[background music] Mark: As runners, we're always looking
for ways to run faster, and for ways to run longer but how about we put the two together and try to
run faster, for longer. For instance, you may be able to run fast for about a kilometer or two,
but how about we try and extend that out a little bit further to 5k, 10k, or maybe even more.
All right. Every runner has been there, you start out with a comfortable yet challenging
pace but a few miles in, that pace suddenly becomes a real struggle,
and before long your pace is all over the place. You feel exhausted and you're hanging
in for dear life. I'd have to guess that sounds quite familiar for you. Let's get
stuck right in with some ways to help that and improve it with some speed interval training.
I know this sounds relatively obvious and it is. If you want to run faster, you need to
actually practice running faster. By breaking it down into smaller more manageable chunks,
it means that you can run at these higher speeds for a shorter period of time yet
still gaining that neuromuscular benefit. Before you scoff at this, this is still beneficial for
longer distances too such as marathons. The idea with the speed intervals is that
you get better at running faster over these short distances and with time,
hopefully, you get faster and faster, and maybe even start increasing the rep lengths too. For
instance, you might start out with reps of just 20 to 30 seconds at this high pace with around
40 seconds recovery and with time, you might be able to build-up to the good old classic 1k
repeats, where you're almost holding that same pace that you started out with.
I'm moving you on to another workout, the tempo run. This requires you to run at a comfortably
hard pace for a sustained period of time. It's around 85% to 90% of your maximum heart rate and
a seven to eight out of 10 in terms of intensity level.
You may find that you're able to say a few words whilst running at this pace,
but that's about it. The idea behind the tempo run is basically to help raise your lactic
threshold. The nasty stuff that essentially slows you down if you start to produce it
at such a rate that your body can't remove it. The speed intervals that we talked about before
help you to run faster, and then the tempo runs help to raise that lactic threshold and delay
that onset of lactic acid until higher speed. It's the perfect mix to help you to run faster
for longer. If you'd like to find out a little bit more on the tempo runs with some session examples,
we actually have a recent video on that which you'll find a link to in the description below.
Strength work is also a key tool for helping you to run faster for longer. This doesn't necessarily
mean you need to be throwing weights around the gym, but a level of focus on some main areas
will drastically help. In particular, I'd suggest the core, the hips, and the glutes. Now, the core
pretty much holds the body together and improves its efficiency. If you imagine trying to use a
hammer that's floppy and bendy in the middle, it's just not going to be able to produce and be able
to deliver as much power and force as it should do. The body is pretty much the same. If your core
is bending and moving around, then there's going to be a significant loss of power and energy.
For many people as they start to fatigue whilst running, it's obviously their legs that go first,
but commonly we see this swaying hip motion as they start to drop from side to side. Again,
this is inefficiency rather than energy simply going into moving us forwards,
it's being lost in this side motion. Then we've got the glutes. This is the largest
muscle on the body yet amazingly it is the least used, but when they're firing and working well,
these can really help to prevent inefficiencies and loss of energy.
Of course, there are plenty of other exercising areas that you can focus on in the gym
and improve strength in but I would from my personal experience say these are the key
areas that you want to focus on. If you'd like any advice on any exercise that you should follow, we
actually have a video on that as well, so you can find the link for that in the description below.
Now it's time to do some maths and work out your pacing. I know this is another
very obvious tip but I feel it's needed given how many people clearly don't do it.
Now, if you really do want to run faster for longer, then setting off at an unrealistic
pace very rarely comes back with a better performance and faster time when compared
with one that has been well-paced. Trust me, I have tried all different methods so
if you do have a particular run or race in mind, and you've got a target time in mind,
make sure that that's realistic. Then just work out the pace per mile, per kilometer from that,
and if you want some help you can actually find some online calculators that can do this for you.
Actually, the hardest part is holding yourself back at the start of the run. Naturally, you will
be excited, pumped, full of adrenaline, and just want to go off hard. You do want to use that to a
degree so what I often suggest is cap it around 5% faster than your target pace for that first half a
kilometer before you do too much damage and then start to settle it down to that target pace as
soon as you possibly can. Then around halfway into the race, think about trying to lift the pace.
What probably will end up happening is you just sustain and carry on with your target pace,
but the effort is there and it means you come back with a well-paced run.
Of course, we've spoken a lot today about the running faster part but not so much about the
running longer part. Jumping back to the training, we can't forget the good old long run. Typically,
these are performed just once a week as an opportunity to build endurance and distance.
It's as simple as that really. Time on the feet without necessarily having to run
hard all of the time. We always work on the premise of adding no more than 10%
week in, week out in terms of the duration or the distance.
To be honest, the long run is a big topic in itself. You've probably guessed it, yes,
we do have a video on that already, so I'll pop the link for that in the description
just down below. Do make sure you go and check those out after because they're full
of a lot more information to add to this video. I hope you have enjoyed today's video. If you have,
give it a like, don't forget to head on over to our GTN social media channels. Give them a follow
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