All of my running programs include 4 days of running and no more.  It’s not necessary.  True fitness is developed during rest days and in my experience and observations: runners run to much !

Two key workouts if you are interested in improving your half marathon time are Tempo Runs and 400m Track Intervals.

What is a Tempo Run?  This is a continuous run with a buildup in the middle to near 10-K race pace.  For example, a Tempo Run of 30 to 45 minutes would begin with 10-15 minutes easy running, build to 15-20 minutes near the middle, then 5-10 minutes easy toward the end. The pace buildup should be gradual (after warmup), not sudden, with peak tempo speed maintained for 15-20minutes of the workout before the 10 minute easy end.

A Tempo Run can be as hard or easy as you want to make it with total distance of the workout around 5-8 miles.  If you’re feeling good then push the tempo pace for 20 minutes, otherwise go for 15 minutes.

400m Track Intervals (one lap around the track)

If you want to run at a fast pace, you need to train at a fast pace. An interval workout usually consists of fast repeats separated by walking or easy jogging.

You want to build up the 400m intervals each week. Allow yourself at least 8 weeks of 400m interval training. Begin with 5 x 400 meters in the first week and add one more 400 every other week to reach 10 x 400 meters the week before your half marathon. Walk or jog between each repeat. The best place to run 400-meter repeats is on a track, although you can also use an accurately-measured road course. Run the 400s at about your pace for 5-K, or 10-K.

Good Luck and leave a comment if you have any questions.

5k speed workouts

Get Faster with 400m intervals.

One of the primary goals among runners is to run faster.  My recommended workout for getting faster at the 5k, 10k, and half marathon distance are 400m (1 lap on the track) intervals.

Whether yearning to spend less time running around the block or striving to be the best age-group runner in the area, most of us runners wish to be a bit quicker.

therefore, you should consider and at least try some other types of workouts that involve speed intervals.

Why? Just a few reasons:

1. They make things interesting. Doing the same workout, day after day, isn’t a lot of fun. Sure, I enjoy running as much as the next person, but changing things up is good. Too much repetition is boring!

2. It can make you faster and stronger. Throwing a little speed into your workouts can make you a better runner. If you have the same 5K time every time, it may be that you need some faster workouts.

3. It can help you tone up and lose weight.  Running long and slow doesn’t do much for the metabolism.  Putting forth a couple speed session a week will challenge your body and force it to work harder, therefore burning more calories and toning your muscles.

4. Your body adapts. After a month or so of doing one type of workout, you body will adapt and you’ll no longer be getting the same kind of benefits from that workout. You need to change things up every 3-4 weeks … and if you do, you’ll most likely see continued improvements.

Warm-up Is Key

To prevent injuries and increase your performance, warm up and stretch thoroughly before you run any speed work. Run at least one to two miles easy as a warm-up.

The Speed Workout

At the track, start with 4 x 400. Increase the number of 400s every week by two more until, 10 days before the race, the final workout is: 10 x 400. Each 400 (one lap around a track) should be run eight seconds faster than you want to average per quarter mile in your 5K race.

For example, if you wanted to run eight minutes per mile, your quarter-mile race pace would need to be two minutes. The workout pace per lap should in this case be 1 minute, 52 seconds. Walk for half a lap between the 400s.

Here is another variations of a speed workout you can do that is highly efficient at building your 5K performance.

Lactate Builders

Alternate between running for 30 seconds at nearly full pace and 30 seconds at an easy pace. Keep running until you are unable to hold a strong pace. Your goal is to be able to perform this workout for 12-16 minutes.  This is an excellent lactate threshold builder. It also improves your VO2 max and running economy.

Try to include both of these workouts into your program each week and do not perform these workouts back to back.  In fact, three days in between would be ideal.   A sample week of 5k speed training might look like this (remember, I’m a big fan of 4 days per week of runinng).

Monday: Off (strength training)

Tuesday: Track 400m workout

Wednesday: 3-6 miles easy

Thursday: OFF (strength training upper body)

Friday: Lactate Threshold workout

Saturday: off (good day for strength training)

Sunday: long easy run 6-8 miles

This program also works for 10k training.  The only difference is to increase your long run by 2 miles.  I’ll be back next week with half marathon speed training.

leave any comments or questions here.  thanks.

I was going through my files and found my folder of articles I have saved over the years and am sharing some of those here with you today.

