Thursday, March 3, 2016

Speed for the Slow Among Us


I'm slow, and I'm okay with this. I've always been a back-of-the pack kind of runner.

A note on slow running: Whether I'm running a 12 minute mile or a 14 minute mile, I'm still running. There is still a fraction of a second when both feet are are airborne, so this makes it running--not jogging, or that awful sounding contraction of walking and jogging (which is a word that should never, ever be used in my opinion) WOGGING. UGH!!! What an ugly word! Also, if you run, you are a runner. Give yourself some credit. Rant over.

Anyway, as I said, I'm OK with being slow BUT since I have the opportunity to run in the NYC Marathon this year, I'm actually going to work on getting faster. I don't mean the sub-four hour kind of faster, but the sub six hour kind of faster. In my job as a coach (and I'm a certified USATF Level 1 coach--BOOYAH!) it's easy for me to train young cross country runners to get faster. But now, I'll need to coach myself, using my training and experience to get ME to run faster. This is going to be interesting to say the least.

My 26.2 PR is 6:14 at the Steamtown Marathon in 2012, and that was only because the first eight miles were downhill. Otherwise, my road marathons tend to be in the 6:23-6:40 range and I'd like to get better.

My goal this year is 5:30. Lofty? Yes. Impossible? NO.

Well now this means I'm actually going to train... like actually do speed work.

I hate speed work with a passion, because why can't I just keep running SLOWWWWW?? Well, I could if I wanted to. But, I've always had the idea that if I could run NYC then I would PR in my hometown. Achieving a 5:30 has always been the goal for running through my five boroughs.

So I thought I would share what I've been doing to get faster--and it's working. I also wanted to share with this particular audience because if you've looked up any speed workouts online you'll find that the vast majority of them are unrealistic and seem impossible for the runner that is accustomed to doing a 15 minute mile or even a 12 minute mile. Like for example--I can't even start out at 9 minute mile pace to warm up because I can't even do a 10 minute mile. Catch my drift here?

I've been working on my speed once a week, and I'll probably up it to twice a week as I get into real marathon training in the early summer. I haven't chosen a training plan yet, but I want to make sure I'm ready for some more serious work when the early summer arrives.

Here's what a typical off-season week looks like for me this year. I happen to be doing a trail marathon (The Naked Bavarian, and NO, I will not be running naked...too many physical liabilities) this week so my long run will be 26.2, nice and "easy" and probably a little snowy:

M: Rest and recovery day/PiYo/Weightlifting

T: 2-4 miles easy (12-14 min pace, depending on the time of day and the KIND of day)

W: Weightlifting in the morning/2-4 miles in the evening

Th: 1-2 miles on the mill in the morning/anywhere from 3-6 miles of SPEED WORK (depending on where I am in training)

F: Weightlifting in the morning

Sa: 4-6 miles easy

Su: 8-20 miles long run-um, at whatever pace...

(For all of you Strava stalkers, I have not uploaded my treadmill runs (which have been many) yet. So, just saying...)

Speed work is all relative.  To me, it means faster, less comfortable running that I cannot sustain for a long period of time. I like to do my work on the treadmill so that I know exactly what pace I'm at.

When I say I do speed work, here are some examples of what I do after a one-mile warm up at an easy pace (for me that is a 12:30-13:30 mile). I always do a mile. That way, I know that I'm really warmed up. Some people might be able to start after a half mile of running. Find what works for you.

Fartleks:  at 5.0-6.5 (Fartlek is a Swedish word that means speed-play--so in essence you are playing with speed. You speed up when you're ready, and when you have exhausted yourself, you slow down. You can do this for a mile or for a few miles with walking/slow running breaks as long as you need them.

Repeats: this is the type of speed work in which you run fast for a period and let your heart rate come down almost completely.  This trains your fast twitch muscles to work--like to actually engage. I like to do repeats of .10-.25 miles at increasing speeds from 5.5-7.0 mph. At the upper end of that spectrum, I will do only two of those, because REALLY? In all seriousness, I'm working towards being able to do a whole quarter mile repeat at 7.0. I can dream, right?

Intervals: are much like repeats, but you don't let your heart rate recover completely. You go back out, still fired up and exhausted from the last interval. This trains your body (more specifically, your fast twitch muscles) to maintain relative speed. So this might look like exactly what's written above, with a 30 second rest in between each interval.

