Running, how do I increase my speed and how do you feel when you run?

[Hoolit]

Hi, just that really. I've been running over a year and did a half marathon last year and want to do it again this year but get a better time.
I have struggled with running head wise, its such a mental head game!! I feel I am finally over this and actually want to get there and do it and feel I'm the fittest I've ever been. I'm 41.

I mix up my exercise, hi it classes , netball and a couple of runs a week but my speed never really gets better.

I have tried putting in a hill run each week and tried an interval run last week and wondered if this is what I should be doing more regularly and during my longer runs of approx 6 miles should I be pushing it a bit more, should I feel a bit uncomfortable?

Any advice gratefully received.

I don't know... the stuff I read says that You have to get uncomfortable to gain. This could also lead to injury, instead.

Intervals are good but how can 20 minutes of intervals once a week really improve your speed over 13 miles... (might be 2 hours). I mean, think about it.

Your types of aims are why people join clubs so they can get individual coaching.

Thanks, yeah I'd thought of a club but I've not got the time and not sure I'm serious enough for a club.
I've read a few articles but advice conflicts or maybe I'm reading it wrong!
I think intervals are good for breathing and endurance which I also get from hiit classes but not sure if they'll help speed.
Not sure if I play it a bit safe and stick to a steady pace that I know will get me round.
Might just go have a try at a higher pace and see how I get on

Speed training will help, even over 13 miles. Doing a speed session, such as intervals or fartlek once a week and maybe alternating it with a hill session will lead to improvements. Running at asteady pace will get you round at the same steady pace. So it's up to you really, I have managed to improve my half time by 10 minutes over 2 years (I'm not fast!) and try to do a speed session ice a week. For a longer race such as a half intervals can be 5 or 6 minutes long. Another useful thing is a tempo run, so do 1 mile easy pace then 10-20 minutes at a harder pace, maybe your 5k or 10k pace, then 1 mile easy to cool down. This is a good one for stamina I think. Some of your runs should feel uncomfortable, it's mental training as much as physical sometimes. I listen to podcasts to distract me, otherwise I'd wimp out! Good luck

Thanks emummy I do a hill run once a week so will try alternating it with a speed session and will give a tempo run a try.
I think I'm scared to put myself off again but my need to increase my speed even a little is getting a bit obsessive!!
I'd be over the moon to knock 10 mins off my half time cos that was my aim time. Well done on your speed increase

The gist of what I read was that to run faster... you need to run faster. In some kind of way, at least some of the time. Yes Painful!

No easy fix then ?

Slow down and run longer:

www.google.co.uk/amp/running.competitor.com/2014/06/training/train-slower-race-faster_52242/amp

lots of articles about this

I would repeat what pp have said.... a speed session once a week will massively help you. It only needs to be 30 mins of a mixture of sprints/ walk... but you should leave yourself exhausted!! I also think running clubs are a really good idea. Is there one near you OP?

I have an app called aaptiv that I use and I do their training programmes, it's really good
In order to run faster you have to do sprints as it uses your muscles differently. I train three times a week using the aaptiv app and I am on the last session of the 5k programme and I've gone from running a 33 minute 5k to a 27 minute 5k in 2 and a half months. They do a half marathon programme too.

Pretty much to run faster, you need to run faster. Lots of people do well with clubs and it will improve your times. You don't need to be a super serious runner. however I struggle with regular commitments due to schedule, so when I was trying to get faster i did things myself.

You need a speed session. Intervals and fartlek are easy to do yourself. You can mix it up so you aren't doing the same thing every week. I quite liked following training plans as a base - Hal Higdon has one for working on speed at half marathon www.halhigdon.com/training/64471/Half-Marathon-Walk-Training-Program-Intermediate-2 . Note the plan also includes races at a shorter distance to get you used to it.

