Reasons Your Running Speed is Lagging and How to Fix Them

About the Author

Doug Adams PT, DPT, SCS, OCS, CSCS Dr. Doug Adams is a Physical Therapist who has published and spoken at an international level on all things related to running. Doug has taught thousands of professionals his systematic approach to providing personalized plans for runners through the Certified Running Gait Analyst and Endurance Running Coaching courses. He also designed and created a portable 3D Motion Analysis system called Helix 3D for analyzing and categorizing running form that is used widely throughout the Department of Defense, professional sports, and commercial sectors.

Reason 1: Poor Running Form

Many runners, especially beginners, often overlook the importance of form, focusing more on mileage and pace. However, even seasoned runners can develop bad habits over time that can slow them down.

Some common form mistakes include overstriding, improper arm movement, and a hunched posture. Overstriding, where your foot lands too far in front of your body, can cause a braking effect, slowing you down and increasing the risk of injuries like Shin Splints. Improper arm movement, such as swinging your arms across your body, can throw off your balance and waste energy. A hunched posture can restrict breathing and reduce the efficiency of your stride.

Tips to Improve Running Form

Improving your running form involves making conscious adjustments and practicing good habits until they become second nature. To improve your running form:

Maintain a Tall Posture: Keep your head up, back straight, and shoulders relaxed. Imagine a string pulling you upward from the top of your head.
Engage Your Core: A strong core helps maintain stability and proper posture. Incorporate core exercises into your training routine.
Land Midfoot: Aim to land on the middle of your foot rather than your heel or toes. This helps with shock absorption and promotes a smoother stride.
Use Your Arms Efficiently: Keep your elbows bent at a 90-degree angle and swing your arms forward and backward, not across your body. Your hands should move from your waist to chest height.
Adjusting Your Stride: Take shorter, quicker steps to improve efficiency and reduce the risk of overstriding.

Reason 2: Inadequate Strength Training

Strength training helps develop the muscle power needed to propel you forward with each stride. Stronger muscles contribute to a more efficient running form and greater force production.

Strength training also enhances joint stability and reduces the risk of injuries, helping you to train consistently and maintain your weekly running schedule.

For runners, it’s essential to target specific muscle groups that are heavily engaged during running.

Leg Muscles: The quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and glutes are the primary muscles used in running. Strengthening these muscles can improve your stride efficiency and power.
Core Muscles: A strong core helps maintain proper posture and balance. This can reduce unnecessary energy and enhance your overall running form.
Hip Muscles: Hip flexors and abductors are crucial for maintaining stability and preventing common running injuries such as IT band syndrome and runner’s knee.

Effective Strength Training Exercises for Runners

Incorporating a variety of strength training exercises into your routine can help address muscle weaknesses and improve overall performance. Here are some effective exercises for runners:

Squats: Strengthen your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. Perform bodyweight squats, goblet squats, or barbell squats to build lower body strength.
Lunges: Target your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. Forward, reverse, and walking lunges are all beneficial variations.
Deadlifts: These focus on your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. Deadlifts also help improve core strength and stability.
Planks: These exercises enhance core strength and stability. For added difficulty, incorporate variations such as side planks and planks with leg lifts.
Hip Bridges: These can strengthen your glutes and lower back. Single-leg bridges can add an extra challenge and help address imbalances.

By integrating these exercises into your training regimen, you can address the issue of inadequate strength training. Try to perform strength training workouts 2-3 times per week, focusing on proper form and gradually increasing the intensity. This will help improve your running speed and contribute to your overall fitness and injury prevention.

Reason 3: Lack of Interval Training

Interval training, which alternates between high-intensity bursts and periods of lower intensity or rest, is a powerful tool for enhancing speed, endurance, and overall running performance.

Interval training offers numerous benefits for runners aiming to increase their speed:

Improved Cardiovascular Fitness: High-intensity intervals challenge your cardiovascular system more than steady-state running.
Enhanced Muscle Efficiency: Alternating between fast and slow paces helps improve the efficiency of muscle fibers.
Increased Lactate Threshold: Interval training helps your body become more efficient at clearing lactic acid.
Burn More Calories: High-intensity intervals boost your metabolism, helping you burn more calories both during and after your workout.

How to Incorporate Intervals into Your Routine

Without incorporating interval training into your routine, you might find it challenging to push past speed plateaus and achieve new personal bests.

