When I first started running, I thought that a ten minute mile was fast. And for a very long time, that was true for me, but two years ago I started wanting to pick up the pace a bit, for no other reason than self-competition. I am a huge believer in setting individual goals and never judging your progress on someone else’s scale. What might be slow for you, can be fast for me, or vice versa, so remember that. However, if you are trying to increase your speed and don’t know where to begin, here are 5 ways I went from 10 minute miles to 8. This is how to become a faster runner:
If you are used to running a set amount of miles/distance every day, this may be hard for you but you need to cut your distance down… way down. See how fast you can run one mile, just one. Then if you have enough energy, try to run one more at the same pace. This is not the time to think about short breaks between miles or even multiple miles at a time; keep your distances short and individual so you can focus on speed.
Any distance runner will tell you not to come out of the gate too fast because you will burn out before the run is over… but this isn’t distance running, so you need to push it from the start. Beginning your run at a faster pace will set you up for a better time, even if you slow down. It is easier to start fast and slow down as needed, than to start slow and speed up as you go. This really is a mental step, so just keep reminding yourself that it is only a mile and that will help you push your start time to the max.
Start running with someone who is a little faster than you. They can even be much faster than you, as long as they are willingly to stay by your side and push you throughout the run. This doesn’t even need to be a person, for me it was my Siberian husky. She pulls me for the first mile, which makes me set a faster pace than I normally would. This is a really important step for those who aren’t the best at pushing themselves mentally.
Anyone who says running is more physical than mental is crazy, or not a runner. Your body is capable of way more than you can imagine, so the only thing that is actually slowing you down is your mind. When you start to increase your speed, your mind will be screaming at you the whole time, “This is too fast. You can’t keep this up. You are practically sprinting”. The best way I have found to silence this voice in your head is through breathing. By slowing your breath, you are telling your mind that this pace is easy, sustainable, and that everything is okay.
I cannot run without music… it is my weakness. This is even truer when I am working on my speed. The chances of you shaving off 1 minute from your time when you are listening to classical violin is pretty slim. Try to make a short but powerful playlist full of songs that have a high tempo. The increased beat will help you keep a stronger pace even if you don’t realize it. Make sure you update this playlist frequently, because it stops helping once you are sick of the song.
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