Speed Thrills

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Speed Thrills[/size]

What better way to usher in spring than by adding some giddyap to your stride? All it takes is one simple (but fast) workout per week
        by: Doug Rennie  


It was by accident that I did my first true speedwork--when I was well into middle age. I arrived at the track too late to hook up with my usual Tuesday 10-K-through-marathon training group (a.k.a. The Distance Guys). But our club's milers (a.k.a. The Fast Guys) were just getting started--12 x 300-meters fast, with 100-meter jog recoveries between repeats.

Gulp.

These repeats were way shorter than the 800-meter or mile repeats that had been my Tuesday norm for years. Way, way faster, too. And included way, way, way less breath-catching time.

I hung on, but barely. I lurched along, my arms and legs on separate agendas, like some marionette with a drunk pulling the strings. And I could do no more than two reps in a row without sitting one out, chest heaving, sucking in air through my ears. I think I ended up doing only seven. Maybe it was six.

Eventually, though, after a few weeks of this, I managed to do the full set nonstop, albeit at the back of the pack. At which po?nt it happened: My PRs, all of them--times that had been hung up in a holding pattern for several years--dropped. A minute-plus off my 10-K best, nearly three minutes off my half-marathon, and eventually a full five minutes (to the second) off the full 26.2.

This could happen to you, too. Here's why:

According to Harvard researcher Peter Weyand, Ph.D., short-but-fast workouts help maintain the function of your spinal cord's "motor nerve" cells, the ones that control fast running. Without high-quality speedwork, these cells deteriorate as you get older, slowing you down. And researchers at the Institute for Olympic Sports in Finland recently found that for average runners, "there is much to be gained from running sprint intervals of 50 meters to 200 meters once a week."

What's that? Worried this will get you injured? You think it's only a matter of time until you hear a loud, odious "Boiiinnnng!"--the sound of a snapped hamstring rolling up like a window blind? Not true. "In fact," writes training expert Owen Anderson, Ph.D., editor of Running Research News, "the best predictors of injury are high mileage, a previous history of injury, and a failure to include enough rest in your training." Not speed training.

Which brings us to our program of very speedy (but doable) workouts. Do only one session per week, which will dramatically increase leg turnover, and increase your speed in all race distances. Just be careful, says Ft. Collins-based coach Jon Sinclair. "The important thing is progression," he says. "If you start with a workout that is moderately challenging then gradually add intensity, you'll be fine."

If you're new to speedwork, start with "A 3-Pointer for Newbies," below. If you're an old hand, skip to the four other workout options beginning with "Tried and True," and pick the ones you like best (but try them all initially).  

A 3-Pointer for Newbies

If you're new to speed training, you need to proceed with care. Start by running once a week at a quicker-than-normal pace up a moderate hill for 30 to 45 seconds, then jog back down. Repeat four to six times. Also, once or twice a week after regular runs, go to a track or grass field and run six to eight strides of about 100 meters, gradually accelerating to about 90 percent of all-out, while staying relaxed and controlled.

Once you get used to these two starter sessions, try "stopwatch fartlek": After 10 minutes of easy running, alternate between brisk 15-second pickups and 45-second slow jogs. Repeat this cycle eight to 12 times, focusing on quick feet and gradually faster leg turnover during the pickups. Remember to keep your hands, arms, and jaw loose and relaxed.

After a month on the newbie plan, move on to the following workout options.

Tried and True

Option 1: Start with three sets of 4 x 200 meters at your mile pace (if you've never run a mile all-out, aim for about halfway between your 5-K race pace and all-out sprinting). Jog 200 meters between reps. As you get faster and more comfy at speed, take only a 100-meter jog after every other rep, eventually progressing to all 100-meter recoveries. Then go to two sets of 6 x 200 meters (same recovery formula) and work up to 12 x 200 meters with 100-meter recoveries.

Option 2: Same as the above, but with 300 meters (a three-quarter lap of a track) at mile pace. Understand that this is a bit more taxing. Start with five sets of 2 x 300 meters with a 100-meter recovery jog. As you adapt, do multiple sets of three, four, five, and so on until you're able to do eight to 10 x 300 meters with 100-meter recoveries. When you can do this, you'll be amazed how strong and fluid you feel at your comparatively pedestrian 10-K or half-marathon pace.

