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How to get faster (Read 367 times)

TeaOlive


old woman w/hobby

    steph  

     

     


    Just a dude.

      When I was in High School, my coach experimented with training by heart rate. We did a workout of 10 x 400. The idea was to get our heart rate up to some number during the run (160? 170? Don't remember) and then rest until our heart rate came down to some number (I think 130.)

       

      We had about 10 or 12 guys on the team at the time.

       

      For most of them, it worked out pretty decent.

       

      For me, I ran my first 400, and easily hit my target HR. Then I waited and waited. I started last on the next 400. By the third or fourth 400 I was waiting for 5 minutes for my heart rate to drop. And I wasn't crushing those 400s. I kept slowing them down until I was at probably marathon pace.

       

      One other guy on the team was sprinting all out. He struggled to get his heart rate over 140. Just couldn't do it. He would have done most of a 5k at faster than mile pace if we just went by heart rate.

       

      Half way through the workout the coach scrapped the whole idea.

       

      It was our experience that heart rate training might be useful, but for some people it just doesn't work. Some people's bodies just don't fall into those nice little zones they graph out for us.

       

      If someone finds someone that works for them and gets great results, I say go for it. Maybe tweak it a bit and see if you can figure out what about it is right, and see if there isn't a way to make it slightly better. But if it doesn't work, scrap it and do something else. For me, published HR zones don't work because my heart just naturally runs fast. I have to go by perceived effort and times.

       

      But my understanding is that getting faster is pretty simple. Stress the body, let it recover and adapt. Find the things you need to strengthen most, stress those things so that they get stronger. Start with the "low hanging fruit." Build a foundation today that you can build more upon later.

       

      -Kelly

      Getting back in shape... Just need it to be a skinnier shape... 


      Feeling the growl again

         

         

        It was our experience that heart rate training might be useful, but for some people it just doesn't work. Some people's bodies just don't fall into those nice little zones they graph out for us.

         

        If someone finds someone that works for them and gets great results, I say go for it. Maybe tweak it a bit and see if you can figure out what about it is right, and see if there isn't a way to make it slightly better. But if it doesn't work, scrap it and do something else. For me, published HR zones don't work because my heart just naturally runs fast. I have to go by perceived effort and times.

         

        But my understanding is that getting faster is pretty simple. Stress the body, let it recover and adapt. Find the things you need to strengthen most, stress those things so that they get stronger. Start with the "low hanging fruit." Build a foundation today that you can build more upon later.

         

        -Kelly

        Nice post, Kelly.  I too had problems using HR for most purposes.  My max HR is low, which I've blamed as part of the reason I suck at mid-distance events.  But on the flip side I was able to train myself to get my aerobic threshold unusually close to my max HR.

         

        +1 to last paragraph.

        "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

         

        I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

         


           

          Half way through the workout the coach scrapped the whole idea.

           

          It was our experience that heart rate training might be useful, but for some people it just doesn't work. Some people's bodies just don't fall into those nice little zones they graph out for us.

           

          If someone finds someone that works for them and gets great results, I say go for it. Maybe tweak it a bit and see if you can figure out what about it is right, and see if there isn't a way to make it slightly better. But if it doesn't work, scrap it and do something else. For me, published HR zones don't work because my heart just naturally runs fast. I have to go by perceived effort and times.

           

          But my understanding is that getting faster is pretty simple. Stress the body, let it recover and adapt. Find the things you need to strengthen most, stress those things so that they get stronger. Start with the "low hanging fruit." Build a foundation today that you can build more upon later.

           

          -Kelly

          Thank you Kelly!  My resting HR is 48, but when I run my HR is higher than recommended.  Good to know or believe I'm not necessarily training the wrong way all of the time.

          Joann Y


             

            I just about had an anxiety attack going back to all of the hours holes up with a dry erase board repeatedly re-drawing the entire pathway along with enzymes, products, chemical structures, and free energy associated with each reaction back when I was in Biochem II.  Thanks for that.  

             

            After getting it down, I always liked the Kreb's cycle. It just made so much sense! Seeing your diagrams brings back happy memories : )


            Latent Runner

              But my understanding is that getting faster is pretty simple. Stress the body, let it recover and adapt. Find the things you need to strengthen most, stress those things so that they get stronger. Start with the "low hanging fruit." Build a foundation today that you can build more upon later.

               

              -Kelly

               

              One of the best summaries about running faster I've seen on this or any other board.  Nicely done sir, nicely done indeed.

              Fat old man PRs:

              • 1-mile (point to point, gravity assist): 5:50
              • 2-mile: 13:49
              • 5K (gravity assist last mile): 21:31
              • 5-Mile: 37:24
              • 10K (first 10K of my Half Marathon): 48:16
              • 10-Mile (first 10 miles of my Half Marathon): 1:17:40
              • Half Marathon: 1:42:13

                When I was in High School, my coach experimented with training by heart rate. We did a workout of 10 x 400. The idea was to get our heart rate up to some number during the run (160? 170? Don't remember) and then rest until our heart rate came down to some number (I think 130.)