Tempo Runs: There's nothing I hate more than running fast for a long time when I don't need to, but tempo runs are really helpful for being able to do just that: running at a faster speed than you're used to for a long time. Again, you're training your fast twitch muscles to fire when you call upon them. For me a tempo run lasts for about 3.1 miles (at this point, maybe more in the near future). I use my 5K PR (which is 35:39, and 11:28/mi pace) and add 30 seconds to the pace and then do a 5k on the treadmill at a 12 min/mi pace. I actually know that I can probably do a faster pace than that, but that's my story now and I'm sticking with it! (I do have a goal of doing a 33 minute 5k before the end of the year, so I'll update you on that too)

In addition to interval work, I have also started a program of strength-training/cross-training three times a week, and WHAT A DIFFERENCE!

I'll talk about hill repeats (speed work in disguise) and track-work when I get actually get to them in my training. And maybe I'll even do some videos...

If you do speed work, HOW DO YOU DO IT? Share in the comments!











32 comments:

  1. I've really gotten a lot out of coaching from RunCoach.com. Figuring out how to safely get speed work in based on my own needs was basically impossible. I also hated it and struggled to make myself do it. But I'm one of those "if it's on the damn schedule, then I'll do it" kinda folks, so I do it! And it's actually my second favorite day after my long run now, because it's a great challenge and I see results. Anyway, not a shill for RunCoach, just a raving fan after using it for the past year. It's not great for training for trail races (though it's serviceable, especially when getting that stupid speed work in), but it's getting me ready for Big Sur like a boss. :)

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    1. Thanks so sharing! I love seeing the results from the work I do. Definitely a motivator!

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  2. I'm totally bookmarking this to refer back to! I'm definitely a slow runner (my 5k PR is 33 min), and although I'll never be a fast runner and I'm fine with that, I would eventually like to do a marathon in 5:30:00 or so. But like you said, the online guides I've read are laughable for a runner of my speed: "Warm up at an easy 9:30 pace..." LIKE I AM SO SURE lol. :P

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    1. Or, warm up at an easy 8 min pace.....what? Try 12 minute pace and now we're talking!

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  3. Thanks so much for sharing your training details! I also dream of a 5:30 marathon; my closest PR is a 2:59 half, so I've got a ways to go. Started running when I was 47; just turned 50. Your enthusiasm and knowledge and willingness to share both are a great source of motivation for me. Cheers!

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    1. Thanks! My fastest half was just around that too. It feels good to have a PR goal that's realistic for us to work towards. What marathon do you want to do a 5:30 at?

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    2. No specific marathon plans yet, but on my list generally would be Portland, OR (I finished there twice, as a 8-hr walker) and maybe NYC? both are places I've lived before. Just starting to scout around closer to where I live now, but I'm not sure if I'll make an attempt this year or not.

      My latest milestone is being okay with opting out of a race I trained for: I was supposed to run half #4 tomorrow, but I've been sick all week and still have a bad cough. My primary goal for signing up was to train over the winter, and and I'm happy with those results. Next race is end of May, and now I have a good base to prepare for that.

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  4. Your first paragraph: THANK YOU. I feel like slower runners get crap from other runners who don't understand that THIS IS MY PACE, and in turn we tend to give ourselves crap because we aren't as fast as the rest of the pack.

    That said, I go through short phases where I attempt speedwork, but I have to be careful because it tends to aggravate my hamstring and achilles. The last couple of times, I've just done a "run like hell" down one short street, recover walk/run down the next short street, "run like hell" again, lather rinse repeat. I think the distance is about .15 of a mile for each segment. No idea if this is good or what, but it works for me mentally, so I'm OK with it.

    I really appreciate the way you explain how to train - you are speaking on a normal runner's level, so thank you for that. :)

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    1. Thanks Shelley! Definitely be careful with the hamstrings and achilles. I find that I have to do way more stretching afterward when I do any kind of speedwork--and it's also the reason why I do such a long warm-up. Otherwise, I'm heading for injury....

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  5. Your great attitude and stunning mileage are an inspiration to me. I am a happy back of the packer that dreams of doing a 50 miler some day. For now, I'm working on improving my half marathon. Two speed work exercises that I actually enjoy: fartleks with a visual goal (run fast to that tree, run fast until you pass that guy on the bike, etc.) and the 30-20-10 intervals (30 seconds base pace, 20 seconds pushing moderately, 10 seconds of running like the devil, repeat until pooped). I look forward to your next post!

