Day 3, Week 9: A speed work FAQ: Get faster by running faster

So, you know, speed work this morning on the treadmill.  No big deal.

Big deal: Commencing

No, really, it was a big deal, and for a few reasons.  First, it's a big deal because I actually got up and did the workout.  What I wanted to do most in the world this morning at 5 AM was stay all snuggled up on the recliner with a dog next to me and a hot mug of coffee in my hands.  And then the dog abandoned me (the jerk) to go sleep with the hubbs upstairs so I decided to get off my keister and get moving.

A second reason it was a big deal is because I crushed the hardest part of this workout.  I had to do a 1000, 2000, 1000, 1000 workout with 400m rest intervals.  It was that 2000 I was dreading.  I experience the weirdest mental anguish at the though of running over 1200m on the treadmill during speed workouts, you see...so to mange this one I just convinced myself that the first 1000 would be a nice little warm-up for that 2000m interval.  And it pretty much was, because I sailed through that sucker of a 2000m.  In fact, I ran a little over 2000m because I was in such a nice running groove I forgot to keep track of where I was in the interval on the blinky little treadmill oval.

A third reason this workout was yooge is because of this picture:

Surfed right through that interval, baby.

And a fourth is because the dog came back downstairs while I was treadmilling and put on his super-duper sad "why are you running on the treadmill without me when we could be running together outside you big fat human jerk" face and aimed it at my back while I was running.

This will cost you one pair of underwear.

Enough about this workout's yoogeness.  Let's talk about speedwork itself.  I get asked a lot about these workouts, so I put together a little FAQ for your viewing pleasure.  (Note: Please remember I am bad at writing FAQs, but I don't really care because I like writing them.)

What is a speed workout, anyway?

Well, it's also known as a track workout where you run certain distances at a much faster-than-normal pace (otherwise known as "my lungs are about to burst" pace) around a track.  But these days you don't need to find a track to do these--you just need a GPS watch and a safe place outside to run or, like me, a treadmill inside on which to run.  The GPS watch is so you can keep track of your distances and get a kink in your neck from looking at it constantly.


Why would you want to torture yourself doing speed work, anyway?  Running is hard enough as it is, isn't it?

You'd think so, but stupid runners such as myself would like to make running even harder by running fast for short time periods!  This is so we can get faster for races so we can done faster so we can go home and sleep before anyone else.  And to get our medals and post-race bananas faster.


Do I have to do speed work to get faster?  

Well, I can only answer this question by telling you the story of the time I really really REALLY wanted to run a half marathon under 2 hours.  I kept running longer and longer distances at a slow pace during training and then tried to run fast during the race and it NEVER EVER WORKED.  I didn't even come close to breaking two hours until I started adding speed work into my training mix.  At first it was a few 400s, then I found a plan with speed work every week, and then ker-BAM I broke that 2 hour barrier, baby.

So my answer, I guess, is this-you don't have to do them, but to get faster in races, you gotta run faster during training.


OK, I get it - to get faster, run faster.  But what if I don't have time for speed work in my current training plan?

Make the time.  Seriously.  Change up an easy run into a 6 x 400m workout.  Replace that 6 miler with a tempo run.  Or just magically add a day to the week and do it then-easy peasy.


Now, back up and explain all these numbers you keep tossing around.  Like what the heck did you do this morning with all your 1000s and 2000s???

OK.  Sorry.  I just love tossing numbers out.  Like I said in the first part of this post, I did a 1000, 2000, 1000, 1000 workout with 400m repeats.  Don't let those numbers intimidate you, unless you like being intimidated by runner lingo like that.  Here's what happened during the workout:

1) I ran a one mile warm-up.
2) I ran 1000 meters (0.62 miles) at a 7:53 pace and hated every minute of it because I had a side-stitch going on.
3) I walked for 400m (0.25 miles) at whatever the hell pace I wanted.
4) I ran for 2000 meters (1.24 miles) at an 8:13 pace and sailed right through that sucker.
5) I walked for 400m again at whatever pace tickled my fancy.
6) Repeat steps #2 and #3 without the annoying side-stitch.
7) Jump off the treadmill before the cat jumps on and demands rubs.

All of the track workouts are usually in meters, but they have this awesome new thing called "Google" where you can type the conversion in the search bar and WHAMMO you have it in miles. The wonders of modern technology-who needs conversion factors, anyway?  They also usually specify how log your recoveries are as well, either in minutes or in meters.

By the way, common speed workouts like this are 8 x 400 (this means you run eight 400m repeats), 4 x 1200m (run four 1200m repeats), and 3 x 1600m (run an entire mile really really fast three times).


Wait...how do you know how fast to run, crazy woman?

It's dictated to me by my training plan (Run Less, Run Faster).  Most training plans will be nice to you and give you some pace reference to follow (i.e., 10K pace, 5K pace, half marathon pace, I have a side-stitch and am just hanging on pace, etc.).  If you don't have a training plan...you should.


I don't have any more questions.  How can we end this post?

I'll put an annoying list of supposed learnings right below this so people will know to click away now.  I will also put in a random picture of my cat.

Post over.  Scram.

Just so many learnings today:

• I'm getting rather fond of taking stupid pictures on the treadmill.  You have been warned.
• To get faster, you have to run faster.  There are no shortcuts.  Sorry.
• Speed work is hard.  But when you cross that finish line and collapse after hitting your time goal, the pain and suffering will taste like sweet, sweet victory.
• Halfway through the workout I realized I had my tank top on inside-out.  This is what happens when you get dressed in the 5 AM dark.
• When I listed out what happened in the workout I left out all the trips to the bathroom.  You're welcome.

Tomorrow's workout: Probably a 3 mile easy run to shake the naughty out of the dog.  We'll see.