How To Improve Your Race Times. HINT: Itβs Not Increasing Your Mileage
Are you looking to shave time off your next 5k, 10k, half marathon, or marathon?
Most endurance runners have the mindset that in order to get faster, they must increase their mileage. WRONG!
In fact, it can lead to overtraining and a greater risk of injuries.
What’s the secret to getting faster? Speedwork to improve turnover and inclines to improve strength.
Let us explain…
Need For Speed
Turnover simply means the number of times your feet push off during each minute of running. Most runners get locked into a cadence that feels comfortable. Unfortunately, if you don't work to speed up your turnover (180 footstrikes per minute is considered optimal), that rhythm will slow down as you age.
Therefore, speedwork is the most effective at improving your turnover and building your fitness because it really pushes you out of your comfort zone. It trains your body to become more efficient at faster paces.
Uphill Gains
The best way to build leg strength is hill running.
Running up an incline places the same demand on your muscles as weight training--your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves must "lift" you up the slope--but these muscles are more specific to running.
The "explosive" action of uphill sprints improves elasticity in your muscles and tendons, which allows you to spring quickly into action after landing.
In Conclusion
Running at faster paces builds speed but it's the inclines that provide the strength benefit. Doing both for short intervals will make you faster and improve your race times!
Ready to give it a try?
We know, we know, you HATE the treadmill, but our 30-minute endurance, speed, and strength workouts fly by as you’re constantly changing speeds and inclines while building the strength and turnover needed to get faster!
Join thousands of people improving their race times by adding our 4-week treadmill program ACCELERATE into their training regime!
"After five weeks training, I ran the NJ Half Marathon this morning and beat my previous time by 14 minutes! Thank you for the workouts, the coaching and for the great support this group provides." Claire C.
"After completing my 1st round of Accelerate, I ran a 5k today @ 25:47 down from 27:32! So glad I found your program!!!!" Kate G.
"So I just ran a Baker to Vegas race and my leg was 6.1 miles. And guess what? I ran it in 39 min 37 sec. That's like 6.30 pace. I never ran that fast in my life especially for 6 miles. And the only thing I was doing to prepare myself was your SISSFiT treadmill program!!! π Thanks!" Jenny C.