Help needed to speed up.

[am_y72]

Hopefully below you can see a screenshot with some details on. I go up heart attack hill for my warm up then start running at the top, down an incline for about half a mile then flat, second mile is up a steep ish bit and down again on a gradual decline, flat for the last bit. The chart includes the warm up and cool down.

I'm still slow as a snail.

Should I try for a longer jog altogether or do some interval type stuff with alternating paces? I live on a hill. It's up and down no matter where I go. I can always find a flat bit and repeat but I don't really want to.

Any ideas welcome x

[Rignold]

either/or. Increasing your stamina so you can run 10k will improve your 5k time. Or you could try doing hill repeats - practise sprinting the uphill bits and jogging the down hills, then doing it again several times. Or better still do a combination. Do one day a eek of hill sprints, one long run and one normal pace recovery run.

[am_y72 Graduate in reply to Rignold]

Thanks, so to run longer do I just increase as before, 10% more per run or per week? I can start adding extra bits on.

And hill sprints just involve going all out up the hill as many times as I can? Which won't be many but it's a start!

[AdamB Graduate in reply to am_y72]

Make it a maximum of 10% more for at least one run of the week. Don't increase every run by 10% over the previous one. Mix up your runs a bit - they don't all have to be the same length. If you feel comfortable at the end of the week with your new long run length consider upping that again by up to 10% the following week, but no more. If you don't feel ready for it, stay with your current long run length a while longer.

In the longer term you'll find hills are great for your training. Because a lot of my runs finish by heading up a significant incline, I now find that I enjoy hilly parkruns. I can guarantee to pick up at least 3 places on every uphill section as I pass struggling runners.

[Tomas Graduate]

I wouldn't increase distance and speed at the same time - it's easy to overdo things and end up injuring yourself.

I agree with Rig, do some hill repeats or speed intervals. The only secret to learning to run fast is to start by running fast (!). And like c25k, you learn it by doing it for a short period of time many times.

Btw, I envy you your hills. It's flat as a pancake where I live, so any kind of hill immediately kills my stamina.

[AncientMum Graduate]

You could always try the c25k+ Speed podcast. Several people have found it useful. Good luck

[the_tea_fairy Graduate]

Try running with a friend who's slightly quicker/fitter than you. I always find my speed goes up unconsciously in that situation and (admittedly gasping and breathless) chatting is a good distraction!

NB: this may not work if you're less competitive/more self-assured than I am!

[AncientMum Graduate in reply to the_tea_fairy]

That's so true. The only time I ever ran with someone I was amazed at the difference it made. Suspect it may have been irritating for the other person though, lol

[the_tea_fairy Graduate in reply to AncientMum]

I bet that's not right. I like running with slower friends too as its a chance to really focus on the technique stuff that goes out the window when I hammer it - breathing and form and foot strike and things. Variety is good.

[ViaM Graduate]

Sorry I might be a bit thick but what is this pace in min/km? It looks fast enough to me...

[Dunder2004 Graduate in reply to ViaM]

4.6mph is 8:06 per Km

[ViaM Graduate in reply to Dunder2004]

Thank you.

So, not that slow at all (if that's 8:06 min/km?)