How To Run Faster and Achieve Your Fastest Pace – Top Tips
Starting to run faster may look difficult but becomes achievable by gradually making useful changes. Whether you aim for a faster marathon finish or want better mile times, tips across training, form, gear, motivation and preventing injuries will help.
This post shares practical methods to safely build speed through targeted hard work. Implementing a couple tips here can put you on track to best your personal records.
Running faster requires efficiently strengthening muscles, fueling your body correctly before/during/after runs, choosing the right lightweight shoes and clothing that enhance quickness versus hinder it, setting goals to stay on track, and being patient through setbacks.
Read on!
How to Run Faster Through Improving Running Form?
Proper form directly enables faster running without tiring yourself out quicker. Good posture from an engaged core, landing on your feet correctly, swinging arms right, and taking quicker steps all optimize momentum. Form fixes also prevent muscle issues or excess strain which limit your speed.
Run tall keeping your core involved. Hunching over restricts your strides while arching backward over-strides. Stack your body evenly. Line up your head, shoulders, and hips to allow your best spinal movement.
Research shows that power comes from your hips and glutes, not just legs. Activate your butt and hamstrings to drive off the ground. Don’t kick your feet too far out which reduces efficiency. Let your core turn over your leg pace.
According to Chicago Sports Doctors, rather than hitting the ground with your heel, landing more on your midfoot allows for your stride to be smoother. Lean into slopes without lunging way out with your feet crossing over the body’s centerline.
Arm pumping directly assists drive. Carry elbows at around 90 degrees without wider swings. Time arm pace to match your legs for fluid rhythm where hands cross your body’s midline without wasted upper motion.
Find your cadence sweet spot where turnover feels controlled not strained by taking quicker steps. Fitness trackers now suggest ideal paces accounting for factors like someone’s height. Mentally cue “quick feet” to ingrain appropriately revved stride rates.
Regularly rechecking form spots areas for refinement. Even longtime runners gain from fine-tuning. Applying corrections trains your movement patterns so ideal form starts feeling natural. You’ll then run faster with less effort and lower heart rates.
Focus on Speed and Strength Training
Improving raw speed and building muscular endurance are cornerstones for racing faster. Blend speedwork, strengthening, and hill repeats into your existing running regimen for incremental gains that translate to new PRs.
According to the Polar Journal, tempo efforts, fartleks, and interval sessions teach your body and mind to move efficiently at quicker paces. Tempos mean holding goal race pace for 2-5 miles to adapt breathing and form.
Fartleks involve surging then recovering randomly over a distance to compound strength. Speed intervals of 800s to 200s with full rest increase turnovers, efficiency, and lactate threshold to delay that “burn”.
Plan for 1-2 dedicated weekly speed sessions depending on experience level. Allow proper warmup and warm down bracketing quality repetitions. Initially, err conservative on volume to minimize injury risk from the intensity.
• Start with 4-6x 30-60s strides after runs before adding intervals
• Beginners do 4x 200m with full recovery, building monthly
Supplementing runs with resistance training 2-3 days per week develops strength otherwise neglected. Focus especially on injury-prevention areas like the core, glutes, quads, and calves which propel and stabilize. Use bodyweight moves like squats and lunges before weights.
• Use loops or free weights for calf raises
• Clams and side leg lifts target glutes and hips
• Wall sits and planks build leg and core stability
Hill repeats feature prominently in training plans for hilly courses, but boost speed for any runner through concentrated hard efforts. Find a moderate incline that takes 45-60 seconds to ascend and stride up the slope to the top. Turn immediately and ease into the next repeat.
• Start with 6 hill reps once weekly after an easy run
• Walk back recovery avoids overstress
Run Faster Through Better Nutrition and Hydration
Proper fueling and hydrating habits allow runners to maximize workouts and accelerate recovery, boosting adaptations critical for getting faster. Follow sports nutritionist-recommended meal timing and macronutrient targets to properly support efforts.
Emphasize protein for building and repairing muscle fibers broken down by running. Lean sources like chicken, fish, Greek yogurt, and tofu speed tissue regeneration in the 24-72 hours between hard sessions when critical adaptations occur. Time dense protein snacks before bed and upon waking.
Load up on complex carbohydrates to stock energy reserves and replace glycogen depleted by miles. Sweet potatoes, beans, whole grains, and lentils adequately provide the primary fuel source burned while running without digestive drawbacks.
