General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Has anyone dramatically improved their run speed? Rss Feed  
Moderators: k9car363, alicefoeller Reply
 
 
of 2
 
 
2007-10-02 1:40 PM
in reply to: #986798

Veteran
691
500100252525
Subject: RE: Has anyone dramatically improved their run speed?
Not to be the grim reaper, but even with consistency, I am still at a 15 minute mile. Just thought I'd throw a wrench in (not intentionally, but reality is reality for some people).
I have a very short stride so most people can walk faster than I run. Oh well.


2007-10-02 3:06 PM
in reply to: #986798

User image

Master
2571
20005002525
Tiger's Den
Subject: RE: Has anyone dramatically improved their run speed?

Learning your training zones is probably the single most important thing that helped me in my quest to drop time off your run. All winter I trained pretty much at zone 2 on my long runs and zone 3/4 on my weekly runs, and that alone helped me drop 4-5 m/m off my pace, without formal speed work or anything. Just volume at zone 2 primarily.

I encourage you to do this as soon as you can. Max HR doesn't help at you at all. Using a formula to figure out your zones based on age doesn't really work well either. There are a ton of threads on this site about that. It will serve you well to search for them and read through them. It really did help me.

2007-10-02 3:28 PM
in reply to: #986798

User image

Expert
634
50010025
Toronto
Subject: RE: Has anyone dramatically improved their run speed?

For you, I don't believe that knowing your HR training zones is all that important really. Your two biggest limiters seem to be weight and cardiovascular endurance. Training to loose weight and improve your cardio system (both of which will have a huge and direct impact on your pace) means that you should be training at a low HR; i.e. no more than zone 2. Zone 2 is a pace where you can still hold a conversation. It may be a wee bit laboured but it definitely is not panting. At this stage, I think this is all that you need to know about your training HR. If that means that you slow down to a quick walking pace, then so be it; it WILL pay off in the end.

Other than that, the single quickest way to improve is to be consistant. Doing sporatic workouts here and there is good but being consistant and working out often is an order of magnitude better. You don't have to work hard every workout; you just need to train often.

You can do it!



Edited by caius 2007-10-02 3:29 PM
2007-10-02 3:37 PM
in reply to: #986798

User image

Expert
1073
10002525
scottsdale, az
Subject: RE: Has anyone dramatically improved their run speed?
krludwig - 2007-10-01 10:50 PM

I guess I'm looking for a little motivation...

Since joining this site earlier this year, my biggest goal has been weight loss. And that's been going pretty well actually -- I've lost 30 pounds so far. But my next biggest goal is to become a decent runner (and after that, a decent triathlete). Of course "decent" means different things to different people. For me, it would mean jogging an 8 or 9 minute mile, and being able to hold that pace over a long distance (e.g., a half or full marathon).

Right now, I'm very much a beginner still -- the furthest I've jogged (without walking breaks) is 0.6 miles, though I hope to break that elusive mile-mark soon. My pace, however, is slow. With walking thrown in, I'm around 14:30 to 15:00 per mile. When actually jogging, my pace hovers around 12:30.

So, is it possible to improve from a 15:00 walk/run pace to a 9:00 run pace? Has anyone here made such a big improvement?



I don't think I qualify, but I used to run 13-14 mm last year, and am done to 9:30- 10:00 comfortable. It is definelty possible! Believe in yourself! Do a tempo run and speedwork once a week and having a good base helps a ton. I'm still learning though, I hope to one day BQ, and one day be a decent triathlete.
2007-10-02 5:52 PM
in reply to: #986798

User image

Extreme Veteran
333
10010010025
Bend, OR
Subject: RE: Has anyone dramatically improved their run speed?
krludwig - 2007-10-01 8:50 PM

So, is it possible to improve from a 15:00 walk/run pace to a 9:00 run pace?  Has anyone here made such a big improvement? 

Yes, it's about patience and keeping at it.  Most of my workouts have been following heart rate zones which I believe in.  I train mostly in Zone 1-2 and that means if I have to walk part of the way to keep my HR down I will.  Make sure that you have 1 day in the week you are doing speed work and training at a higher HR.  This will help in the long run and you will be able to slowly increase your distance, get your HR lower and run at a decent pace.  Good luck!

2007-10-02 6:38 PM
in reply to: #986798

User image

Extreme Veteran
415
100100100100
Leander, Texas
Subject: RE: Has anyone dramatically improved their run speed?
krludwig - 2007-10-01 10:50 PM

So, is it possible to improve from a 15:00 walk/run pace to a 9:00 run pace?  Has anyone here made such a big improvement? 


This is short distance, not long (I'm still working on getting better at long runs), but my story is simple:

May 2005 - Started tri training - weighed 265 lbs. Could barely run a mile
Sep 2005 - First sprint tri - weighed 235 lbs. Ran the 5k at 9:45 per mile
May 2006 - Third sprint tri - weighed 190 lbs. Ran the 5k at 7:13 per mile
May 2007 - First super-sprint - weighed 195 lbs. Ran 2 miles at 6:02 per mile
May 2007 - Seventh sprint tri - weighed 195 lbs. Ran the 5k at 6:28 per mile

I'd say that it can be done. You need to work on continuing to drop weight until you reach a weight that is healthy for you and still as lean as you can get without sacrificing muscle. Also, you need to make sure you get in the running volume you'll need to condition your body to run a half or full marathon at a sustained effort.

You can definitely do it if you commit yourself to it.


2007-10-03 1:28 AM
in reply to: #986798

Member
45
25
Subject: RE: Has anyone dramatically improved their run speed?
What you really need to do, and anyone else who hasn't already done it, is read up on Maffetone and Hadd's low heartrate training. How did Lance Armstrong and Mark Allen develop their huge aerobic engines? Low heartrate training of course!!! In one off-season with Maffetone, Allen improved from an approx 8min/mile pace to a mid 5min/mile pace- at a 155bpm heartrate!!! The idea of this type of training is to improve your running at a specific effort level, which is just below your aerobic threshold. By doing this, you will burn more fat which is more efficient, and will preserve glycogen stores which will keep you from feeling overly drained(and give you that end of race kick when you need it).

I started this type of training about 3 months ago. My MAF(maximum aerobic function) HR is about 163, so I train at about 155 to make sure I stay below it and only use my aerobic engine. My miles at 155 bpm have improved from about 9:30s for the first 4 miles or so, to about 8:15-8:30. The great part is, it feels the same, it's exactly the same precieved effort because your cardiovascular and pulmonary systems are working at the same capacity. Training at your MAF pace(which you will read how to determine if you so wish) makes your body undergo certain physiological adaptations. These include increased amount of capilaries in your legs, increased mitochondria(which assists in cellular respiration), and an increase in aerobic enzymes.

www.markallenonline.com/heartrate.asp
www.philmaffetone.com <--- look around on here for a heartrate related article

There's a ton more articles going around and I can find some more of them for you. If you are interested, let me know.
New Thread
General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Has anyone dramatically improved their run speed? Rss Feed  
 
 
of 2