Practice! We're talkin' 'bout Practice!

[keaveny]

My immediate goal is to become fast at the sprint distances. So here is my question, preceeded by my perhaps-tortured logic.

When I played basketball, for instance, and wanted to become proficient at free throws, I shot more. Jump shots, shot more until I was comfortable. Football; run a good slant route? Run more good slant routes.

So, I want to become fast in Sprint Distance.

Here is how my training is shaping up: Bike 14 miles as fast as I can follwed by running 3.1 as fast as I can.

When people speak of tempo runs, speed work, etc. I am lost. I don't know the nomenclature. I just try to get faster every time out.

My times are getting faster, but am I missing something that would benefit me in this goal?

[Angie]

Unfortunately, I think this logic is skewed....

Yes... to get faster you need to do some workouts where you run all out (speed work) but if you become stronger (with hill work, weight training and long endurance workouts) and more efficient (with technique and tempo workouts), your times will get better and you will be much less likely to injure yourself.

By only doing your workouts as fast as you can all of the time, you are setting yourself up for an injury.

I would recommend you find a simple training plan to follow... there are a number of them online or you could get a book like "Training plans for multisport athletes" By gale Bernhardt... easy to read book with a plan entitled 'faster sprint distance performance'. This would be great for you.

ANGIE

[jetlink]

Hey Keaveny,

Its the winter months now, don't try to set any world records but rather work on consistency with your workouts........and then even now may be a bit early but at some point -usually right around now- you should probably try and get in the pool - on the bike - and do a few runs weekly......like around the area of each discipline twice per week.

Your workouts right now will suit you better if you work on your mechanics.......for instance, in the pool do single arm drills - catch-ups - kicking ...... on the bike do single leg drills and high cadence work....... for the run, focus on the EASIER efforts - things like feeling relaxed while you run, cadence count, form - form - form..........

What you are talking about definately has its place in training.....for us in the NE Ohio region, this place would be in the months of April - Mayish......just about the time right before the races begin.....your talking about a period in training called by lots of different names by lots of different people.....but basically it all refers to "Specificitiy".....or in other words - training the body to do EXACTLY what you will ask it to do on race day......well, exactly in terms of intensity but not duration. So, save the hard workouts for a period in time when you'd like to peak - for right now focus on the things that will make you stonger and better in function than when you "put it all together" during your build-up to the sprints you'll find you'll be going much faster and you'll feel better.

So, in other words - focus on the basics right now. That doesn't mean you cannot turn it up a little bit here or there but don't make hard workouts a normal occurance right now - they should be done only occasional at most right now.

[keaveny]

Excellent! Thanks Angie and Dave. I knew my logic was whack but unsure why, specifically.

[keaveny]

I should've started another thread entitled, "Break on through to the other side."

Dave and Angie. I took your advice and in two days I feel like a different person with a completely different approach.

I am not worryng about speed, just mileage and endurance.

Today I comfortably ran 6.8 miles. This may not sound like anything, but I have never done this (ever), let alone comfortably.

I simply set out to run for 60 minutes at a pace about 1 minute slower than my typical 5k pace.

Quite frankly, running 6.8 miles was less boring than always running a 5k and just trying to get faster. Fealt great the entire time, concentrating on relaxing and breathing.

Is this what you mean by building base?

Really, thank you. I just kept thinking about the possibilities; "Hey I just did a 10k easy. About 20 more miles makes a marathon. I can do this."

It is just funny that I have been busting ass to get fast on the bike and 5ks. I think I was on the brink of serious burn out. Maybe building base is as much a mental benefit as a physical.

Thanks, again. Great advice.

[Angie]

For sure... glad this new plan is working for you. Keep it up...

Come join our runs at the zoo on sunday if you want some slow endurance and hill work. I had a PR in the 5k run in an early spring race after spending all winter at the zoo. This new plan will work for you.
Best of luck. ANGIE

[Brandon]

Angie and Dave have given great advice. Over the last couple years I've dropped about 3 minutes off of my 5K time by focusing on long slow distance runs in training. No speed work to speak of......other than racing. As soon as I build to a solid marathon base I'll start to think about speedwork.

Looking at the training of world class 5K'ers......their long runs are typically 12 to 18 miles and they'll put in 80-100 mile weeks. All for a 15 minute, 3.1 mile race.

[elizabeth]

All I have to say is I managed to PR by 40 seconds in the 5k distance after training for a 50 mile event two weeks before this year. I'm convinced now that long slow distance and lots of base mileage is the way to go. Add in speed when you want to fine tune!