Do you try different kinds of workouts (other than simply going out for a run) to get faster and improve your time? For example, do you try things like tempo runs, sprint workouts, hill training, Yasso 800’s, or the 30-20-10 workout?
I’d really like to know what works for you — we all have our own unique bodies, and what works for one person may or may not work for another. (Or, does getting faster matter to you at all?)
Really interested to hear your thoughts, on this or anything else. — Terrell
This is something I have been thinking about lately due to some articles I have read. One in particular was from Jonathan at Podium Runner. He espoused the idea of running about 80% is your miles as “junk miles.” He defines them as much easier, slower runs. The idea is to run as many as you can. He said that we do not need to be concerned with getting faster in our day to day runs but that we should do the specific hill and speed training as the other 20%. He cited Kipchoge as an upper tier runner who does this. Kipchoge (according to the article) runs his daily routine at a pace of 3.5 min per mile slower than his marathon pace.
This may not be a new idea, but no one ever made it so clear to me. I know last year when I did my 180+ day streak I seriously violated this protocol. And it burnt me out. I was always trying to run faster and faster to get my speed better. I ended up taking a one month break to recover.
So for me, as I have gotten back into running after the break, I am taking it a lot slower. I have yet to incorporate speed workouts but that is because I need to get back in shape. I have only run about 10-12 times in the past 6-8 weeks. Once I get back to 3 or 4 times per week I will make one of them a speed workout each week. I have a middle school track about 6 houses away from me at the end of my dead end street. So at the least I will do some sprints. Eventually I have some pretty serious hills nearby that I will incorporate as well.
That's really interesting, Ben -- it sounds like you're really intentional about the way you run and the kinds of workouts you do. (And it sounds like that's what Kipchoge was recommending too.)
I had the honor to be in the sub-elite corral at the NYCM in 2018 and 2019. I was in the same area as those winning New York (including Shalane, Des, and the men too). When the Kenyans were warming up, they were going no faster than 12-minute miles. They walk, jogged, and just did whatever. They ran NYCM at less than 5 minutes per mile! Anyway, I've heard a lot about that too. On my easy days, I barely run faster than 3-4 minutes slower than my half pace.
T- I am replying to you here because the reply to yours did not show up for me. Yes, I am trying to be intentional after 4+ years of doing it the wrong way. I have even gotten about 5 good treadmill runs in after my first failed attempt. So that has been great. I should have mentioned that part of my effort at speed has been cross training by working out at a gym.
For me, I find when I consistently start running again and doing 2 things: sleep and a speed workout a week I get faster again. If I don't commit to sleep, I don't get faster. Consistency, speed, and sleep are what work for me.
Getting faster or building endurance are two different things. 5k up to half marathon concentrating on speed, where ultra's are more about endurance and the mental aspect which quickly becomes so important. Not that I'm running ultra's I work more on endurance and hill training as opposed to speed workouts. Tempo workouts are still important but speed intervals have taken a back seat. After 30 or more miles on very hilly terrain the need to do a quarter a few seconds quicker doesn't become a real factor.
I try never to run the same distance twice in same week. Nor the same weekly mileage in a given month. Variety is good for the body and the mind. Getting on a treadmill and running for one minute keeping track of number of times your left foot hits and multiply that by two gives you your cadence. Try increasing your strides per minute without shortening your stride. Few years ago I tried this for about a year, periodically checking my cadence and moved it from 200 to 208.
So, variety of workouts, changing of distances and the types of terrain can all work to help with increasing your speed. Also any time you do a different distance or even a different course you have a new PR. Make subtle changes and chase some new PR's!!
I’ve got a group of younger guys I run 5 miles with every Wednesday. I’ve found when I run with them it pushes me harder to try to keep up or stay in view with them and I’ve found myself running some stretches in the 8 minute plus per mile that seems to hard for me to do when training alone. I usually run. 1 to 2 miles before meeting these guys as well as 1 mile after to incorporate distance with the speed in between. Been doing this for the last 8 months and my times have been improving even though I’m. 53 years old. At least mentally I know from these runs that I can run paces of that caliber.
i don't really have a technique. i have to concentrate on picking up my pace. what works best for me is running a race and trying to beat someone in front of me. the best thing though is to run with faster people:)
The first time I ran a marathon, I was 26 years old and cruising into the final couple of miles. Just as I was passing the mile 23 sign, I saw a woman in her 60s speed by me. Needless to say, I picked up my pace 😀
I agree that yoga and for me even just doing yoga stretching poses really helps. That is one of my goals this year, to do good stretching after my runs.
