#360fit: Top tips to achieve your 10km personal best

Sport360 staff 14:12 08/10/2015
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  • We Run DXB takes place on November 13.

    Nike head coach Tom Woolf shares his top tips on how to achieve your 10km personal best.

    FIGURE OUT YOUR SPEED

    Before you can increase your speed, it is important to time how fast you are currently running, so you can accurately measure your progress. No need for any expensive gadgets to help you do this. There are many free applications that allow you to monitor your speed, including the Nike+ Running App which allows you to measure your speed, monitor your progress and gives instant coaching on how to improve your results.

    CHOOSE A GOAL

    Your goal should be to run a certain distance for a specific length of time – for example, your goal could be running a 10k race in under 50 minutes. Having a goal in mind will increase your motivation and force you to push yourself harder.

    FIND A GOOD LOCATION

    Find a flat surface of about 1/4 mile (400 meters) to run on. Tracks are an ideal place for beginners looking to increase their speed. The standard length of a track allows runners to easily measure their progress. Also make sure not to make it hard on yourself. Choose a location that makes sense to you. So either close to home or work or any location that would be easily accessible.

    GEAR UP RIGHT

    Owning the right gear is critical in helping to improve your speed. You gear should be breathable and lightweight. Nike’s Dri-FIT technology does just that. Its microfiber, polyester fabric moves sweat away from the body and to the fabric surface, where it evaporates. As a result; DRI-FIT keeps you dry, comfortable and rearing to go. In terms of footwear, choose a shoe that is breathable, light and made for running. Doing a gait analysis will help you identify the best shoe for your type of running. The right gear simply means you can run better, faster and longer.

    RUN WITH A CREW

    Training on your own can be challenging and you will need all of the motivation and encouragement you can get to run faster every time. My advise, especially for beginners or for those who are finding it hard to challenge themselves is to join a run club to help you get motivated. The Nike+ Running Club (NRC) is community based club that provides expert coaching, support and mentoring open for anyone to participate, get outside and get active.

    MONITOR YOUR RUNNING FORM

    The whole body plays a role in speed from the head, all the way to the toes. Your arm movement can play a big role in determining your speed as your feet will follow your arms so make sure you swing them hard backward (not side to side!) at A low 90-degree angle. Pay attention to the piggies and try dorsiflexion (bringing the toes up to the shin) while running so that less of the foot hits the ground for a quicker stride turnover. Some runners have a tendency to look down at their feet or to look around to take in their surroundings during their run. However, runners training for speed should aim to focus their gaze about 20 to 30 meters in front of them, always looking straight ahead.

    WARM UP

    Focus on dynamic drills that keep your body temperature up. You can warm up with 5-10 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as a light jog. Next, perform dynamic mobility drills to loosen up your shoulders, hips, and ankles. Make sure to do planks prior to sprinting which will ensure good positioning of the pelvis, this will have a carryover effect and the result will be better timing. For optimum effect, try 6 sets of planks for 30 seconds each before your next run.

    SPEED WORKOUT

    Run for 2 minutes at a fast pace that’s just short of a sprint, followed by 2 minutes of jogging; repeat the entire sequence 4 times. Cool down with 10 minutes of easy running, then 5 minutes of walking.

    WORK ON YOUR TURNOVER

    Start by running at your 5K pace for 30 seconds and count every time your right foot hits the ground. Then jog for a minute to recover and run for 30 seconds again, this time trying to increase the count. Focus on taking quick, light, short steps.

    MONITOR YOUR BREATHING

    Use both the nose and mouth while inhaling and exhaling to get the maximum amount of oxygen to the muscles. Also, try belly breathing- which means filling the stomach, not the chest, with air on each inhale.

    HEAD FOR THE HILLS

    Whether you run on the treadmill or outside, the next time you start your workout, make sure an incline is part of your route. This treadmill incline workout that mimics rolling hills will help you to strength your muscles.

    MIX UP THE PACE

    Running your fastest speed at every workout isn’t the key to getting faster. Running slower can actually help you get faster. Mix things up with a slow endurance run, a tempo run and some speed work at a track at least once a week. For tempo runs, you will need to find a comfortable hard pace and hold it for a 20-minute period. Remember that to be effective, your tempo run should challenge your body: you should be able to answer short questions but unable to hold a conversation. Try doing a tempo run every seven to 10 days.

    TRAINING

    Working on your heart, lungs and muscles is the key to becoming a more efficient runner. Train your core muscles and mix that with spinning classes and weights. You can download the N+TC App which allow you to have access to more than 135 workouts catering to every level of fitness and designed by top trainers.

    POSTRUN SPRINTS 

    Adding short sprinting strides at the end of a long run can keep your body primed for speed. This is because doing strides after a long run will teach your body how to run fast even when your legs are tired. I recommend doing four to eight strides of 70 to 100 meters; aim for 80 percent effort on each stride.

    LISTEN TO YOUR BODY

    Rest is critical to your recovery and prevention efforts, so don’t forget to take at least one day off completely each week. Your muscles actually build and repair themselves during your rest days. So, if you run every day without taking days off, you won’t see much improvement.

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