Want to know how to run faster? Read these top tips on what you can do to run faster!
1. Mental Toughness to run faster
To truly get faster you need to be able to push through mind and pain barriers. Runners’ bodies can do pretty amazing feats. Your mind gives up way before the body will. Training the mind, for some runners, is almost as important as training the body.
To mentally prepare for races or hard training runs, a lot of runners turn to visualisation. Visualsiing yourself running well on race day can help prep your mind for when you get to the start line. Deep breathing techniques can also help calm your nerves before an event. Take five deep breaths before you start your race to help relax your breathing and your mind.
2. Running too fast, too often
Most runners spend too much time training between zones. This basically translates into not taking our easy days too hard.
Endurance sports is primarily aerobic, so without a tremendous aerobic base, they throw themselves into speed work before their body is ready for it. Easy runs should be done at 70 percent of heart rate max with an overall goal of sprinkling in speed work that is hard. Hard days, hard. Easy days, easy.”
Remember, It can take an incredible amount of confidence and self-discipline to run easy. Don’t get carried away. 😎
3. You are what you eat
All runners should know that diet is a crucial part of their training.
One reason you may be struggling to break through a plateau is proper nutrition. Eating the right amount of high-quality foods is essential in taking it to the next level.
The foods used to fuel our bodies should allow us to get the most out of each workout and recover quickly enough so that we are ready to take on the next workload. Eating too much of the wrong foods or eating too little through diet restriction can definitely impede progress.
4. Mix up your training to run faster
Albert Einstein once characterised insanity as “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
If you stick to the same type of training, the body will not get the novel stress it craves to make adaptations. For example, if your key race is shorter, such as a 5K, and all you do is run short sets, you are missing out on some key endurance adaptations that come from longer, aerobic runs.
If you’ve been training the same way for several months without seeing improvement, seek out a running coach or read up on different approaches to training.
Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results!
5. Your Age
This is why there are age groups and you get more time to qualify for the major marathons, so don’t be too hard on yourself!
This can be mitigated though, with stretching, speedwork and strength training. I’ve written an article on some specific running strength exercises here.
See my other related articles on How to make running awesome, not boring! and How to run 3% faster!
