You can improve your speed by doing training that increases your strength, coordination and flexibility. Also by drills that make best use of every stride.
These are not intended to improve your short race sprint speed (races of less than 5k) as we are endurance runners and short sprinters require a different type of training.
These sessions are quite short and should not make you exhausted for more training on the following days. Three different drills are highlighted below.
Strides. What are they? Short periods of acceleration, fast pace and then slow down. For example you could start be jogging and then accelerate for 20 seconds (or about 50m) and then push hard for the next 50m (not so fast that you tighten up, but roughly how fast you can sprint for 1 minute) then slowly decelerate into a jog. Always concentrate on maintaining good form. A stride that consists of 50m acceleration, 50m speed and 50m deceleration is described as a 50m stride.
Hills. Increasing your leg strength is another way you can increase your speed. To do this when running, hills are a great option. (Gym work is another) Run up a hill repeatedly in hard bursts lasting 10 to 15 seconds. Each burst should be maximum intensity and using full arm rotation and leg extension.
Sprint Intervals. Think of your 800m race pace. That’s the pace to run at in this drill when it says ‘sprint’. These are then similar to regular VO2 max Interval runs, but at different pace and duration. For example a drill might be 5 sets of 200m sprints, with an interval between of a 200m jog. What is important is to run the 200m sprint at the correct pace for all 5 runs, so don’t worry if the 200m recovery jog in the interval feels like it takes a long time. You will find that your breathing and heart rate is higher each time you start the sprint, that is expected.
Combinations of all of the above sprint sessions are also good, not just physically but mentally too, as they add interest.
Here are some guides to Short Interval Run drills, it’s not difficult to build your own.
|
Type |
Drill |
Speed level |
|
Strides |
6 of 50m with 150m jog between |
Just below max |
|
Strides |
2 sets of 4x50m with 120 jog between, 4 min between sets |
Just below max |
|
Hill |
8 x 15 sec uphill bursts, 20 sec between bursts |
Max |
|
Hill |
2 sets of 6 x 10 sec uphill bursts with 20 sec between bursts and 2 minutes between sets |
Max |
|
Sprint Interval |
2 sets of 5 x 200m sprint, with 200m recovery jog between. 4 min jog recovery between sets |
800m pace |
|
Sprint Interval |
2 sets of 4 x 300m sprints, with 300m jog between and 4 min jog recovery between sets |
800m pace |
|
Uphill and Strides |
6 x 12 sec uphill bursts, jog back to start between each, followed by 6 x 50 strides with 150m jog between |
Max 800m pace |
Graeme Loudain – September 2019
These notes are published as a general aid to all endurance runners. They are guidelines based on current best practice, intended to illustrate the points in the articles rather than provide a precise training schedule. They are written in a way to be of help to runners. Individuals will have their own requirements and the content of the notes will not suit all. Please use them in the spirit in which they are intended and modify them to suit your own needs. If you have suggestions for improvement, amendments or comment, please email gladmin@btinternet.com.