As a personal trainer and a guilty one myself, you will not believe how many times I have heard people tell me emphatically how “this year I want to run my half marathon in “such and such a time” which is about 10 to 15 minutes faster then my PR now”. But when I ask them what they are doing to train for that time or what they are going to change this time in their training routine, most look at me like I’m off my rocker and have no clue as to what I am asking them.
PEOPLE, (and once again, this lesson was learned by myself also, which is probably why I am so very passionate about this now)…if you TRAIN THE SAME WAY DAY IN AND DAY OUT…..EXPECT THE SAME RESULTS.
When preparing for a running race, jumping on the treadmill and running the same pace day in and day out…will NOT get you the results you are wanting. You need to run those hills, do the speedwork, get the tempo runs in, and of course run those longer runs at a slower pace then you are used to which is “hard training” in itself.
I’m sure this will fall on some deaf ears and that is totally fine. We all run and race for our own reasons. Some run for fun, relaxation and fitness and introducing pain and a hard push into their run is not part of their mindset AND this is totally fine, but then don’t be that person who goes into a race expecting to take 10-30 minutes off your PR with ease, it won’t happen.
If you continue to run the same pace every time you run with no change, your body will adapt to that and hang there. The body has an uncanny ability to adapt to physiological demands. Train at the same pace day after day, week after week, year after year, and that is the kind of running your body will adapt to. BUT if you break out of that comfort zone and add a little speedwork now and then, the body will learn to deal with the new demands, and instead of jumping on that treadmill and going to your “ol’ faithful 6.0 mph/10 minute mile speed”, you start saying “hmmm, I feel better now running at 6.2 mph speed”. Your heart got stronger, the cardiovascular system more efficient, the muscles better able to function at full force. That will translate to greater strength, faster times, easier daily runs and you will just feel better. And who doesn’t want all that?
I am happy to now launch a new PortaPT workout, Feel The Need For Some Speed. You are gonna love this workout because it can be done either INSIDE on the TREADMILL or outside on the road. You will be jogging/running the whole workout except for one full recovery in the middle of the workout which believe me, the second half of the workout gets harder so enjoy that full recovery and get your mind ready to push the limits. You will start off at your comfortable jogging pace, with oxygen, feeling good, holding back a bit. Then you go into your comfortable running pace, this pace is a pace that you could hold for 3 miles and feel like you are running and working but not sucking wind and not dying. You are able to hold this comfortable pace but you know you are running your pace that you like and are still working for. Then you go into your speedwork. You will push your pace harder, faster and stronger. So for example, if you consider your run pace to be a 6.0 mph/10 min. mile…if on the treadmill you will be pushing your speed to 7.5 mph/8 min. mile. If you are running outside and you have a GPS monitor to help you, you would pick up the same and see your pace on your tool. If no watch for outside, you will have to push yourself to run faster then that comfortable, working run. IT IS NOT A SPRINT. You will need to maintain this push for awhile, so know that it isn’t an all-out sprint, just picking up your natural running pace to out of your comfort zone. You will be working 1:1 Work:Recovery Ratio but your Recovery isn’t a full recovery. You will be just going down to your running pace and not your jogging pace.
Okay guys, race season is upon some of us and if you aren’t into racing, no worries, this workout is still for you, just remember all the benefits you are doing your body by getting it to be stronger and not just plateau. And on that note, please promise to always leave a minimum of 5 minutes to foam roll those legs out.