Oct 18, 2024
Training Tips by Runzy Director of Coaching Joe McConkey
Ready To Get Faster?
6:51. Marathoners needed to run almost 7 minutes faster than qualifying time to run in Boston next Spring, and qualifying standards are going down 5 minutes for the following year. If you want to qualify for Boston it is time to get serious, it is time to get faster!
Before going out to work on speed, let’s consider what you are trying to accomplish, physiologically by doing so. Through regular speed work you are looking to gain efficiency at faster paces by increasing cardiovascular efficiency, improving metabolic pathways, optimizing muscle coordination, increasing power output, and increasing absorption capabilities of higher forces with a larger range of motion at the hip, knee, and ankle. These workouts are supposed to be new, exposing your musculo-skeletal system to an environment it has not quite been through before, though is still within reach of your capabilities. You are trying to make a change by providing a change to your training, but the question remains, are you ready, physiologically?
Having your body prepared for fast running, and allowing ample time to get your body warmed up for your quality speed sessions, is critical. Without doing so not only are you at risk for injury, but you also may never truly extend yourself and your speed or speed endurance to the point of stimulating a new, lasting adaptation.
To be fully prepped for a quality speed session:
- Obtain optimal pliability throughout the body. You should be able to move around a foamroller and have no issues with strong pressure. This means your muscles are not inflamed and are now ready for something new.
- Obtain optimal strength through regular, well-rounded strength exercises that target the entire chain (glute, quads, hams, calves, feet).
- Already have in place a good foundation of running - with tempo runs, hill work, and fartlek runs all part of a 80/20 balanced program over the past 2-3 months.
For the workout day itself...
- Run easy for 10-20 minutes as a warmup
- Stretch for 3-5 minutes any areas that are asymmetrically or unusually tight
- Perform dynamic stretches and/or running drills for 3-5 minutes
- Perform 2-6 fast strides of 60-80 meters
- Start the workout!
When you do the math above, yes, it can take 25-35 minutes just to warmup for speed work! Keep in mind elite sprinters, racing 100-400 meters, may take this long or even longer to warmup for a workout that lasts only 10 minutes. Though our distance is much longer, we are also trying to make a physiological change via higher intensity running, and given this intensity is new relative to what we are normally doing, these workouts deserve just as much preparation.
