Written by: Julie Larson
Posted: Tuesday, 12 August 2008
When trying to speed up your
running, the key to success can sometimes seem counterintuitive. To
reach your goals, you may be spending more time with a pen and paper
than breaking in your new running shoes.
So
to help you pick up the pace this racing season, whether you’re chasing
the competition or simply racing against your own clock, we’ve compiled
some coaching tips to help you reach your new goals.
Ric
Rojas is the U.S. Women’s Olympic Trials Marathon qualifiers coach and
the founder of Ric Rojas Running, a coaching organization that focuses
on adult, youth and sports training programs. Rojas offers the
following tips for runners who are looking to pick up the pace.
Use
a day planner to schedule your running workouts. Writing your
personal running commitments into a planner will almost guarantee that
they will happen. This scheduling technique gives your running a
higher priority in your daily schedule. Be sure to allow at least
two hours for each workout.
Write
out your workouts in detail for at least one month in
advance. Reducing the daily decision-making process will allow you
to focus on the workout itself, rather than what the workout will
be.
Document your workouts in
detail. Include total mileage, interval or tempo run detail, heart
rate information and a perceived exertion score on a scale of one to
ten. Also include any comments on weather conditions, injuries or other
health issues. Tracking your workouts allows you to design a more
effective future training plan by establishing a personal training
baseline.
Denise Tryner is an
ACE-certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor,
NESTA-certified sports nutritionist and founder of DeniseTryner Fitness
Consulting, LLC.
She believes the best way to increase your speed is to “work on one goal at a time. If
your goal now is to increase speed, then do not work on increasing
distance at the same time,” she says. “If you focus you will accomplish
more.” Tryner offers the following insights for those who have
“conquered the never-ending hurdle of endurance,” and are now asking
how they can speed up.
Try
plyometrics exercises, which involve a jumping movement. When a muscle
is rapidly contracted and lengthened, and then immediately followed
with a further contraction and shortening, this is a plyometric
exercise. Tryner trains all of her clients using plyometrics to
increase speed; however, if your body is not conditioned to these types
of exercises, she recommends that you build up strength first.
Work
jump-ups into your routine. Try jumping up onto a bench or step that is
a little less than knee height. When landing on the platform, be sure
to land with knees bent and soft to absorb the shock. Step back down to
the lower level and jump again. Repeat for 45 seconds to one minute.
This can also be done up a staircase or up a hill. Then
try squatting with three pulses and jump. Sit low into a squat and
pulse (little movement) for three counts, explode straight up into the
air and land in the same spot in squat position again. Repeat.
Finally,
try the lunge jump. Stand in lunge position with right leg behind.
Lower into a lunge about 8-10 inches driving that back knee toward the
ground (but do not touch). Explosively push off your front leg straight
into the air landing back into a lunge position with knees soft (to
absorb shock). Repeat 10 times, then switch legs.
Combination
drills are important to strengthen leg muscles while adding quick
movements in different directions to cross- train your legs.This will
also help your endurance, which in the end always helps with speed.
Begin with a forward hop into a sprint. Then sit into a squat with feet
shoulder width apart. Jump forward landing in a squat. After 10 solid
jumps forward (don’t sacrifice your form when you get tired), take off
into a sprint for approximately 50 yards.
Combine
forward lunges and a hill run. After alternating forward lunges for a
count of 20, sprint hard forward up a hill. Walk back down and repeat.
Next
time you’re out for a run, time yourself. On a scale from 1-10, if 1 is
sitting and 10 is sprinting, run your familiar route at a level eight.
Track how long it takes you to complete the course. From the first day
moving forward, be sure to always run that same course faster than the
previously recorded time. This will keep you motivated and challenged.
Its time to change the mindset. The opportunities to train outdoors will be limited over the next few months. This month we address fitness from two perspectives — Setting sport specific goals and using a fitness ball to stay in shape. In addition, you'll find the Metro Detroit Ski Council Ski Guide inside, filled with a ski club directory, a bunch of trips to try and information on skiing safely. 
