Five tips to improve run times

  • Published
  • By Dana Baugh
  • 354th Medical Operations Squadron
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaksa --  People are often looking for easy and quick ways to improve their run times. Here are five simple things anyone can do to quicken their pace.

- Proper shoes are important for a runner. Knowing what type of arch your feet have and if you invert or exvert while in motion is important. Refer to your physician if you find you have any of these issues. Remember not to walk all day in your running shoe and to lace them up!

- Endurance runs are essential to decreasing a person's run time. Slow and easy runs a few times per week improve the cardiovascular system. Ten percent increase in time or distance per week is a great progression. Don't go too far too soon because an injury can occur. 5K runs are great for military endurance training.

- Pacing is another way to improve a run time. After completing at a ten minute dynamic warm up set a pace that is the same speed per mile, half mile or quarter mile. When you even out your speed your time usually gets faster.

- Intervals, sprints and hills are excellent to add after developing a good endurance base. Quarter-mile sprints are very helpful but sprints can be a pre-determined distance such as four houses or three light poles. Recovery is normally the same to double the amount of time. The goal is to increase lactic acid in the blood stream and to recover immediately after the increased speed. This teaches the body to use lactic acid as a fuel product. It will enable a longer run without lactic acid over powering your system on your threshold or faster pace days. These types of days should be done no more than twice a week with an active rest the day after.

- Strength training is important for decreasing injuries for runners. Beginning runners often have weak knees and poor low back and leg strength. A balanced strength program is important to keep the body strong and enable it to take on harder run days.

If you are looking for more information on running, your squadron physical training leaders, fitness specialists at the fitness center or HAWC personnel can help you out.