Running: How to cut your run time in half?
BRITS have taken up running as a form of exercise during the lockdown. How can you cut your run time in half?
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After you have been running for a little while you will have built up an endurance base, and may now be ready to focus on a new target – running faster. There are different ways to improve your pace during training runs and during races. Here’s how you can cut your run time in half.
How to cut your run time in half
Prepare for discomfort
These tips from verywellfit.com will have you running faster in no time. Some beginners have a hard time running faster because they are afraid of feeling uncomfortable.
One of the first steps to getting faster, however, is to learn what it feels like to pick up the pace.
When you push yourself during speed training, expect to get breathless and feel your leg muscles burning.
It may feel strange and uncomfortable at first, but you will quickly get used to the feeling and maybe even start to enjoy it.
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Run more often
In most cases, increasing your weekly mileage will help you improve your overall speed.
For example, if you run once a week but also take part in workout classes most other days, you may see improvement by switching a few workout classes to running days.
Some runners run every day, and while that may work for you, you will need at least one day’s rest in the week.
To achieve your goal of running faster, try to run at least two to three days a week.
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Count your strides
If you can increase your stride turnover, you will probably be able to run faster.
To determine your stride turnover, run at your normal five kilometre pace for 30 seconds and count each time your right foot hits the ground.
To increase stride turnover, start by running for 30 seconds at your current rate, then jog for one minute to recover and run for 30 seconds again, trying to increase the count this time.
Focus on taking quick, light, short steps and repeat five to eight times, trying to increase your rate every time.
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Do speed work
Speed work is one of the smartest and quickest ways to improve your pace. One way to do so is to practice structured intervals.
For example, you can run 400-metre repeats. After a warmup of five to 10 minutes, alternate between running one 400-metre lap at your 5k pace and jogging one slow, easy recovery lap.
To achieve the best results with speed work, it helps to run at the specific pace you will be running during your next race.
There are other workouts that you can rotate into your training, which can be done on a track or treadmill to help accurately measure the distance.
Introduce hill training
Running up hills will help improve running efficiency, which will lead to faster running. You should incorporate hill training after having built up an endurance base.
Try to work a hill repeat session into your running once a week. Start with a 10 to 15 minute warmup of easy running.
Find a hill with a moderate slope and run up it at hard effort. Keep your effort consistent and don’t let your running form fall apart.
Start with five to six hill repeats and add one repeat every week, with a maximum of 10 repeats. Hill runs can also be combined with a tempo run.