Run Faster

Today I started training for my next half marathon, which I think is going to be either the Platte River Half Marathon (probably in early April, although there’s no date listed on the website yet) or the Colfax Half Marathon on May 18, 2008.

For the past couple of years, I’ve been following the FIRST training plan, but this time, I’ve decided to shake things up a bit and follow the plan in Matt Fitzgerald’s most recent book, Brain Training For Runners.

The book features 3 different half marathon training plans - Level 1, 2, and 3. I’m going to follow the level 2 plan, which calls for 5-6 runs per week and long runs up to a maximum of 14 miles. All of the plans are 20 weeks long, separated into 4 phases: base training for 6 weeks, a ‘build 1′ phase lasting 4 weeks, a ‘build 2′ phase lasting 4 weeks, and a 6 week ‘peak’ phase, the last week of which is a taper week.

There are a lot of similarities between the FIRST plan and the Brain Training For Runners plan - both call for 3 key workouts a week, and both emphasize training at specific paces. However, Brain Training For Runners calls for quite a bit more total distance per week.

The Brain Training For Runners plan also suggest that you focus on a different proprioceptive cue each week to help you improve your form. My cue this week is “falling forward” which is supposed to help prevent overstriding and give you the feeling that gravity is pulling you forward. The program also includes suggested core training, power training, and flexibility exercises.

I’m really looking forward to trying out this new plan - I’m hoping the extra mileage and the power training workouts - neither of which of done enough of in the past - will help me get a PR in my next race. Stay tuned in the coming weeks and I talk about how the new plan is going for me.

So, what are your plans for training through the winter and for your next race?

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In my opinion, almost anyone can run a distance event - at least one that is 10K (6.2 miles) or shorter - with a bit of training, but it takes a good training plan and a commitment to that plan to run the race well. Over the years, I have tried several training plans in my efforts to run faster. All of them have worked, to an extent - meaning that I completed the event and was reasonably satisfied with my performance. However, the program I used last year was the best plan that I have found yet. Not only was the time commitment needed minimal compared to some other plans, but following this plan allowed me to run my best time ever for the half-marathon. The plan? FIRST to the Finish, a plan developed by the Furman Institute.

The main principle of the FIRST program is that runners need to run three ‘quality’ workouts a week, with at least one day of rest or cross-training between each ‘quality’ workout to be successful. The three workouts are: an interval run, a tempo run, and a long run. The distances and paces for each of these runs are determined by the distance of your target race and your goal time. For example, this week I am schedule to run a five-mile tempo run at an 8:00 minute/mile pace, an interval workout consisting of 10 400s at 1:41 minutes each, and a 14 mile long run at 8:35 minute/mile pace.

I’m far from the only fan of this training program. The following is excerpted from an article in Runner’s World:

Over the past two years, more than 1,000 runners have written to FIRST, many of them reporting on how much time they’ve shaved off their personal records. . .Their comments, however, haven’t been limited to performance: “I’m 37 with two kids and a busy profession; your program fits my life,” “I never felt worn out,” and “I didn’t experience a hint of injury.” That’s because three days of focused running combined with cross-training limits overtraining and burnout, and substantially cuts the risk of injury. It’s also efficient and flexible, allowing runners to meet their goals without sacrificing job, health, family, and friends.

If you are looking to run faster in your next running event, I’d encourage you to read Run Less, Run Faster: Become a Faster, Stronger Runner with the Revolutionary FIRST Training Program to learn more about the FIRST plan.

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