10 Training Hacks to Help You Run Faster

When it comes to improving your running, there are no shortcuts. However, there are smart ways to approach your training that can yield improvements in your performance, quickly.

Over the space of nine years, I’ve gone from being a 3h 17m marathon runner to 2h 20m, and a 25:14 5K runner to running sub-15 minutes. What I learned during this time is that if you do the same training every day, then you will see results, but at a slow rate. However, there are certain ‘hacks’ that will help you to see faster improvements in your run times - here are my Top 10.

Develop a 10-15 minute strength & conditioning routine

This is a routine, specific to you, consisting of a combination of core, strength, stretching, and foam rolling exercises. It can be done before or after your run, or at any time of day that suits you best. Once you find a way to work this into your daily routine, then you’re much more likely to be consistent with it.

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This might seem like a small routine to adopt, but its impact goes such a long way. Ideally, you’re looking to do this around five times a week. If you can’t, then even twice a week is better than nothing. Running takes a lot out of you, so it should be as much a mental rejuvenation session as a physical benefit.

Check out my daily strength and conditioning routing in tHe video below.

Add structure to your training

Introduce harder days to your training - sessions like track, interval, threshold work, hill sprints, and repeats. Doing these sessions snaps you out of your comfort zone, and will push your pace. If you already have these in your weekly training program, then aim to progress the intensity as you move forward. Ideally, you’re looking for two to two-and-a-half ‘harder’ days in your training week. Easy days are equally important - we have to keep our hard days hard and easy days easy to allow our bodies to recover. At the end of your easy runs, try to incorporate 4-6, 50-metre strides

Having a productive structure in your training will increase your rate of improvement.

STRAVA TRAINING PLANS: Let us help you prepare for your next - or first - race

Program workouts into your watch

It’s so much easier to zone in on your session and focus on running at the correct pace and intensity when your watch is telling you how to do the session and beeping accordingly. That way you’re not constantly looking at your watch or fitness tracking device, checking the interval time or distance to see exactly where you are. Pre-build the session and let your watch be your coach, telling you when to run and when to rest.

Make sure you do strength work

This is important for all runners, but even more so for newer runners. It takes a while for the body to adjust and adapt to the running load you put it under during training and racing. You want your body and muscles to be conditioned to be able to handle the load you put it under. The stronger your muscles, the more load they can handle, which will help you remain injury-free - and run faster.

At least one strength session in a week is ideal when you are trying to progress. This session should include things like weighted squats, lunges, deadlifts, and calf raises. My advice is not to go too heavy (you put your body under intense load in training already), but rather focus on form. Also, aim to get 3-4 bodyweight exercises in a week. Having a strong core is essential to holding form in that last 3rd of a race when you start to get tired.

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Choose the hillier route

When you leave your house to go for a run, many of us are faced with an option: go for the flatter, faster route or tackle the hillier route. Normally, the flatter route wins. Challenge yourself and start choosing that hillier route more often than not. Hills are a crucial part of your training, even when you have entered a flatter race. As the saying goes: train on the hills, fly on the flats. Hill sessions help us improve form, build muscle, increase power, and get our heart rates high without being too stiff the next day. It’s always good to alternate between hill sprints (shorter, sharper reps, on a steeper hill) and hill repeats (longer reps, not as explosive, on a more gradual hill).

Incorporate faster-than-goal race pace intervals into your sessions

It’s good to get the body and legs turning over at a faster-than-goal race pace. A great way to do this is to break a session down into smaller intervals. For example: 8 x 90-second hard efforts, with 75 seconds recovery. Achieve the ideal goal pace (above your target race pace), then recover by allowing the heart rate to drop before going again. This is where you push your VO2 max up and enter running Zone 5. Consistently doing this week-in and week-out makes race pace feel a whole lot more achievable come race day

Invest in 'super' shoes

The innovation of super shoes like carbon fiber has changed running. They’re not cheap, but if you’re able to afford a pair, then you should consider investing in them. They’re ideally suited for runners running faster than 5:30 per km / 8:50 per mile. While they do make faster paces feel easier, you shouldn’t be doing all your runs in these shoes. Save them for those faster sessions and race day.

RELATED: Carbon Fiber Shoes: How Often Should You Train and Race in Them?

Prioritize your sleep

You need to approach your recovery as seriously as you approach your running. Easily the most important form of recovery is sleep. That’s when your body is doing the bulk of its recovery work.

Ideally, you’re looking for at least 8 hours of sleep - and sometimes slightly more - when you’re in intensive training. Put that phone away in the evening, scroll a bit less, and get those magical 8 hours that your body truly needs.

Get your nutrition right

I’m sure you may have heard the saying, ‘You are what you eat’. Nutrition and training go hand in hand. You need to fuel correctly if you’re training hard. Remember, once you increase your training, your fueling needs to increase too, otherwise you risk a negative calorie deficit. Try to keep your diet ‘clean’ by avoiding too much junk food, but at the same time allow yourself a ‘cheat’ meal now and then. Before harder days, try to get more carbs in for faster-burning fuel. After your harder days, aim to get some extra protein in to give your muscles the fuel they need to allow the body to recover.

RELATED: Avoid Making These Common Nutrition Mistakes

Pick a fast race

When it comes to running a fast time, you want to pick a race that’ll give you the best chance of doing that. Some of the key things you are looking for are:

• Good weather conditions.

• A flattish route with as small amount of elevation as possible.

• A large number of participants so you can work with others and have healthy competition.

• Large crowd support, bringing those race day vibes that push you to your limits.

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You have to remember that when you’re pushing yourself as hard as you can in a race, runners around you are hurting just as much. Race pain is temporary, and if you work hard during those tough moments, you’ll thank yourself afterward.

Last bonus tip: When you get that magical PB, don’t forget to treat yourself to a post-race pizza.

I hope you’ve found these helpful. Go and improve your performance!

Onwards and upwards,

Coach Nick