That is great. I want to get into yoga as well. The only stretching I do before I run is hip stretching- as dynamic as possible. And I have found it helps me.
This past 12 week training block has really helped my 'endurance' speed. My coach designed the first 6 weeks with 'Surge' workouts, so about 2 minutes of greater effort (5-6/10 for most of the run, the Surge takes it just up to a 7/10), working my way up to 8 reps over a 6-8 mile run. Those workouts were tough but built up the strength for what came next. The workouts I am doing now are now 'Strides' instead of 'Surges'. So in the middle of a 6 mile run, I do 6 or 8 reps of 20 seconds of about a 9/10 speed, with 2:30 between each rep. Not quite a sprint effort but close. Those seem to really exhaust you at first, but after the third or fourth rep, even though my legs definitely feel like they are slowing, I noticed I am actually running at a faster pace. I know there is something there about the legs being warmed up, but I think the Strides are essentially tricking my brain into running faster once they are over. We will see how this all pays off soon, my race is February 15th!
Ok, This may work only for me, and I have to admit that I don’t do this purposefully, but, whenever I have a shorter to middle distance (4-10 mile) run that I try to fit in before I have somewhere else I need to be, and I start my run later then intended, I tell myself that I just have to cut it short, but I find myself running faster to try and still get all my miles in. So far, this has helped me PR at least 3 times! 😂
At this point, all I have done is run fast enough but comfortable enough to maintain my pace for close to half marathon distance. I’m 61, so I find myself unable to get much faster than a 2:32 half marathon pace. I use to smoke (like what an idiot) for 30 years, so now I am paying for my mistake. I am trying to help myself enjoy the latter part of my life and pray I don’t get cancer!
I want to congratulate you for doing one of the hardest things in life. I have never smoked, but as a nurse, I have met so many people who do (including, unfortunately, my mother), so, I have learned how truly difficult quitting is. Know this, your lungs and the rest of your body start healing itself once you quit. Even if some permanent damage may exist, quitting is the best possible health change you could have made.
I agree with you. My problem is that I am self-competitive so I want to get faster. At least I did before I started re-thinking all of this. My other desire was to not have to take as much time on my runs. So if I could run a 10 min mile on an 10 miles run as opposed to 12 min miles then I could shave 20 min off training that day. I am not saying that is a good idea, but it is what was driving me.
Ben, I also think about the shorter time spent if I can run a little faster, especially on those long distances. When you’re doing 18 plus miles, those seconds add up!
Ben - yeah, I get you. I mean I know what I think and what I say but I’m also already trying to scheme a way to get a teeny bit faster this weekend. Like 5 minutes. Which over the course of 2.5 hours seems like nothing but on a per mile basis it freaks me out. Plus I haven’t run more than 6 for a month and my nutrition has been in the can - I wasn’t planning to run this until yesterday. Should be fun. 😁
Seriously, the simple answer is just to get out there and run. Specifically, you can do hill repeats (those have really helped to increase my speed and also my stamina for longer races), and speed and tempo workouts are vital. Ladder workouts help as well. Bottom line, as for most aspects of running, you simply have to find what works for you.
The adage "it's a marathon, not a sprint" also applies to training, in my opinion. [Most of us] are not going to wake up one day and suddenly be on par with Meb; we have to work hard, day in and day out, and the improvement *will* come. We just have to be willing to put in the miles.
A little of both, to be honest. My running club has training programs from Jan-April, May-September, and October-December, and all three have speed and tempo workouts peppered in. One program is actually devoted to speed training. Speed, tempo, fartleks, ladder workouts, you name it. Also, I will try to throw some in on my own when necessary.
You do hear runner's comments with regards to hills- this seems to be uphill running. How many of us get in regular downhill running. This is especially important for quad strength and of course for trail running. A much neglected aspect of running by many.
I kind of like Steve Magness' approach: "Start backwards; work the extremes, bring it together, never leave anything behind, progress everything."
That is, there is something you can be doing year 'round to touch on the various parts of your running without completely abandoning them. Yes, you still train in phases of particular emphasis, but every few weeks you can still touch on some aspect that is de-emphasized in order to maintain some level of fitness with it.
