There is another thread on the go about when you know if you can do speedwork (icing) or do you keep working on baking your cake (base).
Rather than debate the point, I know that we are all somewhat impatient. And frankly it gets boring shuffling along for months on end. Is this the best way to get fast. Who knows? But what I am going to suggest is a way to spice up the run training, while working a bit harder, gaining some speed, without the "high risk" of track type speedwork.
Here is my suggestion so get some more speed in there without cooking yourself for your swim-bike training and also minimizing injury potential while hopefully getting a bit quicker.
Before you start speedwork, gradually introduce more hillwork into your runs.
Try and find a route with steep uphills and gradual downhills (or at least downhills that are not too steep). I have a few blocks in my neigbourhood where I do loops...run up the steep uphill and fast down the gradual downhill. The downhills are not steep enough that I have to "brake"...more lilke 2-4% where I am more or less running the same way as on a flat...just with some gravity assist.
The steep uphill will tax you aerobically, without too much pounding. The gradual downhill will allow you to run fast but at a low aerobic load, so that you can be coordinated and light on your feet and minimize pounding.
The benefit here is that you are not pounding your legs at the same time that your muscles are deprived of oxygen. You are either partially deprived of oxygen going uphill (or at least working hard) or you have totally muscular control with muscles completely charged with O2 as you run downhill.
You get the benefit of fast leg speed on the downhill as well as higher aerobic load on the uphill without the injury risk of high leg speed (and pounding) while sucking wind when you combine both.
Most of us get injured when we combine the two....but you can have a bit of icing even if your cake is not too thick yet by doing steeper uphill with gradual downhill work. In fact, for anyone racing half Ironman or more, this is all that is likely needed, and likely more beneficial with respect to mimicing what you'll actually experience on race day....all the dudes frying their bodies doing sub 6 min miles repeats on the track in training when it does not count (ie you are not wearing a timing chip) may be looking at your butt on race day.
Finally I'd say this is a nice way to "thicken your cake more quickly" compared to just shuffling out more steady state miles for months on end...and it is more fun. Only you can be the judge on how often and with what intensity you will do this, and when to introduce it.
I find this approach much lower risk with almost the same reward (for age group triathletes) as flat out speedwork. Good luck
Dev
Rather than debate the point, I know that we are all somewhat impatient. And frankly it gets boring shuffling along for months on end. Is this the best way to get fast. Who knows? But what I am going to suggest is a way to spice up the run training, while working a bit harder, gaining some speed, without the "high risk" of track type speedwork.
Here is my suggestion so get some more speed in there without cooking yourself for your swim-bike training and also minimizing injury potential while hopefully getting a bit quicker.
Before you start speedwork, gradually introduce more hillwork into your runs.
Try and find a route with steep uphills and gradual downhills (or at least downhills that are not too steep). I have a few blocks in my neigbourhood where I do loops...run up the steep uphill and fast down the gradual downhill. The downhills are not steep enough that I have to "brake"...more lilke 2-4% where I am more or less running the same way as on a flat...just with some gravity assist.
The steep uphill will tax you aerobically, without too much pounding. The gradual downhill will allow you to run fast but at a low aerobic load, so that you can be coordinated and light on your feet and minimize pounding.
The benefit here is that you are not pounding your legs at the same time that your muscles are deprived of oxygen. You are either partially deprived of oxygen going uphill (or at least working hard) or you have totally muscular control with muscles completely charged with O2 as you run downhill.
You get the benefit of fast leg speed on the downhill as well as higher aerobic load on the uphill without the injury risk of high leg speed (and pounding) while sucking wind when you combine both.
Most of us get injured when we combine the two....but you can have a bit of icing even if your cake is not too thick yet by doing steeper uphill with gradual downhill work. In fact, for anyone racing half Ironman or more, this is all that is likely needed, and likely more beneficial with respect to mimicing what you'll actually experience on race day....all the dudes frying their bodies doing sub 6 min miles repeats on the track in training when it does not count (ie you are not wearing a timing chip) may be looking at your butt on race day.
Finally I'd say this is a nice way to "thicken your cake more quickly" compared to just shuffling out more steady state miles for months on end...and it is more fun. Only you can be the judge on how often and with what intensity you will do this, and when to introduce it.
I find this approach much lower risk with almost the same reward (for age group triathletes) as flat out speedwork. Good luck
Dev