Speed training is also useful when you have less time available, as this is a higher intensity session. Generally speaking, whenever the intensity of a run increases, the duration reduces, and vice versa. You can do sprints or speed training on your local field or park, at a running track, or maybe at the local leisure centre if the weather is bad.

Running at speed requires additional power from the leg muscles, and can enhance your overall running (through increased power) as well as hill running and sprinting. It increases fitness levels, trains the anaerobic energy systems that you use whenever you need to inject more speed or power into your run, and can also improve your running technique. If you are a regular runner, you may have noticed that your running technique is better when you run faster.

There are several ways to incorporate speed training into your running:
- Speed repetitions
- Fartlek training
- Interval training.

Speed repetitions
A simple way to do a speed repetition session is to set up a distance between two points and time your sprint between these points. The sprint distance could be a 400 m track or a 50 m sprint between two posts, or you may base your speed training on a specific goal or event. A training partner or someone to act as ‘coach’ is useful during these sessions to act as motivator and timekeeper, and a running partner can also provide some competition.

It’s always important to warm up before running, but it’s essential before speed work as you are more likely to pull a muscle, ligament or tendon when running at speed. After warming up, simply time your sprint and do some recovery jogging in between sprints to keep your body warmed up and add to the overall training effect of the session. Try to better your sprint time with each effort – you will be surprised how many seconds you can knock off between your first and last sprint in a single session. You can plan your speed session to suit the time you have available. For example, a half hour session might look like this:

1. Warm up for ten minutes including jog around field-track- sports hall.
2. Allow 20 seconds per sprint plus one minute recovery time = 80 seconds.
3. 15 sprints plus recovery should take 20 minutes.
4. If you use a heart rate monitor, you should be working at approximately 85-95 per cent of your maximum heart rate during your sprints.

Depending upon your running goals, you might want to include a speed session in your running program once weekly, once fortnightly, or just every so often for a change. If you don’t do speed work often, expect to experience some muscle soreness for a couple of days, particularly in the hip flexors, inner thighs, bottom muscles and calf muscles.

The bleep test – not for the faint-hearted!
This is a great way to test overall fitness, speed and endurance. You can purchase a bleep test CD or take part in a bleep test at your local gym or sports centre. You have to run over a predetermined distance (usually 15 or 20 metres) in an increasingly shorter time, reaching your marker before the ‘bleep’ sounds. The running speed usually begins at 8.5 km per hr (5.28 mph), which increases by 0.5 km per hr (0.3 mph) each minute. There are 23 levels, and you measure your fitness based upon which level you get to. You can convert your bleep test result into a V02 max (fitness) score on www.topendsports.com. V02 is a measure of the amount of oxygen you can take in and utilize in one minute; the fitter you are the higher your V02 score.

Some testers allow two ‘fails’ to reach the marker before you have to stop at that level. The bleep test is often used as part of the fitness test for entry into the fire service, police or military services, so if you have taken up running to get fit for a new job such as any of these, planning a regular bleep test into your running program is a good idea. Do check the exact protocol of the bleep test you are to be tested on, as different distances are used – for example, in the US, 22 yards is sometimes used.

Incorporating speed work into your normal runs
Speed training doesn’t have to be done in isolation from your normal runs, and running longer distances at an increased pace to normal has been found to increase fitness levels more than shorter, faster sprints. This type of running is also very effective for weight loss, as runners tend to use up more calories than they usually would by doing additional work during the faster intervals. Interval and fartlek training are very similar, although interval training is generally more structured.

Related posts:

1. The Basics of Running Training – Long Runs

2. Basic Rules for Any Running Event

3. Running Schedule – First 10 week Schedule

4. Why Running is the Best Calorie Burner

5. Different Running Methods – Pose and Chi

6. Stability And Balance Training, Functional Training And Sport-Specific Training

7. Training for Running Event – Carb Loading Pre-Race

8. Benefits of Running Different Route

9. Best Running Tips Advice on Tempo Running

10. Fartlek Training for Running