Now, speaking less to "situational" or specific training phase speed, I find that it makes sense (especially as a 53 y.o. masters runner) to touch on some sort of speed work on a year 'round basis. Do we need off/down time from periodized training phases? Absolutely. Take that very important time off, but when coming back to it or during base building, I think simple unstructured work in the form of accelerations/strides or fartleks is a reasonable approach. It should not be done to the point of exhaustion, but should leave you still feeling fairly fresh. It also should not be a significant portion of your weekly mileage during non-specific training phases.
Not sure how much mention this has gotten yet, as I haven't read all of the way through yet, but hill work and strength work. Hills are pretty well know by most of us here probably as disguised speed work. Also, resistance training of some sort, again, especially as we age is extremely beneficial.
Some of my marathon training teammates love to tell me that running trails 2-3 times a week will not make me faster. But it's that slow, easy, take-it-all-in scenery of the trails that allows me to push myself a little harder when I do a tempo workout, hill workout or sprints on the track or treadmill. Running for 60-90 minutes at a nice easy pace on the trails builds my stamina when race time comes. At 61, when I'm in decent shape and injury free, I can run at a steady pace for the first 12 and then finish strong at the end with a 2:05-2:10 run. Here I come NYC in 6 weeks!!
I am a 61 YO asthmatic male and a very busy business owner, who wanted to get in better shape mentally and physically through running. 4 months ago I decided to run a half marathon in San Francisco, my first one. I had no idea if I could do it, but I loved to trail run at 18 years old in Vancouver. So what the heck - let’s try it... I finished the race in 2:55, beating my goal of 3 hours. And I got hooked. I signed up for 2 more 1/2’s for 2020.
The thing is - I made a point to NOT worry about the clock, and rather to just pay attention to my body and run to enjoy the run, experiencing the elements and the outdoors and getting in the zone... 40 mph winds, sand in my eye, who cares! What a great day and I can’t wait to do the next one.
I recently have been doing fast treadmill work (Wyoming winters are hard to get outside). I'm running 1/2 to 1 mile per hour faster than I normally do outside and at the end do sprint work for 5-10 minutes. I've noticed a major improvement in my lack of fatigue. I've also incorporated shorter, easier recovery runs, which are very difficult for me and I have found they really help me feel refreshed when it comes time for the longer intense runs. I always do alot of weight and mixed cardio thru the week as well, which keeps me from getting bored and anxious to work in my runs the days their scheduled.
Because I have a hard time not pushing it. LOL just my competitive self. I've had to learn giving 100% every run is not the best way to make improvement. If I feel like I could have given more when I'm done, I had the mindset it wasn't a successful workout or run. Getting over that has been difficult for me. But I found that it really does improve my performance overall.
What works for me is consistent, quality running - with a purpose. Running just to run doesn't cut it for me. With a purpose = every Tuesday is some kind of speed work whether its hill repeats, tempo, intervals; every Saturday is my slow long run and every other week I throw a few miles in at race pace. Thursdays I run 6 miles at race pace. Mondays and Wednesdays are shorter runs at an easy pace. In addition to the above, I also cross train because running isn't enough and it also keeps my joints healthy. I always make sure I get plenty of sleep and I eat a clean diet. This might not appeal to others and I've had people comment on how dedicated I am with my lifestyle - and the above certainly is a lifestyle - but I truly enjoy how great I feel so I don't feel like I'm sacrificing anything. This is just what I do. I've crossed the line of "habit" and have made it my lifestyle, which I think is easier to stick with.
I used to do HIIT workouts, which I liked but I found that they were putting too much stress on my joints. As crazy as this sounds, I switched to doing crossfit 4 days a week. The work outs are shorter but they are intense. What I like about crossfit is that the workouts include elements of gymnastics, weight lifting and cardio. It's not the same thing every day, each workout is scalable to the individuals capabilities. I am blessed to belong to a "box" that is led by some very good instructors.
Also how many here are consuming calories 200-300 per hour along with 18 oz of water or more during their long runs of 17 miles or more? Running long runs without consuming carbs and keeping hydrated is going to effect one's pace quality of your workouts.
I found that when I reduced carbs after a few weeks I lacked the usual energy to do my usual runs. I had increased fat and protein and was eating well over 2500 calories a day but I just started breaking down and had several injuries. I have never been a person to do speed workouts or add additional hill work (where I live there are hills everywhere anyway) but only when I increased the carbs back into my diet that I found running to be effortless again. Don't know if that helps but that has been my experience.
