Speed Training for Runners

Speed Training for Runners at competitor.com serves up a reminder to distance runners who consider higher weekly mileage as the only road to better performance at 5K and above. Although I've seen some comparatively slow runners put up impressive times at long distances, improving top end sprint speed may be the missing piece for many, especially if you are beginning to notice an age related slowdown. The article offers up a few workout ideas including the value of a good warm-up, but no need to get fancy. Once every week or 2 seek out a soft surface and run some repeats from 50m to 200m with plenty of rest. If you don't mind the pain or embarrassment, run a timed mile before implementing speed training workouts to serve as a benchmark for measuring progress down the road. If you aren't able to improve your mile time, chances are sprint workouts aren't going to help you run faster at longer distances either.