posted Jul-31-2007 06:43 PM            

I'm just posting for a little bit of advice from the people who have done this already but I'm looking to increase my speed on the "trail"

I currently run a 10min mile but I can do it for anywhere between 1 mile to 6 miles. I'm trying really hard to get my 1.5 mile run down to about 10 - 12 minutes and am having a very hard time getting the speed.

I've looked through the forums and through the speed training plans but I havn't found anything that I think is in my realm of experience. All of the speed training stuff I've seen is for people who run over 25 miles a week and want to speed up their 5k runs ect, but I'm really just looking to speed up my 1.5 for the moment and I only run about 18ish miles a week.

I also cycle on my non running days and am starting to work in swimming here soon.

Any suggestions on how I can knock this out? I have tried just "running faster" and I sprint or run a faster pace, but I usually end up running so much slower afterwords that it ends up being a 10 min mile again.

If anyone is looking for a way to test their speedometer I'm your man, at least at 10mi/hr I'm that consistant.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can throw at me (Even if its in the form of tomatoes)

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posted Jul-31-2007 11:46 PM            

Southern Man

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We're on a road to nowhere. Come on along.

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posted Aug-01-2007 01:30 AM            

Most amateur/hobby runners seem to follow this pattern:
Monday : Rest / XT
Tuesday : Speedwork (Intervals/Fartlek/Tempo)
Wednesday : Easy run
Thursday : Speedwork (Intervals/Fartlek/Tempo)
Friday : Easy run/ rest / XT
Saturday : Easy run/ rest / XT
Sunday : Long run

PS. If you're doing 18ish mpw why are you doing a 1.5 mile run? 3, 5, 4, 6 makes more sense.

[This message has been edited by Lannock (edited Aug-01-2007).]

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posted Aug-01-2007 04:55 AM            

I would recomend that your best bet in getting that 10 mins for a mile and a half is to add in some tempo runs. This is a run that is over your desired distance at an "eyeballs out" pace.

So go out and run for 2.5 miles as fast as you possibly can! At the moment i guess you find that your pretty knackered by the end of your 1.5 miles! By training above your race distance when your drop back down to 1.5 miles you will find it much easyer to sustain a ten minute pace. Perhaps aim to do a tempo run once a week. and if you dont feel like doing it one week, throw in something like a fart lek, but make sure you are actually running (whether it be jogging or the hard stuff) to be out for more time than you run for 1.5 miles.

other than that, just enjoy yourself!

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posted Aug-01-2007 08:17 AM            

I wasnt running everyday because it was hurting my knee so I figured biking on every other day would help? I've been running 5-6 miles per day M, W, F.

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posted Aug-01-2007 08:56 AM            

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posted Aug-01-2007 09:03 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Lannock:
Most amateur/hobby runners seem to follow this pattern:
Monday : Rest / XT
Tuesday : Speedwork (Intervals/Fartlek/Tempo)
Wednesday : Easy run
Thursday : Speedwork (Intervals/Fartlek/Tempo)
Friday : Easy run/ rest / XT
Saturday : Easy run/ rest / XT
Sunday : Long run

PS. If you're doing 18ish mpw why are you doing a 1.5 mile run? 3, 5, 4, 6 makes more sense.

[This message has been edited by Lannock (edited Aug-01-2007).]

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As lannock says most am/hobby runners run schedules like this. And most of them end up INJURED. I helped several of my troops drop their times for the 1.5mile run (AF fitness run) down under 12, and the fastest I had them running 3 times a week was 12 - 13 mpm. The big thing is they increased their weekly mileage up to 25 - 30. If you take your time and build some mileage, the speed will come....

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posted Aug-01-2007 11:10 AM               

Folks here are dead on, the most reliable way (and the way that leads to fewest injuries) of getting faster is running more miles. Running more miles will build up your strength and develop your cardio system and sure as shootin' make you faster.

But some of us (myself included) don't seem to be able to run more due to other obligations and other factors. So what can us low mileage people do to get as much speed as we can out of the miles we run (without getting hurt)?

I don't have all the answers, I will just tell you what I do, and maybe it will make sense to you.

I try to do some "speed work" maybe three times a month. When I say "speed work", it means running hills or running intervals on a track. Running hills builds up your leg strength so you will get faster. The intervals gets you used to running faster, but you only run it for a short time period so you shouldn't get all wiped out.

For your speed (50 minutes in 5 miles), the McMillan calculator suggests 400 meter repeats at around 2:15. (I am choosing 400m because that is a reasonable fraction of the 1.5 miles that you want to run). If you have access to a track, you would run one lap at 2:15, then run one lap as slowly as you want, to recover. Then you would repeat one fast lap, and one slow lap. And repeat. And repeat. The first fast lap should be easy, the second one pretty easy, the next two should be tough, but not impossible. If they are impossible, then we are running the fast lap too fast. Sorry about that!

Now, the cautions. It will be tough to get down to 10-12 minutes for the 1.5 miles. You are talking about a very large reduction in time here. Part of the challenge will be your weight, so any reduction there will help you. Secondly, there is a higher likelihood of getting hurt when you start running fast. No way around it. And it seems that the heavier you are (and the older you are), the more that is true. So you got to be careful, listen to your body and don't push it beyond what it is able. You already experienced problems with your knee, so you know that that is a weak point. Make sure you have good shoes with lots of cushioning. You will need the cushioning to take the load off your knee. You may want to run on soft surfaces as well.

Just my two cents worth. The very best of luck to you!!

huskydon

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posted Aug-01-2007 11:16 AM            

Huskydon, that sounds like you're right on the money with what I was trying to find out. It sounds like that would be a very reasonable way and also an easy way to "find the time"

Currently I'm getting up about 4am to be on the "track" at around 5 for my hour run with warmups and such, but I can easily wake up earlier if thats what I need to do.

Running longer distances is one of my goals that I am going to keep working on as well, so hopefully throwing in the 400's would be perfect.

Thanks again for all of the suggestions and feedback, it's great to have a map

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