How to Run Faster

This instructable shows you how to run faster.

Before attempting any physical regimen make sure you get checked out by a doctor.
Also observe safety rules in your area when running.
Wear appropriate safety gear, don't run with headphones and watch out for traffic/predators.
Stretch before and after running. In cold weather do some warm up exercises first, then stretch.
Cool down is just as important too. Walk a quarter mile or so after a hard run. Let your heart rate go down gradually.

Step 1 You will need:

Good running shoes (more about this later)
Reflective gear (required when running during dusk/after dark, recommended for daytime use)
Appropriate running clothing (again more about this later)
A schedule set aside to run.

Comments

[froyus81]

Save your money and your feet. Learn to run barefoot ;) Or buy a pair of Keds or Converse Allstars and learn how to run properly. Foot injuries have been on the rise since the 60's when "proper" running shoes were introduced. The trick is knowing the proper motion the foot is supposed to follow. Dont strike the ground with your heel, its un-natural and your foot isnt designed for it. Land on the balls of your feet. The natural movement will lend forward momentum and take alot of stress off of your foot. Your foot is perfectly designed for walking and running as it is, it doesnt need any help. You may even find you can run for longer distances as the energy leaving your foot is transferred to the ground creating more momentum instead of lost in a sea of foam and rubber. Happy running and like Hatter says check with your doctor first and do some research to find out what is right for you.

[froyus81]

I use daily mile for measuring my distances. Dailymile.com
Or you can just use google maps or google earth.

[praguewatermelon]

Question:

Right now, I do cardio almost everyday. Is that a problem? For example, I run on the street on Monday and Thursday, and I run on the treadmill on Wednesday and Saturday, and I use the elliptical on Tuesday and Friday. I rest on Sunday. I typically do 4 miles each time I run on the street, and 50 minutes (average 5.6 mi/hr) on the threadmill, and 50-60 minutes of elliptical.

My muscles don't really hurt, so I am not sure if that is an issue

[Cr4zy_Dud3_0n_F1r3]

For measuring how far I run, I use the pedometer app on my iPod, they have a lite version for free and it does the job pretty well. Just search for it in the app store.

[Pizzapie500]

I have Cross Country shoes. Should I just wear them when running? Or use sneakers?

[smashbob]

run barefoot. its better for you. look it up, its been proven. seriously though, check it out.

[Dalthran]

Either that or in really thin soled flip-flips, there's a South American tribe that runs hyper-Marathons, like 300 miles in one go, and all they wear are flip flops made from strips of leather to protect their soles.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn12776-cheaper-running-shoes-win-comfortably.html

[Cr4zy_Dud3_0n_F1r3]

I have those same flip-flops

[Reineke_Lis]

Heh, running withot headphones is impossible)))

yaroslav, tvoislon.ru

[Celelana]

I'll consider anything to keep the "poodles" from sagging!

[pantalone]

Thanks for this nice instructable. Very entertaining, and some good advice in there, too.

[sandyhu26]

Not sure what studies you are referring to about sagging poodles (I prefer "the girls") but it is not movement, but hormonal changes brought about by pregnancy and/or aging that accelerate the effects of gravitational pull. Thanks also for suggesting that all hamsters be concealed, their running habits should be kept under wraps.

[democratese]

 Ive always heard opposite of this. The difference between endurance and spurt running. Im not a runner and hearing things like 25 miles a week bothers me. But in my short 2 or 3 miles runs I usually build up and slow down. Ive gotten more out of it than trying to run and jog the whole way. Is it a matter of preference not to work your heart for sudden stress and then relax if you dont plan on being a marathon runner?

[jeff96]

I've seen alot of beginner running programs that are walk runs. Start with a short run say, 2 min, then walk 2 min. You can then gradually lengthen the runs and shorten the walks.

[halberdear]

would regular sneakers work?

[inchman]

PFC,
Thanks for this great ‘ible!  Despite what some people say, I feel that you hit the nail on the head with helping people from finding excuses and short-cuts instead of just running.
 The only thing I want to mention is that people should look at their target heart rates (THR).  (There is plenty of info on THRs all over the web.)  I’ve been in the Army for 20 years and I just ran a half marathon in the Iraqi Desert this past May.  What I found that most people do is that they push themselves TOO hard.  Then they get discouraged. 

If you want to improve, get a heart rate monitor, and run on a treadmill where you can get a constant pace (this is just until you are more used to running at a pace.)  Then, only run to get to 80% THR.  If you start exceeding it (and you will at first,) SLOW DOWN (but don’t walk.)  I personally swear by this method and it has served me very well.

Thanks again for taking the time to write this!  For everyone else, go out and run!
 

