Need For Speed

Running regularly but not getting any faster? It’s time to hit the gym!

 

- Sarah Ivory

You train hard, so you deserve to run fast. Your body will thank you for it too: speedy running helps develop fast-twitch fibres, which studies show can melt fat and make higher mileage, at a relatively slower pace, seem easier. Trouble is, speed declines with age; fast-twitch fibres can reduce by as much as 30 per cent between the ages of 20 and 80. Bad news, right? Luckily, there’s a trade-off: swap some of your miles on the road for minutes in the weights room and you’ll offset fast-twitch fibre shrinkage, improve your running economy (or how much energy you expend with each stride) and look leaner to boot.

‘If you haven’t been doing any conditioning work, you can make huge speed gains in just three to four months thanks to greater power, technical improvements and a stronger core that can withstand the impact forces of running,’ reveals Courtney Fearon, Nike trainer and speed expert from London (@TheHIITMan).

Not so sure about dedicating some of your precious training time to weight work? Know this: running is a high-impact sport and each footfall generates a force of around three-to-four-times your bodyweight. To run faster and with fewer injuries, your body needs to be able to absorb that force and use it to move forward; that requires single-leg balance, core strength and explosive muscles from the hips to the feet (including the gluteals, quadriceps, hamstrings and calf muscles).

Running regularly but not getting any faster? It’s time to hit the gym! Enter speed conditioning work. ‘Speed conditioning is for every runner,’ says Fearon. ‘Runners need to be able to jump, land and rebound efficiently. Those training for a marathon need to be strong enough to withstand the repetitive loading that comes from pounding the roads for a long time. Those training for speed need to be able to jump and spend minimal time on the floor before jumping again.’