Almost every runner will plateau from time to time. Often the best cure for this is a training adjustment. Sometimes even a slight tweak will result in faster times, but other times the whole training program needs an overhaul. Whether you are just looking for some ideas for increasing speed or you are thinking that your training regimen needs that drastic overhaul, check out the suggestions below for techniques you might want to try. The three most traditional means of speed work are track workouts, tempo runs, and fartlek workouts. All are excellent, but lets assume you've already incorporated those more traditional means of increasing speed, now what? Here are some ideas you may not have thought of trying.
1. Rest more. Sometimes we get so caught up in training and striving for that lower PR, that we forget that one of the most critical facets of training is, in fact, rest. Your body doesn't get stronger, more capable of faster times, during actual running or cross-training, but rather during recovery/rest. For two weeks, try taking a complete rest day on one of the days that would normally be an easy training day, and make an easy day out of one of your hard days (if you have two per week). And be careful not to make your other training days more intense to compensate. That would negate any benefit. This will give your body a bit of extra recovery. Then return to your usual training regimen. If you are sluggish and not seeing the kind of results you want or expect, taking just one extra day off might make the difference, but if it doesn't, try my two-week plan.
2. Hills. If you are not already doing regular hill training, try incorporating a hill workout, but only do it once a week, and do it on one of your hard days. If you already have two hard days per week, then replace one of them with a hill day or reduce the rest of the workout to make room for some hill training. There are many types of hill workouts. Just Google "hill training running," and you'll get plenty of ideas, but be sure to start gradually with only a small amount the first week.
3. Spin. If you are not spinning already, add one spinning workout per week. Do this on one of your hard days; otherwise your legs will never get to recover because spinning is intense. I recommend spinning after your run on one of your hard weekday workouts, but you could also do it first. Another idea is to do it instead of one of your hard workouts. Maybe alternate with replacing track work with spinning one week and replacing tempo with spinning the next week. Spinning will increase your leg turnover speed and your leg strength.
4. Leg turnover. Turnover drills probably have the greatest potential for increasing your speed. These are sometimes called foot strike drills. See how many foot strikes you can do in a minute. Strive for about 90, counting only one foot or 160 or more if you count both feet. Don't pay any attention to how much forward motion you achieve. That's irrelevant. Just concentrate on rapid foot strikes. Then cool down with an easy jog for a few minutes. Then repeat. Great drill.
5. Drills. There are many different kinds of running drills, however. Every running coach has their favorites. Go to YouTube and enter "running drills" or "drills for runners." Don't just accept anything you see; look for drills demonstrated and recommended by well known, credentialed coaches.
6. Add weight training. If you've never done any weight training, you might be very surprised at how much it can improve your running speed. AND don't ignore your arms. They are the levers that help you propel the legs forward. If you are already doing weight training, consider making some changes in your workout; be sure you are doing the right exercises, and be sure you are performing them correctly. Be sure you are doing the best exercises for runners.
7. Core. Improving core strength helps you to be lighter on your feet. It will help you avoid sinking into the ground with each stride; rather you'll feel more like you're gliding over it, which is, of course, faster. Study photos of yourself when at the end of a race. You'll see that you look like your torso drops closer to the ground with each stride than it did in photos early in a race. Strengthening your core and all other muscles will help this.
8. Lose weight. Many runners can afford to lose a few pounds. Even 5 pounds will make a difference in your speed and comfort. To investigate this, put 10 lbs of weight in a backpack and go for a run. Nothing will convince you more effectively.
9. Try some plyometric exercises. Be very careful here because these can easily get you injured and will always get you sore, at least at first. Make sure you do each exercise correctly and do them on a hard training day. Basically, plyometric exercises are explosive exercises. Google plyometric exercises and runners. You'll find plenty of videos on YouTube, but be very careful, and don't do this if you are not already in peak condition. Even then, start with only one or two reps of only a couple of different ones each week, and build from there.
