The Most Common Training Questions on Getting Faster—Answered

For training, easy runs should make up the majority of the workouts. Many runners think that if they go faster, they’ll get faster times, but that’s not the case. Easy days prep the body to endure longer distances, like a half or full marathon, and increase cellular efficiency that’s needed to metabolize fat for fuel. These happens as a result of time spent running, not speed. To pull back, set a total time target and don’t obsess over distance or splits.

– Gary Berard, RRCA-, USATF- and VDOT-certified running coach at GB Running

RELATED: Why You Should Do Easy Extra Runs

Sadly, yes. If it’s important to you to improve your performance, then choose your partners with that in mind. Be wary of anyone who skips rest, pushes the pace on easy days, or regularly exceeds training targets—those are pitfalls that can hinder progress. Instead, find a partner with comparable goals and a similar pace. This way you both can make the most of workouts, and without accidentally sabotaging each other’s.

– Gary Berard, RRCA-, USATF- and VDOT-certified running coach at GB Running

RELATED: How to Pick the Right Running Partner

Your stride is likely shortening as your muscles lose strength and power—but that’s not the only factor behind the slowdown. Cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, and range of motion also naturally decline with age. (Sorry!) To cut your losses, consider focusing more on intensity than mileage: Workouts that alternate between short, hard-effort bursts and recovery periods help build power in the calves, which seem to lose function sooner with age than other muscles and are crucial to maintaining speed. Try twice-weekly short-interval or hill sessions at higher speeds—if you’re able to do them without aggravating any injuries.

– Paul DeVita, Ph.D., kinesiology professor at East Carolina University and recent past president of the American Society of Biomechanics

RELATED: Do You Recover From Workouts More Slowly in Middle Age?

If you’re using your watch to analyze data during training, then go right ahead. But when it comes to racing, leave it at home. For one, despite how accurate GPS watches are today, it still won’t match up with the mile markers during your race, because of the way USATF-certified courses are measured, which will mess with you mentally. Second, runners often focus on the pace their watch is projecting instead of running at a speed where their body feels comfortable, which can prove for a fatal finish if they push themselves too hard, too fast. But watches are still great for training, and the data they store is useful if analyzed with the help of a professional or coach. However, if you’re constantly checking your wrist, it’s time to ditch the watch.

– Jason Fitzgerald, founder of Strength Running and USATF-certified coach

Your body self-selects your most efficient gait. When you run more slowly than your natural easy pace, your gait has to change, which creates different stresses on the muscles you use to run. It’s also tougher to hold proper posture—upright with a slight forward lean from the ankles—as you decrease our stride length or stride rate. Meeting a slightly slower buddy might help you avoid the common mistake of going too fast on a recovery run, but the key word is “slightly.” If you find yourself sore from accommodating a friend’s slower pace, consider running separately and meeting up for coffee or brunch afterward.

There are a few ways to go about this. First, get (a bit) faster on your own with more speed workouts. Impatient? Use his or her run as your “hard” session. It’ll force you to keep up—just remember to say something if you need to pull back. On the flip side, remind your spouse of the importance of slower recovery runs and ask to drop down to your pace. If all else fails, run a loop that forces you to pass one another regardless of speed.

– Joe Holder, USATF-certified coach and Nike trainer/run coach in New York City

You’ll get the most bang for your buck—improved aerobic capacity, speed, and efficiency—with a workout that includes a variety of faster-than-easy paces. Here’s the one you can do in 50 minutes: After a 10-minute warmup, run 10 minutes at tempo pace (about, or a little faster than, half-marathon pace—the effort should feel hard but controlled). Then do 3 x 1:00 at 5K pace with a minute of jogging recovery between each rep. Finish with another 10 minutes at tempo pace, plus 10 minutes of jogging to cool down.

– Mario Fraioli, coach who has worked with Boston Marathon and Olympic Trials qualifiers

Your quads, glutes, and calves all engage while running uphill, but the steepness of the hill is what determines how much—and steeper doesn’t always mean every muscle group is working harder. Also, your cadence increase and stride length decreases on steeper inclines. To build strength and power, try short, steep hill sprints at 90 to 95 percent max effort with full recovery in between. For more of a cardiovascular workout, try longer, more gradual hill repeats at 70 to 80 percent of max effort.

– Ryan Knapp, founder and head coach of Miles to Go Endurance