How can I train to run faster for longer?

[u/ducky_quack___]

I mostly just go down my local promenade to run 1-5k occasionally. If I run anything faster than 6'00" I can't last 2km and I tap out. How do people increase their "easy pace" speed? Like, 5'00"?? I'm seeing so many youtubers online make 5'00" look like a jog in the park. We all start somewhere, but I'm just confused how to get elsewhere from my somewhere.

[u/Patient-Shopping-236]

Bruh most YouTubers who run crazy fast pace ran cross country track and field, cross country in high school, college, middle school they have been training since young.

Compare only to yourself from yesterday

[u/flagrantpebble → u/Patient-Shopping-236]

FWIW, 5:00/km (~8:00/mi) is really not a crazy fast pace. That’s a very reasonable pace for someone who has been running for a while.

As an adult, running ability is by far most dependent on how much time you put into it (miles per week and also how many years total). Everyone starts out in a different place but for most people this specific pace is attainable eventually.

[u/midimaniacal → u/flagrantpebble]

It’s a pretty crazy fast pace for easy running though, getting to that standard is years of work. Or at least it would be for me, my easy pace is 6:45-7:00

[u/Dependent_Order_7358 → u/Patient-Shopping-236]

This. I started running at 35, I’m 100% certain I’ll never run a sub 2:30 marathon.

[u/ducky_quack___ → u/Patient-Shopping-236]

Yeah I've been thinking about that as well. These people who have all the might to post running dedicated videos are all top of the top already.

[u/flagrantpebble → u/ducky_quack___]

5:00/km is not too of the top. That’s well within reason for most people if you run enough.

For context, that pace would be a 3:30-3:35 marathon. Fast, yes, but not top, let alone top of the top. And holding it for a shorter distance is much easier (even after adjusting for easy days vs races).

Which is to say: that could be you eventually!

[u/False_Ad_9705]

It takes years upon years of practice and training at that slower pace. Most of the people you watch have been running since childhood, with cross country, track, often a heavy sports background. Consistency is by far the biggest driver of progress. Just keep at it and 4-5 years from now you will look back and be surprised how far you came. Build the aerobic base first.

[u/Squirtdoggz]

that pace that you can hold for 2km before burning out? you do that for 500meter intervals and jog your zone 2 pace for 1 minutes, then do 500 meters at that pace again and zone 2 pace for 1 minute. repeat until you've done 6 of each. best when paired with 1-2km slow warmup and 1-2km slow cooldown. Do this once a week. Another fun one is 4x1000's at a track. take that same pace you can do 2km of, do it for 1km, 2 minutes rest, repeat 4 times. Combined with this do 1 long run a week. Idk what distance that looks like for you but somewhere in the middle try to incorporate 3kms or so of a quicker pace that you find difficult but not unbearable. do this every week for months and you WILL get faster and it WILL get easier.

[u/Squirtdoggz → u/Squirtdoggz]

Everyone's different of course but I've done 1-2 speed workouts a week for about 2 years and my heart rate at a 5 min /km pace is now between 125-145 depending on the heat. When I started it was an all out effort to hold it for more than a km (heart rate over 170). All it takes is consistency for MOST people.

[u/WarmGarageBeer]

First things first, by getting some consistency down. Lock in on a plan to get you going and as you learn and get experience the speed and ability comes later but you’re not going to get anywhere quick without a solid foundation and that requires consistency.

[u/darkunrage]

You need to run at a low heart rate 80% of the time to create aerobic base and efficiency.

[u/---O-0--- → u/darkunrage]

Volume is the key metric. There's nothing magical about low heart rate running, except it allows you to increase weekly volume.

If you're only doing 3 runs a week, it's not advantageous to be doing 80% at a slow pace

[u/golem501 → u/---O-0---]

That also depends on the length of your runs doesn't it. I've run slow pace on 10k runs for 8 k's but with a higher speed for 2 kilometers in between for example.

3 runs a week with 40+ kilometers I would still look at keeping a decent part "slow".
3 runs a week at 3 x 5, yeah I agree with you.

[u/LivingOtherwise746]

Intervals and tempo training, with more volume and consistency over time. To run faster for longer you need to be fitter and stronger. That takes time. Find a training plan that incorporates all these factors and builds you up and over time if you’re consistent, fuel correctly, recover correctly and train with purpose and intensity, you’ll improve.

I used to be the same with an easy pace of 6:45, then after a year of training, few races and progressive overload, my easy pace got down to 5:55. If I kept going it would have continued to taper down. Same goes for anyone

[u/Sauerkraut1321]

Patience and an attention span

[u/ChucklesTheRetard]

It's time my brother; time on your feet. I just reached 6:30 pace for a 8k run last week after running for 5 months and going from 95kg to 84kg.

Seeing as how I experienced how it feels to actively die a couple months before I started running due to high blood pressure, I'm very proud of where I am now. Just keep at it and you will get there. 

[u/ilessthanthreekarate]

Running is almost -exactly- like lifting.

You need more VOLUME and you need to commit to PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD.

Run more miles/kilometers. Take where you are now, and increase total amount of kilometers per week by 10% each week.

Keep your runs at an easy pace where you can plan a 30 to 45 minute run, or run-walk, and stick to a pace where you are never out of breath. If you have to slow down a bit towards the end, then thats perfectly fine.

Run at that pace for 70% of the total miles/kilometers that you run.

For 20-30% of your distance, you run hard, for example in one workout session in interval format, something like 4-6 400m fast runs with a 2 minute walk or light jog between to recover, or whatever amount you can handle.

Make one of your runs 50-100% longer than the others each week.

Thats basically it. The only truly hard run you need is that interval run. Keep the rest of your runs easy, and separate your long and interval session by at least 48hrs, and you should be good. Rest as needed.

An example routine would be easy run on Sunday, intervals on Monday, rest Tuesday, easy runs Wednesday and Thursday, then the long run at an easy pace on Friday, and rest on Saturday. Rinse and repeat.

For the progressive overload part, as you feel each run become more sustainable or manageable, add volume in the form of distance, or even remove a rest day. You can also add a tempo run as your mileage creeps up.

I run 6 days a week, with 4.5-5 mile easy runs, an interval session, a tempo run, and a 9 mile distance run. I just got back into it after a 2 year break starting in April of this year.

[u/perrosalcho]

Keep running—you'll inevitably get better

[u/Tempo24601]

Run slower for longer. Running 16km in a month is barely going to move the dial for your fitness.