How to improve speed for a distance runner?

Strides drilks plyos weights

You need 54 split for 4:14 and probably 55 split for the 9:10. By this I mean running into it 400 time, nothing from a stand.

You aren't all that far off, though you are pressing your interval work more than you should.

The way you are pushing your workouts now, back off ~2-3secs/ lap. No reason to go <59

in those long sessions to close.

As for the basic speed my guess is you have done nothing for turnover.

If you hear regularly that your stride is long, then that indicates you'll need to work on fast relaxed.

Probably a shorter stride by 2-3 inches will help you get the feel of what I mean.

100s, 200s and 300s. Can't say which would be best for you at this point but most likely a combination will move you along.

As a drill to feel that adjustment also, use the turf lines on the infield to feel the difference between a 2y stride and a 2m stride.

100m reps would be on 1' ~15 ~45 sec rest

200m reps would be on 1'30 ~31 ~59 sec rest

300m reps would be on 2'' ~48-49 ~71-72 sec rest 100m walk rest is a useful variation.

None of this work is in spikes.

You may also want to with what you have speed side and focus on bringing your cruising speed down.

This would be pointing you to the3200 goal. And the measure of success here is making a 3'km feel like a walk.

Most of this work could be away from the track and a key feature would be more running at <5:40 pace or faster.

You'll have to drop your mileage to handle the work. Try 50-55/week from here.

But nothing I advise above will be helpful if you don't dial back the effort on your track sessions.

Remember half your competition will overwork before the bigger races.

Good luck

STEVE THE ADDICT^^^^^^ wrote:

Strides drilks plyos weights

At this point of the year, I am not sure I would start up a plyo or weight program. Seems like 8-10s hill sprints are the low hanging fruit. And doing things like 150s where you focus on accelerating. If you have never done fast work, a little can go a long way.

And never forget that you are a distance guy. No good dropping a 52 if the time spent doing it hurts your endurance.

Found this post in the old thread "Improving finishing kick (pure speed"

"Improving basic speed is fairly simple. The scenario I've seen many times is this. Let me introduce you to runner "Joe."

Joe is 27 years old, was decent but no better in H.S., tried to make the cross-country/track team at the local university but was unsuccessful. Joe ran 10:00 in the 3200 in H.S., and now runs local road races with an average 5k of 17:30. Joe runs about 40 miles a week and does intervals in the form of 800m and mile repeats in fartlek form with the local club.

Joe can no longer come close to a 10:00 3200. He can't do this because 5:00 for the mile is all he can muster. An 800m in 2:20 is a race for him.

Joe has 2 big problems that are equally important to address 1)Lack of mileage, 2)No speed. Joe, however has decided he wants some more successand is willing to work for it.

I look at his recent mileage and plot out a course for raising it. We go to the track and warm-up etc. and I put him through a small true speed workout. I have him run what I call an "accela 200." He starts out at mile race pace and builds speed over 200 meters until the last 20-30 are full out. This is always the final component of the warm-up and the beginning of the workout on a true speed day.

Because he has not done any true speed work since high school he will run 1 or 2 200s. I give him 5 minutes recovery and explain that he will run this next 200 as fast as possible while staying relaxed. He jogs into into it with a raised hand which is dropped when the 200 start is reached. As the hand drops I click my watch and observe. The effort to relax is apparent but he is not relaxed and isn't generating a lot of power. The time is 29.3. He walks a bit, jogs a 600 back to the start where I meet him and ask how he is feeling etc (rest was about 8 min). We decide to do another one. Same procedure, 29.7.

I let him know that he will be sore etc. but that his speed will improve. This workout is repeated once a week with the number of 200s increased to 5 after the accela 200. The recovery is whatever is necessary (within reason) to be ready to go again. Usually starts at about 8 minutes and drops to 5 minutes after a couple months. It is never reduced to less then 5.

Joe's progression.

Week 1: 29.3, 29.7

Week 2: 28.8, 28.5, 29.1

Week 3: 28.5, 28.4, 28.6, 28.8

Week 4: 28.1, 28.0, 28.3, 28.3, 29.2

Week 5: 28.2, 28.5, 28.4, 28.5, 28.4

Week 6: 27.7, 27.6, 28.0, 28.1, 27.3

(Finally gets around to buying a pair of spikes to use instead of road flats. The last 200 of week 6 was run in spikes. Joe put them on for strides 2 times during the week. He has not be sore so the last 3 will be run in spikes on week 7. Week 8 will be completely in spikes.)

