Because it makes you faster
More miles and longer runs can slowly increase your speed, but you are really just bettering your endurance over a long period of time. Long runs aren't as useful at getting your legs to physically run faster.
Its important to understand the difference between Stamina and Endurance when we think about high-intensity training (over short periods of time) versus low-intensity training (over long periods of time).
Endurance, as it relates to running, is how long you can operate at a low to medium effort level. This is what it takes to run a marathon, however this could mean very slowly. Stamina is operating at a very high effort level over a shorter period of time. This is essentially what running repeats improves, and in turn will improve your overall fitness and ability to run "fast".
Endurance, as it relates to running, is how long you can operate at a low to medium effort level. This is what it takes to run a marathon, however this could mean very slowly. Stamina is operating at a very high effort level over a shorter period of time. This is essentially what running repeats improves, and in turn will improve your overall fitness and ability to run "fast".
Enter: Speed work
Speed work comes in many forms such as track workouts, tempo runs, and hill repeats.
Below are just a few sample workouts; remember that 1 lap on a track is 400 meters, 2 laps is 800, 3 laps is 1200, and 4 laps is roughly a mile. These all have different purposes on top of just getting you in shape. There are dozens of track workouts out there, but these are a few biggies to get you started:
Run these paces correctly, they are designed to push your limits but not completely exhaust you. If it says "recovery" this should be much slower than your marathon pace and feel easy. If it says "10 mile effort", then run it at your 10 miler effort, even if you feel up to running your 5k pace. You also want to focus on running all these at an even pace. Often people will go out too fast on the first few repeats and then not have enough energy left for the last few.
Always warm up with at least 3 laps of very easy running, and cool down with the same. If you can do a mile for warm up and cool down even better. These help add to your weekly mileage as well, you will be getting in anywhere from 4-10 miles total during these workouts and it counts!
How often should you do speed work? Once a week (I always liked doing speed on Wednesdays) is fine. You can even do every-other week, or if you have a race or very long run scheduled you may want to back off your speed work to approach your goal runs fresh.
There are workouts that employ even shorter repeats (50 or 100 meter repeats), and sprinting exercises (often called "strides"), but are more geared toward 5k and 10k runners, or even shorter track distances. They aren't really worth doing in prep for a marathon and can even add unneeded injury risk.
Below are just a few sample workouts; remember that 1 lap on a track is 400 meters, 2 laps is 800, 3 laps is 1200, and 4 laps is roughly a mile. These all have different purposes on top of just getting you in shape. There are dozens of track workouts out there, but these are a few biggies to get you started:
- "Yasso" 800s. A staple track workout, developed by marathon coach Bart Yasso. Run 800 m at 5k pace, 400 m recovery. Repeat 5-10 times.
- Mile Repeats. Run a mile at 10 miler pace. 400 m recovery. Repeat 3-5 times.
- Pyramid v1. 400 m, 800 m, 1200 m, 800 m, 400 m. 400 m recovery between each one. Run these all at 10k pace.
- Pyramid v2. The expanded version. 800 m, 1200 m, 1600 m (mile), 1200 m, 800 m. Tack 400s on either end if you are up to it. 400 m recovery between each one, but do 800 m recovery after the mile. Run these all at 10 miler pace.
- Michigans. This is a tough workout, kind of a 2-tiered workout, with several variations such as: Run 1 mile at half-marathon pace, then 800 m at 10k pace, then 1 mile at half-marathon pace, now finally do a 1 mile recovery. Repeat 2-3 times.
- Lumberjack. For the tough, for those who enjoy pain, and also want to get strong! This is a general term I use on crazy-combo workouts. Like, run 2 x 800 m at 10k pace, run 2-3 hill repeats, run 4 x 400 at 10k pace, 1-2 more hill repeats, 1 mile at 10 miler pace, an 800 at 5k pace and a 400 at 5k pace.