1LT Moose

[Pie Ninja]

Weights will help you run faster, provided you take them off before you start, and wear them all the time when you aren't running.

[firefighter1333]

does that actually work?... how much should u wear?

[Pie Ninja]

It really depends, start off with a small amount like 10 kg, then, once you get used to that, add another 5 or 10 and keep adding as you get used to more and more weight. Just make sure you wear them literally all the time, (except when you shower, or, if you wear a vest, you need to wash it) even when you sleep.

[firefighter1333]

And HOW should u wear it, cuz if u wear it in a weight vest then I'll look ridiculous...

[Pie Ninja]

Well, it doesn't matter greatly where you wear them, but ankles, thighs, wrists and chest are the usual places, some people wear them on their biceps or their back.

[gold3nwing]

...

[Weissensteinburg]

How much did you research this before writing it? There seems to be numerous fundamental mistakes here:

• Your form is extremely important in running. The trick is to make proper form habit. Running correctly will allow you to go farther and faster.
• Running on the side walk is a bad idea, if you can avoid it. Because the concrete is fortified with rebar, there's absolutely no give to it. The side of the road is generally an optimal place (unless you have access to a rubberized track) to run, as it is somewhat squishy. Running on the sidewalk will just wear down your joints faster.
• Certain supplements are good for you. You just have to know which ones. For example, protein and creatine are both widely accepted and commonly used by athletes.
  

Also, why did you label the IV bag in the one picture as table salt?

[thematthatter]

• I read it in a physical education textboox that when people start focusing on running then they slow down.
• I meant street, i will try to correct that.
• Some of the supplements are a bunch of snake water, yes protein is good, creatine is good but you can get that in natural food as well without jacking up you liver pumping too much stuff in it. And this was more for someone who doesn't run, not for a professional athlete.
• It was a NaCl solution. I dont remember the %. She had an important run the next morning and wanted to be hydrated.
  

[julesa]

You should re-title your instructable, "Getting started running," or "running for beginners." The commenter above was correct -- form is not important if you're just jogging for fitness or when you're just getting into shape, but advanced runners who want to get faster need to watch their form, and should already know better than to run in flip-flops. You also don't mention much about recovery (that becomes much more important as you get older), rate of increasing difficulty, long slow distance runs... fine for a twenty-something who's just getting started, not really useful for someone who's been running for a while and wants to improve speed without injuring themselves.

[julesa]

One more thing -- in one section you said, "Never start walking," which is terrible advice. Sure, you need to push your limits a little. But if you're in really bad shape, the very best way to improve is to run for thirty seconds or a minute, then walk until you catch your breath, then run another minute or so. One of the most important skills in running is learning how hard to push your body. Pushing too hard is just as bad as not pushing hard enough. If you pull a muscle and can't run for three weeks it's not going to help your fitness at all.

[Musicman41]

If you really need to stop for your health, you should do some walking, but as little as possible. Nobody has mentioned how much running is a mental sport. If you train you body that when it is tired that you walk, then you get into the habit of walking when you are tired. I did the same thing my first year of Cross Country. I trained my body to walk when it hurt, but I didn't really need to. Slow jogging is mentaly better.

[thematthatter]

It was entered for a burning questions contest, so it had to be titled exactly as appears. It was designed for fatties who don't run not seasoned marathon runners. I'm no expert on running, all I know is that every 6 months I can run fast enough in the given time frame to keep my job.

[cterry511]

Chunky!! LOL awsome

[Punkguyta]

I'm a smoker and I can run faster than my girlfriend's whole Cadets squadron, I was laughing at them as I passed by them.

[shocin]

continuing from the last, if you do decide to breath through nose and mouth you will notice that it is now supper easy to do and you can now run even longer or faster. by creating resistance in the beginning of your training you will notice you can achieve more later on.

[shocin]

breathing through just the nose is better. by doing this you will be able to decreases the amount of times you need to breath in after a while by taking more air in. it also good to do as after a while of doing it you'll be the only runner in a race not panting, or dyeing, and will be able to finish a CC with a strong sprint.

[thoraxe]

nice military boots, i wear those in my marine corps jrotc class. how much they cost?

[thematthatter]

80-120 bucks for Summer and 100-120 for winter.

[thoraxe]

yep, thought so. they're awesome boots, real comfy

[ReCreate]

the robot rolls with its wheels,humans run

[downwithwikihow]

If you made that armor your self could you post a instructable on how to make it?

[thematthatter]

Na, i didnt make it myself, i was trying to make a funny.

[downwithwikihow]

So did you buy it off of ebay? sorry I dont mean to be annoying but that just looks really awesome.

[mynameisjonas]

join the army. not only will they give you the armor, they'll pay you to take it!