speed training
Whatever distance you are training for, whether it be a 5km road race or a cross country ultra-marathon, speed training should form a part of your training schedule.
Speed training can take various forms, but essentially its purpose is to increase the body's lactate tolerance threshold. This is the level at which the body starts to produce more lactic acid (a by-product of anaerobic respiration) than it can get rid of.
The higher an athlete's lactate tolerence threshold, the higher the workload they can sustain without fatigue setting in.
Try adding some of the sessions from the box on below to your weekly training plan. Don't worry too much about the mileage when carrying out speed work, as it is the quality of the session that counts rather than the number of miles.
4-5 x 800m with 60 seconds recovery
Run these intervals at about 4 seconds quicker than your target race pace
3 x 1 mile with 2 minutes recovery
These intervals should be run at about 6 seconds quicker than your target race pace.
EVENT: 10km
3 x 2000m with 2 minutes recovery
Run these intervals at about 15 seconds per km quicker than target race pace.
5x5 min intervals with 3 mins recovery
Run these intervals at your current 5km race pace
EVENT: MARATHON
6 x 1 mile with 1 min recovery
15 seconds per mile faster than target race pace
3 x 3000m with 6 minutes recovery
10k race pace
It is important to warm up thoroughly when carrying out speed training sessions. Jog at a comfortable pace for 10 to 15 minutes to increase the flow of blood around the body and warm the synovial fluid that surrounds the joints. This will enable you to perform better and reduce the risk of injury.
The recovery sections of the training sessions should involve active recovery. This means you should continue to jog at a comfortable pace rather than stop entirely.
When you have finished your last interval, continue to run at a comfortable pace. The length of time you run for at the end of a speed training session should be at least 10 minutes.
When you have finished your run, stretch out thoroughly to reduce muscle soreness the next day and help to improve flexibility.