Speedwork. Interval training. Track sessions. You know they’re important, but you don’t know why. You’d like to try speedwork, but you don’t know how to go about it. In this article I will explain what speedwork is, why it is helpful for every runner, and give you specific instructions to get started so you can become a faster runner.

Speedwork is for Everyone
Your top speed is a limiter to every pace you ever run: your easy pace, your goal race pace, and everything in between. If you can make your top speed faster, your goal race pace will feel slower and more comfortable in comparison. If your goal race pace feels slower and more comfortable, you are more likely hold that pace in your next race.

This is why speedwork is so valuable even for long distance runners. You can’t get faster without running faster.

Strides: no track & no watch required!

All you need to run fast is a clear road with good footing.

Short & Sweet
Speedwork is essentially running fast for a short distance and duration. You want to run faster than you usually do - often uncomfortably fast - so you can improve your top speed. We have limits (both physical and mental) that determine how much we can push ourselves and with speedwork we’re trying to approach those limits.

By keeping the distance and duration short, you are able to push yourself harder than normal knowing you won’t have to sustain that effort for very long. In small doses you’ll be able to handle higher levels of exertion and run faster than you ever thought possible, and that’s really fun.

As a coach of recreational runners I have found that the addition of speedwork is the most effective and direct path to becoming a faster runner. If you’ve never tried speedwork, get excited!!! It won’t be long before you start seeing your times come down.

Get Started with STRIDES
You don’t need a track, an interval workout or a fancy watch to start doing speedwork. The best way to get started is by doing a few strides after your next easy run. All you need is a clear, dry relatively flat sidewalk or path. Don’t try speedwork in icy, snowy or slippery conditions, or on your treadmill!

A single “Stride” lasts somewhere around 15-20 seconds in duration. You do not need to time your strides. Start from walking and increase your pace quickly but smoothly until you’re running faster than you ever normally do, but not to the absolute max. You should maintain a level of control even though it won’t feel comfortable. If this is your first try at speedwork, the pace will feel somewhat foreign, but that’s ok. The more familiar you get with the feeling of fast running, the easier your goal race pace will be in comparison.

You should be able to hold that fast pace for about 5 seconds, or for a count of 10 paces (on a single leg). After 5 seconds or a count of 10 paces, gradually slow down and coast to a stop. Repeat 3-5 times. You may be breathing heavily after a stride, but should be able to recover fairly quickly. The purpose of strides isn’t to make you really tired, so take enough rest between each stride to fully recover before beginning again. In general, your last stride should feel smoother, more comfortable, and faster than your 1st stride.

This video shows a runner performing a STRIDE. Strides are an easy way to start incorporating speed work into your running training.

As you start to incorporate more fast running into your training program, you will get better at being somewhat uncomfortable. Fast running will start to feel more familiar, and you will realize that discomfort (due to exertion) doesn’t mean you need to immediately stop or slow down. In fact, you’ll find that when you’re really tired, you can keep running well!

The Next Step
There’s a lot more to learn about speedwork! Check out my other articles on speedwork:

Speedwork & Your Form
Learn how running fast will turn your heel strike into a forefoot strike! I’ll explain how speedwork alters the way your body moves and give you some easy form tips to take your strides to the next level.

The Greatest Training Tool
I’ll explain how you can use a variety of paces change your perception of what “fast” feels like. I’ll give you an interval workout that I designed to specifically help you pace yourself well and finish strong. Because fading to the finish and getting passed by a bunch of people at the end of races is not fun.

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Speedwork 101: Run Faster So You Can Run Faster