According to Marathon Handbook, hydration facilitates nutrients reaching muscles and removes byproducts of exertion. Drink steadily through the day, having 16 oz an hour before runs. During efforts longer than 60 minutes, consume electrolyte-containing sports drinks instead of just water to maintain fluid balance and prevent cramping.
Make breakfast your largest meal, coming within an hour of waking to restock from an overnight fast. Have a substantial snack 30-60 minutes pre-run to provide glucose just as you begin burning it. Refuel quickly after finishing via recovery shakes and balanced plates to best supply what your body immediately needs. Key targets include:
• 1.2-1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight
• At least 65% calories from carbs depending on mileage
• 16-20 oz of water 2 hours before runs
• Electrolyte drink every 3-5 miles mid-run
Use the Right Running Gear
The above info might be all fine and dandy. But how do you take it to the next level to become a faster runner? The quick answer is use the right running gear. Here are a few tips!
Invest in Quality Running Shoes
Having correctly fitting running shoes makes all the difference for injury prevention and efficiency gains that translate into faster paces. Visit specialty stores and take time trying on options while a staff member analyses your gait and foot mechanics. Replace shoes after 300-500 miles depending on materials and your weight. Rotate two pairs from different brands to vary impacts.
Prioritize lightweight constructions and snug midfoot support promoting natural foot motion. Cushioning ensures comfort pounding out miles, but thick platforms can make running clumsy. Find responsive foams like PEBAX providing energy return over mushiness. Plate and rocker technology facilitate smoother transitions.
Consider your goals: racing flats for 5Ks/10Ks sacrifice cushioning for pure speed while everyday trainers provide durable comfort across mileage. Trail shoes deliver grip over technical terrain. Determine pronation level then select stability, neutral or motion control models accordingly to fix dysfunction.
The optimal shoe efficiently forwards momentum unnoticeable to the runner, instead of requiring excessive stability measures indicating a poor match. Expect breaking-in soreness before equipment fits like a glove amplifying your fastest capabilities.
Consider Moisture Wicking Apparel for Running Your Fastest
Beyond footwear, clothing, and accessories influence running economy for better or worse. Fabrics doing their job go unnoticed whereas uncomfortable shirts and shorts become distractions siphoning mental resolve better spent pushing pace. Moisture wicking fitness apparel keeps you cool and focused when temperatures rise along with effort.
Technical tee shirts and shorts preventing chafing enhance any runner’s experience but particularly aid faster turnover. For cold-weather wear, use breathable layers allowing heat dissipation during initial miles before warming up. Hats control sweat dripping. Reflective elements on tops, arm bands and gloves protect early morning/night safety.
Smart socks balance cushioning against thinness to avoid blisters. Some brands embed silver threading preventing odor after logging hot, high mileage days. Evaluate sports bras and supportive undergarments specific to anatomical needs, activities and distances which can make or break performance when intensity rises.
How to Prevent Injuries for Faster Running?
Running faster means training smarter to avoid overuse injuries which can sideline progress for weeks if not addressed promptly. Treat causes like weak glutes through targeted conditioning and recovery techniques, instead of simply icing flare-ups. Monitoring warning signs helps steer clear of damage while building resilient tissues.
Incorporate dynamic warmups before workouts activating key stabilizers through movement prep. Perform bodyweight squats, leg swings, high knees and lunges which get muscles firing for the demands ahead. Follow runs immediately with gentle cooldown jogs and foam rolling major groups while tissues are still warm and pliable.
Building weekly mileage, intensity or durations too abruptly overstresses structures. Follow the 10% rule only increasing distance by ten percent each week for sustainable adaptation. Hard and easy days must balance, going too hard even twice weekly without recovery ties into overtraining syndrome. Monitor HRV ratings via wearables helping gauge true internal training loads beyond rigid plans.
• Do strength exercises targeting weak areas
• Stretch major muscle groups after cooling down
• Wear supportive running shoes matched to foot type
• Swim or aqua jog for non-impact cardio
• Monitor foot strike form and cadence
• Lift using proper technique without ego
• Get enough sleep for tissue repair
• Increase antioxidants preventing inflammation
• Ice areas 20 mins multiple times per day when injured
• Book sports massages when training rigor increases
• Use KT tape providing joint stability during runs
• Check running surfaces are even without debris The best ability lies in availability.
Closely managing injury risks allows for consistent weeks developing true fitness whose gains directly speed up paces. Preventive work brings lifelong durability.
