How do I increase my pace?

[vengadriver]

I graduated a few weeks ago however still haven't managed 5km in 30 minutes it is taking me 35 minutes.Any tips most welcome please.I run the same route in our local park and am only 5 feet tall-would my height affect my pace due to stride length or am I just slow?

[Gridlet Graduate]

That's a reasonable time, well done! There is lots of information on the Internet about increasing speed, fartlek, where you interject bursts of speed in your normal run. Running at a faster pace for intervals of time and running up hills. Sometimes it helps to mix up your route, park runs are good for focus on timing. I don't think your height has anything to do with how fast you run, you would just be taking shorter faster steps.

I think it's all about effort and putting the work in.

[vengadriver Graduate in reply to Gridlet]

Not thought of running faster for intervals have generally tried to run throughout at a faster pace.Will give it a go,thanks!

[happierswimming Graduate]

I plan to do the podcast runs again using my normal (slow) speed for the walking intervals and increasing to my desired speed for the running parts. I'm quite tall but my walking pace is short, fast steps so my running steps are also short- I'll just have to make them faster!

[suki_007 Graduate]

I'm only on Week 6 so I don't know much! However, I read someone on here say that if you don't attempt to up your speed at some point then you will find it quite hard to do so later, so I looked into the fartlek thing and also just bought a really helpful and inspiring book called The Art of Running Faster by Julian Goater. I'm only part-way in so far, but he is saying stuff that seems like it could be really useful, like having fast feet - I was kinda loping along slowly thinking that was probably best, but he has exercises to get 'fast feet' from whence you lengthen the stride and then get speedier (like happierswimming said it's good to have fast running steps apparently, even if you have a rangy long stride). Also, he says that strength is key as well as suppleness when a lot of us just concentrate on stamina, also he talks about mixing up the types of runs you do each week - very interesting for after graduating, hopefully! Anyway, I'm hoping to finish this great C25K course and take on lots of tips from this book. If you have a kindle you can try a sample as it's in kindle form too. I do hope it's not a controversial book - be gentle, I'm just a beginner!