Top 7 Training Secrets For How To Approach 5K Run, Half-Marathon or Full-Marathon
Marathons steal the spotlight, but the 5K & 10K wins the popularity contest amongst runners. In fact, the latter can-and should-be used to improve virtually every physiological tool necessary to improve your running. That said, effective preparation and execution for a 5K & 10K are topics rarely discussed outside of coaching circles.
Most runners run with the same schedule every week, month and year. Every time they lace up their shoes for the same distance and the same number of runs per week at the same pace. No wonder that they don't improve in their schedule.
And there are many ways you can upgrade your running, improve your training, and get faster. These 7 practical tips will help you to run faster in your next race.
Run Fast More Often
For faster running, you have to run fast. Many runners are not running a fast workout every week and that is a big mistake. Consistently running fast is one of the best ways to improve.If you don't run a faster workout every week, start this week by doing an easy fartlek workout like 5 repeats of 1 minute at a hard pace and 2 minutes of easy jogging in between as recovery. Once you run a weekly fast workout then make it double.
Every Day for 10 Minutes
A little bit of strength work goes a long way. Spend at least 10 minutes after your run for a runner-specific strength workout. That way you will improve your running form, become more efficient - especially late in a race when you are tired and it will also help you to achieve or maintain a healthy weight. This is also critical part of injury prevention for runners.Every Week Go For Long Run
Most runners think of speed when they want to get faster. But for beginner and intermediate runners, endurance is the real key to improving race times. The exact distance depends on your fitness level and goals, but make sure it is several miles longer than your next longest run. Every 2 to 3 weeks, you can add a mile to ensure you keep improving.Stride It Out
Running fast doesn't means you have to run hard. To improve your efficiency, train your muscles and help make your other workouts feel slower, strides should be done several times a week.Strides are simply 100-meter accelerations, where you build to about 95% of your maximum effort, hold for a few seconds, and then gradually slow to a stop. Take a full minute of walking or standing in between each stride. Start with 4 strides after an easy run once per week and then do strides 2 to 3 times per week. You'll notice an improvement within just a few weeks.
Run More
This is an easy one: Most runners don't run enough. And like we talked about above, endurance is the easiest way to improve for most of us. One of the best ways to gain endurance is to run more.You can add a mile to a few runs per week, and gradually add another day of easy running to your schedule. Use the 10 percent rule when adding more mileage to your training.
Hit the Trails
Not enough runners get on trails to break up the monotony of running on the roads. There are so many benefits of trail running, like injury prevention and simple enjoyment of nature.But what is the most powerful about trail running is that it forces you to pay attention to where you are running, helping you develop more coordination and agility. Navigating the obstacles on a trail requires you to be an athletic runner.
