How to Run Faster: 10 Tips for Runners
From working on your form to eating properly to varying the types of runs for your training routine, it’s possible for any runner at any age and experience level to work on reducing their times. It’s possible for inexperienced and experienced runners to see a decrease in their times if they follow a plan. In this article, we’ll examine ways you can improve your running times.
10 Tips to Help You Run Faster
Almost every runner wants to get faster, but many runners don’t want to do the work that will help decrease their times. Sometimes, that’s because they’re not sure what to do. Below are some ways you can put yourself on a path to get faster. Remember to always consult with a physician before starting a new exercise program.
Increase your Volume: Adding more miles to your weekly running schedule will increase your aerobic capacity. More work makes running at the same pace easier, which allows you to increase your running speed for shorter runs.
Interval Runs: Interval runs are when you run at a faster pace for a period, and then you slow down or even rest. Interval runs can be unstructured, like running hard for a block and then walking slowly for a block, or they can be structured. Structured might be running a quarter of a mile at a 5K pace, resting for 2 minutes, and then repeating that pace 4 times.
Hills: Hills are great for building lower body strength, and for improving your speed. You can add a hill run during the week. Find a hill that takes you about a minute to run up. Run up the hill at your 5K pace and then walk down it. Do it 6 times. Hill runs help you add bursts of speed.
Posture: Stand tall with your eyes pointed ahead of you, not down to the ground, and your back straight. A tall posture helps you distribute your weight evenly when your feet hit the ground. This will reduce stress on your knees and feet. Good posture helps with your running efficiency.
Cadence: Cadence is how many steps you take per minute when you run. Shorter, quicker strides are more effective and safer than longer strides. An ideal cadence is between 150 and 170 strides per minute. However, everyone is different so it’s important to find your cadence. To find your cadence, count how many times your foot hits the ground in 30 seconds. Double that number and you’ll have your cadence. Uneven cadence, where the number of times your feet hit the ground per minute varies can make you expend more energy and decrease your times.
Lean Forward: One common technique elite runners use to maximize their pace is leaning slightly forward when their feet land. A slight lean helps engage the larger muscles in your legs, like your glutes. The optimal forward lean is around 4 to 8%. You should lean forward using your ankles, not your core. A good way to figure out how much to lean is to do butt kicks with your hands at your side. A butt kick is when you stand in place and kick your legs as high as you can toward your butt. After you warm up, run for 5 or 10 yards doing butt kicks. Finish with a balanced landing. If you feel like you're falling forward too much, it’s too much lean.
Performance Running Shoes: Having the wrong pair of shoes can slow you down. A good pair of performance running shoes will give you the necessary traction, which will allow you to push off the ground confidently. You should look for shoes that are light and grippy.
Increase Your Lactate Threshold: Your lactate threshold is the point at which your muscles start to wear out. If you raise your lactate threshold, you can run faster for a longer period of time. Doing tempo runs can help raise your lactate threshold. Tempo runs are when you run faster than your normal pace for a sustained period of time. If your pace for a 5K is 8:30 per mile, you could run for 20 minutes at an 8-minute pace and then finish your run with a 10-minute light jog.
Diet: Carb loading is when you increase the level of carbohydrates you consume up to 3 days before the race. For daily runs, eating a small meal high in easily digestible carbohydrates 30 minutes before you run helps your energy level. For instance, a toasted bagel with peanut butter and a banana is great pre-run nutrition.
Strength Training for Speed
There’s a limit to how much you can improve your running by incorporating different types of runs into your training sessions or just running more. Strength training may help you overcome running plateaus. Focus on your legs, back, chest, and shoulders to improve your running efficiency. Below are 5 training exercises you can do to help increase your strength:
Lunges: Starting with light weights or no weights at all, hold dumbbells in both hands and step forward with a straight right knee while touching your left knee to the ground. Push back up to a standing position. Repeat this motion starting with your left knee.
Benefits: Builds up your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, hip abductors, and calves.
Box Jump: Bend at your knees and use your arms to jump onto a platform. You should land on the platform at the same time with both feet. The height of the platform will vary, depending on your comfort level.
Benefits: Builds explosive forces in your legs.
Weighted Fly: Grab 2 dumbbells and bring them up to chest level. Extend your arms out away from your body as far as possible while keeping them straight. Bring your fully extended arms back together in front of your chest. You should touch the dumbbells together to finish one repetition.
Benefits: Increases strength in your torso and arms, which helps with your running efficiency.
Push Ups: Starting on your stomach with your body fully extended, use both arms to push up from the floor. Your arms should be straight and extended fully when you finish. Your legs should be shoulder-width apart. Keep your back straight.
Benefits: Strengthens your chest muscles.
Speed training isn’t easy, but it can be rewarding if you stick with it. The results are tangible, which is gratifying, and if you get faster, shorter runs that used to be hard will be more enjoyable.