The need for speed
Posted by Keri on May 3, 2010 · Leave a Comment
For the past six weeks, I have been busting the Speed Demon’s butts on the track. They have squatted, lunged, leap frogg’d (not a crowd favorite), fartlek’d, glided, skipped and fast footed all for the love of running and the thought of doing it faster. The workouts were tough; I was even called a bully (that hurt) by a track user! So was the abuse worth it?
To establish their baseline for training, I used the 1.5-mile test, six laps around the track as quickly as they could, which was timed at our first session. The group ‘informally’ (yes, I did record the times) ran the 1.5-mile test again on week three and ‘formally’ ran it again on week six. The goal was a bit ambitious, but we were aiming for a 5% improvement in six weeks. Drum roll please…EVERYONE improved! The group average was a 4.6% improvement (highest was 8.3%, congratulations Jim)! Yeah, give yourselves a big pat on the back!
Sometimes we get stuck in a comfortable running rut. The pace feels good, but we aren’t breaking any personal records or challenging ourselves. I know that the end goal is always to be able to run tomorrow (or your next running day), but you would be lying if you said that you wouldn’t like to do it faster. If you want to run faster, you have to train faster. Let your body feel the speed at least once a week, you might even enjoy it.
My tips for speed training:
- Ensure that you have a strong running/fitness base before starting, and that you have been injury free for past 6 months.
- Your body cannot be expected to function at its best without proper fuel. Fuel and hydrate before, as well as after.
- Do a comprehensive warm-up. I used a 15-minute warm up before starting any speed/agility/quickness drills.
- SAQ drills for 20-30 minutes.
- Active rest such as walking or light running (notice I didn’t say jog) between interval drills and at the end of the session to cool down.
- Stretch, stretch, and stretch some more,
- At the first sign of any red flags (inflammation, pain, an area not functioning properly) discontinue the workout and take a couple of days off.
- Schedule a rest day after speed training sessions.