Please leave us a comment below and share any motivating tips or quotes of your own.

1) “Taking even 20 or 30 minutes for a run will help you organize your thoughts, clear your head, wake up, and return to your tasks with a clarity and energy that you can’t get from coffee or even a nap” –Mark Remy

2) “Motivate yourself by running with friends or by listening to podcasts.  Develop a mantra that will keep you pushing when you want to give up.  It’s going to hurt, but the pain goes away.  The finish stays with you for life” –Deanna Kastor

3) “you don’t build your fitness while in a workout, you build while in rest mode.  As your whole self and cardiac system need to recover, you’ve also got to let your muscles and tendons recover, too” –Mary Delany, physical therapist.

4) “The moment we give up our excuses and fully accept responsiblity for our own health and happiness is the moment we harness our true power to change” –Bill Philips

5) “The body is a magnificent chemical factory governed by rules of cause and effect : what you put into it is what you get out of it metabolically” –Dr Philip Goglia

6) “Do the work. Do the analysis. But feel your run. Feel your race. Feel the joy that is running.” –Kara Goucher

here ya go.

Question #1 from Anna: I would love general help/advice for how to push through fitness plateaus.. I realize that getting to bootcamp more often and adding more runs would help but can’t always find the time. So I guess I’d like advice on how to really maximize the time that I do have, which is usually 3 bootcamps and 1 long run per week. This half also made me realize that signing up for portland is not a good next goal, as what I really want is to increase speed and strength, using benchmarks like shorter races (no marathons) and fitness assessments to track progress.

My answer: Thanks, Anna. Like most people finding the time is the biggest issue. This is why I create training plans that include only 4 days of running. Its more realistic to peoples schedule and will keep you injury free. Besides, quality means more than quantity. You need to decide what race distance you are training for. Bootcamp is excellent for developing muscle strength and increasing speed. You don’t need to add any more days of training. However, the running in bootcamp is to short of intervals to make you faster for the longer distance races so what you need to do is incorporate race pace miles in your long runs. If your goal is half marathon then do 5-7 miles at your goal race pace in the long run. If you’ve never done this type of training before then start with 3-4 miles at race pace and build up.

So, on a long run of 10 miles you would warm up and jog easy for the first mile then run the next 5-7 miles at goal pace then finish with 1 or 2 miles easy pace. Because you have a goal to be faster this technique will help train your body to maintain the pace you desire.

Questions #2 from Mark A: I’ve always been an avid weight lifter and now, I’m an avid runner. Maybe talk about how to combine the 2 and the importance of combining the 2

My answer: Mark, I’m a huge believer in runners doing weight training. It helps prevent injury and will make you a faster/stronger runner. Stronger muscles will help you get through those hard last few miles of a race. Stronger leg muscles prevent injury and also help delay the onset of fatigue. Most importantly, is a strong upper body. Most runners only focus on their legs, but the arms have a lot to do with running stronger/better. If you can keep your upper body strong it will help assist the legs, especially when they get to fatigue. Upper body has a lot to do with running successfully.

At minimum, 2 days per week of weight training. The best time to do the weights is on the days you speed train or on your days off. But, never the day before or after your long run. You need the recovery and rest. Typically, I do my weight training on the same days I do my track workouts. I basically make it my hard days of training by combining the two and the following day will be my day off. You can dedicate one day to only weight training but just be sure the following day run is not scheduled to be an intense one. Muscles take 48hrs to repair so trying to do a hard run on a day after weight training will only break your body down and you won’t reap the benefits.

Be sure to include single leg exercises as those are very important for runners and maintaining a balance of strength in your runs. These exercises include: single leg squats, walking lunges, single leg calf raises, step-ups, and single leg hamstring curls.

Again, the greater amount of strength, the more of it can be maintained for a prolonged period which comes in handy when getting through the wall of a race!

Question #3 from Joe Z. :  I am a 58 yr. old runner trying to stay injury free. In the last year I have intentionally slowed my pace and lengthened my distance switching from running in 5k’s to 13.1 marathons. I would like to see more information on running as long as I can and enjoying myself along the way.

