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WANT TO GET FASTER?

BY JOHN DAVIS

Runners  love  to  read  secret  methods  about  how  to  run  faster.    We  search  for  an  easy  way  to  set  new  PRs  like  the  Greeks  sought  for  Atlan=s.    So  what’s  the  key-­‐  for  running,  not  finding  Atlan=s?    Super-­‐light  minimalist  shoes?    A  special  super-­‐vitamin?    Maybe  a  magical  workout  or  killer  hill  that  reduces  our  5K  PR  with  every  lap?    Well,  I’ve  collected  some  data,  put  it  together  with  eight  years  of  running  experience,  and  given  my  two  cents.    

Here’s  my  story.

AKer  five  years   of  hard   training,   I  hit  a  plateau,  as   I’m  sure  most  runners  experience   at  some  point.    In  all  of  2010  I  cut  off  only  a  few  seconds  from  my  5K  PR.    At  the  Downtown  Melbourne  5K   in  2011,  I  ran   sixteen  minutes   and  54  seconds,  which  was  only  two  seconds  beRer  than  my  previous  16:56  set  in  January  2010.    For  another  year  I  couldn't  break  16:54.    Then  at  the  2012  Downtown  Melbourne  race,  I  hit  a  breakthrough  of  16:47.    

Here’s  the  5K  streak  that  I've  been  on  for  the  last  five  months:

That’s  a  lot  of  fives:  Five  5K  PRs  in  five  months.    And  based  on  recent  workouts,  I  can  run  faster.    I’ve  never  had  a  streak  of  five  PRs  in  my  eight  years  of  running  -­‐  not  even  when  I  began  this  sport  running  a  5K  in  the  25s.    I  did  not  taper  for  any  of  the  PR  races  and  the  temperatures  have  been  mostly  hot.

So  the  magic  ques=on:  what  have  I  been  doing  differently?    

The  simple  answer:  one  word  -­‐  Mileage.    

16:54-­‐  4/2/2011,  Downtown  Melbourne

16:47-­‐  3/31/2012,  Downtown  Melbourne16:43-­‐  5/12/2012,  Run  for  the  Gecko  Hawaiian  Luau  (hot)16:39-­‐  6/9/2012,  Brevard  County  Showdown  Championship  (hot,  humid!)16:24-­‐  7/4/2012,  Firecracker  (literally  the  hoRest  day  of  the  year  so  far!)16:15-­‐  8/11/2012,  I  Run  for  Pizza  Football  Kickoff    (how  many  turns  again?    Oh  yeah,  and  hot!)

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Why   are   you   surprised?     For  some   reason,   this   appears   to  spark   controversy   in   the  running   community.     I   think  people   want   to   hear   that  there  is  an  easier  way,  a  faster  shoe,   or   a   secret   workout.    Nope.    It’s  pure  hard  work  and  =me.     And   I   honestly   don’t  think  this   is  applicable  to  only  me.

Olympians   at   almost   every  distance   from   800m   to   the  marathon   run   very   high  mileage   -­‐   typically   more   than  100  miles   per  week.    When   I  read  their  comments,  they  say  it   gets   easier   when   their  mileage   increases.     Why  would   it   be   different   for  regular   runners   like   us?     It’s  not.    That  doesn't  mean   I   just  go   out   and   run   miles.     Every  run   I  do   has   a   purpose  and   a  goal   pace.     I   s=ck   to   that.     I  also  ramped  up  slowly  over  an  eight-­‐year   period.     Dras=cally  increasing   mileage   over   a  short   period   of   =me   will   get  you  injured  -­‐  guaranteed.

In   2011,   my   average   weekly  mileage  was   in  the  50s.     I  was  consistent,   but   the   numbers  were  low.    Star=ng  in  February  2012,   I   decided   to   do   long  runs   with   my   running   buddy,  Shane   Streufert,   who   was  marathon   training.     Suddenly  

my   weekly   mileage   bumped  up  in  the  60s.    

Then   I   started   a   "Mileage  Challenge"   with   the   Brevard  Heat,   the   high   school   cross-­‐country   team   that   I   coach.     I  set  a  goal   of   900  miles   over  a  13 -­‐week   pe r i od ,   wh i ch  averaged   to   about   70   miles  per   week.     I   no=ced   my  workouts   were   gekng   faster,  

but   here's   the   weird   thing  (you’ll  love  this  part)   -­‐   the  fast  =mes   felt   SO   EASY!     My  workouts   were   faster   then                          ever,   and   it   felt   like   I   wasn’t  trying  as  hard  to  hit  my  goal  =mes.     I   decided   to   increase  mileage  again.    For  the  last  13  weeks,  my  weekly  average  has  been   79   miles,   and   my   =mes  keep   coming   down   both   in  workouts  and  on  race  day.

