As runners, we usually fall into a regime, and choose races that tailor to our ability in either short or long distances. We may be the runner who loves longer training runs but struggles with speed orientated workouts and we participate in half or full marathons. Or we’re the speedster who registers in the 5K or 10K races and excels at getting in lots of interval or tempo runs but dreads the longer workouts.

May I suggest whichever type of runner you are, that you incorporate both speed and distance into your programs to achieve a better race result?

If you do well at speedwork and want to run a faster 5K or 10K, it’s time to ramp up your long runs. I’m not suggesting to cut out your fast repeats or tempo workouts. But I would recommend on the weekends to try to build up your long runs to the 16K range. These long steady efforts can mean the difference between a good performance and a great one. The speedwork runs you enjoy build fast-twitch muscle fibers while the long runs build slow-twitch, and you’ll need both types in your race, especially as you fatigue. You can lengthen your weekend run while doing speedwork if it is done gradually. I recommend increasing by one or two miles every other week while still building on your speedwork.

On the other hand, if you’re the endurance monster and want to make a breakthrough in your next long race its time to add some short, hard training intervals to your program. These intervals build fast-twitch muscle, which your body can recruit for a more efficient, explosive stride when your slow twitch fibers begin to fatigue in a race. My recommendation is to incorporate 200m to 1 mile repeats at 5K pace or faster with equal time rest and an 8-12K tempo run mid week, while still maintaining your long endurance runs on the weekend.

Adding these changes to your run training will be challenging. But the hard work builds guts and grit and will make you better runner on race day.

Cheers

James Linthorne

James Linthorne is a Bachelor of Physical Education graduated with a concentration in Active Living, Health and Well Being and is certified with the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology as a Certified Exercise Physiologist. He specializes in working with runners to complete their first 10k or to qualify for the Boston Marathon. He enjoys working with a variety of clientele who have set goals for themselves and are driven to meet those goals by being challenged appropriately.