Question about getting faster (Read 966 times)

Someone posted this advice, and it's very helpful: To run faster, you need to run more. To run more, you need to run slower. So run lots of miles, slowly, and your pace will automatically increase. Mine was, until I got injured, at least! I'm sure you'll get lots of other good responses, also.

Running faster is easy, getting faster is hard. To run faster, put yourself in dangerous positions. Coat yourself in honey and provoke large bears. You will run faster. To get faster, run lots and lots of miles. It's a boring answer that no one wants to hear.

You do it by running more miles, and being patient.

There's no getting around this. I see that you recently got a 10 mile long run in. You get to the point where you are doing those consistently and you're race times will improve. Just give it time.

Guys, I just have to ask this, as I have been seeing it all over the place in these forums. Please keep in mind that I am not trying to stir up an argument, nor am I trying to imply that others don`t know what they are talking about. Anyway, a lot of replies are being given, especially to new runners, concerning getting faster. The general consensus of opinion seems to be that one needs to run slow to get faster. Now, I have been running a long time, and I will be the first to say that I am NOT an expert on the matter. But if that were true, the local college and high schoolers wouldn`t be out on the track doing intervals until they vomit. The coach would just tell them to "go easy". For several years I ran slow and long, and never could turn in a 5K time much under 7:50-8:00 pace. I will say that I didn`t really know how to push myself or "run through the pain" as some say. But after starting to incorporate a "quality" session at least weekly, that being intervals at faster than desired race pace, or tempo runs which were taken from Mcmillan based on desired race time, my 5-K time got down to mid 20`s from otherwise 23 and 24:00 times. Of course that takes time, and I agree that one does need to build a decent base before implementing any kind of speedwork. This is strictly my .02 on the matter. Please don`t anyone think that I am trying to be a know it all, an don`t base my experience on my log. I just started it again after losing several years worth of data from "Cool Running", (VERY frustrating). I am having to log lots of slow easy miles right now from hamstring issues which I narrowed down to the shoes I was wearing. I have gotten a lot of good information from this board, from a lot of very knowlegeable athletes. This was just something that I had to bring up.

(Before I saw mgerwn's response) Some of those HS kids may be doing base running in the summer before the season starts. Heck, a few of them might even be running most of the year (esp if they're on track).

They are all pretty much saying it...... Its not sexy and it's not much fun to talk to friends about, but up front and 'in the beginning' you just log miles and get your base up (You'll get faster naturally)...........Eventually you'll get your mileage up to a reasonable level and get a year or so under your belt.....Then ask this question again -- and at that point in time -- people might start talking about interval training and other such things.........but right now you are doing what you need to be doing..... In English teacher terms -- you have a person that has just started learning to read...they are an adult - age 35 or so - and have never read one word in all their life.....but decided to learn to read.....now they have learned the basics and can read some some lower level basic books......they think it would be a great idea to read English Literature.....and they run across you and ask you how they can read English Lit and understand it..........cause they really want to be a good reader......... You would tell them to stick to their basic and keep doing what they are doing.....and think about English Lit after they have built a stronger reading base - maybe in a year or so they will be ready....... Its the same thing...............

You are totally speaking my language! I guess I need to quit being so impatient. Thanks for the information.

Thanks for all of the information guys. I really appreciate it. I am sort of relieved that I can just focus on distance for now. I love long, easy runs. If I had to do that speed thing everyday, I would probably quit after a week. I really want to be faster, but for now I will continue to build my base before I focus on that. It is just hard because it seems the minute someone knows I am working to be a runner, they want to know my mile time. I need to come up with a quick witted stock answer to avoid answering with the horrid truth.