Running faster is a central training goal not only for professional athletes, but also for many hobby runners. We show you how to increase your running speed.
Regardless of whether you are training for a specific goal or a run, or simply want to make your running training more varied: at some point you may have thought that you would like to run faster. If you already jog regularly about every two to three days and would like to increase your speed, you can start incorporating speed training into your running route. However, you should follow a few basic guidelines.
Run faster: basic tips
Before you start speed training, you should already have established a solid running routine. Absolute beginner runners should avoid intensive speed units to prevent injuries. University professor Ingo Froboese recommends experienced athletes a training mix of 80 percent basic training and 20 percent intensive speed training.
However, if the basic training is not yet well developed enough, speed units can put a lot of strain on tendons, joints and bones, says Froboese. This also applies if you subject your body to too many intensive runs in short intervals. If you want to run faster, you should allow yourself enough time and listen to your body when running. Also make sure you keep to the necessary regeneration. It is also important to warm up and warm up before you start speed training.
In contrast to pure endurance training, according to the spectrum, during speed training the metabolism reaches the anaerobic range. Unlike in the aerobic area, the body no longer obtains its energy from burning carbohydrates with oxygen. Instead, it converts the carbohydrates without it because the inhaled oxygen is no longer sufficient. During this generation of energy, the so-called lactate, also known as lactic acid, is produced in the muscles. In the anaerobic range, the body can only last for a few minutes, for example in a 400 or 800 meter sprint. Here the pulse reaches 90 to 100 percent of the individual maximum.
Run Faster: Driving Game
This variant of speed training is particularly suitable for beginners who want to start running faster and want more variety in their running training. Because with this method you can try out different running speeds and train in a playful way.
Basically you just vary your pace and run certain distances faster, then a little slower again and so on. You can use your running route as a guide. For example, you sprint to the next tree, then slow down again, then run to the next corner at a moderate pace, and so on. You can also change the tempo just by feeling.
pace run
In endurance running, you run (after you have warmed up) permanently at the threshold speed between aerobic and anaerobic. This so-called lactate threshold is said to increase as a result of training, which not only increases endurance but also helps you to run faster.
The duration is between 15 and 45 minutes, depending on how practiced you are. The individual lactate threshold can be determined by professional performance diagnostics. In the hobby area, however, you can also try to find your way to the right pace: Although training on the threshold is exhausting, you should still run at a speed that you can maintain for several kilometers.
Run faster: interval training
With interval training, professional athletes push themselves to their maximum heart rate for a certain distance, according to Spektrum. After a brief deceleration to recover, they then start sprinting a certain distance again.
As a hobby runner: in you can add sprints to stretches, similar to the driving game. For interval training, however, set certain distances in advance and increase them bit by bit. However, you should be careful not to make the interval training too intense. If you have problems with high blood pressure, you should generally be careful with this training and possibly seek medical advice beforehand.
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