Can you help give me some tips for improving my running speed when I do running workouts?

A lot of times if you peak with speed, it’s because your form is off. Work your form and that should help a lot.

1. Longer distances. If you increase your mileage, it will be easier to run shorter distances faster.

2. Run intervals. I like 400s: run 400 meters all out, as fast as you can, rest, then do it again, 6–8 times total. You can also do 800s (a half mile) or 200s, and you can do as many or as few as you want.

Do you have any interest in running outside? Running on terrain with uphills and downhills might help you a lot.

I find that my running posture on a treadmill and the way I end up running overall differs a bit from road running i.e. on a treadmill, I have more vertical bouncing movement with somewhat faster turnover of my feet – and the more vertical posture makes my breathing easier too.

Road running bends my upper body forward with a lot less vertical bouncing and somehow that makes me breathe harder; my turnover is also a little slower and I have to work harder to lift my feet. Those differences in how I hold my body seem to affect my speed as well…

I guess what I’m saying is that you might want to train less on treadmills or elipticals and do more work instead on the actual race conditions on the road/track/trail… I’m no expert but this is just based on my experience running. Fartleks as mentioned by the earlier post also help…

I became really fast and gained a lot of endurance when I did a certain type of interval training. My coach’s principle was 60% of the cycle at “medium”, 35% at “fast” and 5% at “slow,” over and over. For example- I’d do 1/6 mile at 50–60% speed, 1/8 at 90% speed (fast but not fast enough to lose form), then 1/16 mile at a brisk walk.

Go to your local track. You need to focus on shorter distances such as 300,400,600 and 800 meters. Do this twice a week to start. One of my work outs for my team (I ran the 400) was 800,600,400,400,600,800×2–3 times. Remember you need to have a pace. Depending on your experience and endurance. I go to states for the 400 and my target time for practice is a 66 my average race time is a 61 so I do take it a little slower. Bring a stop watch and see how it goes. Remember your not suppose to be dead hunched over after each one. Take a 1 min break after you finish one. Good luck!

thanks everyone.