After every workout in which you run very fast, take the next day off or run at a much slower pace. Most top athletes plan their workouts so they run very fast only two days a week. The same principles apply to any endurance sport. Stew Smith, author of fitness articles on the Military.com website, adds that you should be an avid runner, one who runs 20 to 25 miles a week, before starting to push your own “envelope of speed.”
Down-hill repeats
In its report, “10 Minutes a Week to Faster Running,” Furman University recommends a drill that will both improve your leg quickness and making your running strides more efficient. It’s called “down-hill repeats,” in which you run (not at full speed, but fast enough that you retain control) down a gradual slope about 50 to 200 yards long. And instead of leaning back, which might be your first inclination, lean slightly forward to take extra pressure off your joints and shorten your stride a little to maintain your stay in control.
Up and Backs
To strengthen your legs and build the muscles you’ll need for speed, start on your hands and knees and extend one leg back and lift your leg up high with your heel pointing to the sky. The staff at Training-speed.com recommend two sets of 10 repetitions until that becomes too easy, at which point you can add another set or start adding more repetitions to each set. In addition to toning your leg muscles, this exercise also works your core, which is important for sprinter’s speed.
Intervals
One interval training workout recommended by Smith from Military.com calls for five, one-mile runs at an easy pace with pauses for stretching and slow walking in between each run. Then, once you’ve established your one-mile running pace, try five, half-mile runs at a pace that is at least 10 seconds faster than your current one-mile pace.
Timed Runs
If you want to run faster, practice running faster. It’s simple, but true. Exercises aimed at boosting power in your legs and improving your form are important, but if you want to run a faster mile, get a stopwatch and try to beat your best time. Period.
