How to Get Faster

If you are a runner, you probably started running by building up the distance you could run safely without stopping. Next, you might have worked on your running endurance. If you have mastered distance and stamina, you might want to work on running faster. These steps will help you become a faster runner.

Instructions

    • 1

      Start with a good, strong running ability. If you have only been running for, say, a month, you should not yet try to increase your speed. Before you work on getting faster, you should be logging a consistent 20 to 25 miles every week.

    • 2

      Be mentally prepared. The steps it will take to get faster will cause you some discomfort. Once you have come to terms with that, it will be easier to overcome the discomfort. You will have a harder time breathing and your muscles will burn, baby, burn!

    • 3

      Run at your normal pace and count out the interval between the time your right foot hits the pavement and your left foot hits the pavement. Count these intervals for 30 to 60 seconds. Slow to a jog for 1 minute, then begin running again. Try and achieve a shorter interval between footsteps.

    • 4

      Use interval training to get faster. Interval training might consist of jogging for a certain amount of time, then sprinting, then running, and back to jogging. By mixing up your speeds your body learns to gradually tolerate getting faster.

    • 5

      Run uphill. Either set your treadmill to a steep incline or get outdoors and run up some slopes. Not only does this bring strength, it also makes running faster on a flat surface much easier.