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You’ve conquered your first couple 5Ks, tackled the upgrade to the 10K, and maybe even met the half marathon challenge…Wherever you are at with your weekend fun run distances, you may now consider challenging that ticking clock and achieving your personal best.

Contrary to popular belief, running more will not make you faster. Sure, the shorter distances may get easier for you. However, in the words of my very enthusiastic, wise, father of my teammate and friend, swim coach, Fred Wales, “you have to train fast to be fast.” This applies to running, as well.

Here are a few training tips to helping you get fast, fast:

1. Practice good technique. Proper running technique benefits you in several ways: prevent injury, reduce fatigue, boost efficiency, and (my favorite) make running more pleasant. Conveniently, Active.com has a great article on proper running fundamentals; and Pose Tech, brainchild of Dr. Nicholas Romanov, has great tips on running fast and injury free.

2. Strength train. Stronger muscles will increase your capacity to put out more power. However, many people do not realize they need to do more than a few leg extensions and leg curls on the machines at the gym to get stronger. You need a highly functioning core, which is inclusive of your shoulder girdle (yes, shoulders), muscles of your torso-chest, back, and abs, and hips-hip flexors and extensors (which include your gluteals). Strength training should include a progression of core strengthening and stabilization, muscle conditioning, hypertrophy (muscle building), plyometric training (for explosive strength-increasing power output), and muscular endurance. Core Performance has a great online program that you can follow to become a faster and more efficient runner.

3. Stretch. Contrary to popular belief, stretching does not make you slower. Although there has been a link between long, static stretching (more than 2 minute holds), pre-race, and slower times in elite sprinters, this does not apply to those of you trying to make your personal best at this weekend’s fun run. In fact, an appropriate stretching routine benefits athletes of all levels by preventing injury and increasing your range of motion.

4. Cross-train. Change up your activities from one workout to the next. Runner’s World explains, “intense cross-training for an hour can elicit the same aerobic benefits as a five-mile training run. And because of the low-impact nature of most cross-training activities, injury-prone runners can beef up their “mileage” using this formula without increasing their risk of injury.” Also, cross-training helps with weight loss (leaner body means swifter body), in addition to injury prevention.

5. Do hills. Running hills is like strength training. By powering through hills, you will increase your power on varying inclines. You will also increase your tolerance for work at higher heart rates and decrease your rate of fatigue at higher rates of work. Begin first, by power walking hills and jogging flats, then jogging/running hills and recovering on the flats. For extra challenge, progress to sprinting the hills and jogging/walking the flats.

6. Change your terrain. Like running hills, by training on varying terrain, you are also strength training for running. Running on trails improves your proprioception, your body’s ability to react to varying external influences (such as uneven or unstable surfaces). Improved proprioception results in quicker reaction times to varying surfaces, giving you a faster overall mile time.

7. Do intervals. Interval training is defined by bouts of high intensity training followed by moderate intensity recovery periods. Hill training is included in interval training. High intensity interval training should be included not more than twice per week. Its benefits include higher rates of recovery during and post-workout, and greater lactate tolerance (less susceptible to muscle fatigue) .

8. Rest. Rest and recovery days are the times when your body is able to regenerate and get stronger. Take a day in the week to reeeelax. Your body will thank you. You will get faster. You will get stronger. You will avoid plateaus and injury.

Before you decide to embark on training for your personal best, take the first step: sign up for a run! Good luck!