#7: Want To Improve Your Running? Here’s How I did It!

While running is not a key ingredient to weight loss, one cannot help but appreciate its uses in both health and fitness.

My first-ever 5 km race in April 2023 (5 km in 24:23).

I got into running late, at age 33 years, having a relatively decent level of fitness. So much so, in my first-ever 5 km race (April 2023) I clocked a time of 24:23. That was after just two months of training (twice per week).

One month later (May 2023), with the same regime, I finished my next 5 km in 23:20, shaving off a full minute.

In June 2023, I took part in a Zurrieq 5 km and recorded a personal best at 22:22. That’s another one-minute cut-down.

Working to get better times in my runs took a concerted effort and no shortage of structure. But I got it done, and here’s how you can too.

1: First, Learn How To Run

Running is quite a high-impact activity. Just imagine jumping up and down ten times and landing on your heels. Rather uncomfortable, wouldn’t you say?

Many runners land on their heels when they run. That’s approximately 1,000 mini-jumps on each heel per 20 minutes. That’s one way to pick up an overuse injury if not just slow you down.

Running on the balls of the feet.

Like many sports, longer-distance running is ‘unnatural’ to the average human body. Because from an evolutionary point of view, running over long distances was seldom needed. If anything, we are more adapted to shorter, sprint-bassed activity (to catch and kill prey).

If you train yourself to land on the balls of your feet, as you run, then you can utilise the body’s natural shock absorbers.

Don’t let your knees cave in, and don’t let your feet turn out. Don’t reach your foot out in front of you. Anything that deviates from your body’s natural biomechanics is a recipe for injury, and would otherwise slow you down.

2: Run Less, But Faster

Avid runners often pick up overuse injuries, so I would recommend doing less of it and making the activity more meaningful.

Would cutting down on your training reduce your overall fitness? I suppose it could unless you go about it differently.

By running ‘for reps’, that is to say, short-duration-high intensity intervals, runners can increase fitness levels while keeping the training volume low. In fact, runners who completed four to seven rounds of 30 seconds at maximum intensity with four minutes of recovery, three times a week, improved their 3 km run time and were able to run longer before exhaustion.

My second-ever 5 km race in May 2023 (5 km in 23:20).

Another study found that runners who performed high-intensity interval training twice a week improved their running economy (how much oxygen your body requires at a particular pace) and peak speed, and showed similar improvements in VO2 max and 5 km time far more than those merely running for distance.

Overall, runners performing high-intensity interval training experience greater improvements in heart function compared to those who performed steady-state runs.

Combined with having a better running technique, incorporating these systems could help prospective runners improve their performance. Interval runs can also reap significant health rewards.

3: Run Farther

If your goal is to run longer distances (10 km and beyond), you’ll need to progress beyond short intervals. That means long, steady-state runs.

As with every step in this progression, move slowly. Don’t jump from running 3 km one week to 20 km the next week.

A good rule of thumb is to increase your weekly mileage by no more than 10 % of the previous week. So if you run 10 km one week, you should be able to run 11 km the following week.

My first-ever 10 km race in April 2023 (10 km in 53:05).

As you build up the mileage, don’t neglect what got you to that point. Continue to hone your running technique. Continue to add interval workouts to your training.

4: Don’t Neglect Zone 2 Conditioning

A ‘Zone 2’ pace is 60 - 70% of your maximum heart rate (HRmax). So for a 35-year-old male, that would be anything from 111-130 bpm. At this pace, you can normally hold a conversation throughout the run.

But how does running ‘slower’ help you run faster?

The physiology of Zone 2 is different from that of Zone 3 (70 - 80 % of HRmax). At different intensities, the body uses different energy sources. In Zone 2, the body predominantly uses oxygen and fat for fuel. At Zone 3, the body starts to rely more on glycolytic energy systems (i.e. carbs and ATP). By training to run faster at a Zone 2 pace, therefore, you are effectively improving your aerobic capacity.

My third-ever 5 km race in June 2023 (5 km in 22:22).

In running at Zone 2, you could also increase the concentration of mitochondria within your cells, if not also their efficiency. The mitochondrion is the powerhouse of the cell, generating chemical energy for the body.

Running ‘slower’ will also improve ‘substrate utilisation’, meaning your body will manage its fuel sources (stored fat and carbohydrate) better.

Zone 2 running can even aid in one’s recovery and general health (by improving one’s overall insulin sensitivity).

The Take Away

My 5 km run time went from 24:23 (April 2023) to 22:22 (June 2023) in two months using these methods. My 10 km run time also went from 53:05 (April 2023) to 48:29 (June 2023) in the same time frame.

As with all things, training requires discipline and commitment, and both fell short with the end of Summer in 2023, with the resumption of my taekwondo obligations.

I may have stopped, but it would be interesting to see if I could ever hit a 20-minute 5 km-time using the same system. Perhaps it’s worth a test.