How Can I Increase My Running Speed

One of the most common questions from runners is "How can I increase my running speed"? The quick and simple answer is to start incorporating speed workouts into your regular running routine. Most runners spend their runs focused on endurance, but speed workouts are needed to be able to pick up your performance.

To be able to run faster, your body needs feel good and get accustomed to running faster. Adding speed training to your current training program, will help increase your VO2 max, your body’s maximal oxygen consumption. This is a measure of the maximum capacity that your body can transport and use oxygen and by increasing this capacity your body will be able to deliver oxygen to those muscles faster when needed.

Speed training will also help to activate those fast-twitch muscles which is essential in how to run faster. Our body is made up of a combination of muscle fibers know as our slow and fast twitch muscles and while we exercise, these muscles interact with each other. Our slow twitch muscles are used everyday in our day to day actions plus they are designed to sustain slow but long-lived muscular contractions. Great for marathon training, but not so great for running faster. Too bad that our fast twitch muscles are actually kind of lazy. We need to coax them to work for us. We need to call them to action. Speed training calls those fast twitch muscles to action and the runner benefits through improved speed, power and strength.

Speed Training – Interval

There are various methods of speed training and it’s best that you choose the one that works best for your training. If you set a goal or workout routine that is too hard to achieve then chances are you will drop it. Here are a couple recommended speed workouts that have worked well for me.

Make sure to get at least a 2 mile warm up run before you start. If you find that your body needs longer to warm up then run longer.

Either warm up at the track or run to the track (depending on the distance). The track is good because it has a nice flat surface and you can time yourself which will give you a good baseline to measure improvement. I like to do a pyramid. I start sprint lap around the track, keeping my pace at a challenging speed throughout the sprint interval, then one lap slow jog recovery. I then do two laps, three laps and four laps, all with one recovery lap in between. If I need more recovery, then I take it. I like to go into my sprint laps as strong as I can. I time all my laps and try to improve on my time.

You do not need to go to the track, another method I use is to incorporate my speed workouts in my regular run. These are known as fartleks. You can either increase your speed by distance (by running faster to the next power pole or road and recover), or by time (my preferred method). Again I do a pyramid. I run speed bursts for a minute with a minute recover, then two minutes fast and one minute recover, three minutes, then four minutes all with adequate recovery time. I try to make sure that I perform these running drills on as smooth a surface as I can (no trail running).

As with the warm up, also remember to do an adequate cool down and stretching afterwards.

The ability that you will be able to perform the speed training will all depend on your current fitness condition. To see improved results, increase duration, intensity and the number of repetitions over time. Although speed workouts are what is needed to increase your running speed, other factors such as proper hydration and nutrition, adequate rest, mental preparedness and a good running base will all contribute to faster results.

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