Gabriella Rao, RD

I’m putting on my run coach hat today to talk a bit about the importance of speed work for the runner who wants to get faster. Now, keep in mind that there are MANY reasons to run other than to improve your race times (e.g., stress relief, socializing, exercising your dog, just because you enjoy doing it, etc.) — but if you’re a runner looking to improve upon your personal records or be competitive in races, then speed work will play an integral part in reaching these goals.

What is speed work?

The phrase “speed work” pertains to time spent running at paces that are more effortful than your usual conversational pace. There are many forms that speed work can take, but generally I consider there to be just a few larger categories:

• Intervals —> a set of distances or relatively short time periods of running at a specific pace, which is unique to your own abilities. Some examples of interval workouts are listed below:
  • 6 x 3 minutes @ 10K pace w/ 3 min jog rest
  • 10 x 400 meters @ 5K pace w/ 2 min standing rest
• Tempos —> a somewhat longer period of time maintaining a specific pace, often near your lactate threshold pace (the max pace you can hold for 45-60 mins before lactic acid begins to accumulate rapidly). Tempos tend to be at a slower pace than you would do a set of intervals.
  • 30 minutes at half marathon pace
  • Marathon pace miles within your long run (e.g, 2 x 4 miles @ MP with 1 mile conversational in between)
• Hill repeats —> running relatively short intervals up a hill. Typically, hills with less of an incline are best for longer reps (e.g, 3-5 mins), while steeper hills are appropriate for shorter bursts (e.g., 1-2 min).
  • 8 x 3 minutes up a gradual incline, jog down the hill as rest

Note that speed workouts will also include a warm-up and cool down, ~1.5-3 miles (or 15-20 minutes) is generally a good ballpark. 

How does speed work make you…speedy?

• Speed work can increase both mitochondrial density and size. If you’ll think back to grade school for a moment, we remember that “mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell”! Having more, larger mitochondria helps us to break down glucose more quickly and thus produce ATP (i.e., energy) faster.
• Speed work also stimulates the production of myoglobin, a protein which binds iron and oxygen, and which transports oxygen to mitochondria in muscles. 
• Speed work recruits both slow- and fast-twitch muscle fibers. This improves neuromuscular connection, thereby “teaching” multiple types of muscle fibers to be more easily recruited in the future. Recruiting more muscle fibers during an endurance effort improves our aerobic capacity — the maximum amount of oxygen our bodies can utilize during a period of time during aerobic exercise. 
• Running at faster paces helps improve running form and economy, meaning that you’re able to run faster at the same effort level. 
• Completing intense speed workouts improves mental toughness too! As many of us know, running can be largely a mental game. 

If you’ve already been implementing speed work, go you! If you have any questions about it, feel free to reach out.

Happy running & fueling!