It’s 5:30 a.m., and a dozen middle-aged runners are circling the University of Virginia track in Charlottesville. Local running guru Mark Lorenzoni is out there with them, coaching the runners through any number of sprints, intervals, and pace work. Lorenzoni, a lifelong runner with a 59:42 PR at the Virginia Ten Miler under his belt, owns Ragged Mountain Running and has coached thousands of amateur runners through their PR quests. These Wednesday morning speed workouts are an integral element of Lorenzoni’s coaching.
“Most people come to me with a goal that’s a bit of a stretch. Something that’s going to take hard work,” Lorenzoni says. “If you’re just looking to finish a 5K, don’t worry about speed. But if you’re looking to get your 5K PR, you have to start running faster.” Most recreational runners ignore speed training altogether. Instead of sprints, tempo runs, or intervals, we simply run farther, but we might be missing a key element in our training, particularly if we’re interested in setting a personal best.
“If you’re only running for distance, you’re only developing one energy system and ultimately, you’ll limit what your body can do,” says Norman Blair, a professional running coach and owner of Jus Running in Asheville, who coaches regular Tuesday evening track workouts at the University of North Carolina track. “Everyone should be doing speed drills, particularly as you get older. You either use it or you lose it.”
That’s not to say speed should be taken lightly. There are a number of different drills you can incorporate that will help increase your overall speed, but true speed work, which involves short sprints, can be dangerous if done haphazardly.
“Speed kills,” Lorenzoni says. “Speed work can injure you just as quickly as it can help you.”
The key to incorporating speed safely into a running routine, according to both Lorenzoni and Blair, is easing into higher speeds. Never hit the track for “faster” speed work until you’ve spent some time doing “slower” speed work on the roads (see below), and never sprint cold turkey.
“Speed work should be done at the end of a workout so you’re properly warmed up. Otherwise, you’re gonna get hurt,” Blair says.
Here are three different speed workouts you can tailor to your fitness level to help develop a faster 5K time.
1. Beginner Speed Pace Work Lorenzoni uses a weekly three-prong approach to basic speed training. The first run is performed at race distance and race pace. The second run is a shorter distance (two miles if you’re shooting for a 5K PR) at slightly faster than race pace. The third run is longer (seven miles) at slower than race pace. Increasing the pace of your run once a week will help bring down your 5K time while laying the foundation for the faster speed work ahead.
2. Intermediate Speed Three-Minute Repeats Pete Rea is the elite athlete coach at ZAP Fitness in Blowing Rock, N.C., where athletes only occasionally incorporate true speed work (sprints) into their routines. But Rea loves a good interval workout. Find an open stretch of road or trail. Run for three minutes in one direction at 10K pace, marking where you start and stop. Rest for two minutes. Then run back to your starting point at 10K pace. Repeat this back and forth process eight times, trying to go a little further in the three-minute window with each repeat.
3. Advanced Speed 200-Yard Sprints with Decreasing Rest For this workout, one of Blair’s favorites, you’ll need a track. Sprint one 200 (halfway around a track), rest for one minute. Sprint another 200, rest for 45 seconds. Sprint another 200 with a 30-second rest, then another 200 with only a 15-second rest. Not many runners can sprint that last 200 repeat.
Watch basic agility drills demonstrated by two of Norm’s professional runners.
RestWise This online-based software program aims to take the guesswork out of recovery days. Log on to RestWise.com each day and answer a handful of questions (resting heart rate, urine shade, sleep quality…). An algorithm crunches the data and generates a “Daily Recovery Score,” letting you know if you’re training and resting appropriately. But knowledge comes with a price: $179 for a 12-month subscription. restwise.com
Ice Bath Many endurance athletes soak their legs in a tub filled with water and ice to alleviate soreness and aid recovery. The theory behind the practice is that the cold water constricts the blood vessels, which reduces swelling and tissue breakdown. When you exit the tub, the blood rushes back to your muscles, delivering fresh oxygen that helps repair the damage done by a hard run. Anecdotal evidence for the benefits of post-workout ice baths is strong. The science behind the practice, however, isn’t as strong.
“There’s not conclusive research to show the benefits of ice baths,” says Eric Magnus, senior physical therapist at the University of Virginia’s Sports Medicine Center. And a 2007 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine showed participants who took an ice bath reported more pain in their legs 24 hours after the bath, as opposed to participants who only took a tepid bath.
Still, many professional athletic facilities recommend cold plunge therapy. Placebo effect? Maybe. Regardless, according to Magnus, pouring ice in a tub is unnecessary. You’ll garner the same benefits (placebo or real) by simply taking a cold bath.