How To Run Even Faster

 
This article comes from Peak Performance, where you can find many more articles on running training.

Any attempt to make alterations to your form in order to run faster must lead to quicker or longer strides.

A true improvement should make you more economical, so that you use less energy and oxygen.

Ageing is something particularly logical to look at since both form and speed change simultaneously with age. It is also an interesting angle to take if we consider that the form differences between young and old runners may be similar to the disparities between fast and slow performers.

Stride rate doesn’t alter greatly with age but stride length decreases severely. Therefore, older runners slow down because they cover less ground between strikes – their feet actually strike the ground just as frequently as they would have when running as a child.

Older runners need to spend more time training their agility, coordination, reaction time and power. Of course, the way to achieve these things is to emphasise their development in a well-formulated “block” of training.

How to improve:

The fastest runners have the greatest hip mobility during hip extension. Runners with the greatest ROM at the hip are the fastest competitors. Enhance your hip ROM and your running velocity will improve.

Deliberately alter the way you run. Although do not artificially attempt to embolden your strides.

Reduce your vertical oscillations.

Change your stride frequency slightly.

Consider weight vested training.

Reduce arm movements. There are many possible changes you can make to your running form, the danger is that some will not produce improvements in performance – in fact some can harm rather than help your economy.