On Thanksgiving, I did a 10k time trial, and I was pleasantly surprised with my time.
I rarely run 10k’s, in fact the last one I did was another Turkey Trot three years ago.
My 10k three years ago I ran a 48:34 (7:49/mile). My 10k this year I ran a 38:16 (6:10/mile).
I actually started running again about four years ago, after a twelve year hiatus (due to work, kids, life). My first run back, I ran a 12:30/mile holding a z1 HR. Now I’m running about a 7:40/mile pace at the same effort. I have followed the 80/20 principle, which is 80% of the runs are in z1/z2, and 20% or the runs are in z4+. I’m not sure if that’s been the difference so much as just establishing a huge base, but it’s worked out so far. As usual, I made a video about my time trial (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WudWvaUT0c).
I’m just wondering, what method(s) have you all used in order to get faster in running?
Run more. doesnt need to be more complicated than that
I agree, volume is important. In 2019, I ran about 20 miles per week (I would have run more, but with biking and swimming, that’s all the time I had). 2020, I have run almost 30 miles per week. I credit my pace increase with getting more volume under my legs. However, my increase in volume was easy miles (z1, z2 stuff).
25 years of varying levels of success and ROI with almost ALL of the “schools of thought” or training plans, my recommendation is to drop the $14 and pick up Pete Magill’s book “Fast 5K”. I’d just select the “tempo” options for the plan and it will be very effective for 10K, provided you get your mileage up over say 50MPW. It is by far the best distillation of proven ideas related to running I’ve ever seen, presented in a format that won’t leave you scratching your head trying to decode like Daniels, Vigil or Lyniard’s stuff can. I found it to contain the prefect amount of breadth and depth to build a realistic plan that fit nicely into a life that does not revolve around training. My only regret is not having access to his body of work 15 years ago and having to train around old man considerations for mileage and intensity limits now… BTW I have zero association with Pete or Velopress.
Thanks for the good reference, I’ll definitely read it. To be clear, I’m not interested in getting faster at 10k’s or anything shorter. I’m more interested in getting better in long distance races (e.g., half marathons and longer). This is because I’m mostly focused and getting faster for HIMs and IMs. However, I usually train for one marathon a year in hopes for finally achieving that elusive sub-3 marathon.
I’m experimenting with running 3 days a week but working up to 5 times - basically one day of intervals like yours (right now I’m doing 60 on/60 off but those will change throughout the year), one with some tempo intervals (right now with hard hill reps or a hard mile uphill to start), and a long run. The other two will be easy runs.
So far, so good - I was always a 5-7 day a week runner while training but injury and now almost 46 - trying to see if I can get those improvements without running consecutive days. Haven’t run a race yet (covid 15 as been holding me back a bit haha) but starting to feel stronger and relatively fast at times!
Main set (7.5min), repeat 4-12 times. Use a flat route.
4x(30s FAST, 60s easy)
90s easy
5-15min cool down.
Definitely agree with this approach. Like OP, finally cracked the sub 3 barrier this year and what worked for me was incorporating neormuscular strides/sprints/hill reps into otherwise easy runs, as my stride is not naturally fast or efficient. I also had one VO2 max session of short track intervals (1k or less) with progressively longer distances and shorter reps, and used those to focus on cadence and stride power. I did very little tempo/threshold work on the run (other than practicing some race pace in 2 long runs), and instead used the bike to push up my threshold since that’s much less taxing on the body (primarily did 2x/week over/unders and long intervals right above threshold).
If you mean Stephen Seiler, the base of his hierarchy of endurance training needs is volume. Everyone focuses on his talk of polarized training and seem to miss how often he talks about how important volume is and that the best simply do more.
I lost too much weight resulting in muscle loss and bone fractures, making me slower…
This is not the problem of 99.9% of athletes on this forum or on the start line of any marathon. This MAY apply to 1 out of 1000 runners. There is another thread you can start for the roughly 1/1000 (or less, I picked that number out of the air) from the general population for whom this is a concern
In 2014 I ran my first marathon. I did it in 3:38 and Was very disappointed in my time, I spent the winter trying to get faster. This is what I did.
1 work out per week focused on biomechanics. Including box jumps, strides etc.
1 work out/week intervals
1 work out per week tempo
1 fasted 7mi trail run (it made sense at the time)
In between 3x6k recovery runs per week.
By the spring my weight was hitting 60kg which is unhealthy for me but I lost 7min on my 5k. I didn’t run another marathon as my daughter came along and 3hour long runs felt selfish.