Five tips to improve your run time

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

First: Proper shoes are important for a runner; knowing what type of arch your feet have and if you invert or evert 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 shoes and to lace them up! 

Second: Endurance runs are essential to increas¬ing a person's run time. The slow and easy runs a few times per week improve the cardiovascular system. A 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. Five kilometer runs are great for military endurance training. 

Third: Pacing is another way to improve your run time. After completing 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. 

Fourth: Practice intervals, sprints and hills, which are excellent to add after you have developed a good endurance base. 

Quarter-mile sprints are very helpful, but sprints can be a predetermined distance such as four houses or three light poles. Recovery is normally the same up 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 you to run longer 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. 

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

For more information on running your squadron physical training, visit the fitness specialists at the fitness center or Health and Wellness Center.