The Anytime Anywhere Speed Workout

This completed the second week working with my intermediate running group. Most of the participants are running 3-5 miles and they're ready for the next level. The 12-week program introduces the runners to a variety of "quality workouts" such as warm-up drills, fartleks, hills, and tempo runs. We meet twice a week and begin each workout with a 10-exercise core workout followed by a warm-up and some running drills, followed by the featured "quality workout" for the week. This week we did landmark and timed fartleks.

After Friday night's workout, I went home to feast on a crock pot of beanie weenies (turkey franks) that I fixed earlier in the day. I must have been really hungry, cause I ate two large bowls with two hunks of cornbread. The dining experience gave a whole new meaning to the term "fartlek." It had its benefits though, because for some reason I found myself enjoying the solitude of the family room later that evening. Sitting in front of the wide screen with the food network blaring, I soon drifted off to lala land where I dreamed that Rachael Ray had discovered my Rice-n-Bean Burrito recipe and was coming to the studio for a visit. This was one of those dreams so realistic that when you wake up you're not sure if it really happened or not. Of course the fact that Rachael Ray was coming to visit me should have been the immediate clue that it was just a dream, but one can be delusional if he wants, just for a little while, right?

Back to quality workouts and fartleks. Fartlek is a Swedish word for speed-play. Basically a fartlek is an informal interval thrown into a regular run. Sounds complicated, but all you do is speed up for a certain amount of time or distance during a regular run. They can be short (200-400m). They can be long (800m or 1/2mile). You can throw them in at the beginning, middle, or throughout. You can use landmarks to determine when you start and end the fartlek (i.e. run to the next block, or the next mailbox) or you can time them (run easy for 5 minutes and run fast for 1 minute). You're in control.

The other great thing about fartleks is that you don't need a track or a hill. No special location needed. The street right in front of your house will do. It's the perfect anytime, anywhere speed workout.

So why fartlek? Adding bursts of speed during a run is a great way to help increase your overall pace and endurance. It helps to increase your VO2Max (your body's ability to utilize oxygen at the muscle layer to make energy) and push out your lactate threshold (the point when you feel that burn in your legs). Also, if you've stagnated in your running and just can't seem to go faster or further, adding a weekly fartlek will soon have you out of that rut. Another cool outcome to a run with fartleks is looking at your time after you finish. You'll be amazed at how fast you just ran your usual 5-miler.

So, give it a try. Add some fartleks to one of your weekly runs. Who knows, you may even dream about Rachael Ray afterwards, or maybe that has to be in combination with a pot of beanie weenies.

Running and Still Gaining Weight?

Running is supposed to help you lose weight right? Right. But....... There's always a "but" isn't there. And this time you're trying to avoid the "big butt." I know, it's not a laughing matter. You're determined to get fit and lose weight and you're out there every day running, but each time you get on the scale you're not seeing any weight loss or even worse you may be seeing some weight gain.

Well, there's a few things that need to be discussed first. Basically, your body is like a machine and food is the source of the fuel you need for that machine to run. Your body has something called a BMR or basal metabolic rate. Your BMR is the number of calories needed for all your body systems to function when you're at rest. The number of calories beyond your BMR is determined by your activity level. So, if you're a sedentary person, you'll need very few extra calories, if you're lightly active, you'll need a little more. If you're moderately active you'll need still more, and so on and so on. Basically it's a calories in calories out type of system.

To figure out your BMR use the following formula:

Women's BMR Formula:

655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )

Men's BMR Formula:

66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) - ( 6.8 x age in year )

Remember, once you've found your BMR, this is the number of calories you need just for your body to function at rest. To determine the additional calories you'll need based on your activity level, use the following information:

sedentary (little or no exercise) = BMR x 1.2
lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) = BMR x 1.375

moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) = BMR x 1.55
very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) = BMR x 1.725
extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) = BMR x 1.9

So for example, my BMR is 1470 calories. That's the number of calories I need just to lay in the bed. Right now, I'm in training for the Marine Corps Marathon and I'm running 4 days a week plus doing cross-training two days a week, so I'd fall into the Very Active category. My daily caloric needs while in training are 2535.75 calories (1470 x 1.725 very active level). If I have a lighter week where maybe I didn't get in the cross-training, I'd need to lower my calorie intake.

