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What Must I Do To Run Faster? (Read 2334 times)

    I tested myself by running one mile in a time trial and I shuffled it rapidly in 8 minutes and 27 seconds. This seems kind of slow to me as I can also cover 3.16 miles at a 9 minute and 9 seconds per mile pace. The track is exactly .316 miles per lap and 10 laps is 3.16 miles. The time trial was for 3.16 laps = 1 mile Big grin I have also been losing the pounds by running at least 4 days a week. I still weigh a hefty 225 lbs, hopefully lighter in the future Blush Possibly my mistake was taking off too fast as I covered the first .316 mile lap in 2 minutes and 13 seconds, a seven minute per mile pace. My lungs started burning after that first lap and then I must have slowed considerably but the effort was constant. What causes burning lungs? It was a strange but exhilerating feeling, yes. Big grin Perhaps I should have ran a slower warmup lap first? Some articles say that the best way to become faster is by running ...faster. http://www.drmirkin.com/fitness/8129.htm
    If you don't run very fast in practice, you won't be able to run very fast in races. At the University of Copenhagen, Danish scientists studied experienced runners who had been running 60 miles a week at a fast pace. One group was told to cut their mileage in half to only 30 miles a week, but to run a series of around 50 to 100 yard dashes as fast as they could. The other group continued running 60 miles a week at a fast pace. Runners who ran fewer miles at a faster pace had a 7 percent improvement in their body's maximal ability to take in and use oxygen. Runners who did not increase their speed in practice did not improve, even though they ran twice as many miles. Jogging slowly reduces your chance of injury, but it won't help you to run fast. ...


    My Hero

      I believe you may have answered your own question. Yes, the first lap was too fast and the Lactic Acid was rising so fast your body couldn't flush itself of this nasty stuff. Welcome to the world of anaerobic. Running fast is good once you build up a decent base of longer, slower miles. Doing speed work before your body is ready is a recipe for disaster (injury). Take your time and put the time in of running of 11:00 + minute miles and by doing this (along with the diet) you will also be running faster because of the additional weight lost.


      Giant Flaming Dork

        Pegasus is right. I started as a hefty runner as well (and I'm still mostly hefty). Whe I started, I got the same answer and "Slow, long runs" was not the answer I wanted to hear, either. But it's what you need to do to build an aerobic base (get in shape) and strengthen your joints. Every time I go out too fast, I get sore. When I take it nice and easy, I can run a very long time (for me) and have no soreness afterwards. Congratulations on a fast mile. Keep up the good work. There are a lot of training calculators out there that can tell you what would be good training paces for you based on your 8:24 mile. Runner's World has one, which calculates an "easy" training pace of 11:22 based on your 8:24 mile.

        http://xkcd.com/621/


        SMART Approach

          Hefty, A few tips for you. I am assuming you are more toward a beginning runner than an advanced runner. 1. Never do a time trial without at least a 10-15 slow jog warm up. 2. In time trials and races, if you start too fast you reach oxygen debt quickly and will not run your best. I would guess you could run your mile 15-20 seconds faster w/ proper warm up and proper start. 3. To get faster, you need to build strength. This means more miles and more running and at a comfortable pace. I am all for mixing in multiple paces but you have to build your base first. 4. As for building base, most of your training runs should be around 11 - 11:15 pace. Run a 5K race. Your general training pace is around 2 min. slower than your 5k pace. Adjust pace when getting faster. 5. Build up slowly one long run each week up to 8 - 12 miles for 5K to half marathon training. This builds strength in addition to more overall miles. 6. One time per week in a mid week longer run (build up to 5-8 miles) do 2-4 miles at slow tempo pace around 1 min. per mile slower than your current 5K race pace (now around 10 min pace). 7. One day per week after a training run or toward end, build up to 4-8 X 100M quick striders. Not a sprint but a quick pace. Recover fully between. 8. Take your time. You are big boy and wanting to lose weight. You can't afford to get injured to halt your progress. Do things the right way. Slowly build. 9. Lose weight (like you have been-good job). This alone will make you faster in races. 10. Cross train. As you build your running miles, you may find it is difficult to run often as you are heavier. Maybe not. Mix in biking, stairmaster, elliptical etc. if needed. When doing these cross training machines, warm up and then during workout shoot for 6-8 very fast spurts i.e. 1-2 min. comfortable pace, 1 min very fast/hard pace etc. 11. As far as the study, FOR YOU, this study does not apply. You are not at that level. Good luck, you are doing great. Keep doing what your doing, progress, eat better and your goals will be reached.

          Run Coach. Recovery Coach. Founder of SMART Approach Training, Coaching & Recovery

          Structured Marathon Adaptive Recovery Training

          Safe Muscle Activation Recovery Technique

          www.smartapproachtraining.com


          Hawt and sexy

            For myself, I am able to run faster when I run more. More weekly miles done at an easy pace and I get faster. Yeah, I am not one of those elite runners in that article. And I would never run 60 mpw at a 'fast' pace (unless my weekly mileage was around 360, not happening). I also have a feeling this study only lasted a few weeks, you know, like a track season (about 12 weeks). We have known for ages that speedwork is the way to peak, but the effect only lasts for so long. Then you plateau and you need to go back to base phase. If you spend all of your training in peak phase, chances are you will be injured at some point, and probably sooner than someone that hits all phases of training. Now, I will grant you this, my style of training will not make you fast quickly, it builds over seasons. Good thing running is something that can last a lifetime, huh? Yeah, not all ice cream and cotton candy no matter what you do, is it? There is a reason this sports is punishment in other sports.

