Running for Speed: Part 3

Know How Fast You're Running

There are a range of ways to estimate how fast you're actually running, while you do it:

Knowing the distance and time regularly such as on a 400m track, 500m or 1km marks on a flat footpath. All you'll then need is a stopwatch and a good mathmatics brain/calculator.

Pedometer based systems which calculate speeds based on a pre-entered stride length multiplied by stride frequency which is recorded each time your foot lands.

A GPS training system which calculates your speed depending on how far you travel every second or so. 

Treadmills turn the conveyor belt at the speed you input, meaning you just need to keep up.

Each system has it's advantages and disadvantages which I'll discuss in this post. I'll also discuss my preferred methods and where i see the future of speed analysis going.

Distance Track with Stop Watch

Using a track can be boring if you're not used to running in such an environment. Even a 1km track can get monotinous if you're running more than 6km. If you're a numbers person and can keep your focus on pace and running technique then the time can fly by but that also depends whether you're doing even paced or interval training. 

Using a basic stopwatch and a track as described above is by far the cheapest option as the most tracking devices rarely come for less than $300NZ.

It is harder to know whether you're going at the right speed until you're approaching the next marker/lap as you can only see how much time you have to get to the next marker. This can often leave you speeding up or slowing down to a walk in order to stick to the correct average speeds. 

If you're using the most basic stopwatch you'll need to print out your split times or record them on your hand every workout. If you have a lap timer then you only need to know how much time you're allowed on each fast and slow lap which means no comparing pen to watch. If you don't keep an eye on the overall time it's easy to get away from the overall average speed of the workout, even if you're only missing the prescrided time by a few seconds each lap.

GPS Training Devices

GPS is the most accurate distance running speed analysis tool i have used next to a cycle speedometer. The ones i have used fluctuate a lot at slower instantaneous running speeds but level off at average speeds over 100m+. As a result i set the display to average lap speed so i know i just need to keep the speed as close to that prescribed as possible until the next marker/split. 

If you can set an auto lap then you can run anywhere flat and with relatively little wind. Having used the Garmin Forerunner series of devices i struggle to go for a run without one now as i just can't stand not knowing my average speeds and heart rates. When you can download your speeds, heart rates, elevation and distances into a graph and chart it doesn't take long to figure out why you got that stitch, muscle cramp or simply started feeling empty. It will also become obvious why you had such a good run that you just wanted to pick up the pace over the final 2km to use what was left in the tank! This is the best feeling you can get in traininer and part of the reasons we runners run. 

GPS Application on your Smartphone
There are now hundreds of Applications such as RunKeeper and Map My Run which are gaining popularity and I suspect it won't be long before the wireless watch and heart rate monitor are made available to make it easier to monitor speed and heart rate while you run.

RunKeeper allows your iphone's built in GPS system to display your current speed, distance and time. I am yet to use one as i don't have an iphone, but i've had a few NZ friends report that the GPS keeps loosing signal so i'd be interested to hear from anyone who has tried this app overseas. I've read good things on the website so i'm sure the GPS signal will improve as will the application. As technology advances, i doubt the training aids will be able to keep up with the cell phones although i haven't run with an iphone strapped to my upper arm yet. 

Foot Pods/Pedometers

My experiences with top of the line polar pedometers are not great when compared to cycle speedo and gps in the same session. Due to this i do not use them but if you've paid out for one and do not want to switch to a gps device then try to recalibrate it to match the speed of a cycle speedo over 1km at around 80% max. Even if it's not spot on it will at least give you an idea of when you're slowing down or going too fast relative to what you were at the start of the session. You can still compare how long it took you to run the total distance to the prescribed time to determine whether you went too fast or slow.

Treadmills

Treadmills are very good at keeping us at the correct speeds but how much they help our outdoor running is up for discussion. I suggest using a 1-2degree incline to make up for the fact you're not actually propelling yourself forward so much as you are propelling yourself vertically. I'll use a treadmill if it's no good outside but you need to find out how much easier you find the same workout on a flat treadmill so you can figure out the amount of incline to use. 

In Summary

• It's not good enough to be prescribed workouts based on time running at perceived intensities 
• You can get a program which sets the speeds for you to run at 
• You can run at those speeds, knowing that you're doing the best to make optimal improvements to your running.

This article is derived from the STS Fitness and Nutrition Website