My answer: Joe, sounds like you are on a good program and listening to your body. If you aren’t already, I would encourage you to add some cross training activity. Biking, swimming, weight training are all good activities to add in conjunction with running. This also helps strengthen the “non-running’’ muscles which is huge for preventing injury and allowing you to enjoy the sport of running for as long as you can. Also, be sure you stretch a good 10 minutes post run. Keeping your muscles flexible will also allow you to enjoy the sport for many more years. The other best piece of advice I can give is to listen to your body. When it hurts or aches beyond comfort then you know its time for a day or two off. Otherwise, keep running and doing those longer distances. My philosophy is running no more than 5 days a week if you want to continue enjoying the sport for many more years and avoid injury or burnout. Keep it up and stay tuned for more blog posts to help you continue running healthy.

thanks again.  I’ll be back to answer more of your questions!

Simple and sweet and over in 6 minutes.  This is also workout that can be done in a hotel room.  NO EXCUSES…this can be done anywhere and we all can find 6 minutes in our day.

The workout is 3 exercises and doing each exercise for two minutes. Go ahead and give it a try!  It will burn.  6 minutes is better than ZERO minutes. 

2 Minute Drill

1) Pushups

2) Plank Hold

3) Wall Sit

Do the best you can on each two minute drill.  Keep going on the pushups and drop to your knees when you need to.  IF you can’t yet hold a 2 minute plank with good form, just take quick 5 second breaks and get right back into position…..do the same with the wall sit.  Good Luck!

Try it out and leave me a comment on your success!  happy weekend everyone.

I’ve been getting a lot of questions and emails asking how one can get faster.  I have a lot of ideas and some workouts I’ll share with you here, but please feel free to leave a suggestion if you have experienced a training workout that has worked for you.

Remember, we are all different and our bodies respond each differently.

The biggest and most important thing you can do to get faster is to train consistently.  Figure out how many days per week you can fit in your schedule and stick to it.  And, be realistic.  Only you know your time constraints, so do what you know you can and will accomplish each week.

My #1 suggestion if you are trying to get faster is to join a running group.  There will always be someone faster than you and if you challenge yourself to run with or near them, you will run harder and get more fit.  Its not always easy, but I find that I need to find others faster than me and run with them.

This is one reason why I created my Run with Jill Bootcamps.  Its a fun and supportive way for runners to get in shape and run better!

#2: get to the track at least once per week. This means doing real speed work.  For those training for distances of 5k and 10k, I recommend 400m repeats (1 lap).  For distances of half marathon and up, I recommend doing 800m repeats (2 laps).  If you are just starting out, begin with 4 sets total and add one repeat each week until eventually you work your way up to 10 total.

Be sure to warm up with a one mile jog before the track workout.  Each interval, 400m or 800m, is to be run at 80-85%.  So, you are not sprinting all out, but you are going faster than your jog pace…..  again, its about 80%. Run and time each set.  The key is to run each set close to the same time.  This also teaches you how to pace and know your upper limits. Again, the key is to run the last set within 3 seconds of your very first set.

Be sure to cool down with another 1 mile jog and easy stretching.  Track workouts should be performed once per week.

#3: The long run.  Spend one day per week doing a long, slow run.  Even those training for a 5k, I recommend one run per week of 4-5 miles.  Same is true for those in 10k training….run an  or 9 miler at least twice before race day.  For half marathon training, I suggest at least two (three is best) runs of 12-14 miles.  Endurance, Endurance, Endurance!

#4: Strength Train.  You’ve heard me say this plenty of times before and I’ll say it again, Get Stronger!  Even doing a simple set of pushups, tricep dips, lunges, squats, and planks will get you strong enough to be a powerful runner and fight fatigue during those last few miles of the race

#5: Be sure you are getting enough protein in your diet.  In my experience, most runners do not include enough protein in their diets.  Yes, you need the carbs for immediate energy and glucose, but protein is what rebuilds broken down muscle tissue, so get in the protein.  The best time to include protein is post run so you help repair the muscles.  Protein is a longer digestion process so be careful not to each too much before a run.

#6: My last recommendation for getting faster is to run Fartleks (speed play) once per week. I love these runs because I can be as creative as I want.  This type of run  combines continuous and interval training. Fartlek runs mean you at varying intensity levels over distances of  YOUR choice. For instance, you can run easy 2 minutes followed by 3 minutes hard followed by 1 minute easy….etc.  This type of training stresses both the aerobic and anaerobic energy pathways. Include both long and short bursts of speed within the same workout session to tap into and work your full range of energy systems.  The variety within the workout keeps you mentally engaged in what you’re doing, which will give you more confidence in racing situations as you’re more in tune with your body.

