Do you want to run faster? Have you set a specific time goal for a running event or do you just want to increase your running pace? Then in this article I have a few simple but effective tips for you that you can use to achieve just that.
If you have just started exercising , then you can make rapid progress without much effort and make rapid progress. After a while, however, progress will slow down. If you want to increase your pace further in order to achieve your goal, then your running training needs a little more planning and precision.
As a hobby or amateur runner, your training can be optimized with a few simple tricks so that you can quickly make further progress. The following are the best tips in my opinion that will help you to run faster.
Of course, if you are just about to start jogging , there is nothing wrong with following some of the following tips directly in order to make rapid progress particularly effectively right from the start.
Have fun reading and implementing the tips in your running training!
Run faster Tip 1: run at intervals
In my opinion, one element that should not be missing in any running training plan is interval running. No other training method has the potential to give you such a boost in your running pace as interval running training. The secret lies in the controlled change between stress and recovery phases. This way you train your load limit again and again and thus raise it.
The stress phases are already above your anaerobic threshold, so that you are definitely approaching your limits. So you have to leave your comfort zone for effective interval training. However, you don’t always have to push it to extremes with a Tabata interval .
In order to be able to increase your speed quickly and effectively, you should do so-called intensive interval training. The stress in the stress phases is high and at the same time the recovery phases are shorter. In preparation for my next half marathon, for example, I do the following interval training:
10 rounds of 60 seconds exercise + 30 seconds recovery
I always keep the speeds at the same level during a training session and try to increase them regularly in small steps.
By the way, this training method can be carried out particularly well on a treadmill. Here you have precise control over your running pace. This makes the short, precise changes and a targeted progression much easier than when running outdoors. In any case, the treadmill should support a speed of 20 km / h so that you have some potential in the long term to challenge yourself in the stress phases. With most good gym bands, that’s not a problem. If you want to get a treadmill for home, then you should make sure you get a decent treadmill ( like this *).
If you are using interval training If you want to improve your running pace, the treadmill can be used as a training device.
What I find particularly practical about interval runs is that I can do them wonderfully as my cardio session after strength training .
Run faster Tip 2: Driving games
In principle, a simple variant of interval training that you can integrate wonderfully into your running training are so-called driving games. The precision that I like to use in interval training is not required here. Strictly speaking, it is not even wanted at all, because driving games should above all be fun. Driving games should have a positive training effect, so help you run faster and at the same time combine your training with more fun running. I think that’s a great thing.
In the driving game, you yourself determine how long and how fast you run. For example, you can specify that you start walking faster at each bank until you get to the next bank. You can also start running as fast as you can at each sign until you can no longer. These are just a few examples of how you can playfully incorporate short phases at an increased pace into your running unit.
Increase running speed Tip 3: Increase runs
Another simple yet effective instrument with which you can enrich your running training and do something for your running pace are so-called increase runs. By the way, these are not to be confused with incline runs, in which you specifically integrate positive and negative inclines into your running training. 😉
The aim of increasing runs is that you increase your speed in a targeted manner over a short distance. You could say that improvement runs are short (intermediate) sprints with a run-up. Over a distance of approx. 80 to 100 meters or over a period of 20 to 30 seconds you increase your pace from your normal continuous pace to a sprint in the last few seconds. Then you run again comfortably for 1 to 2 minutes and start the next increase run. You should repeat this at least five times.
You can do that wonderfully at the end of a (slow) endurance run and get a little more out of your training session.
Run faster Tip 4: improve your running technique
Good running technique is often underestimated when running, especially by beginners. In the case of experienced runners, on the other hand, it is more likely that they know how important good running technique is. However, suboptimal elements have often crept into personal running technique over time.
Basically, I recommend doing sprints regularly for good running technique, doing a running ABC and making sure you keep upright when running. In order to make really positive jumps in your technique, I recommend that you do a technique training with a professional running coach every now and then if you want to run faster. This is the only way to reliably ensure that you develop a solid technique or unmask errors that have crept in.
Tip: By the way, I would make sure that your running training also includes a video analysis with subsequent advice and a check-up after a few months. In my opinion, you will recognize a really good and hard-working running coach.
Increase running speed Tip 5: Strength training
Strength training should always be a central item in your running training plan. Especially if your goal is to be able to run even faster, you should plan for regular strength training. This has a positive effect on your running performance as well as in terms of the prevention of injuries and complaints that can occur through running.
Therefore, do intensive strength training for your leg and core muscles at least once, or better twice a week. In doing so, you shouldn’t neglect complex basic exercises such as squats and the deadlift. This will help you to develop the necessary strength and stability.
When doing strength training for runners, I always recommend keeping the intensity high and the volume low. This means your strength units are relatively short and you can do a long endurance run the next day. That should work without you having problems with your regeneration. The next day I can really only recommend a break.
Run faster Tip 6: lose weight
While some want to lose weight by jogging , you can increase your running pace by losing weight.
Basically, if you are overweight, losing weight will help you run faster. How much that is actually effective cannot be answered without further ado. That depends very much on your body composition.
Although there are studies that linearly correlate a loss of body weight with an increase in running pace, this connection is not that easy to determine. At the same time, for example, an increase in muscle mass has a positive effect on your running performance. Both in combination also have a positive effect on your VO2 max (oxygen uptake ability). This, in turn, is useful if you want to run faster.
So if you can spare a few pounds of body fat and want to become a faster runner, then I can only advise you to lose a few pounds and at the same time build up some muscle mass . This not only makes you faster, but also does something good for your joints.
Increase the running speed Tip 7: Long, slow runs
Even if this may seem counter-intuitive at first, long, slow runs are an extremely important training element if you want to increase your running pace. Especially if you train for longer runs and want to complete the long distance faster, you should include long, slow runs in your training plan and do them regularly. Without a long, slow endurance run during the week, nothing works when preparing for long running events.
Endurance is always the basis for a higher speed on longer distances. If you have not created this basis sustainably, you will find it difficult to increase the speed on longer distances.
The right training range is the so-called basic endurance with a maximum pulse rate of 75-80% of your maximum heart rate. The primary aim is to extend your running distance in your marathon or half marathon training at this level of stress until you have reached the target distance.
Your conclusion on running faster
As you can see, there are a few things you can do if you want to run faster. So if you haven’t been making progress with your running pace for some time, then there is no reason to be discouraged. Just try one of the tips. A change in your training alone can often provide the necessary impetus to break through established patterns and move forward with your training.
Do not shoot yourself at one measure, but look for the combination of measures that fit well into your training program. Many things can be combined, so you don’t need a separate training session to implement each tip.
Of course you also have to overcome your inner weaker self in order to make these changes and sustainably change your habits . Because even these increases in speed do not come overnight, but over time.
Otherwise, it won’t hurt you to take a break from training every now and then. If you follow the tips and still do not make any progress, you may be overtraining and therefore not making any progress. I know some runners who, in preparation for a running event, think daily training is what they need now. Three to four running units per week are absolutely sufficient to make solid progress.