Increase speed (Read 1226 times)

I can only run about 3-4 days a week and I don't have alot of time to run before it gets dark. I live on an island and I work a little over an hour a way. I have been doing some speedwork. I have dropped my mile time from 10:00 to 8:45-9:00 depending on the day. I have only been running for 1.5 years for those of you who were wondering.

I just got together with 2 other coaches for MDRA (Minnesota Distance Running Association) Beginning Women's Jogging Class. This would be my 4th year helping them out. We usually have about 50 "students". We do a mile time trial on the first day (it's a 8-week program and we "encourage" them to start doing "something" before they come to the first class and send them some preliminary program). On the 8th and final week, we do another mile time trial. I have a graph that shows progression of our students. For the past 3 years, EVERY single one of them improve their mile time! Well, it's not (necessarily) because the coaches are great (well, that too...); but it's because now they get out and start doing "something". We usually have a range of people who could run 8-minute-mile to 18-minute mile. This girl I'm coaching, she was there 2 years ago. She recorded 7:50 on the first TT. By running more, she dropped it down to 6:24 on the 8th week. She was training for the marathon at the time and we started running 1:30 up to 2:00 regularly. Since then she lowered it down to 6:05 by doing more specific workouts. As you start running, your body's ability to retain oxygen is very poor. When you run, it requires oxygen. The faster you "try" to run, the more oxygen your body requires. If the speed that requires more oxygen than your body can take in, transport and utilize; then you create "oxygen debt". You're surpassing your body's ability to use oxygen. This is when you puff and huff AFTER you stop running--you're paying back that debt. As you run more, your body goes, "We've got to retain more oxygen!" and goes through some adaptations. Your heart becomes stronger so it can pump more blood; there will be more capillary beds in your working muscles (mainly legs) so your legs can take in more oxygen; mitochondrias in the working muscles, which produce energy with oxygen, becomes bigger and more in number (reportedly, Kenyan people have a lot more and bigger mitochondoria due to rarified oxygen)... All these adaptations take place so you can now run FURTHER and FASTER aerobically. This means now your body can take in, transport and utilize oxygen a lot more; therefore, you can run at the speed at which you once were getting into oxygen debt is not longer above and beyond your ability to use oxygen. Does this make sense? Simple test you can do is to go out, preferably on a flat course, for, say, 15 minutes; then turn around and come back in 15 minutes--total of 30 minutes run. Don't try to time you on the each corner or bench marker. 2 or 3 weeks later (bear in mine, you should continue training during this time! ;o)); go over the same course for 15 minutes (and then turn around and come back). You'll notice that you can go further withint the same 15 minutes period (before you turn around) WITHOUT pushing yourself any harder. Now you're getting in shape and now you can run further; but also faster. When people say, "To be faster, run more"; this is why. You can improve your "speed" this way to a certain point. Even during this period, it might pay to do some technique work or strength work. I see so many "beginners" absolutely NO idea how to run properly. They would hunch-back, land hard on their heels, swing their arms side-ways, etc....and, in fact, increasing the chance of injuring themselves. At MDRA's class, we do do some sprint drills and even hill exercises for these beginning ladies. No other sport shows such dramatic improvement than a simple act of running/jogging. Also, to a certain point, and also assuming you do it "correctly", you'll get what you put in--meaning, the more you run, the more changes you'll notice. Of course, on the other side of the coin, the more you cut corners, the more noticeable change (to the opposite direction) you will also notice! ;o) * Modified to change who I was responding to. I must have pushed the wrong spot; I diddn't mean to respond to Trishierunner (not that I wanted to ignore Trishie or didn't care what she had to say! ;o)).

For me, I used the Furman's First training plans. They worked great! I've gotten much faster. The plans have you run three days: 1 - Intervals, 2 - Tempo, and 3 - long run. It might be something to check out. At least, it will give you some great workout ideas. http://www.furman.edu/first/fmtp.htm

...and if you go Sunday: Long, Tuesday: Intervals and Thursday: Tempo, it's also acceptable to do a short repetition session on the Saturday. It ensures that you don't go too fast on Sunday.

Ok guys. My running log is no longer private. Not sure where to do hill except at the gym. ( I live on a island in SW Florida). Everything is flat around me even the bridge to get on and off is flat.

Yeah, you need to run more. More often, more consistently, more miles.