Annoyed with my speed

[miche78]

Feeling a bit disheartened by how slow I seem to be running. I feel I am making real progress and feel like I am running really fast. In my warped mind I am even giving Mo Farah a run for his money. But then I read what others are running and I am really slow in comparison. So far I am killing myself to get to 4.5k in 32 mins. I have no excuses, I'm not tiny but also not over weight. My route has a few hills but the ones up are compensated by the ones going down. How are others finding it. Are you managing to increase you speed?? Any tips gratefully received (have used Speed podcast).

[andystev Graduate]

Extend some of your runs. As you run further your shorter runs will be faster. Run intervals, 400m sprints (and I do mean sprint. Flat out, gonna throw up, can't go any faster sprinting) with 200m recovery jog, 4 times. That'll hurt a bit but you will get quicker.

[Gridlet Graduate]

I was stuck at the same speed for ages. As andystev says, The way to speed is intervals, don't increase your longer runs by too much though, I am now injured because I tried to do too much and can't run at all!

[Oldgirl Graduate]

Yes intervals is the way I have managed to knock time off my 5K but its taken since May to reduce it by 4 minutes, 1 minute here, 20 seconds there. I love doing my "Mad Dash" which is a short run, about 3-3.8K depending on which route I take and I do this as fast as I can go. Pick a flattish route, jog steady for 5 minutes (warm up) then go up a couple of gears as fast as you can for as long as you can, then reduce it to get your breath back for a couple of minutes then speed up again. I didn't have the speed podcast when I started doing this interval training so just went with my body's ability, repeat that until you are almost back home but try and fit in a bit of a cool down too. I found after doing this a few times I am now able to maintain a faster stride for much longer periods. Good luck, it will happen but it does take time, just think of how far you have come, a year ago I couldn't run 100 yds to catch my bus!!!

[CaroleC Graduate in reply to Oldgirl]

Okaaay! I have been wondering how to space out my intervals and now oldgirl - can it be as simple as you just wrote! I was laying in bed last night thinking; shall I do 2 mins fast, one min slow, or go back (again) to the C25K podcasts to do the walks as slow jogs and the runs as fast runs; but I've tried that before and really struggled with it. So, basically, just run as fast as I can after warm up until I HAVE to slow up, then do it again, and again? Right, I'm on it, hopefully tomorrow morning!!

CaroleC

(determined to be sub 27 min 5k by the end of the year!!)

[Oldgirl Graduate in reply to CaroleC]

Your blogs have always given me insipration from get go Carol so I hope my simple routine helps you. I've knocked 4 minutes off my 5K time since end May, in fact the last 4 Parkruns I've done have been new PB's and thats just by using this simple interval training. The last few weeks I've been using Speed once a week too. Good luck we'll all help you celebrate when you reach your magic time too.

[TJFlute]

Extend one run a week( by 10% only ie 33 minutes 36 minutes 40 minutes etc) until you're doing over the hour on that run and then the shorter distance on the other runs seems easier and therefore easier to speed up! Tha's what Seb Coe did so it must work

[christian1 Graduate]

You are not the slowest. I only do 3k in 30 minutes. I graduated about a month ago and seem to have not speeded up at all. I've been struggling with the Speed podcast but can't get into the rhythm with it. I'm going to try Oldgirl's way of doing intervals and see if I can gee this old body along a bit faster.