I have been running competitively since the tender age of twelve. I recall participating at the Edmonton Journal Indoor Tack and Field Games in elementary school. In those days, simply playing soccer and kick the can most evenings was enough training to run better than my friends. But with age no longer on my side, my training has become very strategic, with every run having a purpose. Here are my top-ten training tips to running fast this season.

Runners past their peak athletic years may improve performance beyond their wildest imagination with proper training.

1. Never get out of shape or gain too much weight in the winter season

Maintain a basic level of fitness, and never take more than two weeks off from activity unless completely necessary due to illness or injury. Weight gain is typically a symptom of inactivity, creating even more of a struggle to feel fit and strong again. Running all year round keeps the weight off and fitness level satisfactory. I recommend running long (ninety minutes to two hours) once per month all year round. When you are not fit, run slower or even walk/run, but keep moving for a minimum of ninety minutes.

2. Snowshoe or cross-country ski in the winter

These two activities are your secret weapons to maintaining good winter endurance, great cardiovascular fitness, and outstanding structural strength and balance. Minimal ground impact forces allow for longer training sessions. Add weight to your pack or ankles near the end of your winter season to keep the body challenged. Choose destinations that involve vertical gain of at least one thousand feet per hour of travel. This choice keeps the heart rate moderately high and strengthens your legs on the downhill.

3. Cross-train all year

During the initial base-building phase of your running, which primarily strengthens your structural constitution, cross-training can be used to challenge the cardiovascular system while minimizing the chance of injury. Try some harder bike intervals, pushing your heart rate near maximum for short periods. During the intense phase of your running program, cross-training can serve as your active recovery. Cross training can be in the form of cycling, swimming, deep-water running, and rowing (all non-weight-bearing activities). I personally believe that swimming after long runs is the secret to minimizing injuries (and, no, the hot tub does not count).

4. Speed and conditioning within intervals

Before transitioning to more intense running, add conditioning activities within a run circuit. The best environment is a grass park loop or track providing an opportunity to add in abs, lower back, hip stabilizer, and upper-body strengthening exercises. After the conditioning exercises, try to maintain good form and learn to relax while running. To advance further, add in some power exercises such as burpees, vertical or horizontal jumps, V sit-ups, push-ups with a clap, or bounding up stairs.

5. Longer and hill intervals to peak

Hard running intervals are necessary to reach peak form. The intervals should start near ninety seconds in time and move up toward six minutes. To reduce the chance of soft-tissue complications but maximize cardiovascular strain, running hill intervals is the best choice. Make sure you build up in total interval work time from nine minutes (six at ninety seconds) to a maximum of twenty-four minutes (four at six minutes) and take enough rest to keep the intensity high. Run easy or walk the downhill section to reach your next repeat start point.

6. Learn to hurt (run stairs)

7. Trail run for strength and leg speed

Off-road running naturally forces you to increase leg speed on the downhill and develop leg strength on the uphill. Trail running keeps the mind busy, resulting in happier, longer runs. Developing foot-eye coordination allows for smoother running avoiding small hazards.

8. Warm up and cool down to avoid injuries

So often we skip the warm-up or cool-down of your run sessions. Both can incorporate walking or even some form of cross-training. But you must allow the body enough time to increase its core temperature, lubricate the working joints, and allow for all the energy systems to ease into faster running. The cool-down should allow the body to slowly drop back to near-normal functioning and body temperature.

9. Train with a group and hire a coach

Often, the necessary harder workouts require discipline to get out the door, start the workout, and even complete the workout. Even the most disciplined athletes need a social environment to maintain consistency and keep the running quality optimal. Hiring a coach can also motivate and challenge your running. Just being accountable to your coach can be enough to create that break-through performance.

10. Lighten up!

Running requires the lightest body with the largest engine to succeed. If you want to reduce the chance of injury and run like the wind, you need to be light and healthy. Weight loss comes from a reduction of body fat achieved primarily through nutritional modification. Nutritional change can be the hardest part in running fast.

We all need to remain healthy in our quest to develop great fitness. Proper nutrition and regular body care is fundamental. Decide on your key race, and then organize your life to be at your best on race day. There should be no “should haves” or “wish I did” after the race outcome. If you maintain even some of these ten tips, you’ll blow the socks off your old finish times and possibly the younger runners in the race.

About the Author

Calvin Zaryski (M.Kin.) placed second in the 40-44 AG at the 2008 ITU Triathlon World Championships running 34.52 for the final ten kilometres. Visit his Web site for the latest in multisport camps, clinics, and races for all levels: www.criticalspeed.com.

[photo caption] Runners past their peak athletic years may improve performance beyond their imagination.