A need for speed!

I hear people say that they aren’t fast enough and I say, fast enough for what? I’m curious as to where this comes from, is it at school that it is engrained in us that we need to be better and faster than eveyone else. Running with groups lends itself to some unsolicited advice from passers by, the majority of the time, telling us to run faster! It seems to be a constant battle that I have with new and seasoned runners, they feel they have to run fast in all of their runs for the run to be successful. And sometimes we can get bogged down by this and by our watches and of course by posting it on Strava. I love improvement, I love progress, but I also try to encourage my athletes to run on how they feel and how to listen to their bodies.

HOW should each run feel?

Easy run – fully conversational at the speed of chat and about 6/10 effort

Steady run – conversational but controlled working at about 7/10 effort.

Threshold running – controlled discomfort, 3-4-word answer pace and about 8/10 effort.

Interval running – 5k-10k effort, about 9/10 and working hard with no chat!

How do you know whether you are running the right pace or not? Surely every run should be run at break neck pace.  The feeling of not being sure how fast you should be running for any run is very common, from beginners to elite.  If you have just started running it may feel as though running is never going to be easy, but let me assure you, it doesn’t need to be hard all the time.

When you first start to run all you are trying to do is get out and run. That should be at easy pace or the speed of chat – if you can’t talk as you are running, you’re going to fast, simple as that. For the more experienced runner, the speed of chat is how your easy and recovery runs should feel - totally in control, relaxed and slow enough to talk. If you are combining walking and running, the effort level remains the same – you should be able to hold a conversation on both the walking and running segments.

Faster than easy, conversational running is steady running. This is the backbone of training for more experienced runners. This is where you must be honest and not push too hard or you might ruin your faster sessions, so conversation should still be possible, but a little strained.

Incorporating threshold running is how the elites train and you can train like this too. This is where you are running at a controlled discomfort level: you can still talk between breaths, but only 3- or 4-word phrases. This is not running to exhaustion or sprinting. You may be ready to include threshold running into your training plan by attending an interval training session or including a progressive/tempo run in your weekly schedule. Depending on the session depends on the effort, but don’t worry myself or Charlie will tell you how much effort to do.

Rest (R) To help your body cope with the workload, rest is going to be as important a part of your training schedule as the running. Listen to your body and take heed of any warning signs. If you feel fatigued even before you’ve run a step, find yourself thinking up excuses not to run or start suffering a series of minor injuries; you probably need more time off. Taking enough rest allows physical and mental recovery and gives your body the time to adapt to your workload. Remember: on rest days, that is exactly what you should be doing!

Recovery Run are easy runs (RR) Training for endurance requires your body to work harder than it has ever done. To see improvement without breaking down, you’ll need some recovery runs. These should be nice and easy and you should feel relaxed. Enjoy the scenery. You should be breathing easily and be capable of holding a conversation throughout the run. This will mean that you are running in the 60–65% range of your Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) and it should be no more than 45 minutes in duration. This allows your body to adapt to the training workload and therefore improve. It also helps with the removal of the waste products, which accumulate in your muscles after harder efforts.

Threshold Runs (THR) After the long endurance runs, tempo runs are probably your most valuable workouts. You will find them slightly uncomfortable and they’ll require concentration, but they are well worth the effort. As they’re run at a controlled pace, you’ll only be capable of uttering a couple of words to your training partners. Tempo/threshold runs improve your lactate threshold (the speed above which your body struggles to cope with the lactic acid created by burning energy without oxygen), your running efficiency and aerobic capacity (your bodys ability to utilise oxygen). All this helps to improve your endurance performance.

Long Runs are steady runs (LR) Long runs are vital in your plan and key to racing well in long distance races from 5km – marathon. These are the lovely weekend runs with friends and no pressure, the backbone to every training plan. These runs improve your muscular endurance and condition your body to burn fat as its primary fuel source.

Hills (IT) Hill running develops strength in your muscles and tendons without putting them under the type of stress they are exposed to during faster running. Who doesn’t love a hill?

Interval Training - Speed (IT) Intervals help to boost specific race pace speed and involve running timed efforts with a controlled recovery.