Attention to training, nutrition and hydration improve running speed for soccer.
Many things affect a runner's speed. Diet, nutrition, hydration, rest, strength training and cross-training impact running performance. Attention to details, some simple math and staying aware of what affects your body all help improve running times to prepare for races and marathons, or to run faster in team sports like soccer.
Instructions
1. Eat for speed by eating adequate protein and carbohydrates to fuel your body for workouts and physical exertion. Lean protein and carbohydrates from whole grains and nuts instead of sugars and empty calories produce better results. Calculate your caloric intake to figure out how many grams of carbohydrates, fat and protein you need each day. Multiply your weight in pounds by 2.25, 4.1 and 5.6 respectively; multiply carbohydrate grams by 4, fat grams by 9 and protein grams by 4 to get total calories required. Try to stay in this range daily for optimal nutrition.
2. Drink enough water over the course of the day as well as 30 minutes before running to keep your body properly hydrated and in peak condition during exertion. Water accounts for 60 percent of your body mass, and hydration is very important for any physical exertion. It especially helps runners. Calculate the amount of fluids you need. Women multiply their body weight in pounds by 0.31 and men multiply their body weight in pounds by 0.35 for the number of fluid ounces to drink daily.
3. Incorporate speed work to condition muscles and reflexes to increase running speed. Run at a faster than normal pace for specific periods of time --- for example, 10 minutes at a 5K pace --- or under specific conditions such as running uphill on a regular basis. Use weight training to build muscle strength and endurance. Time your mile and note your physical condition on runs in a log to be aware of things that affect your speed.
4. Pace your training and don't push yourself too much. Rest and recovery are important to avoid injury and performance plateaus. Instead of running every day, run every other day and cross-train or do workout stretches in between. Try intensive training for three days and resting for four days, noting if it affects your running performance. Proper rest allows your muscles and metabolism to recover and build strength.
5. Use visualization and meditation. Once a week, practice visualizing your running. After a few minutes of deep breathing, close your eyes and visualize yourself running faster. Meditate for half an hour before running to relax your body and clear your mind.
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