Finding my speed - how do I run faster?

Ah, the joy of a good run! Today I could no longer hold back, I had to run. 

It's been 8 days since the Geelong Half (my reality check race here) and I am feeling much better. I had itchy feet so couldn't resist a quick run. 

It was also a great way to speed test the inov-8 Bare X-Lite 150 shoes (my review here). 

On my last Dandy Runners run (my enjoyable runs) I was chatting with Peter and got talking about how fast I can run. I happily do 4:15s of a good day. 'How fast can you go?' was his question. To be honest, I don't know. Now I do. 

After a 7 minute warm up on the bike I hit the tready. I was aiming for:

400m @ 4:30 then 60 sec rest (All mins to the km)

400m @ 4:15 then 60 sec rest

400m @ 4:00 then 60 sec rest

400m @ 3:45 then 60 sec rest

400m @ 3:30 then 60 sec rest

400m @ 3:15 then 60 sec rest

and 400m @3:00 then hopefully be still standing!

I also wanted to try out the 3-2 breathing to footstrike that I had read about in the April Runners World.

Essentially it is inhale for 3 strides and then exhale for 2. The theory is that you are stronger when inhaling and the 3-2 ratio means that you land on alternate steps for each exhale. Landing on alternate steps minimizes the risk or repetitive stress injury to a set side. It was time to learn the correct breathing while running and how fast can I run.

At each of the 4:30--4:00 minute reps I felt really comfortable. I was able to breath at a comfortable rate and really managed my breathing rate - alternating the exhale on the left and right each time. It felt good and I felt strong. 

At 3:45 I had to increase my tempo and my breathing rate naturally went with it. I was breathing more quickly but did not feel under stress. I felt as though I could manage this pace for a longer distance - perhaps 3-5km but that was not the purpose of this test. 

At 3:30 I felt I needed to stretch my stride a little and again my tempo and leg speed had to be upped. The inov-8 Bare X-Lite 150s felt great. I was running fast and they were responding. At this point Leigh from Refine Training told me to run more on my fronts as I was landing more heavily on the tready, a sign that I was starting to push it a little? Or was I more focused on matching my breathing rate to my foot strike?

3:15 was manageable for the 400m. I could just keep the 3-2 breathing ratio but I'm not sure I was getting good deep breaths. I may need to experiment with the 2-1 Inhale exhale ratio next time. 

3:00, this pace really pushed me. I let my breathing focus go and just did what felt natural. I really had to push my leg speed way up there and extend my stride. I felt I was able to keep my natural form and felt lighter on my feet but I was happy to run 300m and back it off before I did any damage. 

I finished with 400m @ 4:30 pace (it felt like a stroll in the park) before an easy 5 minutes on the bike. 

What did I achieve today? Well, I can answer Peters question now. I can run at 3:15 minute kms for perhaps a km. I feel as though I could run 3:30s for 3-5km if I get the right breathing pattern, a flat road/track and a nice tail wind. 

Where to from here? I want to find the right balance between power and speed, recovery and a weekly long run. I want to be a faster 10km runner for the Winter Trail series races that are about to start.

How will I do it? I need to talk to the right people, but I feel I can do a weekly 8-10km tempo run incorporating 3:30s to 4:15s and either active (walking) or complete rest sections. It will be quality, not quantity. These runs will be city block to city block at the 3:30s - 4:00s pace, then a 4:15 block, back to 3:30s followed by complete rest or walking recovery - teaching the body to learn to run fast and make it the norm.

Once a week my circuit class will incorporate HITs on the treadmill doing 400-600m blocks at sub 4min pace with quality rest and recovery periods. I will be building the pace and distance in a pyramid style to work towards my anaerobic/aerobic limits - learning to run faster.

I'll be hitting the Dandenong Ranges for a weekly 10-20km long run, which will be a mix of hard and fast hills, long slow hills, flat fast sections and flat, slow sections. 

My aim is to be faster over 10km. I want to break 40min on a flat and be consistently faster on the trails. 