Electrolyte drinks, sounds good. I generally use 2 scoops of Tailwind Endurance Powder in an 18 oz bottle per hour of running. This keeps me hydrated and also let's me consume 200 calories and 50 grams of carbs and 50 grams of sugar per hour.
Being late coming into running, I’ve been going through a series of observations of how my body is responding to certain techniques, etc. I find when I don’t focus on a faster pace, or going longer distances/times, improvements happen. I still include tempo and fartlek runs now and again. I love to do hills just for the fun of it. So, I’m really not hard and fast on getting faster. However, I’ve seen my own improvements in areas.
I'm a little like that too, Judy. I ran a 10K a couple months ago and was surprised at the speed of my own time -- I wasn't really trying to run it all that fast, but staying consistent in the weeks leading up to it really worked out for me. The downside was, I put distance between myself and the friend I was running with (though we caught back up with each other at the finish).
I’m just reading all these posts....for me, my running has slowed down over the last four years or so. I used to be happy at a 10min pace because, well, I’m never gonna win so just run as I feel. But as the years have past, my pace has gotten slower and slower. I train at about 11-12 minutes/mile and then when I race, I tend to land about 10:45-11 min. I hate this! I really do! I want to be that runner of old where my pace was all feel but I cannot seem to get there again. I also find myself walking for no reason whatsoever when I’m running, and racing and this baffles me. I’m not out of breath or fatigued but I just stop and walk. This year, I am trying to be happy with my running, no matter the pace. This is really hard for me as I compare myself to everyone else(so competitive)! Any ideas on this mental funk I am struggling with?
I end up doing different workouts some by choice some not so much. I try to do a speed workout on Monday's. On Wednesday I do more of a tempo runs which I try to keep a steady pace, depending on the group I am in, that controls the effort. The other short run of the week is also a slowish style of run although there are times when it is faster. My long run which is on Saturday is currently a race pace run. That will change in April when it gets a little warmer an I can add a cycling session in after the long run.
I try a little bit of everything. I also work on my core and upper body to help with my balance and endurance. Currently and focusing on HIIT training to increase my overall VO2 max which in turn should help my performance overall.
I am currently experimenting with training programs to become faster. The tempo workouts sound great but I have not tried them yet. I usually do interval training workouts if I want to practice running faster. I alternate between one minute of sprinting and two minutes of jogging slowly. I would also like to try taking my training to the track and doing some 400 and 800 meter fast runs. I am open to other ideas as usual. I also think getting sleep plays a key role.
I practice polarized training: hard days hard and easy days crazy easy (mostly, heh). The base building phase of my current marathon program was almost all easy, zone 1 and I didn’t think it was doing anything for me until I ran a tune-up 10k with a significant PR. Now I’m in the speed-building phase, which has 800s and tempos. I’ve always preferred 1600s but I’m seeing the benefit of the shorter, faster intervals. I love love love tempo runs and have started running them after tough strength sessions—running on tired legs to mimic late half marathon/marathon conditions. I’m definitely getting faster and fitter, slowly but surely.
I'm with a local running club (Revoulution Running), we have three group workouts a week. One is either a track workout or hill repeats and the other is an interval run of some sort. I do believe these help make me a better overall runner and hopefully faster. I tend to be all over the place with my goals so I haven't actually tested the running faster part yet but I love doing short intervals, I get to feel like a speedster.
That's awesome, Laura! Is Revolution Running a club that's in multiple cities, or is local to you? (I wonder if others here might be interested in joining, if there are similar clubs where they live.)
I go to my local HS track for speed work once per week. The workout varies week to week, but generally consists of various paces for various distances. For example, I'll run 1/4 mile sprints at my one mile pace, 1/2 mile sprints at my 5k pace, and/or mile sprints at my 10k pace. I'll repeat these several times with 1/4 mile recovery between each set. I'll rest the following day and then do a tempo run the day after that.
This is something I have been thinking about lately due to some articles I have read. One in particular was from Jonathan at Podium Runner. He espoused the idea of running about 80% is your miles as “junk miles.” He defines them as much easier, slower runs. The idea is to run as many as you can. He said that we do not need to be concerned with getting faster in our day to day runs but that we should do the specific hill and speed training as the other 20%. He cited Kipchoge as an upper tier runner who does this. Kipchoge (according to the article) runs his daily routine at a pace of 3.5 min per mile slower than his marathon pace.
This may not be a new idea, but no one ever made it so clear to me. I know last year when I did my 180+ day streak I seriously violated this protocol. And it burnt me out. I was always trying to run faster and faster to get my speed better. I ended up taking a one month break to recover.
