Running Around The Net

Speed Work

By
Kevin Jermyn
of Trackcoach.com

Have you ever heard the saying "speed kills", well that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but speed work can be a very demanding form of training that can often leave you dead legged. But if you complete your speed work, also know as repetition training, correctly and time it well it will help you race faster and more comfortably. The purpose of this article is to discuss why completing repetition work is important and how you should do it properly.

Repetition training is very different from the other forms of training such as lactate threshold runs and VO2 max intervals in that repetition training is not based on VO2 max. Rather repetition pace is based largely on the event you are training for. The purpose of repetition training is to improve your speed and economy. Repetition training recruits the fast-twitch muscle fibers that we seldom use when doing the other types of training, but is so very important when we race. Repetition training is also very effective at improving our running economy, which refers to the amount of oxygen we consume relative to our body weight and the speed at which we are running. By practicing running fast, especially at race pace and a little bit faster, we train our body to "eliminate unnecessary arm and leg motion, to recruit the most desirable motor units while running at or near race pace, and to feel comfortable at faster speeds of running" (Daniels’ Running Formula, Jack Daniels, p. 42). Just like you can improve your VO2 max and lactate threshold through interval and threshold training, you can improve your speed and economy with repetition training. There is often a misconception on a runners speed, that it is limited by genetic factors, this may be true but no more then our VO2 max and lactate threshold are limited by genetic factors, so don’t shy away from repetition training if you want to race faster. With a more efficient running economy it is very possible to beat a runner with a greater VO2 max and/or lactate threshold.