Running speed - how to improve?

[juliahenry]

So I want to get faster and I'm not afraid of hard work.

I usually run 12-minute miles (5 miles/hour TM speed), 3-5 miles at a time, 3x/week these days. Workouts take 45-60+ minutes with the addition of a warm up and cool down.

today I ran for 25 minutes at 5.5 miles/hour TM speed, so a little over 2 miles of faster running. It felt harder, my HR was higher, and I was glad to get to the end of my 25 minutes, but I did it.

I know that if I want to get faster, I just have to run faster. But I'm not sure how that works.

QUestion: If I want to get faster, should I just keep pushing the speed up - should I get used to the 5.5 pace and then try for 6, then 6.5 etc, running 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 miles at a time? Or should I do HIIT? Or a combination?

I would love to run my "4 on the 4th" race in under 45 minutes; any chance I can do this in 5 weeks?

[gt7301b]

There are two ways to run faster add miles and/or do speed work.

I can get to 20-25 miles pretty easily, but adding more miles than that doesn't work with my schedule.

I would try and make one of your runs a speed workout or tempo run. If you don't have access to a track you can run ~400 meters on your normal route at a faster pace than you normally run. I would start with 4-6 400s at 5K pace and add in a weekly speed workout. (You can do 400s, 800s, 1600s, or a ladder.)

[katinthehat]

I'd sub in one of your regular runs with either tempo runs or interval sessions. You can do both of those on a treadmill and the free running plans out there that are labeled intermediate or advanced all have speed work ideas in them that you can use. You can use something like the McMillian pace calculator to help you figure out what your paces for the speed work should be.

And yes, I think given five weeks of some speed work, plus race day endorphins, you should be able to do 4 miles in 45 minutes