Today I’m reconnecting with Paige Biglin.
Paige Biglin
I first chatted with Paige a few weeks ago as a part of the group run we had with the ladies from Salty Running, and today we get to dive a little deeper into her running story. Read more
If you are like many runners I know, running faster is one of your goals.
Without a doubt, the most frequent question I get from listeners of the show has to do with running faster during races.
Whether the goal is a PR or a BQ, running faster is something a lot of runners strive for.
So the million dollar question is pretty simple: how does one go about running faster during a race?
If you want to run faster, you need to practice it right?
Yes and no. Read more
Admit it, you want to get faster.
And that’s ok. Shoot, I want to get faster too.
But whatever your goals are, odds are that increasing your top speed isn’t going to help you achieve them.
Wait, what?
Huh?
Do you want to set a new PR this year?
Do you want to run a BQ this year?
Do you want to get your 5k time back to where it was before you had kids?
Whatever time goals you have, I’m guessing that the key to success is to cover a certain race distance in a shorter amount of time. Read more
All runners, no matter your pace or your preferred race distance, can benefit from doing regular speed work.
There are a number of physiological benefits of doing speed work, but that doesn’t mean you have to enjoy doing speed work.
I really hate doing speed work.
But I keep doing it, because of the benefits and because the goals I have for my running “career” include me getting faster.
And let’s be honest, if you want to get faster you’ve got to run faster.
So I keep doing my speed work, and that includes doing some of my least favorite speed workouts as well. Read more
“Nearly all runners do their slow runs too fast, and their fast runs too slow.” ~Ken Mierke
When it comes to runners and their training, the pace of the workout is obviously important.
Go too fast, and you’ll likely be worn out before you’re able to complete the workout. Go too slow, and you’re not getting as much of a benefit.
All that being said, I believe the above quote to be very accurate for me and most of the runners I run with.
Have you ever stopped to really think about the impact that running intensity has on your performance/improvement as a runner?
There really is no clear cut answer.
And to make things worse, as your fitness level and goals change, the appropriate speed or intensity is also going to change. So you’re literally aiming at a moving target.
The right intensity is also going to vary based on what workout you’re doing.
Your long runs are (hopefully) obviously going to be targeting a lower intensity to enable you to complete longer distance running. Typically, if you can hold a conversation with your running partner, you’re probably in the ball park when it comes to an appropriate pace for slow runs.
But when it comes to speed work and running at a higher intensity, there isn’t one set speed you should aim for, as intensity will be different for shorter repeats, longer repeats, tempo runs, hills, and fartleks. As a general rule, the shorter the distance the harder you should be pushing, but there are a lot of variables at play here.
At the end of the day, if you want to be a well rounded runner doing both high speed/intensity and low speed/intensity running is important. We all have different types of fibers in our muscles, and some respond better to one intensity or the other.
To get a little more in depth about the different fibers and why different training intensities are important, press play below!