The gap between a common runner and a superior runner isn’t the amount of running they do. It’s not just body mass, nutrition, shoes, or a strong attitude that is required. It’s leg speed. However, speed training does not only concentrate on running a 5K race quickly.
Increasing your speed will also bring about numerous additional fitness and health advantages. If going faster isn’t convincing enough, here are 10 reasons backed by experts why you should incorporate more speed into your training regimen.
Speed workouts are regularly incorporated into many training regimens for a valid purpose.
Whether you’re striving for a quick 5K or longing to complete a marathon, speed training is necessary to get better at running and become more powerful. Let’s explore the advantages of speed training for runners and how to execute it!
Speed Work
What exactly does the term mean? Although some people may refer to it as an accelerated run, speed work specifically refers to a type of running workout that involves running for certain intervals close to, or even faster than, your top level aerobic capacity.
Your VO2max is an indicator of how much oxygen your body is capable of utilizing. Usually, runners will reach their maximum oxygen consumption when running at a pace close to a 5K to 3K (2-mile) rate, though there are still benefits to running at a somewhat slower speed.
The benefits of speed work for runners
Evidence from both research and experience shows that speedwork is beneficial for runners. This research, featured in Physiological Reports, focused on training male and female runners to reach a level of speed by having them participate in ten sessions of running over a six-week period.
By the end, their 10K time went down by 3.2 percent, meaning that someone running a 10K in 50 minutes would have their time come down to 48 minutes and 25 seconds.
How exactly do speed intervals make you faster? Let’s look at the physiology behind it first. During speed drills, your slow-twitch and intermediate muscles are stimulated to the maximum degree, thereby enhancing your aerobic capacity.
Performing speed training can increase the amount of myoglobin, a protein present in muscles, produced in the body. Myoglobin transports oxygen to the mitochondria located in your muscles, creating ATP so that your muscles have the power to function.
By raising the myoglobin levels in your body, you facilitate the process of giving your muscles oxygen quickly so they can get the energy they need, resulting in an increase in your speed when running. Research has indicated that intense running at high speed is the most advantageous form of exercise for developing myoglobin.
You may not be able to substantially boost your VO2max, as certain aspects such as genetics will restrict it, yet you will benefit from interval training. Your body will become better at utilizing your fast-twitch muscular tissues.
Your running performance will be more efficient, meaning you will require less energy to maintain the same speed, no matter the distance, be it 5K or 50K.
Finally, there is the skill aspect. If you desire to move quickly, you must train to do so! Speed workouts teach you to put in greater effort, keep a faster pace, and help you deal with any pain while running.
If you commit to doing this exercise regularly, two times a week, you won’t just gain speed, you will become more efficient at running.
1. A Stronger Stride
The distance you are able to cover with each stride and how quickly it is accomplished are both factors that determine how quickly you can run. There are two components to a stride: the period you are airborne, and the moments when you are in contact with the floor.
When standing on the ground, you put forth enough effort to launch yourself back into the air. You shift your legs in preparation for the next landing while in the air. The amazing part is that everyone, from Usain Bolt to the slowest participant in a 5K race, can adjust the positioning of their legs in the air just as quickly.
This indicates that variations in leg speed are the result of factors on the ground. Runners who put down more powerful force promptly will ascend more quickly and make a greater stride.
Obviously, you should not attempt to solve the problem by behaving like an upset toddler and stamping your feet. You must work on conditioning your nervous system and muscles to create more power with every step. Do exercises such as leaping from a squat position, running with large strides, and jumping down from a height to activate your legs.
2. More Muscle
We begin to lose muscle mass around age 25. The encouraging information is that the muscle cells that are typically used the most during long runs, slow-twitch muscle fibers, will not decrease significantly due to age.
The unfortunate reality is that the muscle fibers in charge of generating a long stride, which are vital for top performances in distances ranging from 5K to marathons, decline as much as one percent each year.
The outcome is that it takes more time to complete tasks, and the average length of strides decreases by 40% over the course of your life. But don’t panic. By incorporating both strength training and speed exercises, you can reduce muscle fiber depletion by 50%.
3. Better Fat Burn
What rate do you need to reach in order to obtain all of your energy from fat? The answer is simple: Your body will use 100% fat as an energy source after you’ve completed a sprint, weight training session, or any other strenuous activity.
Jogging only uses 70% of the energy stored in fat. During a distance run, it’s about 50 percent. You utilize carbohydrates exclusively for energy when running at a speed of one mile or quicker.
Following the strenuous activity, your body preserves carbohydrates by utilizing 100 percent fat to replenish the anaerobic system and to power recovery. So get out there and sprint!
4. Reduced Risk of Injury
That’s right. Exercising to increase quickness does not increase the chance of getting hurt; it actually decreases it when done correctly. Exercises done at a faster pace work to extend your muscles through a broader range of movement, resulting in increased flexibility.
This type of exercise causes more of the muscle tissues to be worked, which results in more even muscle development. And it incorporates exercises that directly strengthen injury-prone muscles.
Take your hamstrings, for example. The strain on your hamstrings is nearly equivalent to up to eight to 10 times the weight of your body just before and following your foot making contact with the ground. Doing activities to build the muscles in your hamstrings will decrease the likelihood of a hamstring injury by two thirds.
5. Stronger Bones and Other Connective Tissues
Muscle, bones, and tendons are all living tissue, therefore when training, they become more robust. A 2008 study conducted at Stanford University observed nearly 1,000 runners and non-runners, concluding that those who ran regularly were less likely to need a hip or knee replacement.
By incorporating running with speed-based workouts and strength training, you can maximize its strengthening effects on your bones, tendons, fascia, and ligaments.