Set Goals to Improve Your Fastest Pace
Setting appropriately challenging yet feasible goals translates high-level aspirations of running faster into defined steps measured through data. Quantifiable targets provide structure along the journey helping gauge progress when motivation lags. Choose unique objectives across various distances and timeframes while linking workouts to each.
Begin by establishing macro goals for your “A race” whether that means a 5K, half marathon or other premier event on the calendar many weeks out. Set an envisioned finish time but commit more to the process than a result heavily influenced by external factors. For instance, aim to best the previous year’s performance or age group percentile ranking.
Micro goals then break down long-term pursuits into monthly and weekly actions. Examples include targeted pace ranges for tempo runs, completing new challenging workouts like mile repeats, shaving down interval rest periods, exceeding weekly mileage minimums with limited soreness, or strength training PBs. Checkmarks build momentum.
Use fitness wearables or phone apps tracking metrics like workout frequency, intensities, heart rates, splits, and distances rather than simply “running more.” Look to beat personal bests for benchmark sessions revealing true fitness gains that translate across race distances as interchangeable indicators of progress.
Be both patient and persistent through apparent plateaus, reminding yourself cumulative work pays off. Creatively change programming variables like interval distances, rep quantity, recovery duration or run terrain if momentum stalls for multiple cycles. Consistently apply sound training theory trusted to yield results over time rather than radically revising everything prematurely.
Maintain Motivation to Run Faster
Pushing to new velocities demands concerted mental focus not fading after initial enthusiasm subsides. Running faster requires prioritizing hard solo sessions on tired days over more enjoyable social jogs. Arm yourself with an inspirational mantra or playlist ready to provide a spark. Tell friends your goals so they encourage you.
Before key workouts, visualize succeeding against discomfort. Frame feelings of fatigue or strained breathing as signs you’re advancing fitness, not failing. The fulfillment finishing a tough interval session you considered cutting short keeps you returning. Consistently apply this mindfulness to reframe struggles as breakthroughs.
Tracking measurable progress towards goals quantifies effort translating to real race pace improvements. Logging running or training consistently heightens commitment. Devices recording tempo run distances, 400 meter split times, heart rate trends, and post-workout fatigue ratings provide data demonstrating your grind yielding results.
When you’re truly spent both physically and mentally, don’t hesitate to take an extra rest day as needed rather than creating animosity towards running through overload. The break sets you up to eagerly tackle the next challenge. Similarly, occasionally repeating workouts which felt great boosts confidence to sustain motivation.
After hard efforts, positive self-talk through any disappointment by not quite hitting goal times that day due to weather, diet, hydration, or other external variables will help immensely. The continual process of progressive overload inevitably surfaces. Vocalize belief in your training despite momentary setbacks.
Honestly assess if your regimen aligns with ability levels at this point or if difficulties imply needed adjustments. Rededicate towards new benchmarks keeping fire stoked. Running faster requires a short memory to forget subpar days, but also demands brutal self-awareness to fuel continual refinement.
Use a Running App
Running delivers tremendous fitness and health benefits. But how can you optimize each run? The answer could be right in your hand: the Run Flo app. Run Flo goes beyond a basic tracking app.
It aims to help runners perform faster and smarter through various features: It prioritizes an intuitive, user friendly interface so runners can focus on their workouts instead of navigating the app. The simplicity enhances your session.
Run Flo provides personalized training plans tailored to individual fitness levels and goals. Whether you’re starting out or an experienced runner, Run Flo offers customized guidance.
The app enables tracking key metrics like pace, distance, and time in real-time. This allows confirming you’re on track to hit targets and adjusting if needed. Detailed stats and progress reports motivate by quantifying improvements over weeks and months. Visible gains can incentive runners to keep improving.
An engaged community allows for connecting with other runners, sharing achievements, and participating in one another’s success. Social elements enhance involvement.
Final Words
Becoming a faster runner requires a multi-pronged approach, which doe stake some discipline. By refining your form, incorporating speed and strength training, fueling properly, using supportive gear, preventing injury, setting quantified goals, sustaining motivation, and leveraging helpful tools like Run Flo, any runner can achieve faster paces.
While gaining velocity demands diligent effort, the sense of progress and pride in new PRs delivers immense fulfillment. Strive to continually build on strength, while addressing areas needing improvement. Running faster necessitates an intensely focused, yet balanced commitment.