

    Big time!

    I much prefer half marathon pain to 5k or marathon pain.
  • arc918
    arc918 Posts: 2,037 Member
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    I've been pleased with the information I read in the book Run Less Run Faster - mainly because I had NO CLUE what speeds I should be running to get faster or to ever meet a goal, it's all laid out in the book for you.

    The FIRST program may provide some results to beginning runners, but to have sustained progress over time, you have to run and run quite a bit. Lydiard training is widely accepted as the basis for all successful training programs today.

    If you want to take your 5K from 28 to 26 minutes, FIRST may work for you. If you want to continue to improve and go sub 20, you have to run a lot of miles.

    Plus those 3 day programs are all quality runs - one tempo, one VO2max (intervals) and one long. I enjoy my easy runs as well as my quality runs. Sometimes it is nice to just go running and not worry about anything, be it pace or distance.

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