So for me, as I have gotten back into running after the break, I am taking it a lot slower. I have yet to incorporate speed workouts but that is because I need to get back in shape. I have only run about 10-12 times in the past 6-8 weeks. Once I get back to 3 or 4 times per week I will make one of them a speed workout each week. I have a middle school track about 6 houses away from me at the end of my dead end street. So at the least I will do some sprints. Eventually I have some pretty serious hills nearby that I will incorporate as well.
That's really interesting, Ben -- it sounds like you're really intentional about the way you run and the kinds of workouts you do. (And it sounds like that's what Kipchoge was recommending too.)
I had the honor to be in the sub-elite corral at the NYCM in 2018 and 2019. I was in the same area as those winning New York (including Shalane, Des, and the men too). When the Kenyans were warming up, they were going no faster than 12-minute miles. They walk, jogged, and just did whatever. They ran NYCM at less than 5 minutes per mile! Anyway, I've heard a lot about that too. On my easy days, I barely run faster than 3-4 minutes slower than my half pace.
T- I am replying to you here because the reply to yours did not show up for me. Yes, I am trying to be intentional after 4+ years of doing it the wrong way. I have even gotten about 5 good treadmill runs in after my first failed attempt. So that has been great. I should have mentioned that part of my effort at speed has been cross training by working out at a gym.
For me, I find when I consistently start running again and doing 2 things: sleep and a speed workout a week I get faster again. If I don't commit to sleep, I don't get faster. Consistency, speed, and sleep are what work for me.
Consistency, sleep and I would toss in the limiting of alcohol as just some of the factors to faster running.
Second the need for sleep!
Getting faster or building endurance are two different things. 5k up to half marathon concentrating on speed, where ultra's are more about endurance and the mental aspect which quickly becomes so important. Not that I'm running ultra's I work more on endurance and hill training as opposed to speed workouts. Tempo workouts are still important but speed intervals have taken a back seat. After 30 or more miles on very hilly terrain the need to do a quarter a few seconds quicker doesn't become a real factor.
I try never to run the same distance twice in same week. Nor the same weekly mileage in a given month. Variety is good for the body and the mind. Getting on a treadmill and running for one minute keeping track of number of times your left foot hits and multiply that by two gives you your cadence. Try increasing your strides per minute without shortening your stride. Few years ago I tried this for about a year, periodically checking my cadence and moved it from 200 to 208.
So, variety of workouts, changing of distances and the types of terrain can all work to help with increasing your speed. Also any time you do a different distance or even a different course you have a new PR. Make subtle changes and chase some new PR's!!
I’ve got a group of younger guys I run 5 miles with every Wednesday. I’ve found when I run with them it pushes me harder to try to keep up or stay in view with them and I’ve found myself running some stretches in the 8 minute plus per mile that seems to hard for me to do when training alone. I usually run. 1 to 2 miles before meeting these guys as well as 1 mile after to incorporate distance with the speed in between. Been doing this for the last 8 months and my times have been improving even though I’m. 53 years old. At least mentally I know from these runs that I can run paces of that caliber.
Amazing how that works, isn't it? 😀
i don't really have a technique. i have to concentrate on picking up my pace. what works best for me is running a race and trying to beat someone in front of me. the best thing though is to run with faster people:)
The first time I ran a marathon, I was 26 years old and cruising into the final couple of miles. Just as I was passing the mile 23 sign, I saw a woman in her 60s speed by me. Needless to say, I picked up my pace 😀
Yoga keeps my hips stretched out which helps speed. When I slack on yoga, my times slow down
I agree that yoga and for me even just doing yoga stretching poses really helps. That is one of my goals this year, to do good stretching after my runs.
That is great. I want to get into yoga as well. The only stretching I do before I run is hip stretching- as dynamic as possible. And I have found it helps me.
This past 12 week training block has really helped my 'endurance' speed. My coach designed the first 6 weeks with 'Surge' workouts, so about 2 minutes of greater effort (5-6/10 for most of the run, the Surge takes it just up to a 7/10), working my way up to 8 reps over a 6-8 mile run. Those workouts were tough but built up the strength for what came next. The workouts I am doing now are now 'Strides' instead of 'Surges'. So in the middle of a 6 mile run, I do 6 or 8 reps of 20 seconds of about a 9/10 speed, with 2:30 between each rep. Not quite a sprint effort but close. Those seem to really exhaust you at first, but after the third or fourth rep, even though my legs definitely feel like they are slowing, I noticed I am actually running at a faster pace. I know there is something there about the legs being warmed up, but I think the Strides are essentially tricking my brain into running faster once they are over. We will see how this all pays off soon, my race is February 15th!