Week 7: 27.5, 27.6, 27.0, 26.8, 26.6

Week 8: 26.9, 26.5, 26.4, 26.7, 26.2

Week 9: 26.3, 26.1, 26.0, 26.6, 25.9

Week 10:25.9, 26.3, 26.1, 25.9, 25.8

(During this time mileage was raised from 40-70)

This Joe levels off about here, two Joes I have coached progressed to the mid 24's, another is currently at about week 6. All joes increased there mileage and threshold running and dropped up there 5k times substantially--and didn't get outkicked at the end. In less than a year Joe is now running 15:30 for 5k and 4:28 for a mile.

FOR MOST SPEED IS AS SIMPLE AS THAT.

If muscle imbalances are present drills are introduced to correct them. Usually the speed will fix them if it is run relaxed. Drills and plyos can be helpful but usually distract from the speed and a loss of specificity is incurred. Ability for 400 meter usually starts at 61-62 and drops to 53-55.

Don't over complicate things. Don't excessively worry about drills and form. Just do it and do it relaxed. Devote 1 workout a week to speed until you start to level off. After you level off finish 1 to 2 workouts per week with 1-2 fast 200s. For most people that is enough to maintain speed and some see continued improvement.

I like 200s because that are short enough to sprint but long enough to focus on relaxation.

Some may do it different, however this works so I stick with it.

My favorite athlete to work with is one who was a B class runner in HS, showing some talent, but never developed for one reason or another. For example I am working with an 800m runner who ran 2:00 flat in HS, 2:00 as a freshman in college and then quit. This guy will never make a U.S. national team but just wants to see improvement. Two weeks ago he raced for the 1st time in 5 years, the first time ever indoors, at 4500 feet, and 1 week after the highest mileage week of his life, and without a prepratory time trial, no hard 600's etc. He PRd with 1:59 FAT. He will peak for outdoors and run much faster. The two MAJOR factors? More mileage. More speed."

Discus

It depend how much actual speed one posesses.

You can't make predictions or prescriptions unless you know

What is your minimum speed in meters per second?

Maximum speed

If you can split 57 at the end of a decently hard workout then you can probably run 53-54 to be quite honest.

What you need to do to get better speed is get in the weight room. I’m a 800-1500 guy and have been dealing with constant injury for the past year. Over the past 2.5 months I haven’t strung more than two weeks of consistent running together with 0 speed workouts but I’ve stayed in the gym and can still split probably a 23 or 24 in a 200.

Depends on what you’ve been doing in the weight room if any, but if you’re just starting, do 3x5 of back squats and RDL. Heavy weight but it seems like you and your coach are working well together so have him help you with form. The second day of the week do reverse lunges and hamstring slider curls.

Other than that make sure you’re doing sprint work once a week. 3-5x60-80m sprints with 3-5 minute recovery will work wonders for you. Focus on form over everything though. As soon as you lose form on sprints or weights you stop the session.

yessirskiii wrote:

If you can split 57 at the end of a decently hard workout then you can probably run 53-54 to be quite honest.

No. You don't know that. You have no idea. Neither does dsrunner.

You’re right, I don’t know. I’m making an educated guess that a 57 at the end of a workout does not reflect 400 speed that is fresh, in a race environment, with spikes.

Personally, I think that you are doing very well and I think that your goals are attainable. I think the 1:57 is a little "soft" and that really you would be more in the 1:55 or 1:54 range. Keep up the good work!

So you've run a 4:29 1600/mile & a 9:46 3200/2 mile?

I think you shouldn't worry too much & just keep training with what has been working and keep progressing throughout college. The 4:29 is slightly better than the 9:46. So it looks like your speed might be a little better than your endurance.

You're young so do the little things to stay sharp. Do strides 2-3 times/week. Mix in short sprints (Ryan Hall has a good YouTube video doing 60m variations). Do 200s/300s/400s once every 2 weeks or so. Race the 800/1500-mile instead of feeling like you need to move up to the 5k/10k any time soon.

Your mileage looks good. Those 3 mile times look solid. I wouldn't get hyperfocused on pace on training runs/easy runs/long runs. You should do what feels right and what gets you recovered. The long run pace should maybe be looked at. 5:55 pace is approaching tempo/marathon effort so maybe think about doing long run workouts or treating the long run as a workout if you're going to roll. You might need some recovery if you hit a long run in the 5:50s and then want to nail a speed session on the Tuesday or Wednesday after. You don't want to sacrifice time in those sessions without meaning to.