Now, I'm not a numbers person, and counting calories is not my thinking of fun, so basically I know that when I'm training, I need to eat more and when I'm not training or when I'm training less, I need to eat less.

In general , the problem is that many times we take in more calories than we burn off and so we end up with a calorie surplus. When those calories aren't used as fuel, then they end up becoming fat which is stored all over you body. So becoming more active should help take care of the problem, right? Right....in theory.

Newbies to fitness, be it running or resistance training, will see big gains in their fitness levels the first few months and they'll probably see significant weight loss too. That's because all of the sudden they've jacked up their metabolism and they're burning off more calories than normal. As long as they don't over eat during this period of new fitness, the weight loss usually happens.

The thing is that your body will eventually acclimate to the new level of fitness and even though you may be burning the same number of calories as before, you may see a stall in your weight loss or even some gain.

There can also be something else at play. Have you ever heard someone say, I run 5 miles a day, but I can't seem to lose any weight? Not only will your body acclimate, if you're doing only slow steady runs, your body will release something called cortisol. Cortisol is a nasty hormone that eats muscle mass. Muscle is what burns those calories. So, less muscle means less calorie burn. Less calorie burn means stalled weight loss or weight gain.

So, now you probably have the clinched-up perplexed look on your face. You're wondering, "Well, what in the heck can I do, if running every day causes me to release stuff that makes me gain weight?" That's a logical response. But have no fear! There actually is something you can do and it doesn't involve buying something for $19.95 from an infomercial that comes with a complete set of Ginsu knives.

So, how do you do it? It's simple. Speed work and resistance training are the two best ways to get you over that hump. Both speed work and resistance training (weight training) will up your metabolism as well as increase the release of testosterone (men) human growth hormone (women) which counteracts the effects of the cortisol.

Okay, now you're probably thinking...."Well, I don't have access to a track and I can't afford a gym membership." Well, guess what? You don't need either. Speed work can be done in the form of intervals on a track, but you can also do something called tempo runs and fartleks.

Tempo runs are when you up the pace/intensity in the middle of a run. For example in a 4-miler, you begin with a 1-mile easy warm-up, followed by 2 miles at just below your 10K race-pace, followed by a 1-mile easy cool-down. Fartleks are informal intervals thrown into a regular run. During a five-miler you may throw in 3 or 4 fast segments. These segments can be time-based or distance-based. For example, you begin a five-miler at a slow easy pace for 5 minutes, then ramp it up to a 10K pace for 5-minutes, followed by 5-minutes back at the original slow steady pace. This is repeated throughout the course of the run. The segments can be any time-frame you want or it could be based on distance such as 1-mile slow, 1-mile fast, etc.

Hill workouts are great too. Find a hill with with a 5-7% incline and run up it as fast as you can. Then jog or walk back down the hill. Then back up the hill again fast. Repeat this 3-5 times. Hill workouts create a great calorie burn as well as strengthen your hamstrings and glutes.

Resistance training is weight training, but you don't need a lot of fancy equipment or gym memberships to see great effects. Body-weight exercises or exercises using dumbbells will work fine. Don't have dumbbells? Do what famous marathon coach/trainer Hal Hidgon does—fill gallon-sized plastic detergent jugs with sand and uses those as weights.

Exercises that target the larger muscles groups such as the hamstrings, glutes, and quads will help you get the largest calorie burn. Remember that muscle is what burns the calories, so if you're working more muscle mass, you'll burn more calories. Squats and lunges are some of the best lower-body exercises that will help up your metabolism. Plyometric exercises (hopping, bounding, jumping) will also get a great calorie burn. Jumpsquats, mountain climbers, burpees, ice-skaters, and lateral hops are simple and effective plyometrics exercises that are great for upping the metabolism. (Look on the blog later this week for a video posting of these exercises.)