Which race do you have on Feb. 15th? Good luck!
Ok, This may work only for me, and I have to admit that I don’t do this purposefully, but, whenever I have a shorter to middle distance (4-10 mile) run that I try to fit in before I have somewhere else I need to be, and I start my run later then intended, I tell myself that I just have to cut it short, but I find myself running faster to try and still get all my miles in. So far, this has helped me PR at least 3 times! 😂
I really can’t recommend this, though.
Wow! I love hearing stories like yours, Maria -- it shows how different what works is for each of us.
At this point, all I have done is run fast enough but comfortable enough to maintain my pace for close to half marathon distance. I’m 61, so I find myself unable to get much faster than a 2:32 half marathon pace. I use to smoke (like what an idiot) for 30 years, so now I am paying for my mistake. I am trying to help myself enjoy the latter part of my life and pray I don’t get cancer!
I want to congratulate you for doing one of the hardest things in life. I have never smoked, but as a nurse, I have met so many people who do (including, unfortunately, my mother), so, I have learned how truly difficult quitting is. Know this, your lungs and the rest of your body start healing itself once you quit. Even if some permanent damage may exist, quitting is the best possible health change you could have made.
Nothing wrong with that, Kristie! How long ago did you quit smoking? And is running helping you with staying quit?
I prioritize distance over speed. I’m a new runner (< a year) and I’m doing my third half this weekend (last minute entry into Donna - woo hoo!).
Trying to ramp up speed sounds like too much work and/or risking injury. I’m just not competitive when it comes to running.
Honestly, I'm much the same. (I was always the kid who played in the dandelions in the outfield back when I played little league :)
I agree with you. My problem is that I am self-competitive so I want to get faster. At least I did before I started re-thinking all of this. My other desire was to not have to take as much time on my runs. So if I could run a 10 min mile on an 10 miles run as opposed to 12 min miles then I could shave 20 min off training that day. I am not saying that is a good idea, but it is what was driving me.
Ben, I also think about the shorter time spent if I can run a little faster, especially on those long distances. When you’re doing 18 plus miles, those seconds add up!
Ben - yeah, I get you. I mean I know what I think and what I say but I’m also already trying to scheme a way to get a teeny bit faster this weekend. Like 5 minutes. Which over the course of 2.5 hours seems like nothing but on a per mile basis it freaks me out. Plus I haven’t run more than 6 for a month and my nutrition has been in the can - I wasn’t planning to run this until yesterday. Should be fun. 😁
I wish I knew...
Seriously, the simple answer is just to get out there and run. Specifically, you can do hill repeats (those have really helped to increase my speed and also my stamina for longer races), and speed and tempo workouts are vital. Ladder workouts help as well. Bottom line, as for most aspects of running, you simply have to find what works for you.
The adage "it's a marathon, not a sprint" also applies to training, in my opinion. [Most of us] are not going to wake up one day and suddenly be on par with Meb; we have to work hard, day in and day out, and the improvement *will* come. We just have to be willing to put in the miles.
Amen, John! Do you incorporate those workouts regularly into your training, or do them more on an ad hoc basis, every now and then?
A little of both, to be honest. My running club has training programs from Jan-April, May-September, and October-December, and all three have speed and tempo workouts peppered in. One program is actually devoted to speed training. Speed, tempo, fartleks, ladder workouts, you name it. Also, I will try to throw some in on my own when necessary.
You do hear runner's comments with regards to hills- this seems to be uphill running. How many of us get in regular downhill running. This is especially important for quad strength and of course for trail running. A much neglected aspect of running by many.
I kind of like Steve Magness' approach: "Start backwards; work the extremes, bring it together, never leave anything behind, progress everything."
That is, there is something you can be doing year 'round to touch on the various parts of your running without completely abandoning them. Yes, you still train in phases of particular emphasis, but every few weeks you can still touch on some aspect that is de-emphasized in order to maintain some level of fitness with it.