West  Melbourne’s  John   Davis   nailed  his   fiKh   5K   PR   in  as   many   months  at   the   I   Run   for  Pizza   “Footbal l  K i c koff ”   5K   i n  Viera  on  Aug.  11.

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OK,  I  love  graphs,  so  here  is  one  with  my  Mileage  and  5K  =mes  lined  up  together.    Thanks  to  my  Garmin  GPS  and  Athlinks,  this  is  six  years  (and  about  13,000  miles)  worth  of  data  since  2007.    The  blue  points  are  weekly  mileage,  and  the  red  is  an  averaging  trend  line.

The  below  graph  shows  my  5K  race  =mes  over  the  same  =me  period.

Downtown Melbourne 5K 2011

West  Melbourne’s  John  Davis  nails  his    5th

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I   like   the   end   of   the   above  graph   best.     But   look   at   the  trends.     Over   the   years,   my  improvements   typically   come  aKer   or   during   a   period   of  consistently   high   mileage   -­‐  especially  this  last  summer.

For  some   reason   there   seems  to   be   opposi=on   to   the   high  mileage   philosophy.     The  logical   argument   to   this   data  I’ve   collected   is   that   it   is   a  sample   size   of   one   person.    Solid  argument.    

However,   the   coach   who   has  directed  my   training   over   the  years   is   Coach   Doug   Butler,  who   also   coaches   cross-­‐country   and   track   at   Holy  Trinity   Episcopal   Academy.  Coach   Butler’s   athletes   have  been   following   this   high-­‐mileage   philosophy   for   about  12  years.    

How   has   that  worked   out   for  them?     They’ve   earned   15  State   Championship   Titles  (yes,   that’s   fiKeen!)   plus   an  addi=onal   dozen   Runners   Up.    That’s   not   just   a   few   kids   –  

that’s   a   dominance   that   has  lasted   for   12   years   over  hundreds   of   high   school  athletes.     Big  enough   sample  size  for  the  doubters?

OK,  so  here’s   the  boRom  line:  if   your   goal   is   to   become   a  faster   runner,   the   most  effec=ve   way   to   accomplish  that   is   to   put   the   “smart”  mi leage   in.     Run   your  workouts  and  easy  runs  at  the  right   pace,   and   run   the  mileage   that   your   body   can  handle.    The  result?    I  bet  you  get  faster.    Try  it.

The  Holy  Trinity  posse  shows  off  their  bling  rings  aKer  winning  the  2012  State  Championships.  From  leK  to  right  are  Alex  Hoffman,  Cole  Oliver,  Marques  Burgman,  Emon  Nasajpour,  Alex  Butler,  Daniel  Moore,  Alex  Brown,  Daniel  Welch  and  Tristan  KaRenberg.  Kneeling  is  Coach  Doug  Butler.

THE FASTER FORMULA

Ok,   before   running   your   way   to  glory  -­‐  or  an  injury  -­‐  as  you  ramp  up   the   mileage,   re-­‐read   the  portion   of   the   article’s   last  paragraph   that   reads   “Run  your  workouts   and   easy   runs   at   the  right   pace,   and   run   the   mileage  that  your  body  can  handle.”

Many   –   especially  newer   athletes  –   believe   that   every   training   run  should  be  a  personal  best  in  order  to  improve.

As  his  chart  shows,  Davis  believes  that  at   least   80%  of  your  weekly  

mileage   should   be   run   at   a   pace  that   is   1:30   to   2:00   slower   than  your   5K   PR.   If   that   PR   was  months   ago,   retest   yourself   and  work  from  there.

If   you’re   newer   to   running   or  coming  back   from   an   injury,   give  

yourself  some   time   to   build   your  base   mileage   before   adding   any  tempo   or   speedwork.   When   you  do   start,   let   your   body   adjust   to  the   additional   stress   of   tempo  runs   before   adding   the   faster   or  second  day  of  speedwork.

RUN TYPE PACE AMOUNT OF MILES

5k Race PR Pace Race Day only

Easy Run PR Pace + 1:30 to 2:00 Roughly 60% of weekly miles

Long Run Same as Easy Run <20% of weekly miles

Tempo Run PR Pace + :20 to :40 1 workout per week (<10% of total weekly mileage)

Speedwork Depends on interval 1 workout per week (<10% of total weekly mileage)

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