Get Out of the Rut
Are you tired of always seeing the same pace on your watch? Have you ever felt like you are stuck in the same gear, on a plateau or even regressing? You aren’t alone! I want to share my #1 training strategy to improve your pace and get faster.
What is the secret? It is VARIETY!
Short runs and Long runs
Flat runs and Hilly runs
Speed work and Slow jogging
Hard days and Easy days… and everything in between
Hills & Flats,
Strength & Conditioning,
Easy & Long, Short & Fast
Variety in training is absolutely essential for continued improvement in speed and endurance. I cannot stress this enough. Almost every one of the runners I work with tells me at some point how much they enjoy the variety in their training plans, and I very intentionally include a range in paces, distances, workouts, and effort levels. While each training plan is totally customized and suited to each runner, they all have one major thing in common: variety.
The most rewarding part of my job as a running coach is my clients’ satisfaction when they get faster. I love seeing their feedback in their training logs. Things like “I ran my fastest mile ever today!” “My legs kept going faster!” and “My best 5km EVER!” Progress is quick and significant when we start to vary their training.
Consider your current training plan, or even if you don’t have a plan, your running habits. Do you have a go-to pace? Do you generally put out the same level of effort when you run? How often do you run uncomfortably hard? How often do hold yourself back and run easy? Do you always run approximately the same distance? If you take the occasional day off, right there is a bit of variety. Some days you run, and some days you rest. For those of you who don’t take days off - it’s time to start!
If you’re beginning to realize the need to mix things up, here are a few suggestions. There are endless ways to add variety into your training, so pick just one of these ideas to get started. Over time you can increase variety in your training, little by little.
Take occasional days off. As a coach I always program a minimum of 1 day off per week, even for my highest volume runners. Many runners take more than 1 day off per week.
Run on hilly routes sometimes, even if it means driving somewhere to run. (If you live in a hilly place, drive somewhere to run on flat occasionally.)
Do some very short runs, and also aim for one longer run every 1-2 weeks. And some medium length runs should be the most frequent.
Run fast sometimes. This makes the most sense in the very short runs, or if you do interval training.
Run slower than you need to sometimes, and hold yourself back. Save your energy for a fast run.
Make sure that on some days (1 or 2 times per week) you really push yourself harder than you do most other days. Once again, this makes most sense in a shorter run.
Try strength training instead of a run, perhaps 1 day per week.
Try another form of cardio such as biking, elliptical, swimming or aqua jogging instead of an easy run, perhaps 1 day per week.
Do an interval workout! I recently wrote up some treadmill workouts, but these can also be run outside without a treadmill as long as you have any watch.
Want professional guidance in your training? I am a 2-time Olympic runner and coach with proven success. I help runners of all levels incorporate variety into their training and make significant. If you want to set Personal Bests and get FASTER, connect with me now!