Top Ten Tips to Run Faster

Do you want to run faster? Here are my top ten tips to build speed and crush your next 5k race.  

This is the time of year many of my clients have their first spring race behind them now, and want to improve their run times for their summer/fall races.  Everyone wants to get faster for their next 5km race. Here are many of the things we work on to improve their speed and you can add into your training with some planning.

1. Check your form.  Running with proper form promotes flow and reduces impact on the body. Remember to keep your high knees, kick your hamstrings back, your foot should land underneath your hip, trying to avoid heel striking.  Your arms should pump opposite to your legs and your body should be slightly leaning forward. 

2. Strengthen your core, not just your legs.  Planks, superpose, Russian twists, bicycle crunches, squats and deadlifts all target key core muscles used in running.  Without an engaged core, your form will fall apart fast. 

3. Try plyometrics.  Build speed and power with explosive moves like box jumps, jump squats, running A skips, bench crossovers, plyo split squats.  These drills will build stamina and strength in your glutes and hips, the key muscles groups used in running.  

4. Change your surface.  Runners can switch it up between road, treadmill, track, and trail surfaces.  Each of these surfaces challenge the body differently keeping you well rounded as a runner, and also prevents boredom.  

5. Rest.  Get 8 hours sleep or grab a nap, you can’t perform at your best if your batteries are drained. 

6. Recovery.  Your muscles get sore, knotted and tired from all that hard work. Simple recovery techniques like foam rolling, massage therapy, epsom salt baths, refuelling with protein shakes, all help muscles recover between workouts.  This will reduce cramping, stiffness and fatigue. 

7. Work on your Flexibility and Mobility. I simply can not stress this enough.  If your hips and glutes are tight you won’t have the full ROM to get your best stride. Increasing ROM = free speed. If you are tight you fight your own body for full ROM in your running stride.  Improved flexibility will also reduce your injury risk and you won’t run fast if injured, trust me. Stretch and massage therapy, as well as yoga will help. 

8. Run intervals.  Next time you hit the track add in some sprinting intervals.  They should be much faster than race pace, and only maintained for a short time.  Think 100-200m sprints. If you want to run faster you have to leave your comfort zone even if its just for a little bit. Track interval workouts are great for this, or even add in some strides in your longer runs if you don’t have track access. 

9. Run slower.  Recovery run days should be run slower than all your other runs. Respect the recovery run speed so you don’t burn out. Recovery runs should be 60-90sec slower/km than your race pace. Your rest days are important for overall recovery will still keeping your body moving and loose. 

10, Cross train. If it is not a prescribed run day and you still want to workout, try rowing, swimming or biking. It will train your cardiovascular endurance still, without the high impact of running, thus reducing stress on your body.  New runners often overdo their running before their bodies adapt and that can often lead to injuries.  3-4 runs a week is enough for your first year of running.