The truth is that developing running speed is very often problematic. It depends on the length of your stride, on the correct movement of your arms, on your physiology. But if you change your approach to your training, you can still increase your running speed. The main thing is to do everything gradually.
Trener teka in fitnes trener svetovnega razreda
A common mistake of beginners is that they start running fast right away. You need to learn to run slowly at a low heart rate. Perhaps the speed will be the same as walking speed. But this way, your anaerobic threshold will be raised and you will be able to run faster at the same heart rate.
How to increase your running speed
By pumping up your cardiovascular system and endurance. Low-intensity steady running will increase your overall endurance little by little. Let’s say that at the same running speed, your heart rate will become slightly lower than before. This will allow you to run faster.
You can also increase your running speed with special training sessions. They can be of four types:
- low-intensity steady running;
- high-intensity steady-state running;
- low-intensity interval work;
- high-intensity interval work.
In our case, the last option will do. To be clear: there is anaerobic work and there is aerobic work. Aerobic work is when we train at a low heart rate at a slow pace, and anaerobic work is when we go beyond these limits and work takes place without oxygen at a high heart rate. And there is aerobic-anaerobic work. Such workouts increase the speed of running when we do sections of acceleration. We accelerate up to 85% and then let the heart rate recover to 65%. We repeat these accelerations depending on the training volume. For example, we run at a very fast pace for 30 seconds, then slow down and jog for 1.5 minutes. We repeat this several times during the workout, but in such a way that it is comfortable.
You can also do longer stretches, when you accelerate not to 85%, but to 70. This will allow us to work at a lower pace a little longer. In this case, we rest as much as we worked at a high pace.
5 exercises that will develop your running speed
Running with knees up
You can do this exercise on the spot or run a certain distance in this way.
Tehnika
- Stand up straight, feet shoulder width apart. Arms bent at the elbows.
- Take turns jumping from one foot to the other. Knees try to pull up as high as you can.
- The arms work together with the legs. We don’t drop them.
- We do the exercise in dynamics.
Running with shin splints
This exercise can also be done on the spot or in motion.
Tehnika
- Stand up straight, feet shoulder-width apart. Arms bent at the elbows.
- Take turns jumping from one foot to the other, maximally bending the legs at the knees. Try to touch the buttocks with the heels.
- Hands work together with the legs. We do not throw them.
- We do the exercise in dynamics.
Plezalec po skalah
Tehnika
- We stand in a supine position. Body and legs form one straight line.
- First pull the left knee to the chest, then return the leg to the starting position. At the same time, pull the right knee to yourself.
- Do the exercise in dynamics.
These are by no means the only exercises that will help develop the speed of running. If you really want to learn to run fast, try also running uphill. Due to the fact that it will be much harder to run this way than in a straight line, you will pump up your overall endurance, leg strength and with regular training you will be able to lose weight.