How to run faster?

[Chocolateteabag]

I'm running 3-4 times a week
One run club night which includes

Ugh phone!

One run club night involving intervals
1-2 5k ish runs with hills
1 long 10-15k steady run

I have plateaued speed wise - I can do 5 k in 27-28 mins, 10k in 1.02-5
(Depending on heat/hills)

I want to break 1 hr on a 10k!

Do I need more intervals/hills? Just keep at it and it will come?

Any advice gratefully accepted

I can run far but not fast, nothing like your times which to me are fast!
But when I took up strength training I noticed a definite improvement in speed. I can't say I enjoy running fast so it's not something I actively aimed for, but I found it made a big difference.

This is going to sound totally counterintuitive but I managed to crack the 1hr barrier by changing from solid running to the Jeff Galloway run walk run method - Google it. For me it meant running for 90 seconds and then walking for 30 running for 90 etc. I found that because I was getting the walk break my running pace was fast enough to compensate for the lack of speed. There's a facebook group called Girls that Jeff which has lots of similar stories on it.

Might just be worth a try on one of your long runs?

Thanks @londonmummy1966 I will try that - I know I'm getting slower after the first 5k

@Mackiemackie - it's funny isn't it - I focus on those faster than me but I know I am then also quicker than others (& even me last year)
Just frustrated that my improved times seem to have stalled

Are you doing any strength/plyometric training? Any sprint intervals?

This will sound random but kick boxing improved my speed, I think it's all the stretching and strengthening that goes with it.

You need to train for a 5k , Reps that are specific for that distance

You need to make sure your doing a 80/20 split

80% at zone 1/2 Heart Rate

20% high intensity

Reps I'd suggest are

1 mile easy running warm up + 3*1mile at 8.30-8.40min/mile with 3min recovery in between + 1 mile easy

or 1 mile easy warm up + 3*6min at about 8.50-9min/mile with 3min easy running recovery in between + 1 mile easy cool down

1 mile easy + 3*8min at around 8.50-9min/mile with 3min easy running recovery in between + 1 mile easy cool down

This is reps I'd be doing

Perhaps slightly slower pace to start building up to a pace around that.

I use the post C25k podcasts, there's one specific for speed.

What @indoctro said; you need to be doing reps.
To run faster, you have to run faster - and reps are the way to do that, whether it's more formal speed training or just some informal fartlek type stuff (ie random fast efforts in your current runs).

I went from a 31min 5k to a 25 min 10k just with doing a few intervals here and there, and making sure I did one speed session a week. More formal speed training, esp 400m reps, got me down to my current 20min 5k and 42min 10k.

Thank you!
@Indoctro - I am going to do your reps plan tomorrow (early to try to dodge the heat)

Really helps just to see a "plan" written down which I should be able to follow

Bit of an update:

Well I only went and did 10k in less than an hour today! 57:25!! Very happy

I did some intervals with the club and on my own plus kept checking my pace all the way round (mainly so I didn't go too quickly at the start or then slow too much in the latter part)
Feeling very happy - now need to work on "cadence"? Onwards and upwards

Well done! It definitely works

How are you getting on OP? Any improvement?

I think so - since the 10k at the start of the month I've been doing a mix of hills and intervals
I don't have another race until September and away a bit this month so not doing any usual routes so will be a while before I can "tell"

I have a "mountain challenge" at the end of this month so now working on getting up 400m of hills in a a 6 mile route!

Sounds promising 👏🏼

Am very unstructured but find a hill then sprint up it as many times as possible. Soon flat running is speedier.