            I'm touching your pants.

              Thank you for the helpful feedback everyone Smile 10 - 11 minute per mile pace does feel pretty good and I have been building up the weekly mileage to about 15 - 25 mpw. My longest training run has been 7 miles. I think I will throw some sprints and/or striders in to the training mix, and hopefully not bite off more than I can chew Big grin My lungs are pretty sore today. I think I must have stretched out the lungs too much? Shocked I am 46 years old so perhaps my lung tissue is in an atrophied state with respect to my younger self? http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/imagepages/8676.htm
              Medical Encyclopedia Changes in lung tissue with age Lung tissue atrophies and is not as efficient with age.
              chrimbler


                To run faster you have to move your legs faster than the last time you ran...hope this helps Clowning around
                Run like you stole it!
                  To run faster you have to move your legs faster than the last time you ran...hope this helps Clowning around
                  Thank you Big grin Stride turnover x stride length = speed in a given direction. According to the internet articles, the best stride turnover would be 180 strides per minute, or faster. So if a person is running at a four minute per mile pace, that is taking some long strides, yes Big grin
                  Hannibal Granite


                    Hefty - The article you quoted is one of many "scientific" articles on running where there is a very short term study done that ultimately concludes that you don't need to run a lot of miles to get faster you just need to run hard. What these studies do not do is follow these runners over the course of several years (or even several months in most cases). The same conclusion is always reached and coaches have known it for decades. To get a peak performance near the end of the competitive season you reduce the total training load (overall mileage) while increasing intensity or keeping the hard workouts at the same pace while reducing the total amount of intervals ran if that was already part of the program. This type of training works especially well in untrained (or undertrained) runners who are able to improve more than runners who have been at it for a long time. If these same runners kept up the same routine for the next year the higher mileage group would outperform the lower mileage group at any distance 1-mile and over. The low-mileage 'sprint workut group' may have an advantage in very short distance races if they weren't injured, which they are just as likely as not to be after a year of training that way. IMO Neither way (high-mileage all easy distance, low-mileage high intensity) is the optimal way to train if you want to achieve your best performance it takes both at different times and amounts throughout the year.

                    "You NEED to do this" - Shara

                      The first thing you need to do to run faster and more efficiently is abandon this "shuffling" thing that you've been doing. Running without picking your feet up, makes your legs act as longer pendulums and requires more energy to swing them forward. That not only slows you down, it uses more energy. You get faster by reducing the amount of time your feet stay on the ground, which means stronger legs and therefore a longer stride. In order of importance, the things you need to do to get faster are: 1) Continue to lose weight. Each pound you lose will increase your pace by several seconds per mile. Realize that running at a beginners level will contribute little or nothing toward weight loss. It's what you eat (or don't eat) that matters, not how much you run. 2) Build your endurance by doing lots of long slow runs. This will strengthen your legs and give you the aerobic capacity you need to add some speed work to your routine when the time comes. You speed will naturally increase along with your weekly mileage. 3) Do some leg strengthening exercises on your non-running days. Leg extensions, squats, lunges and exercise band work for your hip adductors and abductors. 4) When your weekly mileage reaches the 15-20 mile range, you can start adding some easy speed work like fartlek's and hill work. As you gain experience, add some intervals and tempo runs. BTW. Your lungs should never be burning during any of your runs. If they are, it means your pace is too fast for your level of conditioning. Save the all out runs for races. Tom
                        ...BTW. Your lungs should never be burning during any of your runs. If they are, it means your pace is too fast for your level of conditioning. Save the all out runs for races. Tom
                        I enjoy the feeling of burning lungs, yes. I will experience it again in training Big grin
                          The first thing you need to do to run faster and more efficiently is abandon this "shuffling" thing that you've been doing.
                          Actually, during the time trial I did not shuffle but used the more typical running stride and paid the price for it with a slow time. I reckon the shuffle is the most economical way to get from point A to point B ... for me Big grin
                            One of the greatest shufflers of all time, Alberto Salazar Big grin http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmzljrUrwKE&feature=related
                            sluggo


                            John

                              You asked what you would have to do to get faster and I think you have gotten some great advise. I am especially impressed with the contributions from Tchuck & Figbash. I think your best bet is to follow their suggestions. The only thing I can contribute is that you should remember that you are running b/c it is fun!

                              John
                              www.wickedrunningclub.com

                              In the beginning, the universe was created.This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.

                              --- Douglas Adams, in "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe"

                                Thank you Sluggo, yes,it appears that there must be a balance between fast running and slow running. Running many slow miles will not necessarily build up speed or gaurantee weight loss.Some people jog alot of miles and eat even more food Black eye In order to lose weight one must burn more calories than are consumed. Too much fast running will cause burnout also. But, fast running will boost the metabolism and cause calorie burning even when one is not running. Sprints tighten up the midsection also. I know that after running slowly for over an hour, I feel slightly sluggish after the long slow run. When I run for 30 - 40 minutes at a medium to fast pace and also do a few sprints, My energy is increased an I bound up the hill to my house after getting out of my pickup truck Big grin Sometimes there is pain with speed but it is a good pain. Yes, very good advice from Tchuck and Figbash Big grin
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