Post originally appeared on the Running Network site, written by Darren De Reuck.
If you read my last article about “how to get started” and followed the 8 week Run/Walk Program…you are ready to start a run only schedule…albeit it short and sweet…however, to achieve maximum performance, one should improve both their endurance and speed. You can achieve this by either running more miles, running faster, or a combination of both. While we all set our own “standards and goals” when training and racing…the level of intensity and volume may vary…but remember ones training regime is very relative to where you are at and don’t think because you are not putting in as many miles as the next person…that you are not reaping the benefits of improving and gaining strength.
When we train one needs to define the difference between your workouts…running the same route every other day and pushing harder each time will gain speed and strength is a fallacy…the only accomplishment you’ll achieve is “crashing and burning”…in other words overtraining or getting hurt.
When the schedule shows “easy/recovery” run…take those words literally and run an easy pace. How fast is easy? You need to define your own comfort level…not your running buddy’s…especially if they are faster. Ideally l like to refer to these runs as “conversational”, so running at a pace where you can hold a conversation without getting out of breath.
You should incorporate a longish run in the week, probably over the weekend when you can drum up some running buddies to join in. Run between 60-75 minutes at a comfortable pace, not getting caught up in speed or distance, but instead focusing on “time on legs”. If you need to take walk breaks…please do and use this time to hydrate. Wear a fuel belt or carry a bottle with your fluids to stay hydrated. Remember, this should be an enjoyable run and not one where you are punishing your body.
If you are out to run the 5km as fast as your legs will carry you as opposed to just finishing…you’ll need to improve your speed and endurance…this means doing some runs above that comfort zone. There are two types of fast training you can do:
Interval – to improve speed, do this workout at a pace faster than your race pace. Although runners love hitting the track for the most part…I believe you can get just as much benefit doing a “fartlek” (playing with fast and slow speed) done on the roads or dirt trails, as opposed to hurling yourself around a track and running the risk of getting hurt. A great fartlek workout is doing a ladder:
1 minute fast/1 minute easy/2 minutes fast/2 minutes easy/3 minutes fast/3 minutes easy/2 minutes fast/2 minutes easy/1 minute fast. Take 2 minutes Easy after the first set. Repeat this twice. Run the minutes faster than the 2’s and the 2’s faster than the 3’s. Work on been more controlled on the way up the ladder and then get faster on the way down. Make sure you run real easy on the recovery so that the fast segments are done hard.
Tempo – here we are working on running at a consistent pace and helping build speed and strength while developing ones anaerobic or lactate threshold…critical for running faster. To get started with tempo runs, start out with 5-10 minutes of easy running to warm up, then go straight into 15-20 minutes of running about 10-15 seconds per mile slower than your 10km pace, and finish up with 5-10 minutes of cooling down. If you’re not sure what your 10km pace is, run at a pace that feels “comfortably hard.”
There’s so much to remember now that you are a runner…and two important things which should always be in your regime are: Stretching and Strength Training. When you do those “harder” workouts make sure you do some stretching once you’ve warmed up. It does not have to take 30 minutes to stretch…but make sure you stretch out the quads/hamstrings/calves…all the muscle groups you’ll engage during the workout.
Having good upper body strength will go a long way in helping when you start to labor at the end of a workout or race. Working on core strength is sufficient if time is an issue and can be done in 20-25 minutes and 3 times in the week (Tue/Thu/Sat). If you have the time to hit the weight room…work on building strength and not extra muscle…light weights with more repetitions rather than pumping heavy iron.
In closing, don’t forget to REST. One cannot train hard if you are not well rested. If you are running 4-5 times in the week…make sure those two off days are used appropriately. Enjoy that first 5km Race and before long you’ll be thinking…”I need more of a challenge, let’s do a 10km”.
About the Coach
Darren De Reuck has been coaching runners for almost 20 years. Beginning in 1988, he coached club level as well as elite runners in his native South Africa. In 1993, he began serving as a training partner to his wife, Colleen De Reuck, always advising the Coach and later becoming her coach.
From 2000 – 2002, Darren headed up the official training club for one of the largest 10 km road races in the country, The Bolder Boulder. Drawing from his success with the Bolder Boulder Training Club, he formed The Boulder Striders in July 2002, a running group that caters to runners of all abilities. In September of the same year, he formed The Running Republic of Boulder. http://http://www.runningrepublic.com
This group is a USATF affiliated competitive running club and includes runners who are competitive at all age-group levels. Darren has served as the head coach for both of these clubs.