Want to become a faster runner? Gococo caught up with the team at Runacademy, which organizes running groups around the country and online training. Here they share their best tips for how to develop your running and take the next step – whether you're training for a personal best or just want to feel stronger on the track.
Running technique training for more efficient and faster running
Sharpening your running technique is an essential part of the journey towards becoming a faster runner.
– At Runacademy, for example, we regularly have different challenges with different purposes in our online training. One of these challenges is the running technique challenge. For three weeks, participants focus on running technique to become more efficient in their running, which benefits running over short as well as longer distances.
With running technique training, participants become faster, stronger and more efficient in a few weeks and it is often a matter of small adjustments. All runners have their own technique and are efficient in their own way – so it is important to find what you can develop in your running!
In the running groups, they also work on running technique regularly, both through various running technique exercises and feedback from trained leaders, says Runacademy.
How interval training makes you a faster runner
How about interval training to become a faster runner? Intervals are an effective way to challenge the body and thus improve running performance. It provides improved oxygen uptake, better lactic acid tolerance and a higher lactic acid threshold.
As a runner, it's good to vary the intervals – it's about giving the body different stimuli. The heart is a muscle and a muscle needs to be trained in different ways to get stronger. Likewise with strength training: we need to vary with more or less weights.
– It's the same with intervals; varying and running at higher speeds, in longer intervals and shorter intervals. This stimulates different muscle fibers and makes the body more efficient at different intensities and speeds, says Runacademy.
In Runacademy's running groups, they run different types of intervals. If you don't have the opportunity to train with a running group, you can instead use their training bank with different training sessions via audio file. This will give you valuable coaching and variation on different types of intervals.
Don't Make This Mistake as a Runner
– The biggest mistake runners make is going too fast on every run. You have to adjust your pace to where you are – not where you want to go, and listen to your body.
It's important to find the right speed, the right effort and to have some left after each interval, especially if you're not used to intervals. If you're constantly doing the iron, the risk of injury is much higher, so it's much better to increase gradually. If you're a complete beginner – or if you haven't run in a few months, for example – it's important that you initially alternate between slow jogging and walking, Runacademy continues.
Once you are up and running and can run continuously for around 45–60 minutes at a leisurely pace, the key to becoming a better and faster runner is variety in your training. The hard sessions should be hard, and the easy sessions should be easy. This will give you the recovery time on the easy sessions, which will allow you to push harder on the interval sessions.
How important is strength training to becoming a faster runner?
Strength training gives muscles and tendons increased resistance to stress and makes the muscles more resistant to fatigue. As a runner, strength training at least once a week, preferably twice, is important.
Train every week and work on strengthening your core and stability through abdominal and back exercises, as well as working on hip strength and mobility. Calf strength and general strength training for the legs are important. How you set up your strength training should be individual. As someone new to strength training, lighter loads or body weight are preferable to get started. As you become more accustomed to it, you can increase the load.
Plyometric training (jump training): A form of training that has been shown to be very beneficial for developing as a runner is plyometric training – so-called jump training. It is a form of training with explosive movements and high load that increases flexibility, strength and speed. An example is jumping down from a box and straight up again. Before you start with these types of exercises, however, it is important that you have a foundation in general strength training.
Become a faster runner – Runacademy's 5 best tips
- Regular training. To become a faster runner, consistency is key – it's better to run a little more often than to do a single hard session now and then. The body needs regular stress to develop step by step.
- Varied training. Vary both speed, distance and surface to keep motivation up and reduce the risk of injury. Variety makes training more fun and helps you develop on more levels as a runner.
- Intervals. Short, intense sessions where you alternate between high speed and rest improve both fitness and speed. Intervals train the body to get used to a higher pace and provide effects in a relatively short time.
- Threshold workouts. Run at a steady, fairly hard pace just below your lactic acid threshold. This teaches your body to handle high exertion for longer, making you more durable and faster in races.
- Strength training. Stronger muscles make you more explosive, but also more resistant to injuries. With running-adapted strength training – such as core exercises, squats or jumps – you get a more powerful stride and better running economy.
Develop your running technique at Runacademy
Runacademy has been around since 2013 and is available in 115 locations across Sweden, Åland and online. If you are interested in starting to run or developing your running technique – contact Runacademy. They offer group running training, personalized training sessions and PT training.
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Also read our interview article: Running training for those who want to develop their running technique .