Lastly, just listen to your body and run accordingly. Over time, fitness and running-specific strength will improve.  Be patient and be happy with every step and progess you make.

If you have some workouts or strategies that helped you get faster, please leave a comment and share with us.  thanks!

“Does it help you run or slow you down? How much upper body strength is too much for marathon runners? Should your upper body be equal in strength to your lower body?”  These are just a few examples of the many questions my readers and clients ask regarding running and strength training.

If you haven’t read my post about my personal story then I suggest you listen to my experience and improved marathon results when I incorporated a strength program during my training for a marathon.

However, training for a running race does require a lot of time out running and leaves little time for a weight workout in the gym. This is why I mostly do a strength program that involves body weight exercises only. I typically do this workout twice or three times per week usually at the end of my shorter runs. I never do this workout before or after a long run as I want my body to be fully recovered and ready for the long miles.

In my opinion, you will find that possessing upper-body strength can help “carry” your legs towards the finish line, even when they may no longer feel like running.  Furhtermore, building strength helped improve my form, increase my endurance and prevent fatigue.

In my experience, many runners run too much.  Many who want to get faster, just go out and run more.  That does not work.  Build some strength and watch what happens.  In fact, this is exactly why I created my Run with Jill Bootcamp business.  I want to help runners run injury free, run faster, and have fun!  My bootcamp clients have seen amazing results with just two days a week of strength workouts.

A few of the body weight exercises I include in my routine:  Pushups, Tricep Dips, Planks (front and side), walking lunges, Pullups (assisted), and single leg squats.  It’s simple, yet very effective routine that has improved my running performance dramatically.

If you aren’t already, I encourage you to begin a strength training program in addition to your running.  You can simply begin with just doing pushups a few days per week.  Those alone will make your upper body and core a lot stronger which will help improve your running form.

Ok, let me know what you are doing for a strength workout.  Of course, if you have an exercise or two you think is best….please SHARE by leaving a comment below.  thanks so much!

“The experience so far has taught me a lot about myself. I know that if I put my mind to something I can work through it and accomplish the task. I feel that if I can do what it takes to run a marathon I can do what it takes to achieve anything. In every long run you hit something called a wall, the point where you feel like you cannot go any farther. Your body screams to stop, but you know if you want to reach that ultimate goal stopping is not an option. Pushing through the walls in my runs will help me get through other difficult obstacles I will encounter in life”

STOP!  stop listening or watching that crap!  It doesn’t work.  It won’t work.

How much money have you wasted seeking out the best way to burn fat in a bottle?

Guess What?  Your search for the most powerful and effective fat burner need not go any further than

Your Own Body

Yes, you posses one of the most effective tools to shedding fat and getting a lean, toned, body:

Your Muscle

Muscle Burns Fat……Plain and simple! Muscle is the single most important factor that determines how much fat and calories you burn throughout the day. The more lean muscle you have, the higher your metabolism, the more efficiently your body burns fat.

Muscle is “metabolically active”; which means it requires a LOT of calories to stick around. When you improve your muscle, your body requires more energy (calories) to maintain the new muscle.

Muscle burns calories all day long, not just when you are exercising.

If you have been spending the majority of your time “doing cardio” or only running then you are Missing OUT!

When you place a priority on resistance training workouts you will….

-Increase your lean muscle

-Prevent Injury

-Run faster, stronger

-Increase your metabolism

-Burn more FAT

It can be as simple as doing pushups 3-4 days per week. Relly….no gym necessary. The biggest excuse from people is “I don’t have the time” Ok, I get that. That is why I encourage pushups and body weight exercises, so you can do them from home….! That being said here is a pushup set I do and my clients. Do this 3 days per week.

The pushup set is 4 sets total with a different rest set between each.  On each set you do as many pushups as you can (on toes or knees) while keeping good form.

SET 1 : Max pushups followed by 40seconds rest

SET 2: Max pushups followed by 60seconds rest

SET 3: Max pushups followed by 90 seconds rest

SET 4: Max pushups

I encourage you to track and write down your results.  You will improve in just one week and that’s motivation to keep going!

For more bodyweight exercises, here is a video of me showing you a few bodyweight exercises. I did this video from the rooftop of my moms condo building… Seattle is a beautiful place (when its actually sunny)!

Enjoy!  Leave a comment and let me know how you do on those pushups