Maximizing Speed: How to Run Faster with Strides

Often, people start working with a coach for one of three reasons: they want to get faster, they want to run farther, or they want the accountability.

Today, I'm giving away the secret of what I give every single one of my athletes to get faster.

Strides

Strides are the best way to get faster, at any level.

What are strides?

Strides are a quick burst of fast running where the focus is on really good form and quick turnover (move your legs fast) for around 20 seconds then recover and repeat.

Why do strides?

Strides are beneficial for a number of reasons. In endurance runners (anything over 400m--so most of you reading this ;) it helps build those fast twitch muscle fibers we aren't great at using. These help with the kick at the end of a race as well as things like uneven roads, jumping off curbs on a run, etc.

How to do strides?

To do strides, you run your easy effort run. At the end of an easy effort run, say 30 minutes, you are going to go for that 20 seconds focusing on fast turnover and good running form. Recover for 1 minute of really easy jogging -- walk if you need to get your heart rate down. Repeat for a total of 4 times.

How often should I do strides?

I schedule them once a week for most of my athletes. Just adding that alone will give most athletes a huge benefit!

If you have questions on running form, check out this blog post on form or this blog post on drills.