Running is a relaxing and enjoyable workout, and it's natural to develop your favorite routes and to go at a comfortable speed. To get faster, however, you have to push yourself outside of your comfort zone. Add these steps to your running routine to increase strength.
Use the Track
Track workouts are the bread and butter of speed training. When you run on the track, you know exactly how far you have run. Combine that with having a target time, and you can create the perfect workout. Run track workouts as intervals. Run a predetermined distance, such as 200 meters, and then jog a prescribed distance, again for 200 meters. Repeat the 200 run, 200 recovery pattern for at least five intervals. Some advanced athletes might run six or more miles of intervals. When running the intervals, your goal is to run at a faster pace than normal. This trains the body to get comfortable at a faster pace.
Improve Foot Speed
Foot speed describes how quickly someone turns over each foot and gets it back off the ground. The quicker the foot speed, the faster the stride. An easy way to train for quicker foot speed is to run down hills. Relax and let gravity pull you down the hill, concentrating on how your feet feel as they stride along. Aim to replicate this feeling on your regular runs.
Add Hill Work
Hill work builds a tremendous amount of strength in the lower body and increases lung strength. Add a hilly run to your workout once a week to increase speed and power. If you live in an area with no natural hills, head to the closest football stadium and run the stairs for an intense exercise with the same benefits.
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