Now, speaking less to "situational" or specific training phase speed, I find that it makes sense (especially as a 53 y.o. masters runner) to touch on some sort of speed work on a year 'round basis. Do we need off/down time from periodized training phases? Absolutely. Take that very important time off, but when coming back to it or during base building, I think simple unstructured work in the form of accelerations/strides or fartleks is a reasonable approach. It should not be done to the point of exhaustion, but should leave you still feeling fairly fresh. It also should not be a significant portion of your weekly mileage during non-specific training phases.
Not sure how much mention this has gotten yet, as I haven't read all of the way through yet, but hill work and strength work. Hills are pretty well know by most of us here probably as disguised speed work. Also, resistance training of some sort, again, especially as we age is extremely beneficial.
Some of my marathon training teammates love to tell me that running trails 2-3 times a week will not make me faster. But it's that slow, easy, take-it-all-in scenery of the trails that allows me to push myself a little harder when I do a tempo workout, hill workout or sprints on the track or treadmill. Running for 60-90 minutes at a nice easy pace on the trails builds my stamina when race time comes. At 61, when I'm in decent shape and injury free, I can run at a steady pace for the first 12 and then finish strong at the end with a 2:05-2:10 run. Here I come NYC in 6 weeks!!
That's awesome, Susan! By NYC you mean the NYC Half in March, right? I'll be there too 😀
I am a 61 YO asthmatic male and a very busy business owner, who wanted to get in better shape mentally and physically through running. 4 months ago I decided to run a half marathon in San Francisco, my first one. I had no idea if I could do it, but I loved to trail run at 18 years old in Vancouver. So what the heck - let’s try it... I finished the race in 2:55, beating my goal of 3 hours. And I got hooked. I signed up for 2 more 1/2’s for 2020.
The thing is - I made a point to NOT worry about the clock, and rather to just pay attention to my body and run to enjoy the run, experiencing the elements and the outdoors and getting in the zone... 40 mph winds, sand in my eye, who cares! What a great day and I can’t wait to do the next one.
I recently have been doing fast treadmill work (Wyoming winters are hard to get outside). I'm running 1/2 to 1 mile per hour faster than I normally do outside and at the end do sprint work for 5-10 minutes. I've noticed a major improvement in my lack of fatigue. I've also incorporated shorter, easier recovery runs, which are very difficult for me and I have found they really help me feel refreshed when it comes time for the longer intense runs. I always do alot of weight and mixed cardio thru the week as well, which keeps me from getting bored and anxious to work in my runs the days their scheduled.
Because I have a hard time not pushing it. LOL just my competitive self. I've had to learn giving 100% every run is not the best way to make improvement. If I feel like I could have given more when I'm done, I had the mindset it wasn't a successful workout or run. Getting over that has been difficult for me. But I found that it really does improve my performance overall.
That's interesting, Rebekah -- why do you think the easier recovery runs are more difficult?
What works for me is consistent, quality running - with a purpose. Running just to run doesn't cut it for me. With a purpose = every Tuesday is some kind of speed work whether its hill repeats, tempo, intervals; every Saturday is my slow long run and every other week I throw a few miles in at race pace. Thursdays I run 6 miles at race pace. Mondays and Wednesdays are shorter runs at an easy pace. In addition to the above, I also cross train because running isn't enough and it also keeps my joints healthy. I always make sure I get plenty of sleep and I eat a clean diet. This might not appeal to others and I've had people comment on how dedicated I am with my lifestyle - and the above certainly is a lifestyle - but I truly enjoy how great I feel so I don't feel like I'm sacrificing anything. This is just what I do. I've crossed the line of "habit" and have made it my lifestyle, which I think is easier to stick with.
I used to do HIIT workouts, which I liked but I found that they were putting too much stress on my joints. As crazy as this sounds, I switched to doing crossfit 4 days a week. The work outs are shorter but they are intense. What I like about crossfit is that the workouts include elements of gymnastics, weight lifting and cardio. It's not the same thing every day, each workout is scalable to the individuals capabilities. I am blessed to belong to a "box" that is led by some very good instructors.
I love your commitment, Sandra! What kind(s) of cross-training do you do?
Also how many here are consuming calories 200-300 per hour along with 18 oz of water or more during their long runs of 17 miles or more? Running long runs without consuming carbs and keeping hydrated is going to effect one's pace quality of your workouts.
I found that when I reduced carbs after a few weeks I lacked the usual energy to do my usual runs. I had increased fat and protein and was eating well over 2500 calories a day but I just started breaking down and had several injuries. I have never been a person to do speed workouts or add additional hill work (where I live there are hills everywhere anyway) but only when I increased the carbs back into my diet that I found running to be effortless again. Don't know if that helps but that has been my experience.