It really is a bit mind over matter, too. I started out in my mid twenties having never been 'sporty' so I never really believed I was fast. Turns out I'm decent (would be better if I trained harder ;) ). I spent a cross country 10k race sat behind an older but faster woman. I didn't believe I could overtake her, but she was a good inspirational pace to try and keep up with as it was a smaller pace - no mile markers! It was also timed by when you went through the gate as opposed to chip time. All was expected until a guy who we'd seen walking yards back decided that he was going for a sprint finish, and I decided he was not going to take my place! I went full pelt with what I had left, and turns out I could pass the woman I'd been convinced was too fast, and the guy who was 'sprinting'. I did feel like my bowels might empty afterwards (sorry tmi) but I had proved to myself I had more in there than I gave myself credit for. The woman congratulated me after for a good race: if only she'd known my performance was not tactical in the slightest, just sheer stubbornness!

Another training tip that may or may not work for you (it did for me). My sister has worked with elite athletes and I used to ask her for training tips. I once told her that I was afraid to really go for it on hill reps because I felt like I might throw up. Her response was to go ahead, and if I threw up I'd probably learn that it wasn't the worst thing that could happen and I wasn't going to die. Oddly, I found her confidence that I wouldn't die reassuring!

Some great advice thank you. I've had a read of the articles, tbh I've read loads and think I know what need to do so really need to get organised and do it!
I use strava just to log my times and compare and where I might have a good mile my overall time ends the same.
I do hill run once a week and a longer run at a weekend, at a team sport I do we do times shuttle runs but I've just started a couple of weeks ago so sounds like that might help as my lungs want to burst by the end!!
reetgood 😂 but some sound advice, esp the confidence thing. I run with someone but think I'd benefit from a few lone runs to either push it and walk when I need and to see what can do when left to it.
But you're all right I need to run faster, at the start of all this I couldn't run to the end of the street

I know a lot of people who need to learn how to run slower, they have never run slow. It's a huge challenge & after injury might be the only way they can get back to long distances that they want to do.

Running slow means you can run further & it's great feeling to extend your distances for equal effort. You reduce your injury risk, too.

It's fab to be able to run slow when you put some miles in but you haven't much energy. You know you can do this safely.

Otherwise, "run slow" is Shit Advice if you already run slow (naturally). I ran slow for decades starting from teen yrs. I actually needed learn to run HARD. To push the burn. I'm Never gonna run fast, I know that's impossible, but running hard was a huge novelty for me.

Sensibly, within limits, with rest days, and so on. Because, after 35 yrs, I had done enough "building baseline". Telling someone who already runs slow to Run Slow will never teach them how to Run Fast.

Make sure that whichever guru's advice you follow -- it's actually meant for people like you.

Just out of interest, what time did you get for your half marathon, and what are you aiming for. What do you define as slow? I think I am physically incapable of running fast I remember at school the PE teacher yelling at me to Sprint and I couldn't go any faster. My dh can really push himself and comes back red, panting, say, proudly telling me what page he achieved. I seem to plod along at the same speed no matter what..

I did it in 2hr40 really wanted 2.30. I'm the same sometimes I feel like I'm flying and my time is no different my park run time is 29 mins anni want to throw up at the end so in have not done many.
I should definitely have another go at park run and go for it cos obviously I've survived the previous ones! Just like a pp said I'm not going to die

I find a treadmill ace for intervals and speed work. It's a bit depressing to be indoors, but I push myself so much more when I have numbers in front of me. It's feels like I am banking proper quality.

I'm shocking in the gym, I do less and less least if I'm out I have to get home rather than just jump off a machine
I'm going to have a go at a park run and see where I'm at, maybe push myself then sort out my training schedule to fit in intervals and hill runs.

change the hiit anerobic counter productive it does not work for endurance runner burns muscle ect

The advice to slow down (on long runs) and go further is not Shit Advice! It works. So OP's goal is a 2:30 half which is a target pace of 11:30 minute miles, increasing length of long run gradually up to 10 miles or so and mostly doing them at 12 or 12:30 pace (and keep running during the week, do your hill training or fartlek or whatever) will prepare you for race day. Do some training runs at your target pace too and get used to how it feels.

The hiit classes help stop me getting heavy legs and knee pain as we do lots of leg and glute work so don't want to give that up.
I add a little distance every other week and it's been really doable so do think a bit of fartlek work with hill work is the way to go with target pace runs as unavita suggested.
I'm dying to go have a go now 😁 thank you all