What Is Speed Work In Running?

Speed work trains your body to run faster. Running speed is controlled by your brain and nervous system. If you are to run faster, your leg muscles must contract more quickly. Speed work teaches your brain and nervous system to control these faster movements efficiently. Speed work also improves your VO2 max, your body's ability to take up and utilize oxygen. A better VO2 max helps you sustain faster speeds for longer periods of time. There are three main types of speed work. Always check with a doctor before trying a new workout.

Intervals

Intervals are one speed work technique, and the interval depends on the distance in your race. For example, if your race is 100 yards, then one speed work drill consists of 10 30-yard sprints with a full recovery in between plus three sets of 80-yard sprints at your race pace with full recovery. If you are getting ready for a 10-km race, which is 6.2-miles, you'd do three times 1.25-miles with two minutes recovery plus five 5-minute runs at your 5-km 3.1-mile -- race pace with three minutes recovery. A marathon runner might do six one-mile repeats faster than race pace with one-minute recoveries coupled with three 1.9-mile runs at 10-km race pace with six minutes recovery. This type of speed work is typically done on a track.

Fartlek

Fartlek -- the Swedish word for speed play -- is another form of speed work typically done on roads or trails. Start at an easy pace, then throw bursts of speed in randomly. Such workouts do not have to be structured. You pick a goal, such as an upcoming telephone pole, street or mailbox, and pick up speed until you reach it. Then you run easy to recoup before setting a new goal. Continue until your last mile, then go easy to cool down. If you want your fartlek to be more structured, use time. For example, alternate running hard and easy in two-minute chunks.

Tempo Runs

Tempo runs, also called lactate-threshold or anaerobic threshold runs, improve your speed and race endurance. A tempo run is typically 25 to 30 seconds lower than your 5-km race pace, or a "comfortably hard" pace that you could maintain for an hour, according to "Running Times." In theory, this pace is the effort level that's just below the point at which your body's ability to clear lactate no longer keeps up with lactate production. Lactate is by-product of carbohydrate metabolism. Except for a brief acceleration to speed and a brief cool down, you maintain this pace for your entire workout.

Considerations

Speed work helps you overcome common problems in running races, notes "Complete Book of Running" author Amby Burfoot. These include losing steam at the end of a race, slowing gradually after the midrace point, trouble with hills, a slow first mile and becoming out of breath. While it can help you improve, do not start speed work until you've been running at least one year, recommends Eric Conway of Beginner Triathlete. If you are an older runner or heavy, you might wait even longer. Introducing speed work too soon is likely to cause an injury. Instead, work on endurance as well as strength and flexibility training. When you do speed work, good flexibility, technique and a proper warmup are essential.