I run mornings or afternoons, depending on the day. I don't time anything. I just noticed an increase of energy overall.
That's really interesting, Sarah. Are you a morning runner, and if so, do you time when you have carbs for when you do your runs?
Hey Larry, if I have anything during a long run (2hrs+) I will have an electrolyte drink.
Electrolyte drinks, sounds good. I generally use 2 scoops of Tailwind Endurance Powder in an 18 oz bottle per hour of running. This keeps me hydrated and also let's me consume 200 calories and 50 grams of carbs and 50 grams of sugar per hour.
Sarah,
You mention adding more carbs back into your diet which is great. Do you also consume carbs during your ru, in particular your long runs?
Being late coming into running, I’ve been going through a series of observations of how my body is responding to certain techniques, etc. I find when I don’t focus on a faster pace, or going longer distances/times, improvements happen. I still include tempo and fartlek runs now and again. I love to do hills just for the fun of it. So, I’m really not hard and fast on getting faster. However, I’ve seen my own improvements in areas.
I'm a little like that too, Judy. I ran a 10K a couple months ago and was surprised at the speed of my own time -- I wasn't really trying to run it all that fast, but staying consistent in the weeks leading up to it really worked out for me. The downside was, I put distance between myself and the friend I was running with (though we caught back up with each other at the finish).
I’m just reading all these posts....for me, my running has slowed down over the last four years or so. I used to be happy at a 10min pace because, well, I’m never gonna win so just run as I feel. But as the years have past, my pace has gotten slower and slower. I train at about 11-12 minutes/mile and then when I race, I tend to land about 10:45-11 min. I hate this! I really do! I want to be that runner of old where my pace was all feel but I cannot seem to get there again. I also find myself walking for no reason whatsoever when I’m running, and racing and this baffles me. I’m not out of breath or fatigued but I just stop and walk. This year, I am trying to be happy with my running, no matter the pace. This is really hard for me as I compare myself to everyone else(so competitive)! Any ideas on this mental funk I am struggling with?
I end up doing different workouts some by choice some not so much. I try to do a speed workout on Monday's. On Wednesday I do more of a tempo runs which I try to keep a steady pace, depending on the group I am in, that controls the effort. The other short run of the week is also a slowish style of run although there are times when it is faster. My long run which is on Saturday is currently a race pace run. That will change in April when it gets a little warmer an I can add a cycling session in after the long run.
I try a little bit of everything. I also work on my core and upper body to help with my balance and endurance. Currently and focusing on HIIT training to increase my overall VO2 max which in turn should help my performance overall.
I am currently experimenting with training programs to become faster. The tempo workouts sound great but I have not tried them yet. I usually do interval training workouts if I want to practice running faster. I alternate between one minute of sprinting and two minutes of jogging slowly. I would also like to try taking my training to the track and doing some 400 and 800 meter fast runs. I am open to other ideas as usual. I also think getting sleep plays a key role.
I practice polarized training: hard days hard and easy days crazy easy (mostly, heh). The base building phase of my current marathon program was almost all easy, zone 1 and I didn’t think it was doing anything for me until I ran a tune-up 10k with a significant PR. Now I’m in the speed-building phase, which has 800s and tempos. I’ve always preferred 1600s but I’m seeing the benefit of the shorter, faster intervals. I love love love tempo runs and have started running them after tough strength sessions—running on tired legs to mimic late half marathon/marathon conditions. I’m definitely getting faster and fitter, slowly but surely.
I'm with a local running club (Revoulution Running), we have three group workouts a week. One is either a track workout or hill repeats and the other is an interval run of some sort. I do believe these help make me a better overall runner and hopefully faster. I tend to be all over the place with my goals so I haven't actually tested the running faster part yet but I love doing short intervals, I get to feel like a speedster.
Thank you for letting me talk about my club. Revolution Running I believe is just in Colorado, which is a bummer.
That's awesome, Laura! Is Revolution Running a club that's in multiple cities, or is local to you? (I wonder if others here might be interested in joining, if there are similar clubs where they live.)
I go to my local HS track for speed work once per week. The workout varies week to week, but generally consists of various paces for various distances. For example, I'll run 1/4 mile sprints at my one mile pace, 1/2 mile sprints at my 5k pace, and/or mile sprints at my 10k pace. I'll repeat these several times with 1/4 mile recovery between each set. I'll rest the following day and then do a tempo run the day after that.