So, if you're running the same-ole same-ole and feel like you've stagnated, even gained some weight, give speed work and/or resistance training a try. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!

Quick-n-Simple Interval Workout

A speed workout is one of the best ways to kick your running program into high gear, but it doesn't have to be anything fancy. The key to an effective speed workout is speed. You can definitely get that doing repeats on the track, but you can also get in an effective speed workout while on the trail, running at the park or at home or in the gym on the treadmill.

Basically all you need is a series of slow and fast intervals. These intervals can be based on time or distance. For example you can run at a moderate pace for 4 minutes and then run fast (just below your 5K pace) for 1 minute. Or if you'd prefer to base the intervals on distance, try running a quarter mile at a moderate pace and then run a quarter mile at a fast pace. The key is to repeat this series of slow/fast intervals for at least 30 minutes.

Your workout might look like the following:
1. Begin with a 5-minute warm-up (a brisk walk or easy jog)
2. Select one of the following interval combinations below. Rotate between the slow/fast intervals for 30 minutes.
4 mins @ a moderate pace / 1 min @ a fast pace
3 mins @ a moderate pace / 2 mins @ a fast pace
1/4 mile @ a moderate pace / 1/4 mile @ a fast pace
1/2 mile @ a moderate pace / 1/2 mile @ a fast pace
3. Finish with a 5-minute cool-down (easy jog or walk)

Incorporate this workout once a week into your running routine and you'll see improved muscular endurance, improved VO2, improved speed, and overall better running efficiency.
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For a recap of the workout, check out the following video clip from RunnerDude's Fitness.

Check Out RunnerDude on Fitter U Fitness Blog!

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Yuri Elkaim during the Runners Round Table podcast on Stretching. I've followed Yuri on Twitter and often check out his blog, so it was cool to actually talk to him a bit over the phone. For those of you not familiar with Yuri, he's a former professional soccer player, author and fitness/wellness expert. He's also the founder and owner of Total Wellness Consulting, hosts a blog Fitter U Fitness, and has written Eating for Energy and Nutrition for Runners as well as articles in Beyond Fitness magazine, Impact magazine, and Fitness Business Canada magazine.

Keep an eye out for my review of Eating for Energy in the near future.

Yuri asked if I'd like to contribute a monthly guest post about running to Fitter U Fitness Blog. A chance to write about running and fitness?! Of course I said, "Yes!" When you have a chance, check out my first post "Moving on Up...8 Great Tips for Improving Your Running." While your there, be sure to check out Yuri's other posts on the blog as well as his other publications and services.

8 Tips for Increasing Your Speed!

"Slow down, you move too fast. You got to make the morning last. Just kicking down the cobble stones. Looking for fun and feelin' groovy. Hello lamppost, What cha knowing? I've come to watch your flowers growing. Ain't cha got no rhymes for me? Doot-in' doo-doo, Feelin' groovy."—Simon & Garfunkel

Doot-in' doo-doo...do you wanna blow those flowers away and leave that lamppost in the dust sometimes? Not sure how to get the extra oomph you need to leave the groovy and put your groove on instead? Try a few of the following tips and you'll be blasting those cobblestones away in no time.

1. Drop 5-10 lbs. Easier said than done, but dropping 5-10lbs will help increase your speed. Some research shows that it can decrease your race time by 1-2 minutes.

2. Run with someone faster than you. I don't need any research to back that one up. I am the research. I credit my increased speed to my buddies Les, Jim, Mike, Kelly, and several others that I run with that constantly keep me challenged with speed. It's a whole lot easier to go faster with a buddy than trying to motivate yourself to run faster all by your lonesome.

