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So, you are planning to run a race, but find that you aren’t as fast as the other competitors and are looking for a method to help yourself increase your speed. The average speed of an individual depends on several factors that include genes, fitness level, age, and gender. A study conducted in Strava in 2015 shows that the average running speed for men in the US is around 10 km per hour, and that of women is around 9 km per hour. As of now, the best time for running 1 mile is 3 minutes and 43 seconds by Hicham El Guerrouj in 1999. In case you are planning to run long distances, then here is the average time for popular races for both men and women.
The main purpose of this article is to help you in improving your running speed. The techniques mentioned here would help you improve your pace irrespective of your gender and current speed. So, here is a list of exercises that would help you increase your endurance and thereby reduce the time required to run a race.
The first step to increase your pace is to perform interval training. The aim of interval training is to ready yourself to run a race. So, start with a light warm-up and jog for ten to fifteen minutes. This is followed by running at the highest speed that you can achieve for a couple of minutes. After finishing the running exercise, repeat the jogging exercise for five minutes to help yourself in recovering. Repeat the process three to four times at least a couple of times every week. You need to keep practicing this exercise until you manage to reach your maximum speed without any problem.
The aim of a tempo training is to learn to run at your tempo pace, or in simple words at a speed which isn’t high, but not too hard to maintain. Usually, you should aim to achieve a little more than the speed that you are targeting. Ideally, you should run at this speed for a few minutes and then jog for the same amount of time to relax. If you are planning to run a 5km race, then you should try to keep your tempo pace for around 10 minutes, and a time of 15 minutes would be excellent. However, if you are planning to run a 10km race or longer, then you should try to keep your tempo pace for around 20 minutes with an ability to maintain it for around 30 minutes being considered excellent.
In some places, the track will not necessarily be flat, especially for a long-distance race. So, hill training would help you run comfortably on sloping terrain. It is very important if you are planning to race in a hilly region. To prepare for a hill training exercise, find a spot that is quite like the track you are going to run, and it would be extra beneficial if you choose the same racetrack. In case you don’t manage to find a hilly region, then you can go to a gym and use one of those treadmills that come with a slope feature. Here, you run at the tempo pace while going up the hill, and while coming down, you should be jogging. Do this exercise a couple of times for three to four days a week to reach the necessary level of endurance.
The training steps mentioned above are the bare minimum that you need to do if you are looking to increase your pace. However, if you want better results a lot quicker, then the following tips would come in handy.
The first thing that you need to do is try to increase the distance you run every week. Ideally, you should practice regularly on weekdays, but on the weekend, try to run as much as you can until you are able to run the desired distance, i.e., the length of the actual race. A lot of training plans are available online. You could try to follow the one that suits your style the most. Matt Lee, a certified exercise physiologist and a professor of kinesiology at San Francisco State University, states that a person who wants to see his or her progress needs to subject their body to a stimulus that they are unfamiliar with. In this scenario, it is running at a higher speed for a longer distance. By doing so, you overload your body and force it to adapt to the circumstances. Once you get comfortable, you repeat the process until you reach your goal. By doing this, you would be able to get ready for a 5km or 10km race or even a marathon in no time at all.
You need to listen to your body. A lot of people exert a lot of pressure on their bodies and end up injuring themselves. So, a common question that arises is, “At what rate should I increase my speed or distance?” Many experts suggest that you should increase your targets by 10 percent every week. However, a study conducted by the American Journal of Sports Medicine says that doing so doesn’t change much as people who were overexerting themselves and those who followed the 10 percent had nearly the same injury stats. So, the best way is to use common sense while increasing your pace and stop when you feel like you have reached your limits.
As you do your regular training, you could also try a separate speed workout where you run as fast as you can for around a kilometer and then jog back to the starting point. Do this training about two to three times about three times a week. You should always try to beat your record from the previous week if you want to improve your results.
During this exercise, your primary goal is to increase your pace, but it shouldn’t come at the cost of your safety. So, to ensure that you run safely, please try to follow the tips given below.
As mentioned earlier, your running speed is determined by a lot of factors such as your genes, your fitness level, and even gender. There is no magical way to run fast or increase endurance. If you are planning to run a long-distance race, then practice and perseverance is the only key to your success. Additionally, please consult a health expert before trying out any training plans to increase your speed. They might help you with it and tell you which plans are not suitable for you.
An average man can run at nearly 11 km per hour, whereas an average woman runs at nearly 10 km per hour.
The fastest speed achieved by a human being is 44 km per hour. This feat was achieved by Usain Bolt in a 100m sprint.
Popular advice says that you should increase your target by 10% each week. However, the best option is to increase it by as much as you think is possible without injuring yourself.
Some people call it Sabja, others refer to it as basil seeds or Tukmaria – all refer to the same minuscule black seeds that look a lot like chia seeds. These...
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