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.