10. Run off road on rugged terrain at least once a week. Running through sand, hopping over roots and adjusting to varying uneven ground will require much more mental concentration, but it will also strengthen your ankles and require more balance and increase overall agility. As a result, when you run on pavement it will seem easier, and you will be stronger. An added benefit is that is less stressful in other ways due to the fact that it is soft surface. Therefore, it will be easier on your body in that way.
11. Increase your base miles. Many people try to race and set new PR's after not completing an adequate macro cycle. In other words, they don't spend enough weeks going through the necessary training phases before goal races. If you are striving for a PR in a particular race, you need to carefully prepare for months in advance. Of course, the length of the preparation period/macro cycle depends on the distance of the race you're preparing for. Even if your goal race is a 5k, you will have a much better performance if you started your training/preparation for that race by building a base of at least 20 miles per week. If you are training for a goal 5k and don't plan on racing any longer distances, I still recommend building your once weekly long run to at least 9 miles. If
you have not done this in the past, you may find that it is the secret to having a breakthrough race.
12. Eat more protein. Of course, your whole diet is important, but I have particularly found that many athletes do not get sufficient protein for the quantity of training they do. I suggest keeping track of your protein intake for a few days. It may be that your muscles cannot get stronger and can't recover properly because you are not consuming enough protein. I recommend listening to some podcasts about nutrition for athletes. A highly recognized national authority on nutrition for athletes is Nancy Clark, MS, RD, CSSD nancyclarkrd.com/index.html nancyclarkrd.com/index.html. It could be that all you need to achieve a better time is a better diet.
13. Take a long, hard look at your running schedule. Does it make sense? It is carefully planned or haphazard? Are you training to be fit or is your training specific to what you need for the events you normally compete in?
14. Avoid any intense training sessions the week of any goal race. By that I mean a race in which you hope to set a PR. The only hard training you should do during that week is race specific. Even marathoners should not be doing any high mileage the week of a race.
15. Take a weekly yoga class. This is an excellent way to improve core strength, increase balance, and work on flexibility. All will make you a better runner, and improve your form, which will facilitate speed.
I didn't even talk about track workouts, tempo runs, and fartlek training, the three most traditional ways to increase speed. My goal here was to provide some not-so-traditional suggestions.
As always, be careful not to overtrain, i.e., work too hard too often, and don't do anything you are not properly conditioned to do. Keep in mind your age, experience, and current fitness level. Also, you wouldn't want to try to accommodate all of the ideas at once, and you should consider where you are in your training cycle before adding some of these ideas. If you are in the middle of your racing season, it may be best to wait until after the season and incorporate some of these ideas into your next macro cycle.
Copyright - Debbie Voiles. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
I am Debbie Voiles, the RRCA certified running coach at Mojo for Running, mojoforrunning.com mojoforrunning.com
I have been running for over thirty years, and I recently ran my fastest 5k at age 56. I've been an athlete my whole life, and now I enjoy competing in triathlons as well as road races, on and off-road, from 5k through marathon. With a background in teaching and high school coaching, Mojo for Running is a marriage of my life experience, love of running, and love of people.
Running is not my only passion. As an English teacher, I love to motivate young people, and I try to find new ways to teach things they should have already learned. That is the challenge, to help people 'get it' when they have not been able to 'get' something the way it was taught to them in the past.
Over the years, much of my success has been due to my ability to motivate people, whether it is in the pool - I used to coach swimming - in the classroom, or on the track. One of my students once said to me, "Mrs. Voiles, you should have been a motivational speaker."
Well, doesn't every teacher and coach need to be a motivational speaker? I think so.
I spend my time now motivating others to keep running and learning. I record bi-weekly podcasts for Mojo for Running, my online coaching business; they can be downloaded directly from the website or from iTunes.
And, soon, I will be launching an English Coach on Call website as well, enabling me to assist students, executives, parents and non-native English speakers with writing, grammar, and literature topics.
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