5 Tips for Gaining Speed while Running
Speed is valuable at any level of competitive athletics, so if you are looking to run faster, here are some things you can add to your workouts to help yourself gain speed and improve your time.
1. Work on your form.
Practice everything from great starts using wall drives to practicing proper running techniques. Using proper posture is also important. Increase stride length. The fewer steps you take, the faster your time will be. Lengthen your stride by driving your legs back to gain speed. This also increases the rate of force development. Best way to work on this is by hill sprints or sled drags. You can also count steps by running for one minute and counting the times the right foot hits the ground and multiply by two. This will give you an idea of the number of steps you take while running. Try strides, which are a series of comfortable sprints (usually 8-12, between 50-200 meters each) to improve acceleration technique.
2. Stretch
Prevent running injuries and increase your flexibility for better strides. There really is no downside to stretching. You can also try yoga. Yoga has runner specific moves that will help makes you faster and speed up recovery.
3. Cross-train
While running is necessary to gain speed, doing other workouts will inevitably help you increase your speed. Interval training is great for building speed and endurance because it focuses on alternate periods of high and low intensity. Jump rope workouts are good for fast feet. Stronger core muscles allow you to improve your running posture and speed. Core strength increases your stabilization in the torso, therefore keeping your torso upright when you run and reducing any wobbling. Since running puts so much stress on your body, non-impact cardio like biking or swimming can help you gain a little extra aerobic fitness without increasing your injury risk. Strength training such as plyometrics increases stride power, which translates into greater stride length and reduced ground contact time and consequently faster race times.
4. Up your water intake
While most runners will almost never experience dehydration levels enough to cause major health consequences. Normal levels of dehydration will make you feel uncomfortable and cause you to slow down. Drinking while you run will limit these negative effects of dehydration.
5. Nutrition
You can't move fast if you're carrying extra fat and your body can't be expected to perform at its highest capability if you are not feeding it the right nutrition. So, make sure you are eating right and fuel your body with healthy food. Feed your body
Promax Protein Bars for energy and recovery from your workouts. The bars provide carbs and protein to help; proactively protect muscle tissue and provide fuel for your activity as well as replenish glycogen and help with tissue repair post-workout. References:
https://greatist.com/fitness/25-ways-run-faster-now https://www.elitefts.com/education/training/sports-performance/top-six-ways-to-increase-your-sprint-speed/# http://running.competitor.com/2014/06/nutrition/running-101-hydration-during-running_7800
