Runner's Corner

Spring into Speed

By Kitty A. Consolo, Ph.D. 
 

      With spring just around the corner, it’s time to think about shifting gears from slow distance running and getting in winter miles to doing some speed.  Here are some ideas on how to make the switch.  Regardless of what type of speed to choose to employ, be sure to always warm up several minutes so your body is sweating before you increase your pace.  Likewise, when  you have completed your speed for the day, be sure to cool down by doing some slower running, then walk and get plenty of fluids. 

Fartlek

      Fartlek is a Swedish word meaning speedplay (no, it’s not eating lots of baked beans and then going running…).  What I like about fartlek is it’s flexibility and lack of pressure.  You can choose any course and any time or distance, the goal is to simply increase your speed or pace from what you have been doing.  If you haven’t done anything fast for awhile, start slow with a 30 second burst followed by a minute of easy jogging.  If you want some goals, you can use your stopwatch with a count down timer to increase your pace every so many seconds or you can use the landscape, increase your pace from telephone pole to telephone pole or from lamp post to lamp post.  The important thing is to have fun and run at a comfortable fast pace, not a pace where you have to lie down and can hardly breathe.  Start with 5% of your total weekly work out and increase to 10% if you are focusing on 10k-halfmarathons and 15% if you are doing 5km.  If you are doing a marathon, you only need about 5% speedwork a week. 

Tempo runs

      Tempo runs are faster paced steady runs aimed at helping your stamina.  They usually last about 20 minutes after a good warm up and should be at around 85-90% of your max heart rate.  It’s better to have done some speed before you work into a tempo.  Also be sure to cool down after. 

Interval training

      Interval training requires some discipline and regimen but it is a great tool for teaching a runner pace.  Usually interval training is done on a track or area where one knows exactly how far one is running so that one can know exactly what pace one is running.  One can choose to do repeats of the same distance such as 10 X 400 or a ladder starting either with shorted distances like the 400, then 800, 1500 or longer and then go shorter.  When first starting, try to aim for race pace, then faster than race pace.  Allow enough recovery time to get your heart rate back to 120 beats per minute or below 60% of your max.  As you get in better shape, lower the amount of recovery time you allow. 

Run a race shorter than your race goal

      I have to admit to you, I never have enjoyed speed work much and especially alone.  So instead of doing much speed by myself, I love to run in several races and race myself into shape.  Keep in mind too that even if you have done lots of speedwork, there is nothing better to help you race better than running a race.  And it usually takes a few races to get into race shape even if you have been doing speed work.  A great distance to race that does not leave you too tired to train and can give a good speed workout is the 5km.  There are lots of great ones coming up, check out premierraces race schedule and see.  The other thing I like about races besides the fellow runners, is you have a course that is accurate, water stops, traffic control and good eats afterwards, a lot better than working out hard and having to provide all of those things yourself. 

Also, try to set a finish goal first for your races, then a range of finish times rather than an exact time.  See each year as a new start rather than always compare yourself to the previous year.  Afterall, you are another year older and should celebrate that you are still out there running and racing.  Don’t let your past times discourage you from the present, after all, it is a gift to still be here and racing strong.  

Hope to see you at the races soon. 
 

Kitty