Put a Spring in your Step By Ray Orchison
Training
I ’ m sure you ’ ve heard coaches and other runners throw around the phrase , “ to get faster , you need to run faster ,” but we often misinterpret what this means , and end up running too fast , too often .
Slower , easier runs are an important part of any training programme , helping us to develop our all-important aerobic engine – and the bigger and stronger the engine , the better we are able to rev it and ‘ floor it ’ without blowing it up . Running faster in training therefore does not mean taking out the slower runs , or increasing the pace of them . Running faster means that you begin to incorporate different and faster quality sessions between your easy runs .
What it ’ s Not
Now that we have an idea of what getting faster by running faster means , let ’ s have a look at what it does not mean . For some reason , most of us have this perception that running fast or doing speed work means hitting the track and running as fast as you can , as many times as you can . The problem with this approach is that it usually only lasts half a session before you find yourself limping off the track and into the physio ’ s rooms , because you ’ ve torn a calf or hamstring .
Speed work is not simply an all-out effort . It is not a shotgun approach where you throw everything at your session , and hope that something sticks . Speed work is a bit like dating : You don ’ t go on the first date and behave as if it ’ s your hundredth date . You start slowly . You talk about the weather , you ask about each other ’ s careers and interests and then gradually over time , as you get to know each other , you get more serious .
Easy Does It
When introducing speed work into your training , it must be done gradually . This means that you start with short sessions at a pace only slightly faster than your current easy run pace . Keep in mind that you are teaching your body how to run faster , so you have to give your body time to learn how to recruit more muscle fibres . You have to allow the muscles time to get used to the new running biomechanics that come with running faster . Getting ahead of yourself will only leave you injured and frustrated .
Of course , age plays an important role here . A teenager can pretty much jump out of bed and start sprinting , but when you ’ re a bit longer in the tooth , you ’ re going to have to roll out of bed , do a short dynamic warm-up and then walk down the passage . The bottom line is that the younger you are , the quicker you are going to adapt to speed training , whereas the older you are , the more patient you are going to have to be .
Start With a Hill
If you haven ’ t already been doing so , the best place to start speed work is on a hill , because hill training is a great introduction to track work , as it includes both strength and speed . However , because you ’ re running uphill , you are not able to hurtle to the top at breakneck speed .
Start with a short , steep hill . It doesn ’ t have to be very long – somewhere between 60 to 100 metres is perfect . After a good warm-up of 15 to 20 minutes of easy running , run up the hill four times at a fast pace , with a walk or slow jog back to the bottom before hitting the next repeat . The pace up the hill must feel hard , but run at a pace that you feel you can maintain for all the repeats . After you ’ re done , cool down with a 15 to 20 minutes of easy jogging . As this becomes easier , you can begin to increase the number of reps and the speed at which you do them .
Start with a hill session once a week for three to four weeks , and if there are no issues or niggles , then add a second quality session to your week consisting of a number of short bursts of speed . Fartlek is perfect for this type of work . Fartlek is Swedish for “ speed play .” In other words , have fun and mix it up a little . Here ’ s an example of a Fartlek session . Start with 15-20min easy jogging , then for the next 10min run repeats of 20sec fast followed by 40sec easy , then 40sec fast followed by 80sec easy . Finish off with a 15-20min easy jog to cool down .
Do the Basics Right
You ’ ll notice that in both the hill session and the Fartlek session , I have stipulated a warm-up and a cool-down . This is a very important part of any speed work session . A good warm-up prepares the body for the tougher work ahead , while a good cool-down assists with the removal of metabolic waste that builds up during high intensity work , as well as speeding up recovery after a hard session .
Ray Orchison is a South African-born running coach and therapist . He has completed the Comrades Marathon eight times , with a best of 7:08:52 , and also boasts personal bests of 33:55 for 10km , 1:14:17 for 21.1km and 2:48:00 for the marathon . He has completed USATF and NAASFP coaching courses , and provides personalised training programmes to his clients . Now based in Perth , Australia , you can find him at https :// runetics . com . au .
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