3. Add fartleks to a weekly run. This is such a simple but effective technique. A fartlek is simply an informal interval thrown into a regular run. All you do is speed up for a designated time or distance during a run, then slow back down, then speed back up, then slow back down. For example, after running at normal warm-up pace for about a mile, crank it up to your 10K pace and hold that pace for 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 blocks....whatever time or distance you desire; then slow it back down again and repeat a few more times along your route. You'll be amazed how much faster you run that regular route by throwing in fartleks. In addition to the increased speed, you'll be helping to train your body to handle speeding up during times of fatigue—something that will come in very handy in an endurance run.

4. Add a weekly tempo run to your routine. A tempo run is simply a run (usually 4-8 miles) that's run at a faster pace (typically a little slower than your 10K pace). Think of it as a really long fartlek. Warm up for a mile, then do 2-6 miles at tempo pace and then do a cool-down mile. For example for a 4-mile run, run 1 easy warm-up mile, 2 miles at tempo pace, and 1 easy cool-down mile. Be sure to start with a shorter distance for your first tempo runs before working your way up to the longer tempo-run distances. Tempo runs are the bridge between those weekly slow runs and your fast-paced race. They help prepare your body physically for the demands of running at race pace as well as help prepare you mentally for the demands of running at a faster pace.

5. Run Intervals. Intervals are a great way to increase your speed. An interval workout is usually short in duration but much more intense. Typically intervals are done on a track and consist of doing several rounds of short sprinted runs such as a 200, 400, 600, 800, 1000, or a 1200m. An interval workout may look something like 4 x 800m; rest 1minute. That means to run an 800 meter interval with a 1-minute rest in between four times. For more about intervals and some sample interval workouts [click here].

6. Add some Hillwork to your routine. Hillwork is another great way to increase speed. Uphill running helps you learn to recruit fast-twitch muscle fibers which will help you run at maximum intensity. Learning to recruit these fast-twitch muscles will help you during an endurance run when you need to ramp it up or when you need to pull yourself out of fatigue. Downhill running is also great. Thanks to gravity, you naturally run faster going downhill. This is a great way to see what it's like to run at a faster pace and with a faster turn-over.

7. Increase your stride rate. There's a bit of controversy over whether a shorter or longer stride is better. In a Runner's World article (Oct. 2008), Patti and Warren Finke (RRCA-certified coaches for over 25 years) said that "most biomechanists think that the body chooses stride length and turnover based on its own biomechanical characteristics. Studies of elite runners show that they tend to use shorter strides with a higher turnover. Many studies of running efficiency show that, when runners try to change what the body chooses naturally, the result is a loss of efficiency. It is likely that the turnover and stride length of the elite runners is due to their biomechanics rather than conscious effort to alter turnover." So, don't worry so much about your stride length. But you can focus on improving your stride rate. Most elite runners have about 180 strides per minute. Check out your stride rate by going for a run and counting each stride for a minute. (Note: an easy way to do this is to count each time your right foot hits the ground for a minute and then multiple that number by 2.) Don't be shocked if you're nowhere near 180. But, by focusing on cadence and using some of the tips above you'll be pleasantly surprised when you recheck your stride rate. I bet you'll see an increase.

8. Expect some discomfort. There's a lot of truth in the saying, "No pain. No gain." Don't be scared of a little pain. DMSO (Delayed Muscle Soreness Onset) is expected a day or even 2 or 3 days after a hard workout. Don't mistake that soreness with injury. In order to gain some speed, you're going to have to do some work and this work may not be the most comfortable thing in the world. But those pains are a sign that you're building endurance as well as the muscle strength to handle that new speed and endurance. Use common sense, however. If you have pulled muscles, persistent pain, or extreme pain not related to the increase exertion, then back off and see a doctor.

Speed Workouts—Not Just Intervals

Several recent posts have focused on intervals. Research has shown that a weekly speed workout will greatly improve your speed and endurance as well as help you become a more efficient runner. Basically, speedwork at its core is a period of intense running intermingled with slower recovery runs. Intervals are great and one of the best ways to increase speed and endurance, but they're not the only type of speedwork. Below are four types of speedwork sessions—Intervals or Repeats, Fartleks, Tempo Intervals, and Hillwork. The training plan you're using may call for just one of these types of speedwork or it may have you alternate between two or more. If you ever feel your speedwork is getting too routine and/or boring, then try swaping it out for a different type of speed workout to help refresh yourself mentally and physically.

