Getting Faster.
I want to increase my speed in races.
There are many different training methods being used by runners to increase their speed. In the month ahead, we'll be discussing numerous methods. I'll only discuss the ones I am familiar with and have used personally. Check our book list for more detailed methods.
Warm up thoroughly by walking for 5 - 10 minutes, then begin jogging slowly. When you feel comfortable and loose, pick up the pace. Run at this faster pace for as long as you can, then slow back down to a jog to recover. Run at this comfortable pace for 3 - 5 minutes, then repeat. Work up to 5 - 8 of these repeats, but I definitely recommend you do this only once a week, and not too close to the long run. This will teach you to run faster, but the possibilities of injuries is higher.
During the race, you're going to have to suck it up and run through the uncomfortableness you're going to experience. The 10K I ran at Cleveland came after a short layoff due to injuries. I hit the 3 mile mark feeling like I couldn't finish the race, let alone keep up the speed. I did everything I could to keep going, including calling myself a whimp (out loud, by the way), thinking how bad I'd feel later if I stopped, absorbing energy from the people watching the race who were shouting encouragements, and anything else I could do to keep going.
The result was I ran the second half of the race at an almost identical time as the first half. There's nothing wrong with slowing down if you have to, but if you want faster times, you'll just have to run through this agony.
The interval training is about the same. You're going to have to run through the uncomfortableness you're going to be experiencing. But there's a fine line here. If actual physical pain appears, stop immediately. After running and exercising for a long length of time, you'll start to understand your body a little more, and you'll know when you need to stop, or when you just want to stop. Believe me, attempting to add speed is tough. So .... Just be Tougher!
Fartlek
After a warmup of at least 20 minutes, you begin speed playing. What do you feel like doing? If you're coming to a hill, you just might want to pick up the speed going up and continuing down the hill, and then slow down to your regular pace. Then, after you recover, you might decide to run faster until you reach a telephone pole up ahead, then slow down again. Sound like intervals? It is, or can be. You're making things up as you go along.
Now you may decide to run for 5 minutes at your 5K pace. You'll continue these different speed runs as you go along. If you're running with a partner, you might take turns coming up with the next speed run. It can be fun, but it definitely gives you a good workout, and will help increase your speed.
So why not do it all the time? First off, speed work more than once or twice a week can result in injuries. Secondly, it's an unstructured workout. That's fine, but you may decide "Oh well, I think I did enough" after a speed jolt or two. Since there's no set plan, you figure what the heck. Whereas, if you go into a workout deciding to do 8 intervals, you'll probably do 8 intervals.
So Fartlik can and probably should be in your workout at least once in a while, but don't rely strictly on it for increasing your speed. Unless you're really into it and you get a good workout by doing it. If you do, then do it. But remember, once a week is best, and definitely no more than twice a week.