There is an old running adage..."runners run and to run faster, runners run faster". If you consider that some people think we were designed to run 100 yards as fast as heck, and then climb the nearest available tree, to escape that hungry wolf, you begin to understand why all that slow, slow running we do on the treadmill, track or outdoors may not be enough for us. If we use our legs just enough to get around the track, we train our legs to do just that...get around the track. And just like in weight training, where the range of motion of the exercise is critical to its' efficacy, as is the recruitment of all available muscle fibers necessary to strengthen the whole muscle, the same holds true with walking, running, cycling and swimming. So a basic aerobic exercise done at the same level of intensity does not address the range of motion issue, nor does it address the use of all the muscle fibers in your legs. Over time, I believe we will experience a shortening of our walking stride length and a corresponding reduction in our lung capacity.

And that's another reason I think running faster is so important. If you don't train your lungs to take in as much air as possible, and your heart to beat faster than usual you will loose the capacity to do so. I guess it's the old "use it or loose it" story. In addition some faster running stretches out the muscles and helps adjust the bad biomechanics that seem to accrue from constant one-pace aerobic efforts. That's right, because we were not designed to shuffle along we may be creating the injuries that so many folks attribute to "running". With some specific workouts, that add a variety of paces and efforts over varying distances, you may be able to avoid injury, improve your aerobic capacity and run like you were young again. Think about it!

An easy way to start is to incorporate some faster running into your current running life. Try to add strides or pick-ups to every easy run you do. Let's say you were doing 4 miles at about 9:00 minutes per mile. You would either add on to the end of the run, or incorporate into the last portion of the run about 4 to 6 strides that last anywhere from 20 seconds to 60 seconds. You start out at your jogging pace and gradually "pick-up" the pace so that about halfway through the duration you reach a very brisk pace, then you gradually slow down so that at the end of the time you have returned to your jogging pace. Play with this effort until you become comfortable with the pace. The pace is probably about what you would be able to sustain for a mile. Because they are so short in duration it is hard to wear yourself out, yet you experience the joy of running at close to top speed. Even at the end of a long run adding some strides will help overcome the stress and strain of slow running by stretching out those tired and tight leg muscles in a natural way. If you enjoy this, it leads quite naturally to fartlek runs and then to those dreaded track workouts. But more on that later, in the meantime stretch out those legs and run like our ancestors!

Mike DeSanto works for Racquet's Edge, Essex, Vermont as the Running Coach. He is a certified RoadRunners Club of America Running Coach, as well as a freelance coach for runners in and around Burlington, Vermont and through the wonders of email and phone calls. He is the cross-country coach for Lake Champlain Waldorf School. As a runner he recently set a PR in the half marathon and competes ferociously in the 50-59 year old age group at local races. He is a certified personal trainer, a USATF Level I track & field coach, and CPR & First Aid certified. Mike adheres to the principles of Effort Based training developed by Coach Roy Benson, and has used it to help runners achieve Boston Qualifiers, Personal Records, or just simply run faster.