I’ve been thinking quite a bit about my progression as a runner and I’m really proud of how I’ve managed to grow as a runner over the past year and a half. Not only in terms of getting faster, but in terms of the knowledge of running and my body (and myself, more generally) that I’ve gained. I’ve gone from struggling to break the two hour mark in the half marathon to running a PR of 1:50:22 and now I’m shooting for a big marathon PR. I thought I’d share a few of my keys for getting faster in the hopes that some of this might resonate with you all.
- Figure out what training method works for you and then exploit that. For me, the Hanson’s Method has yielded incredible gains for me. So that’s how I train. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? It took a lot of trail and error for me to figure this out, but it was worth it.
- Consistency. This has been huge for me. The consistency of running very regularly and of not skipping runs due to unplanned circumstances has been a game changer for me. Running consistently has allowed me to build up a great running base that has been key in my getting faster.
- Easy = easy and hard = hard. This sounds basic but it was a hard learned lesson. I would regularly run my “easy” runs at whatever pace felt good – whether that was an 8:45 mile (which is close to marathon goal post) or an 11:00 minute mile. Basing easy runs on feel rather than pace was a mistake. It meant that I was frequently too tired to be able to run truly hard for workouts that required it. I now subscribe to the philosophy that I can run my easy runs too fast (and I try to avoid this) but I can not really run them too slow. This keeps me able to run the hard workouts that I have on tap and hit those paces.
- Build confidence. This goes hand in hand with my last tip about going for it. Building my confidence about being able to do things that I previously thought were out of range has been key in actually getting faster.
- Go for it. Sometimes you just have to push yourself and not be afraid to blow up. It can be scary, but I’ve found that by going for it, I’ve been able to discover that I’m capable of much more than I would’ve thought just a couple of years ago.
What are your tips for getting faster? What’s worked for you?
I have no tips as I am not getting faster! 🙂 But many people have told me to do more speed workouts and do strength training.
It does seem like you are getting faster, lady!! I read your recaps 🙂
I’m so glad to hear Hanson’s worked well for you. I know that high mileage wouldn’t work for me, so I do that crazy cross training with Becky. The key is to do what works for you. I see a lot of runners out there training on plans that just aren’t right for them. You’re a smart runner. I’m looking forward to seeing you PR your marathon.
So right about figuring out what works best for you. Wendy, you’re a total inspiration!
I totally agree with these because they’re the same reasons I’ve become faster. My first 5Ks in 2010 were 31-33 minutes. Now even a rough day is 22, and I’m 30 minutes faster than my first half marathon. Hansons helped me big time with building endurance and becoming a strong half marathoner.
The only thing is that after following Hansons style training for so long, I feel like I have no fast-twitch muscle fibers in my body! So, this summer I am changing it up and running shorter speed workouts since I am not training for a half right now. I will definitely go back to Hansons in September when I start thinking about Kiawah, but I’m hoping confusing my body for a few months will help my 5K-10K times (which haven’t improved very much in the last few years).
Consistency is the secret sauce… there is no easy way. Just gotta get out there more often than not and put in the miles.
Really helpful, thanks! I’m working on the easy runs thing right now. I’ve begun monitoring my heart rate and that really helps out keeping those runs easy. I think I really had no idea what easy runs were supposed to feel like.
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Love the easy = easy and hard = hard
So many people tend to do all their runs at a bit of a middle ground.
YES! I used to do that. It did me NO favors 🙂
Even though I hadn’t heard of the Hanson Method of training, I used to train very similarly, running about 50 miles per week. It worked well for me back then, but I can’t run anywhere near that many miles these days. Runner’s World’s Run Less Run Faster worked great for me last year for training for the Chicago Spring Half. I’m going to use it again this fall for the OBX Half.
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Great advice, I am guilty of running my easy runs by effort… not actual pace and I know that is wrong. I didn’t realize how hard it is to run slow on purpose 😉
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