Speed Training for 1500m and Mile
by Jay P
(New Zealand)
I read a previous post on increasing cadence or speed, and you recommend lost of slow running, my problem is that when race day comes round my body does not feel prepared as I am doing more aerobic workouts than that lactate threshold range. Up to this point in a race it seems that its anaerobic because of its intensity.
Are there any good workouts for speed / cadence and threshold?
These two points make up the ideal race I feel for the distance I am racing......thanks for your help!
Answer by Dominique:
Hi there,
Thanks for your running training question.
Let's cover the following aspects:
1. 1 mile running tips - the difficulty of racing the mile
2. Ideas for speed workouts for the mile
1 Mile Running Tips - The Difficulty of Racing the Mile
The questions I usually get from people wanting to do short distances are to do with police fitness tests or army fitness tests and they are from people who have not built up much stamina yet. When you are newer to running, a lot of benefits can be derived from starting slow and gradually building up the running.
However, it sounds like you are already doing your easy and long runs and can cover the distance easily and now want to truly race it.
The great thing about the 1,500m / mile distance is that it is possibly one of the hardest distances to master. You need that endurance. But the intensity makes you feel like you are sprinting the whole way. It does not take long to feel like you are redlining and can't possibly maintain the speed and intensity. It's tough and requires a lot of practice to master.
It's a true, true challenge. And that is without considering the elements of a race on the track. Getting boxed in, using your elbows to jostle for position, etc.
To make sure you get the best out of a mile, I'd definitely recommend:
Ideas for Speed Workouts for the Mile
For these short distances you definitely need a healthy dose of intervals and tempo runs.
Check out those pages for some more explanations about the reasons why and suggested workouts.
However, there is more needed for a strong, strong mile, particularly:
Now, that provides you with some speed workouts that should help get your legs to move faster on race day. A few last comments:
I hope this helps.
Kind regards,
Dominique
