How to Get Faster

Train Like You Race 

It’s bound to happen to you sooner or later.  Training has gone well and you started to see moderate increases in stamina and skill, but now you want to go faster.  It was probably a fair amount per to groaning as I started to get addicted to the feeling of accomplishment and so I started to try to find ways to continue to improve.  One of the things that I want to improve upon was my speed, which was pretty weak to say the least.  At the time, I could run for an hour or so, but when it came time to pick up the pace, I just couldn’t make it happen.  Eventually, after trying a few different methods, I was able to find something that works for me and I still use it today.

Many runners talk about using intervals or fartlek runs to improve speed, but if you’re an endurance athlete like me than short 100 400 or 800 m intervals just don’t cut it.  For one thing, a lot of people can’t seem to give the effort required to make intervals worthwhile.  In regards to fartlek runs, a lot of runners will pace themselves to fast during the beginning of the run and be able to increase their speed during the fartlek intervals.  What I found worked best for me, is to use accommodation of heart rate and zone intensity training.

Coming by the step of training, is to calculate your max heart rate and your max intensity that you can sustain during a short interval and use that as a baseline for maximum effort.  Most of us have an idea of what it takes to max out as well it feels like to maintain an easy pace.  The problem with running an easy pace is that when it comes to race day, you’ll have the extra gas that you need to turn it into high gear.  If you learn to train like you race, then you’re much more likely to be with increasing intensity when it really counts.

So here’s what I recommend:

• Train as you race.  Unless you’re doing a long distance from trying to build up base mileage, then use most of your runs his moderate tempo runs.  In other words, try to maintain an effort that is near your maximum effort but is sustainable for the duration of your run.
• Continue next intervals and fartlek runs into your workouts, but don’t rely on them as the principal methods of building speed.
• If you don’t have one already, by a Garmin 305 or four or five and start using the heart rate monitor to your advantage.

If it seems hard at first to train at a level 3 or 4 intensity, then it means you’re doing it right.  If you really want to get faster, then you have to move out of the comfortable runs and into more intense runs.  This is especially true if you want to get into racing competitively.  Just remember, the more work that you put in during your run, the more you will improve afterwards.