You Want Me to What-lek?

Okay, admit it. Even though you know you may never be the next Usain Bolt or Lolo Jones, you probably have at some point wished you could improve your 5K, 10K, or half marathon race times. No matter what the race, just running more and faster is only going to take you so far before you plateau.

So, what can you do? Depending on what type of runner you are, try to target a good weekly mileage for yourself. This could be 15, 25, 30, or 40+ miles depending on your level of running experience and the types of races you enjoy the most. Be realistic and set a mileage goal that's obtainable without completely wiping you out. Once you have a good weekly base mileage established, start devoting one of those days to some speed work. No need to freak out. Speed work doesn't mean you have to dawn a unitard jumpsuit that the Olympic track stars wear. Maybe one day, but for now just keep on your regular running shorts. Speed work just means you're going to devote one of your weekly runs to some type of increased speed. Speed is relative. Increase speed for a new runner is going to be very different than speed for an experienced runner.

I know what some of you are thinking...."I can't do speed work, because I don't have access to a track." WRONG! Tracks are great for speed work, in particular for doing intervals or repeats(see Speed Work 101), but you can get in a good speed workout without a track. How? By doing Fartleks. Yes, I spelled that correctly and no you're not going to increase your speed by breaking wind as you run.

What is a fartlek? Fartlek is a Swedish word that means "speed play." Basically, incorporating some short periods of increased speed into a regular run is a fartlek. There are no rules to the length of a fartlek, but they are usually fairly short in distance such as 200-400m. Since you won't be on a track, just pick some landmarks for the beginning and ending of each fartlek. Maybe start your first fartlek when you pass the Smith's house and end it when you get to the gas station on the corner. Once you finish a fartlek, drop back to your normal running pace to recover; then repeat with another fartlek. It's hard, but make sure you drop back to regular pace after each fartlek. These little speed sessions sprinkled throughout your run will help improve your speed as well as your anaerobic threshold. Shannon Sena, a New Jersey corporate fitness manager, marathoner, and coach says, "You need to periodically train at close to your anaerobic threshold in order to advance that threshold and teach the body to run faster before fatiguing."

So, give it a try. I mean, really, how often are you given permission to fartlek? And, you don't even have to say excuse me!

Never Thought I'd Say This...

.....but I'm starting to not mind the treadmill. Still can't believe I put that into words. I've never liked running on the treadmill. A 4-miler on the treadmills seems like an 8-miler to me. But North Carolina's unpredictable winter weather and it getting dark so early has made treadmill running a must in order for me to keep my running schedule going.

One afternoon bored silly and on my 3rd treadmill mile, I thought, hmm, if I speed it up I'll get this over with quicker. I increased the speed and ran at that level for a quarter mile. Then I decreased it for a quarter mile. I felt great! So, I ramped it up even more for a half mile. I continuded this speed-up, slow-down process and what was supposed to be a 4-miler ended up being an awesome 5-miler. I was so surprised how spicing it up some with some repeats, actually made the treadmill workout enjoyable.

Evidently lots of other runners already know about this technique, but in case you're like me and haven't been in the loop, I thought I'd share. So next time you find yourself watching the clock counting the seconds till your treadmill run is over, try running some fartleks or repeats and I guarantee you'll be just as surprised as I was.

Check out this clip from 4-time Olympic Trials qualifier and Runner's World contributor, Budd Coates. He shares a challenging half-mile repeat workout for the treadmill. (Click here to view video clip.)

Another thing that's helped is finding a good workout download for my Ipod. In the February 18th post, "Get Movin' With a Workout Mix" I shared how pleased I was with the workout mix I downloaded from The Biggest Loser Website. It really does help break the monotony as well as provide a good beat to keep your pace up.