Speed Tips For Running (Part 3)

Three essential run drills.
Running is a case of getting out there and putting in hard miles. Well, not exactly, it may be a big part of it, but there are many drills and exercises that can make you a more efficient, faster and stronger runner. Today I did some research on running drills and found this clip useful. It gives good information on the drill as well as excellent footage showing them clearly. I'm going to use these drills in my run training over the next few months. They will work well with my Speed Tips for Running Part 2 exercises from my last running post. I hope this helps you with you run training.

Sunday Morning Run with Activ Multisport

Tough run session in the Phoenix Park this morning. Ger put us through our paces focusing on building run speed. The group session is great because you push yourself much harder with others. Ger's also there to make sure you don't cut any corners! See you next week, same bat time, same bat channel. 10 o'clock start at the Magazine Fort car park.

Speed Tips For Running (Part 2)

In Speed Tips for Running Part 1 I discussed the importance of building a base for running. Here are some exercises that will further benefit your run training. These three exercises are focused on increasing run strength and anaerobic threshold.

HILL TRAINING

Uphill and downhill running strengthens a wider variety of leg muscles than level running. This results in greater power and speed development. The higher knee lift develops increased power in the quads, leading to shorter foot strike time. To help distance runners build up speed you can do hill repeats. Hill repeats involve finding a hill of between 5 and 20 degree incline and doing short 15 - 20 second fast bursts up the hill, walk back down, and then repeat. Start with 5 and build up until you can do 20 to 30. Progress slowly as the IT band and Achilles tendon can be damaged by this training.

FARTLEK

Fartlek is a training method similar to interval training. Fartlek can be performed on any running surface, and distances are determined by what the runner feels like doing. For example, a runner may increase his pace on a road run from a moderate jog to a fast run until he passes the next tree or telephone pole, then slow to a recovery jog. Fartlek raises the anaerobic threshold and helps the runner become more pace conscious

VARIED SURFACES

Various types of running surfaces can be beneficial in speed training. Grass fields add running resistance with less impact than hard surfaces. Dirt trails are beneficial for their gentle surface and variety in inclines and camber. Treadmills offer a Irish-weather option that allows you to set speed and incline. Using different surfaces can also help prevent boredom with your training.

Speed Tips for Running (Part 1)

AVOIDING INJURY:

As with all exercise, running carries a risk of injury. Speed running puts additional stress on your body and increases the risk of getting injured. Establishing a good running base before beginning speed training reduces the risk of injury. A running base can be built up over a series of week's, for me it is about 5. This running base helps to ensure that your muscles, joints and bones are in good training condition before you start the intensive work. Here are some tips for building your base.

• Only run as far as you feel comfortable with for the first two weeks, if you find yourself under pressure it is better to stop and walk for a while than to run with bad from and exhausted weak muscles.

• Successful base training is adding enough intensity to running to boost your fitness, but not so much that you get exhausted. Remember, this is about preventing injury!

• Increase your distance by not more than a kilometer a week, no matter how good you feel. Base training is about building strength, not about pushing yourself to your limits. That will come later.

• Stretch and eat after each run, we want muscles to repair as well as possible. Protein is good for repairing muscle and carbohydrates are good for muscle refueling.

• Strength training for the glutes, quads, calves, core and back are great during your base training, but think more along the lines of Pilates or a circuit class, not Olympic weight lifting.