5 Surprising things to help you run faster 

5 Surprising things to help you run faster

There is so much advice out there for things you can do to get better at running and a great deal of that information is the same. But there are some more surprising things you can do to improve your times and they involve ideas you might not necessarily have thought of.

Caffeine

Yes. Really. You may well look at that morning cup of tea or coffee in a different light now. A study at the National Center for Biomechanicshas highlighted how prevalent caffeine is in its use by Olympic athletes looking to steal a march on their rivals. Why is it so effective? Well caffeine is a stimulant, a legal stimulant and it makes you more mentally alert. It also makes you feel better, happier and in a place where you actually want to run fast. Although scientists aren’t entirely sure how, caffeine increases the body’s fat conversion, so your glycogen is protected for longer because the body burns more fat instead. Studies have also shown that runners who ran a 5k with caffeine as opposed to those who didn’t were faster. How good is that? It also improves your reaction times, which is super important if you’re a sprinter. And to top it all, caffeine is useful in your recovery as it speeds up glycogen reproduction.

Hills

Ah the dreaded hill training. Loathed and feared by so many runners, but a surprisingly effective way to improve your speed. Why? Because it strengthens the leg muscles, improves your running and stride economy and pushes you further aerobically. It isn’t necessarily fun and it isn’t pretty, but it does the job and will make you faster.

Weight training

Now we aren’t suggesting that you bulk up to body building standards here, but some weights in the right areas can boost your strength. This is great for injury prevention, because stronger legs can withstand greater impact. But it will also make your running better. Stronger muscles are more efficient at everything. If your quads, hips, hamstrings, shins and calves are strong, your leg strength will be enhanced. A strong core and upper body strength will also add greater strength to your running. Talk to a personal trainer at your local gym about strengthening exercises that will work for you.

Cross training

It seems slightly counter-intuitive to suggest hitting the exercise bike or jumping in the pool will help you get faster, but it does, because cross training is terrific for runners. It eases the load on the knees and ankles for a start, while improving your cardio fitness in different ways. You are working different muscle groups that might not be used when you’re running, so you’re adding strength in different areas. This will aid your balance and help prevent injuries. You will gain greater overall flexibility, recover quicker form those painful long runs and perhaps most importantly, it will keep you mentally fresh. There is nothing worse than dreading a run. If you substitute a run for a swim, you might find you’ll look forward to it more, put the effort in and benefit from a much better workout than you might have had on the road.

Think positive

The mental side of the sport is so often overlooked, yet a positive mental attitude and approach can transform a runner’s training. If you believe you can do something, you do it. If you don’t think you can, you probably won’t. It really is that simple. Ask any player who has missed a penalty in a World Cup shootout. They all have the technique and muscle memory, but it’s the players who doubt themselves who tend to miss. Every runner will tell you that half the battle on every run isn’t physical, it’s mental. You don’t really need to stop halfway through a 10 mile (16 km) training run, it’s just that your head keeps telling you that you should. On average, we have around 66,000 thoughts a day and when it comes to running, a lot of them can be negative. So focus on being positive. Back yourself and your ability. Do things in your training that make you feel good about your running and you will reap the benefits. Use positive mental imagery to help you on your way. You will be amazed how successful it can be.

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