To effectively incorporate interval training into your running routine:

Start Slowly: If you’re new to interval training, begin with one interval session per week and gradually increase the frequency and intensity as your fitness improves.
Mix It Up: Vary your interval workouts to keep things interesting and prevent overuse injuries. Alternate between different types of intervals, such as short sprints, longer tempo intervals, and hill repeats.
Listen to Your Body: Interval training is intense, so pay attention to how your body responds. Allow a good amount of recovery time between interval sessions and adjust the intensity or duration if you experience excessive fatigue or discomfort.
Combine with Other Training: Balance interval training with other workouts, such as long runs, easy runs, and strength training, for a well-rounded program that addresses all aspects of your running fitness.

Sample Interval Training Workouts

Here are some sample workouts to get you started:

Basic Interval Workout: Warm up with 10 minutes of easy running, then alternate 1 minute of fast running (at 80-90% of your maximum effort) with 2 minutes of slow jogging or walking. Repeat this cycle 6-8 times, then cool down with 10 minutes of easy running.
Pyramid Intervals: Warm up with 10 minutes of easy running. Run intervals of 1, 2, 3, 2, and 1 minute at a high intensity, with equal rest periods of slow jogging or walking in between. Cool down with 10 minutes of easy running.
Hill Intervals: Find a moderate hill (4-6% grade). After a 10-minute warm-up, run uphill at a hard effort for 30-60 seconds, then walk or jog back down to recover. Repeat 6-10 times, followed by a 10-minute cool-down.

Reason 4: Insufficient Warm-Up and Cool-Down

While it might be tempting to just jump straight into your run or finish abruptly, these practices can hinder your performance and increase the risk of injury. A thorough warm-up prepares your body for the demands of running, while a good cool-down helps your body recover and adapt.

Importance of Proper Warm-Up

A proper warm-up is essential for priming your body for the physical exertion of running. It gradually increases your heart rate, boosts blood flow to your muscles, and enhances joint mobility. Skipping this step can leave your muscles stiff and unprepared, leading to slower speeds and a higher risk of strains or sprains.

Effective Warm-Up Exercises for Runners

Dynamic Stretching: Perform leg swings, high knees, and butt kicks to loosen up your muscles and increase your range of motion.
Light Jogging: Start with a slow jog to gradually raise your heart rate and get your blood circulating to your muscles.
Drills: Incorporate running drills like skipping, carioca (grapevine), and bounding to activate the muscles you’ll use during your run.

Importance of Proper Cool-Down

A cool-down is equally important as it helps your body transition from intense activity to a state of rest. It removes metabolic waste products from your muscles, which minimizes muscle stiffness and promotes flexibility. Without a proper cool-down, you might experience prolonged muscle soreness and slower recovery.

Effective Cool-Down Techniques

To cool down effectively, spend about 10-15 minutes performing the following activities:

Gradual Slowdown: After your run, gradually decrease your pace to a slow jog or brisk walk to help your heart rate and breathing return to normal.
Static Stretching: Perform static stretches targeting the major muscle groups used during your run, such as your quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and hip flexors. Hold each stretch for 20-30 seconds.
Foam Rolling: Use a foam roller to massage out any tight spots and improve muscle recovery. Focus on areas like your calves, quads, and glutes.

Reason 5: Improper Nutrition

What you eat fuels your body, and the right nutrients can make a substantial difference in how well you run. Neglecting proper nutrition can lead to energy deficits, poor recovery, and suboptimal performance.

Essential Nutrients for Runners

Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats each play a critical role in fueling your runs, repairing muscle tissues, and maintaining overall health. Eating poorly can cause your body to struggle to keep up with the demands of training, often causing fatigue and decreased performance.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are runners’ primary source of energy. They are stored as glycogen in their muscles and liver and are crucial for maintaining stamina and endurance during long runs. Try to include complex carbohydrates like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables in your diet.

Proteins

Protein is essential for muscle repair and recovery. It helps rebuild muscle tissues that are broken down during exercise. Include lean protein sources such as chicken, fish, eggs, beans, and nuts in your meals.

Fats

Healthy fats provide a concentrated source of energy and are important for overall health. Incorporate sources of unsaturated fats like avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil into your diet.

Vitamins and Minerals

Micronutrients like iron, calcium, and magnesium are vital for energy production, bone health, and muscle function. Make sure you’re getting a variety of fruits and vegetables to cover these nutritional needs.

Pre-Run and Post-Run Nutrition Tips

Pre-Run Nutrition

Try to eat a meal rich in carbohydrates and moderate in protein about 2-3 hours before your run. For example, a bowl of oatmeal with fruit or a banana with peanut butter can be effective. If you’re short on time, a small snack like an energy bar or a piece of fruit 30-60 minutes before running can also help.

