Speed Workout Tip No.4: Keep Your Arms Bent
Curt Blakeney and Zig Ziegler
"Never run with tight, clenched fists. This will tighten you up and slow you down. Keep your thumb and forefinger in contact or run with an open palm, whichever you are most comfortable with. Your elbows should be squeezed in to the sides of the body.
"Visualize holding a hammer in your hand (with the elbow fixed at 90 degrees) and imagine there's a nail sticking (nail head facing forward) beside your hip. You want to smash the hammer back into the nail, driving the arm through the hip pocket.
"What you do with one arm affects the opposite leg. Driving the arm back, while maintaining that 90-degree power angle, will create more extension of the opposite leg, thus increasing stride length."
More: Speed Workout Tips from Curt Blakeney and Zig Ziegler
Speed Workout Tip No.5: Mix Up Your Running Locations
Matt Russ
"I am often asked if running outdoors is more productive than running on the treadmill. The answer is that they both have their place in a good running plan.
"With hill work, you can vary the pace and incline to create just the right amount of stress for your workout. It may be hard to find a long hill with a steady incline so the treadmill can create just that. You don't want to start off your hill work with too steep of an incline.
"With the treadmill, you can increase the incline slightly each week and the resistance is constant. That being said, many athletes find it difficult to stay focused on a treadmill. It's important to include runs on varied terrain and downhill. The treadmill doesn't provide this. As you get closer to your goal race, I recommend trying to duplicate the race course and spend less time on the treadmill."
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Speed Workout Tip No.6: Choose an Interval That Works for You
Greg Hitchcock
"Different types of runners will benefit from different mixes of interval training. A runner with a greater amount of slow-twitch muscle fibers will generally do better with longer intervals. Conversely, a runner with a higher percentages of fast-twitch muscle fibers will tend to do better with an interval mix that includes more shorter intervals.
"The slow-twitch runner will generally need fewer interval sessions than the fast-twitch runner. Indeed, too many interval sessions can quickly fatigue the slow-twitch runner's limited number of fast-twitch muscle fibers, which results in no staying power in longer races, or the appearance of no endurance.
"Runners with more fast-twitch fibers will generally thrive on more interval sessions. For example, it is plausible that a slow-twitch runner would need no more than one well-designed interval session per week, whereas a fast-twitch runner would need three weekly interval sessions to maximize his ability."
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Speed Workout Tip No.7: Keep Your Fartleks Fun
Marc Bloom
"Find group workouts with runners of your ability for "speed support" and camaraderie. Check with running and triathlon clubs, schools and coaches in your area.
"Also, look for a coach who's flexible and easygoing and can give you some personal attention. Some coaches work for free; others charge a fee. (Try to do speedwork once a week, at least once every two weeks)."
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