                 

                 

                was that a self evaluation heart rate? fingers on neck / wrist?

                Or was it with HR Monitor?  Based on your stated age (43), I'd guess that it was a self evaluation heart rate.

                Ya, that's tough to count how many beats during 10 seconds while your heart is pumping 160+ times per minute.  That's never easy.

                Life Goals:

                #1: Do what I can do

                #2: Enjoy life

                 

                 

                  I just tested out my recommended HR vs pace for today's run.  This is based on a recent 1:45 half marathon.

                  Plan:  Easy 4 mile run @ 9:40 pace or HR avg 137.

                   

                  I ran 4 miles @ 9:20 pace avg HR 133.   I could have run faster and still be in range.

                  I have learned that I run my easy days too fast and that's no surprise.

                  See how this HR/pace comparison goes on a tempo run later this week.

                   

                  It's winter, I can't run outside much and so much treadmill running.  Might as well have fun with running science experiments.

                  Runslowalksalot


                    Everyone goes with what works for them.   However it's a fact that everything else being equal, a person will be faster in their anaerobic training with a larger base of aerobic training.   The same person who starts anaerobic training being able to run an 8 minute mile at his AeT, will run faster at his AT than if he can only do a 10 Minute mile at his AeT.  Want to run faster at   your VO2 max, train there.   Want to run faster at your AT, train there.   Want to run faster at  your AeT, train there.

                    SillyC


                      Is the OP still around?

                       

                      I made some recent substantial gains in terms of pace.  It's not necessarily evident in my log because I run hills more often now.  But it's been very evident in my racing - I took 40 minutes off of a trail marathon in two years (same course, similar conditions).

                       

                      I don't know if this will help for you, but what I struggled with was that slow running had become a habit that was difficult to break.  I'd start out well, and then gradually just keep getting slower and slower even though I'm physiologically capable of running faster.  What helped for me was rather than just try to speed up, I'd stop COMPLETELY and then re-start at faster pace.  It wasn't the "physical rest" that I needed;  I needed to break a habit of slow running.

                        Everyone goes with what works for them.   However it's a fact that everything else being equal, words, words, etc...

                         

                        Ceteris parabus, we are experiments of one.

                        I laughed.

                        Come all you no-hopers, you jokers and rogues
                        We're on the road to nowhere, let's find out where it goes


                        running > all else

                          First, thank you for all the helpful advice. I’ve been dealing with some stress on my end, so didn’t mean to not reply sooner.

                          I have taken the advice given, and haven’t been timing my runs – the past three runs, untimed.

                           

                          I need to update my log, and I’ll be back later on this afternoon to reply to each of you who have been more than kind to give me great advice.

                           

                          Have a great day!

                          LedLincoln


                          not bad for mile 25

                            Hey EssGirl, this discussion drifted pretty far from your OP, so I don't think you have to feel obligated to reply to each post.  I think the consensus is to enjoy your running and do a lot of it, without obsessing over it.  Enjoy! Smile

                              +1

                               

                              Yes, no need to reply to me.  I crashed the tread, went off on a tagent (related) and found helpful insight.  Always interesting to learn how people "get faster"

                               

                               

                              Hey EssGirl, this discussion drifted pretty far from your OP, so I don't think you have to feel obligated to reply to each post.  I think the consensus is to enjoy your running and do a lot of it, without obsessing over it.  Enjoy! Smile


                              running > all else

                                haha okay. No such thing as crashing my thread though...all are welcome. I can glean something from everyone, I'm sure. Smile

                                 

                                An update for you all...I can't believe how much I'm enjoying NOT TIMING my runs. Holy cow. I wish I had done this a longggg time ago. I'm enjoying myself so much more than obsessing over pace. I'm so grateful for the advice, you have no idea! It's the little things. This might seem to obvious to some of you,but when you get stuck in patterned behavior...you don't know how to change it. I would never have guessed...running without timing and just concentrate on increasing mileage would be the best way to train for a 1/2 marathon. That's just...ugh...awesome! You are all brilliant. lol I think so, anyways.

                                 

                                I will update my log later. This weekend I plan to run a longer run, Saturday...trying to exceed 6 miles. No matter how grim or slow it goes. I have run 6+ miles before, but gosh, it's been a while. Weight lifting sort of shifted running to a supplemental activity. So bringing it up to the forefront, it's just taken some adjusting. Anyways...I'm really excited! Smile

                                 

                                 

                                +1

                                 

                                Yes, no need to reply to me.  I crashed the tread, went off on a tagent (related) and found helpful insight.  Always interesting to learn how people "get faster"

                                 

                                 

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