Post-Run Nutrition

After your run, your body needs to replenish glycogen stores and repair muscle tissues. Consume a meal or snack within 30 minutes of finishing your run that includes both carbohydrates and protein. A smoothie with yogurt and berries, or a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread, can be excellent choices.

Hydration and Its Impact on Running

Staying hydrated is another critical aspect of proper nutrition. Dehydration can lead to decreased performance, increased heart rate, and impaired muscle function.

Reason 6: Mental Barriers

The mind plays a crucial role in athletic performance, and overcoming psychological hurdles can unlock your true potential.

Some common issues I’ve encountered are:

Negative Self-Talk: Constantly doubting your abilities and telling yourself you can’t achieve certain speeds can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Fear of Failure: Worrying about not meeting your goals or comparing yourself to others can create unnecessary pressure.
Performance Anxiety: Feeling anxious about an upcoming race or a training session can drain your energy and focus.
Lack of Motivation: Struggling to find the drive to push yourself harder during training can lead to a plateau in performance.

Techniques to Overcome Mental Blocks

Overcoming mental barriers involves developing strategies to manage your thoughts and emotions effectively. Some of the most powerful tips that have helped me are::

Positive Self-Talk: Replace negative thoughts with positive affirmations. Remind yourself of your strengths and past successes. For instance, telling yourself, “I am strong and capable of improving my speed,” can boost your confidence.
Goal Setting: Set realistic and achievable goals to stay motivated. Break down larger goals into smaller, manageable steps. Celebrate your progress along the way.
Visualization: Practice visualizing your success. Imagine yourself running smoothly and achieving your desired speed. Visualization can help reduce anxiety and improve focus.
Mindfulness and Relaxation: Incorporate mindfulness techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, or yoga into your routine. These practices can help you stay calm and focused during runs.
Routine and Consistency: Establish a pre-run routine that includes mental preparation. Consistent routines can create a sense of control and reduce anxiety.

Reason 7: Lack of Flexibility

Flexibility affects several aspects of your running mechanics:

Stride length can increase flexibility and allow for a longer stride. Range of motion can allow flexible muscles and joints to move through their full range of motion more easily. Muscle efficiency helps flexible muscles contract and relax more effectively, which enhances your overall power and speed.

Stretching Routines for Runners

Incorporating regular flexibility training into your routine can help improve your running performance and reduce the risk of injury.

Hamstring Stretch: Sit on the ground with one leg extended and the other bent. Reach forward toward your toes, keeping your back straight. Hold for 20-30 seconds, then switch legs.
Quadriceps Stretch: Stand on one leg, grabbing the ankle of the other leg and pulling it toward your buttocks. Keep your knees close together and hold for 20-30 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
Calf Stretch: Stand facing a wall, with one foot forward and the other back. Press your back heel into the ground and lean forward slightly. Hold for 20-30 seconds, then switch legs.
Hip Flexor Stretch: Kneel on one knee with the other foot in front, forming a 90-degree angle. Push your hips forward gently, feeling the stretch in your hip flexor. Hold for 20-30 seconds, then switch sides.
IT Band Stretch: Cross one leg over the other and lean to the side of the crossed leg, reaching your arm overhead. Hold for 20-30 seconds, then switch sides.

Reason 8: Inappropriate Footwear

Wearing shoes that don’t match your foot type or running style can lead to discomfort, inefficiency, and even injuries, all of which can slow you down.

Choosing the right running shoes can make a significant difference in your speed and overall running experience. Look for:

Support and Stability: Proper running shoes provide the necessary support for your arches and stability for your ankles.
Cushioning and Comfort: Adequate cushioning absorbs shock and reduces the impact on your joints.
Fit and Flexibility: Shoes that fit well and offer flexibility in the right areas enable your feet to move naturally.

Choosing the Right Running Shoes

Selecting the right pair of running shoes involves considering several factors.

To choose the best footwear:

Understand Your Foot Type: Determine whether you have flat feet, high arches, or a neutral arch. This can help you choose shoes that provide the appropriate level of support and cushioning.
Analyze Your Running Gait: Visit a specialty running store to have your gait analyzed. This can reveal whether you experience overpronation, underpronation, or have a neutral stride, guiding you to the right shoe category.
Consider Your Running Environment: If you primarily run on roads, look for road-running shoes that offer cushioning and durability. For trail running, choose trail shoes with enhanced grip and protection.

Achieve Your Maximum Running Speed

Uncovering why your running speed is lagging and how to fix them is crucial for any runner looking to improve performance. So, take the time to evaluate your current habits and make the necessary adjustments to your training regimen. Keep pushing yourself, stay motivated, and enjoy the process of becoming a stronger, faster runner