Need for Speed

Ans Blix

First post in Running, be nice :rolleyes:

I'm looking to increase my min/mile over short distances for an application into the army (When i finish collage, 2012)

I've never been a fast runner (6'4'' and 100kg, bulky fúcker) but i'm decent with consistent speed over distance (11.5min/mile)

My current average after coming back off an injury is 12min/mile, i need to get this down to 6min/mile

My goal is to run 1.5 mile (2.41km) in 9:30 (15.2km/h amirite?). I've done this before on a treadmill, but never achieved the goal on a path. (I did manage to get a 1.5 miles done in 11:25 secs before for a previous irish army application)

Can anyone give me an idea on how train for this? Is it just a case of doing lenghts of a football field, aka sprint walk sprint walk or can i incorporated the speed training into a distance run, say 10k? (not implying 10k is any sort of distance, i mean it as a long "time" run)

gerard65

What is your fitness level atm? Can you run for 30mins at an easy/jog pace? That should be your first goal. After a few weeks of easy running you should be able to add a few faster bursts during your run. Just pick something about 200m/300m away - traffic lights, a park seat, a tree, any object and pick up your pace till you get to it, then slow down for a while to recover and do it again. Try put in 4 or 5 faster bursts to begin with, you can add more as you get fitter. The distance can vary from 50m to 300m and your pace should reflect this ie the shorter the distance the faster the burst. This will make you faster, while maintaining endurance.
Edit, try to do this 3 or 4 times a week for a few weeks. It takes about 4 - 6 weeks to for fitness levels to increase.

Ans Blix

Oh i'm fairly fit, I reckon. Just really slow
Monday i did 7.51 km @55 minutes ish
Wednesday 50.44km cycle about 2:40 (split in 2 over and back)

Is that form of training efficent in a long run/how do i judge when i'm over or under doing it? Burn out prior to ending the run?

I've kept track of all my runs and that since i left the army 2 years ago, i'm pretty OCD when it comes to it actually

iceage

4.5 miles in about 55 mins, its a start. Need to get out there more often mate, I see by your post over on Mil you've been there before so its a case of starting out with lenghtening your distances for time and stamina, then speeding up on shorter runs. Thats my very basic understanding of it. As time goes on you could consider fartlegs.

You mention an injury, you need to get that sorted or it WILL bite you in the ass when basic throws in timed runs and marches with weight. Don't rush it...this won't happen overnight and get you in on this intake. Hows your 1.5 mile time now on the road?

Ans Blix

iceage wrote: »

consider fartlegs.

You mention an injury, you need to get that sorted or it WILL bite you in the ass when basic throws in timed runs and marches with weight. Don't rush it...this won't happen overnight and get you in on this intake. Hows your 1.5 mile time now on the road?

What are fartlegs? they sound amusing

I was a head injury in april, not running related

I won't be applying till 2012 anyway, but its something i want to get working on sooner rather than later

Haven't a clue what my 1.5 mile time would be now sorry, i never measured it

thirtyfoot

Ans Blix wrote: »

What are fartlegs?

They can give you chin splints which is dangerous!!

Fartleks are described here http://www.brianmac.co.uk/fartlek.htm and there is an article in the latest edition of Irish Runner about them.

iceage

OK...try interval training. I thought that it was poor warm up, ill fitting footwear, form and overdoing it that causes shinsplints. Well that seemed to be the reason with me earlier on when I started back running again after what seemed like an age, I haven't had a twinge of splints in quite a while.

Check your footwear as well if you plan on continuing your running especially on tarmac OP, proper fitting and correct footwear is very inportant. The last thingh you need is your feet giving you grief.

thirtyfoot

iceage wrote: »

OK...try interval training. I thought that it was poor warm up, ill fitting footwear, form and overdoing it that causes shinsplints. Well that seemed to be the reason with me earlier on when I started back running again after what seemed like an age, I haven't had a twinge of splints in quite a while.

Check your footwear as well if you plan on continuing your running especially on tarmac OP, proper fitting and correct footwear is very inportant. The last thingh you need is your feet giving you grief.

Just to clarify, fartlek doesn't give you shin splints, I was being a smart arse:(

Having said that, it might but I am not giving advice, medical or otherwise, on whether it does or not.

iceage

No worrys I'm not giving advise either, just a suggestion and a observation.

I'm just amazed how many people are getting out there and running/jogging these days myself included, it can only be for the good really can't it, we just need to know our personal limits.

I was told today by a certain running friend of mine, that I'm technically a jogger...thats suits me down to the ground!

TheRoadRunner

iceage wrote: »

I was told today by a certain running friend of mine, that I'm technically a jogger...thats suits me down to the ground!

Some friend!

Ans Blix

I'll give the Fartleks a go, thats a million

n-dawg

Hey

My advice would be take you time...

Run 3 times per week slowly covering a distance that leaves you tired but not so far that you still feel it the next morning, a pace that you can chat to people is good, if you can find a friend to run with even better! You should do this for a least 6 months until your body is really used to running. This will build all those little mussels that help prevent injury and mean that when you start building speed your much less likely to get hurt.

Running is a lot about consistency, thankfully I've been injury free for 2 years and I'm the fastest I've ever been. I run 4-5 times per week and I would say 85% of my training is at a pace that I find very easy. After 6 months of running consistently I would be quite surprised if you couldn't run the army selection time. But if you still want to get faster, some fartleks discussed above are great, some intervals will also get your speed up. But if you want to have minimum risk of injury keep these as a small part of your training and make sure your well warmed up before and cool down and stretch after.

iceage

That advice from n-dawg is pretty much dead on I reckon. Its all about building your stamina time and distance. Don't just jump into Fartlegs or intervals, train up to them gradually, they'll come naturally when your ready. Avoid rushing in and possibly causing an injury. They are not fun...at all :eek:

Gringo78

Ans Blix wrote: »

I've never been a fast runner (6'4'' and 100kg, bulky fúcker) but i'm decent with consistent speed over distance (11.5min/mile)

Could you do with losing some weight? Does 'bulky' mean muscle or formerly muscle? 10kg weight loss would make things a whole lot easier

Ans Blix

Gringo78 wrote: »

Could you do with losing some weight? Does 'bulky' mean muscle or formerly muscle? 10kg weight loss would make things a whole lot easier

Well its down from 130kg 2 years ago. I'm builtfat on my upperbody, fat on my ass. I think last time i got it checked (1 year ago) my bf% was 21 (Thats off the top of my head, but i really can't be certain)

But yes, weight loss is a definate option