In Defense of Speed Work

In Defense of Speed Work

I was down at the track last night doing a speed work out.  The one small theoretical difference that CoachPRS and I have is around speed work.  He likes the long tempo, similar to Arthur Lidyard’s approach.  His theory is that if you build overwhelming fitness you can find the speed during a race.

I think that’s good too but I think you have to preload some leg strength and speed before the tempo can be at a level you need to support your race goals.

I could go out and do a step up run at a pace around 7ish minute miles to failure, but I specifically want leg strength, turnover and speed.  The tempo is going to build fitness, but it’s not going to burn in the speed.  The tempo runs aren’t going to have the essence of the speed work.

It’s different for me, being a mid-packer.  I never had any speed. It’s not like a miler building fitness to run a marathon.  It’s not like I’m taking any pre-learned speed into the training program.  For me, and I’m guessing for many mid-packers, I have to learn the speed.  I have to teach my body the speed.  I have to get acclimated to something that is quite foreign indeed!

Instead of long tempo I choose to do faster intervals to teach my legs the speed.  Then later in the cycle I can do the long tempo to get more fitness at race pace.  I can’t claim to be scientific or to have any proof one way or the other but I find the speed work gives me confidence and builds strength and fitness very quickly to support the rest of the training cycle.

Last night I wanted to remind my body what a 6 minute mile feels like.  I did 400 and 200 meter sets at a sub-6 pace.  I did 2 miles worth of these.  I jogged a cool down of half the distance between reps.  Again, the point was not to run to failure or to run anaerobic.  The point was to maintain and repeat that pace.  To teach that pace.  The other stuff is a happy coincidence.

If I could have run 800’s or 1600’s at a 6 minute pace without my form breaking or my HR exploding, I would.  But, in these early workouts where I’m trying to teach speed, it is the pace and mechanics of the speed that is important, not the distance.  I hold the desired pace and mechanics steady and adjust the distance to manage it.

That’s why I started out doing 400’s but dropped to 200’s because I wasn’t holding form well at 400.  It’s really not about effort here either.  Of course there is some effort involved and you will get a great cardio workout from a set of speed work.  But, the focus is on the form and mechanics of that pace.

The first speed workout of a cycle or a comeback is going to be tough.  You won’t be able to do what you think you should be able to.  That’s ok.  It takes 2-3 weeks before the body learns that pace.  The speed muscles get strong and the pace isn’t so hard so your cardio comes down and you can hold it for longer intervals and less rest.

Don’t do one speed work and give up.  Do at least 4 to start seeing the benefit.  Once a week for a month.

What are the mechanics of the speed?  Running fast forces good form.  You are going to have to lift your knees high out in front of you.  You will need to lean forward at the ankles.  You will need to land on your forefoot and ‘grab’ with your foot pulling it through with a high kick in back. You’re cadence will need to be higher and your stride length will get longer too.

You’re going to have to open up your stride to do this and it may point out some tight spots where your body is constricting the pace.  To support the stronger stride you will need to manage your arms and upper body.  Your arm will need to pump a little more to offset the stride.  You will need to run tall and relaxed.  Speed work, if done right, will teach good form.

The nuts and bolts of my workouts?

–        Warm up by taking 4-5 barefoot 100M strides in the grass.

–        Warm up with 4 laps on the track at an easy pace.

–        Stretch well.

–        Run your speed intervals.

–        Cool down with 4 easy laps on the track.

–        Stretch well.

We will see you out there.

Chris,