How do I get faster?

[AvonCallingBarksdale]

I completed C25K 4 weeks ago and have done Parkrun each Saturday since then which I love. First one was 36:25 and now I’m down to 34:30. My PB from ages ago was 31:33. My goal is to get to 29:59 by the end of the year which I’m sure I can do, but how? Each week at the mo I’m chipping away at my time but I know that’ll plateau. So how do I get faster - just practice/particular training plan/what?? TIA.

For me, getting faster has involved 1) Interval training (eg run at a steady pace for 5 mins, sprint as fast as you can for 30 secs, jog recovery for 30 secs, sprint for 30 secs, repeat for as long as you can, 5 mins steady cool down) and 2) Losing weight. Every pound of extra weight you're carrying slows you down, so unless you're already very slim and lean, losing a few pounds will probably make a noticeable difference to your speed.

Interval training.
One session a week to begin with:

• 5-10 mins warm up
• Run fast 2 mins, v slow (walk if you like) recovery 1 min, and repeat several times. Build up to 10-12 times
• jog to cool down.

As you do more and get fitter you can vary the interval lengths....say 3 mins fast, 1.5 recovery, up to 5 mins fast 2 mins recovery. Fewer repetitions if doing longer intervals

It makes a huge difference in a few weeks

Do you listen to music while you run OP? I ask because I do find my speed increases if I’m listening to a good song with a faster rhythm!

Efforts! And weights helped me speed up too, lots of lunges and squats to build muscle strength.

Interval training will really help you. Good luck, OP!

Thanks . Interval training, then, seems to be key. I am losing weight at the same time, although am certainly not what you’d call slim or lean . Stands to reason though i guess that the less you’ve got to haul around the faster you could be. Running really fast for 2 mins sounds hard - may need to build up to that!

I do listen to music and am sometimes tempted to sprint if it’s really uptempo. Then I get tired but I guess that’ll improve with practice. And I do squats, lunges etc as part of a HIIT workout.

If two minutes is too hard do one. One minute fast, one minute rest..
It's not the pace you'd do for 100m but is noticeably faster than you do for 5 km. Or 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off. You need to be at the kind of pace you can sustain for the whole interval, but you're gagging to stop by the last 10 seconds

There's a footie pitch marked out in a nearby park. I jog there, then run up one long side as fast as I can, walk along a short side, then jog round the other two back to the start, and then do it again. I started with just two repeats and built up.

Hill work helps too - do you have any nice inclines nearby?

Ooh there is a pitch in the park near here - I could try that. I hate running up hills though