6. Improved Running Economy
One could rephrase this statement to say: Economy while running is complicated, but it is partly determined by how effectively oxygen is being used at a certain running pace. Use your current 5K pace as an example. If you make your running more efficient, you will need less oxygen in order to maintain that speed.
You can use the extra oxygen to choose between running a quicker speed for a brief distance or keeping the same pace for a longer distance, for instance an 8K or 10K.
Performing training at a high intensity is an essential element in strengthening the nervous system’s contribution to running efficiency, several studies have demonstrated up to 6 percent augmentation in just four to six weeks.
7. More Anaerobic Endurance
It is a common misconception that running outside of competitive events or an organized timed mile is only an aerobic activity. Not true. The beginning of any run or race is primarily powered by energy that does not require oxygen.
It takes between 30 to 40 seconds at the beginning of exercising for oxygen to reach the muscles in sufficient amounts to produce aerobic energy. All aerobic energy is produced within the muscles.
Until then, your anaerobic system fills the gap. Speedwork will reduce the tiredness caused by producing energy without oxygen.
8. Better Balance and Proprioception
If you’re out of balance, you’d fall down each time your foot strikes the floor. Without the knowledge provided by proprioception, your legs would end up in a mess with every step you take.
Unfortunately, distance running does not do much to sharpen the senses of sight and hearing. In 2013, it was discovered that runners going across a wobbly platform experienced an unexpected drop in their balance. Their nervous systems and muscles simply shut down.
Incorporating activities like running backwards, side steps and exercises involving single-legs into your speed training will help to better equip you for running on any kind of terrain.
9. Improved Agility
Is agility a trait that soccer players, NFL players in the combine, and children playing hopscotch have in common? Wrong. Being agile enables one to move swiftly in tricky situations like swerving through a curve in the path, jumping off the sidewalk, and avoiding canines straining at their tethers.
Staying agile requires having good balance and being aware of your body in space (proprioception), in addition to developing the muscle function and communication needed. Doing quick movements with ladder and cone exercises will enhance your nimbleness when running.
How to do speed work
In general, running at a quicker pace should only make up a small portion of your training – generally about one run per week. You should also incorporate short bursts of speed, such as strides, into the runs of the rest of the week after a couple of easy jogs.
If you are completely inexperienced with running speedwork, you should begin by running strides. Jogs of 20 seconds increasing to a faster pace than usual (but not quite into the territory of a sprint) are used to teach the body how to move speedily without over-exerting.
Once you have developed a good base of running for about six to eight weeks, you should incorporate speed workouts into your training regimen. Examples of these kinds of workouts are shown below.
Shorter is better when it comes to speed workouts. A research paper printed in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research verified the technique used by many successful trainers: faster sprints produce more advantageous results for long-distance runners than extensive speed intervals.
Doing shorter burst runs can make you more efficient when running and reduces the chances of getting injured compared to running longer distances. Just how short? Aim for jogging for a time period of 1 to 3 minutes (or about 200 to 600 meters), with a total time of 10 to 15 minutes of strenuous running depending on your skill level.
When engaging in speed exercises, ensure that you give yourself a break to rest prior to putting in your next full effort. This could resemble running rapidly on Wednesday, followed by a long jog on Saturday, with days of recuperation and less intensive runs in involving.
If you are experiencing any discomfort or have suffered an injury, it is best to steer clear of fast speed exercises. Doing activities which require a lot of speed puts a lot of strain on the muscles, bones, and joints and could cause a minor pain to become a major injury or slow the healing process of an already worsening injury.
Running speed workouts
Strides
Strides are not as strenuous as some other types of exercises, however they are beneficial in helping to create a strong base for other speed-related workouts. Strides are great for those starting out or during the period of preparation between races.
Seasoned runners can incorporate these after a few uncomplicated runs during the week (or as part of their run) in addition to a regular speed session.
4-6 x 20-second stride, 60 seconds rest
Once you’ve finished your run, look for a road or track that is level and going straight. Start accelerating steadily and gradually over the course of 5 to 7 seconds until you reach a fast but not too fast running speed (approximately the speed of running a mile without sprinting). Maintain this quick speed for 10-12 seconds, then gradually slow down. In the gaps between each stride, take a break and stand or walk for roughly 1 minute in order to let your nervous system rest and heart rate to decrease. Novice athletes should try running a total of four paces, whereas more experienced runners can dash for a range of five to eight strides.
Basic Fartlek
These short intervals are the ultimately versatile speed workout. Both novice and experienced joggers gain advantages from them and you can use them anytime during the training. You can strive to maintain the same speed/energy level while doing the intervals, or increase your pace as you continue.
10-20 minute warm-up of easy running
10-12 x 1 min fast, 1 min easy
10-20 minute cool down of easy running
Cutdown Intervals
When you are experienced enough to move on to more challenging speed exercises, cutdown intervals make it possible for you to challenge yourself to increase your running speed. As the amount of time between each activity decreases, you speed up your rate of progress. Do you like this type of exercise? Have a go at this one too!
1-2 miles easy running
Run three 600-meter distances with one and a half minutes recovery after the 600 and 400-meter repeat, with three minutes rest between sets.
1-2 miles easy running
Fast Kick Intervals
Add some variety to your speed workouts by alternating the intensity you use between intervals. Start the last 30 seconds of each interval off with a quicker pace. By continually challenging yourself, you will stay mentally stimulated and work towards building a strong finish to events.
10-20 min warm-up of easy running
Run for six to eight intervals of two minutes each, the first ninety seconds at a 5K effort and the last thirty seconds faster, with two minutes of recovery jogging in between.
10-20 min cool down of easy running