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    1. Thanks! I love fartlekking from one tree to the next, or one shaded area to the curve in the road, or I count 40 steps and take a 20 step break. There are so many ways to do it. I haven't tried the 30-20-10 method but now I'm intrigued... Thanks for the idea!

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  7. I've also been thinking about how to incorporate speedwork, so this is handy info for me. I'm at about a 14:20 mile this year, last year I was running 15 minute miles. I was focused on increasing distance last year, and I think the long runs were really what helped me to increase my speed even though I was going pretty slowly on those long runs. This year I'm including a weekly hilly run as one of my lower mileage (2-3 miles) runs. I can't say I love hills, but I do feel like a bad ass after that hilly run.

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  8. I've also been thinking about how to incorporate speedwork, so this is handy info for me. I'm at about a 14:20 mile this year, last year I was running 15 minute miles. I was focused on increasing distance last year, and I think the long runs were really what helped me to increase my speed even though I was going pretty slowly on those long runs. This year I'm including a weekly hilly run as one of my lower mileage (2-3 miles) runs. I can't say I love hills, but I do feel like a bad ass after that hilly run.

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  9. Thanks for your comment. You might also want to incorporate more 5ks into your training--I found that this really helped my pace--not GREATLY, but it definitely took off close to a minute off my mile.

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  10. Just found your blog. Love it. As I've gotten older I've gotten slower. Never could under stand all that fart, tempo, repeat stuff. Thanks for breaking it down in real language.

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  11. THANK YOU for this. I am a slow runner (averaging between 14-15 min./mile) who has been focusing mainly on building endurance. I train with Fleet Feet Sports' No Boundaries program and will be graduating to the Half/Full Marathon training group this summer! I love the program I am in now, which has you gradually building distance (the one I'm in now is 3.0 and we will go up to 8 miles), but also doing speedwork for one of the group workouts each week. While I always kind of dread them, it's fun to mix things up and I know that it really helps! I'm also 5'8" at 270 pounds and was saying to my running mentor today how amazing it is that I can run 5 miles - did it at about a 14:22 average pace according to her watch, wow! (Wrote about it on my blog, here: http://notafraidofstripes.blogspot.com/2016/03/getting-my-mojo-back.html). I've been working on losing more weight too, at this point it's become a LOT about making the running easier with each pound that comes off. Anyway, thanks so much for being a huge inspiration to me.

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  12. I found a great shirt at the Rock and Roll Arizona race expo with the slogan "Slow is the new fast". I wear it proudly.
    I hate speed work too, but I have found track repeats helpful because they offer specific measurable goals.
    8x100 metre sprint
    4x200 m
    2x400 m
    with 2 minute cool down walk in between each sprint (you can reduce the cool down time to 90 seconds and then a minute later on)

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  13. You go girl! Very inspiring!

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  14. Awesome post. I felt like you were writing my feelings. My 1st marathon last year ended at 6:09hrs.

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  15. I wog and am proud to say so! I've started "running" this year and am still far from being able to run a quarter mile continuously. But I keep at it, 3 days a week for at least 30 minutes. I may not be fast, but I'm still out there!

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  16. all the suggestions made above are very good. Also I find hill interval work is a great way to incorporate speed, stamina, strength, and form in one session. If you can find a long hill with a good incline you can get some great benefits from incorporating Hills in your routine. After a easy warm up run, I tend to do 200 metre intervals on a hill and run each interval as hard as i can. Lol. some intervals better than the other but i try to run each one at a hard effort. This I find is time efficient and i try to leave it all on the hill so often walk/run back home as i have little energy left. It doesn't matter as all the work has been done on the hill. A good gauge of improvement is after the hill session if you are able to run back home. As a heavy guy myself i don't bother about the speed i go at. I base everything on how I feel on the run, and on effort, rather than pace..

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  17. So excited for you to run the NYC Marathon! Have you run it before? If not feel free to reach out. I have run it 5 times and have lots of 'tips and tactics' for race weekend... ferrys vs. buses, what to bring, etc.

