Improve your running speed with speed work routines.
Increase running speed by adding effective techniques and exercises to your training routine. Running takes practice, especially for longer distances, but improving your pace takes even more effort. Gradual increase of intensity is important to avoid injuries as well as allowing yourself sufficient time to achieve your pace goal. By committing to a consistent running regimen, your running speed as well as overall fitness will improve.
Instructions
1. Do fartlek or speedwork runs. Fartlek means speed play in Swedish and involves running in varying lengths and different speed intensities to get your body used to running a faster pace. According to Runner's World, the lack of complete recovery between faster runs teaches your body to recover faster. Fartlek allows you to dictate how fast and how long you want to run. For example: you can run fast for two minutes then slow down and jog for one minute, then run faster again for two minutes. For beginners, start by doing speed play workouts once a week. Find a loop in your neighborhood, then alternate running one loop fast and then running the next loop slower and so on. Increase the intensity as you get stronger such as doing more faster loops and less slower rounds.
2. Do exercises that strengthen your core muscles. This includes the muscles in your lower back, hips, abdomen and pelvis. A strong core improves your posture, stability and endurance which in turn enhances your running gait and pace. Stronger hips, abs, pelvis and lower back will allow you to put more power when propelling yourself forward with less effort. Exercises such as abdominal crunch, bridge and single-leg abdominal press are all core exercises recommended by the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. To do an abdominal crunch, lie flat on your back and put your feet on a wall so that both your hips and knees are bent at 90-degree angles. Contract your abdominal muscles then slowly raise your head and shoulders off the floor. Cross your arms on your chest as you do this and hold for three seconds. Return to starting position and repeat.
3. Increase your running pace per mile instead of focusing on the distance of your workouts. According to Dr. Gabe Mirkin, a marathoner and a sports medicine specialist, runners who do not run fast in practice will not improve running speed even if they consistently engage in long distance running routines. Intense running can damage muscles, so give yourself enough recovery time after speed workouts. Run fast once or twice a week and never on consecutive days.
Tags: running speed, your running, abdominal crunch, lower back, speed play, will improve