Fellow Runners, Stop Making These 5 Mistakes
I’m going to give you the solution to the costly mistakes most runners make during hard runs, but first, I want to ask you a serious question.
Would you rather be the hare or the tortoise?
We all know the story.
The hare teases the tortoise for being so slow, and is challenged to a race.
Speeding ahead, the hare nears the finish line, and wanting to taunt the tortoise, sits under a tree waiting for the tortoise to catch up.
Only to fall asleep, and wake up as the tortoise crosses the finish line, winning the race.
And so we are told that slow and steady wins the race.
But let’s be real…
… that tortoise ain’t winning in real life.
So here’s the REAL moral of the story.
The hare had the right idea, but the wrong execution.
The hare was right, in the sense that he ran as hard and fast as he could towards the finish line.
But stopping to mock the tortoise was wrong - and it cost him dearly.
It seems so glaringly obvious, I know. Clearly something he needs to work on with his coach.
The point is, most running programs incorporate elements of speed work. This could be in the form of intervals, tempo runs, threshold workouts, hill sprints, fartlek runs, or sprint sessions.
If you are doing any of these, please continue doing so, because these workouts will help your overall running ability tenfold.
If you aren’t, I order you to start immediately.
By doing speed work, you increase your capacity to run faster, which means faster speeds require less effort, and as a result, you can improve your ability to run longer distances.
This capacity to run faster for longer is your V02 max and lactate threshold.
As you expand your top speed, you build resilience in handling discomfort, at the same time, developing your running technique and length strength.
But keep in mind, you may not be stopping to mock your opponent like the hare, but you may be hindering the full benefit if you make even one of these five mistakes.
1) Poor scheduling
How you plan your speed work matters.
You want to feel 100% going into every speed session.
Common examples:
Not allowing enough time between workouts
Doing a lower body workout beforehand
Trying to fit in a speed session during a busy work day or on the day of a major event.
If you fail to schedule appropriately, you will be pushing yourself at fatigue, which may actually be a detriment to your progress.
So if you’re not feeling 100%, don’t kill yourself, just reschedule it.
And if you reschedule, make sure you give it your all.
2) Unrealistic workout prescription
Basically, this means the actual session itself is too difficult for you to perform at the required rate.
You need to push your limit, but not to the point that you can’t actually perform the effort.
So, firstly, don’t overdo the warm up.
Secondly, make sure the work to recovery ratio isn’t too high. If the effort is too long and the recovery is too short, what’s meant to be a sprint, turns into a jog, and the disparity between the effort and the recovery can become seamless.
If you can barely maintain a 7/10 effort for 1 set of 4 minutes, don’t aim for 3 sets of 5 minutes at 8/10 and expect to be performing by the last set.
Reduce the duration to match your current level, and you can build the effort up over time.
3) Recovery or high intensity effort?
I must admit, I have fallen prey to this trap.
You’re doing interval runs, and you get to your recovery phase, but you perform it at too high an intensity for you to be able to perform the next high intensity effort.
Repeat after me…
… rest means rest.
I know, sometimes your ego doesn’t want you to slow down, but recovering well between intervals is important.
The ability to recover quickly means you’re ready to sprint faster, and for longer.
4) Inception aka Intensity perception
A lot of runners misunderstand how hard a given intensity is meant to feel.
This usually happens with runners who are just starting out and have never truly tested their limits.
What might feel like a 9/10 effort might really only be a 5/10 based on objective measures.
This mostly comes with experience, and constant self-evaluation, so don’t be disheartened if this is you.
Just work on it session by session, find your pace, and work to keep improving it throughout your training cycles.
5) Push harder!
So many runners just don’t try hard enough.
Period.
They get to the sprint and instead of maxing out, they go 80% to conserve energy for the later sprints.
If you want to run fast and improve, you need to f*****g give it!
Grit your teeth, hype yourself up with some self-talk, and just do it.
No one in the history of humankind who gave 100% effort towards anything ever told a story of regret EVER.
So don’t be complacent when it’s time to sprint.
Be the hare… just don’t fall asleep under a tree.
Apply these learnings when planning your next speed work session.
And if you need help incorporating speed work into your training plan, feel free to get in touch with me by clicking the button below.
Yours in running and in life.
Daniel Lucchini