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  18. I've run the NYC marathon, finished in 5:08 (down from 5:30). NYC is hilly, two things that helped me the most 1) don't go out too fast over the Staten Island bridge (very very easy to do) and 2) hill repeats. You finish on an uphill. That last .2 miles after the 26 before are brutal. Hill repeats are your friends. BTW I hate fartleks, I always seem to forget to change my pace so I end up running them constant, not really the point eh?!?

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  19. Just found your blog. Love your posts. My fastest ever mile was 13:30 so...12-14 minute miles are actually my goal, one day :)

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  20. Thank you for explaining the speed workouts in layman's terms. Love the other comment slow is the new fast!

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  21. I enjoy fartlek runs, both on the TM and on the street. I take longer than you to warm up: at least 1.5 or 2 miles. For tempo runs, I sometimes do 1 mile repeats at HM to 10k pace - so faster than usual, but not 5k fast, followed by 1/4 mile or more at an easy pace, then repeat a couple of times. I also like to do strides - where I accelerate for 25-50 paces, then slow down to a jog again. I'll do 5-10 of those if I'm feeling good.

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  22. My slow is really slow- Right now for long distance- I'm just getting to a twenty minute mile and can do that for about 6 miles before I slow down. For speed work, I walk on a track with a partner that does 18 minute miles. I keep up with her for varying amounts of time- my coach has a handout that says what the intervals will be that week- like 5 min CW- 5 min walk- 4 min CW- 4 min walk- (1 min CW , 1 min walk) X4. Never know what the intervals will be until we get to the track. The next morning I do a 5K with two walkers who are faster than me- keep up with them while I can- they wait for me when they get about 100 ft ahead. They get their walk- I get speed training. Find that my top speed is becoming 16-18 min mile walk over shorter distances. One day a week I try to walk for 3 hours and let the distance increase as I get faster.

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  23. To try to increase my speed, other than my training runs 3X weekly, I run one mile daily on the treadmill at a much faster pace than I'm used to. I am also a slow runner with my half marathon PR 2:45 and my PR full marathon at 5:47. I will be running the Columbus Marathon in October and would like to shave 30 minutes off my time and finish in 5:15. How lucky you are to run the New York Marathon. You will rock it!

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  24. The best advice for speedwork that I've ever encountered was to throw away/cover up the clock and work from effort. This allows you to get used to judging your pace without a pace minder (gps watch, treadmill, whatever), but it also allows you to adapt to your own body's ability and needs.

    For instance, I like sprint interval work and find it very helpful. I use an 8-lap-to-the-mile track so I can judge my intervals, but you can do them anywhere that has a clear path. After my normal pace warmup of about 12 minutes or so (about a mile), I run flat out as fast as I can for half the track, and walk/jog back to the start. Depending on my workout, I will do this 6-8 times or until I cannot anymore or feel like barfing (for real. it sucks). I noticed a marked increase in the speed of my "normal" pace after doing several of these workouts, going from about 11 minute miles to 10 minute miles over about 6 weeks.

    Alternately, I will do pace work by running one lap at about 75% of effort (a notch or two above my normal effort, but not my top speed) and dropping back to normal pace for a lap. I will alternate these paces for the full workout, usually 30-40 minutes (it's easier to go by time than try to count laps). As I get stronger/faster, I extend the time that I spend in the 75% zone and keep the normal pace segments the same. I found that this type of workout helped me with endurance, so I was walking less during runs.

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  25. Just found this blog :-). I am slow as well. I'm happy to be where I am and do what I do. But there's one 10k race I want to get a bit faster this year. It's coming up in June. I like thaws speed training tips.

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  26. I've been building up my base mileage with a plan I found on RW. It goes something like this: M- Long, moderate effort 45 mins, feel by effort not mileage.
    Tue- Short, easy
    Wed - 20 - 60 mins tempo
    Thu - 4 X 3 mins at 10K effort, 3 mins easy, 4 times
    Fri - Rest or easy 2-3 miles
    Sat - Hills 4X 45-60 secs hard uphill
    Walk/jog downhill
    Sun - rest

    I do a 1 mile each WU and CD on tempo, fartlek & hill days. I'm about to start my official training phase for a fall marathon and I am planning on using the Hansons marathon method. Hence the 6 days per week running schedule. Heard great things about it, tough as heck to do, tiring and demanding, but the results apparently spoke for its quality. Super excited and very terrified.. Sounds like the starting line of a race I guess.
    Love reading your training plan! Thanks for sharing. Been a reader for quite sometime, you are an inspiration!

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