The Quick-Step Quicky

Got only 15?minutes for the substantive part of your speed workout (i.e., after the warmup and before the cooldown)? Well, good news from a University of Vermont study, which found that 15 repeats of 40 seconds at mile pace with 20-second jog recoveries produced substantial gains in leg turnover and increased VO2 Max by 11 percent. Yes, even when time isn't on your side, you can still have it all.

The Sinclair Special

You only want to do one interval day a week? Not a problem. Here's a workout that will boost both stamina and speed in a single, thoroughly delightful session. Basically, this is a 600/200 (best starting point) or 800/300 (something to work up to) combo plate. "It's one of my favorite workouts," says Sinclair. "It has length and sustained effort, but also a strong speed/anaerobic flavor. You run 600 or 800 meters at 10-K pace, float 100 meters, then go as hard as you can for 200 or 300 meters. Jog an easy 400 meters before you start the next set." What's "float"? Something close to your normal long-run pace, that is faster than a jog. Think of it as partial recovery on the run. Most interval workouts give you full recovery. This isn't one of them.

The Marquis de Sade

Do this one only every third week or so. And only if you are highly fit and motivated, love pushing the envelope, and want to kick it up to the next level. It's tough, but very effective. Run 400 meters at just under 5-K race pace; jog 400 meters; run 300 meters at one-mile pace; jog 300 meters; run 200 meters at slightly faster than one-mile pace; jog 200 meters; run 100 meters at close to all out (but still a notch down from a full sprint); jog 100 meters.

Now do it again. Then one more time. Three of these 400-300-200-100 step-downs comprise a set. Not enough? Then jog 400 meters and do one or two more sets. But that's it. No more. Oxygen tank alternative: Give yourself more recovery by jogging 400 meters after each 4-3-2-1 repetition.

5 Speeding Tips

1) For your superspeed workouts, wear racing flats (very lightweight running shoes with no support) or lightweight performance trainers. This puts your head and feet in a mindset for speed.

2) Always, always leave something on the track after a fast workout. Never run yourself into exhaustion. Finish feeling that you could do a few more reps. (Just don't.)

3) Before beginning any speed workout, first warm up with two miles of steady running, then do 6 x 100-meter strides (two at 5-K effort, two at mile effort, two in which you gradually build up to very fast for the middle 40 yards, then gradually decelerate). Never sprint all-out. Think grimace-free zone. Cool down by jogging for 10 minutes and gently stretching for another five.

4) Be patient. It's likely to take you three or four workouts before you start to settle in and feel comfortable at warp speed. And figure on eight to 10 sessions before you see improved race times.

5) Don't jump into these high-speed workouts alone, unless you're the type who responds well to solo effort (many runners do). Rather, go out and find a partner.

Before Takeoff: Preparing for Speedwork

After a long winter of dead-leg slogging and shuffling, springtime is the perfect time to inject some new liveliness into your legs, invigorate your running, and set yourself up to smash some PRs when racing season begins in earnest. But before you jump into high-speed waters, make sure these bases are covered:

(1) You'll need a decent endurance base, which comes from several weeks or (preferably) months of longer runs plus a smattering of tempo running or hill work. "These kinds of steady-state workouts create the basis of aerobic fitness on which everything else depends," says former U.S. Olympian and distance coach Jon Sinclair (anaerobic.net). Pure speed training, he says, "is a catalyst that can transform aer?bic fitness into something greater. The more aerobic fitness you start with, the bigger the end product the catalyst will deliver."

(2) If you're looking at an important race a couple months down the road, include a second, longer-distance speed day (alongside the superspeed day) to fine-tune your training. A quick guide: If you're chasing a fast 5-K, focus on 400- to 800-meter repeats on the second speed day of the week; for a 10-K goal race, run mainly 800-meter to one-mile repeats; for a half-marathon or marathon, alternate mile repeats with tempo runs every other week. (Note: In your half-marathon and marathon training, always include a weekly or every-other-week long run.)