Run these paces correctly, they are designed to push your limits but not completely exhaust you. If it says "recovery" this should be much slower than your marathon pace and feel easy. If it says "10 mile effort", then run it at your 10 miler effort, even if you feel up to running your 5k pace. You also want to focus on running all these at an even pace. Often people will go out too fast on the first few repeats and then not have enough energy left for the last few.
Always warm up with at least 3 laps of very easy running, and cool down with the same. If you can do a mile for warm up and cool down even better. These help add to your weekly mileage as well, you will be getting in anywhere from 4-10 miles total during these workouts and it counts!
How often should you do speed work? Once a week (I always liked doing speed on Wednesdays) is fine. You can even do every-other week, or if you have a race or very long run scheduled you may want to back off your speed work to approach your goal runs fresh.
There are workouts that employ even shorter repeats (50 or 100 meter repeats), and sprinting exercises (often called "strides"), but are more geared toward 5k and 10k runners, or even shorter track distances. They aren't really worth doing in prep for a marathon and can even add unneeded injury risk.
So why do hill repeats?
Even if your goal race is on a flat course, hill repeats make you stronger and faster. It has been said that "hill repeats are trackwork in disguise". So go find a hill - a nice 1/2 mile to a mile is best, and not super steep, you still want it to be runable. A great workout would be to do a mile on a flat surface at an easy pace to warm up, then go run up that hill as fast as comfortably possible and do a very slow jog back down to recover. Repeat your hill run around 3 to 5 times. Do another very easy mile on a flat surface after to cool-down.
Its also important to realize that speed work is hard, not to be obvious, but you should be fresh for these tough workouts, and give yourself time to recover. The days before and after a speed workout should consist of easy effort runs only, and definitely not long runs.
Try to time yourself on some of these track and hill repeats when you first start out. That way, you can actually see your times decreasing which is a huge mental boost!
Personally, I think its rooted in ego. People want to sound "tough" and have something to gloat about. Non-runners might not be impressed by you lowering your amateur 10 miler times with high weekly mileage and track workouts, but you will be the talk of the office if you are finishing a marathon every few weeks. While it does sound cooler to do a marathon a month, you won't get any faster than if you focused on shorter races and pick 1 marathon a year to race. I suppose some people don't care as much about running fast and setting new Personal Bests, but I believe its much harder to run a distance "well" than to just cover the distance and get your finisher medal.
If you ever start wondering why you can't manage to get faster at the longer distances (I'm talking the folks trying to break 4 or 5 hours in the marathon), go back to your roots, work on your shorter distances (5ks up to half-marathons), and then come back to the marathon later.
Now, go forth and get fast!!
Its also important to realize that speed work is hard, not to be obvious, but you should be fresh for these tough workouts, and give yourself time to recover. The days before and after a speed workout should consist of easy effort runs only, and definitely not long runs.
Try to time yourself on some of these track and hill repeats when you first start out. That way, you can actually see your times decreasing which is a huge mental boost!
The New Trend
For some reason, as running catches on with more and more people, the trend is going toward doing constant races and running tons of marathons. This goes against all classical running theory, that says you should begin by building speed at shorter races, build up to your longest distance, and then target one goal race.Personally, I think its rooted in ego. People want to sound "tough" and have something to gloat about. Non-runners might not be impressed by you lowering your amateur 10 miler times with high weekly mileage and track workouts, but you will be the talk of the office if you are finishing a marathon every few weeks. While it does sound cooler to do a marathon a month, you won't get any faster than if you focused on shorter races and pick 1 marathon a year to race. I suppose some people don't care as much about running fast and setting new Personal Bests, but I believe its much harder to run a distance "well" than to just cover the distance and get your finisher medal.
If you ever start wondering why you can't manage to get faster at the longer distances (I'm talking the folks trying to break 4 or 5 hours in the marathon), go back to your roots, work on your shorter distances (5ks up to half-marathons), and then come back to the marathon later.
Now, go forth and get fast!!
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