Keep following to find out how I go...

Inov-8 Bare X-Lite 150 - The best running shoe review

The Inov-8 Bare X Lite 150s

If you've been following my blog you'll know I was rather keen on the new Inov-8 f-lite 232 and the amazing looking Road Extreme 138s. Both are part of the new 2013 range, offering the Inov-8s wider anatomical last and zero shock (0mm drop). 

So why did I use my hard earned coin on the older series, the Inov-8 Bare X-Lite 150? What made me go a little old school? 

It was the lure of the additional 3mm stack height, the total 7mm of blown evo foam that would offer my feet that little extra protection underfoot while out on the roads. While it is the lightest shoe in the Inov-8 Bare-X range, it's not the most minimalist, and I'm glad for that. That prize went to the Bare X-Lite 180, or now it's the Inov-8 Road Extreme 138. 

Ash at anotherfnrunner.com wrote a brilliant comparative review of the Bare X-Lite 150, 180 and 200 - the three shoes in the Inov-8 Bare-X range. It went along way to helping my decision as well: http://www.anotherfnrunner.com/2012/02/lets-compare-bare-x-180-bare-x-200-and.html

Between the Skora Base offered at barefootinc.com.au for $99 and the New Balance Minimus 10v2 at the adventuremegastore.com.au I was almost drawn away from Inov-8, but I wanted to finish my natural running journey. 

Inov-8 Road Range - Red Road X 233, Black Road X-lite 155
and the Blue and Red Bare X Lite 150

I'm also at the point where I have no hesitation in pulling on my zero drop Inov-8 Trailroc 235s (Look in shoes and stuff to see my review) and hitting the trails for a 20km plus run. Time to make the move onto the roads. 

Over the Easter break I bit the bullet and ordered the Bare X- Lite 150. I was taking the first step to completing the natural running journey with Inov-8. I had read they were generously sized so I ordered a 7, down on my usual 7.5. Kudos to barefootinc.com and AustPost for the great 2 day turn around from the Sydney warehouse to my doorstep. 

My initial impression was that I was stoked that I went with the blue with the red quicklace. They look amazing and felt feather light. Big ticks in a go fast shoe. Putting them on, they felt larger than anticipated, I was hoping for a more snug fit but I was soon able to adjust the quicklace system to get them feeling just right. The kids also loved the bones on the sole.

The quicklace system? For these shoes Inov-8 have ditched the traditional laces for a slightly elasticity lace that is embedded at the base of the midfoot area in the overlay (see the pic, it makes so much more sense than my guff).

Quick lace meets at the bottom of the blue mesh

The laces meet at the top and are neatly held together with a plastic clip which you squeeze and pull and magic, the laces are done! Not everyone has agreed with it, but so far I've found it very effective and... quick! 

So, shoes on, how do they feel? As I mentioned earlier, they are roomy, but as I wore them and my feet warmed the felt just right. I have a little length in my right foot, but when your left is a size bigger that'll happen. I have ample toe room, yet the mid foot feels just right. 

The mesh overlay and quicklace system work harmoniously together my feet are held nicely in place. 

A lot of people have talked about ground feel, especially in the more minimalist type shoes. At this stage of my running it is not a crucial aspect, and I got thinking about what it really is. So in the past few weeks I've taken extra notice while running in my Inov-8 X-Lite 155s. Yes, the road feels hard. I can feel the cracks in the pavement and little stones and pebbles on the footpaths as I run. So I devised a little side by side comparison test. 

The Bare X-lite 150s and the X-Lite 155 both have the same blown rubber, fusion sole. They are incredibly soft yet strangely firm. They bend and twist anyway that your foot does, even more so cause I don't know anyone who can bend their foot in half or squeeze to meet in the middle vertically. 

With one foot clad in black and the other in blue I threw some twigs and stones out on the footpath and went for a walk and a run. Walking along i could feel the cracks in the pavement, the twigs under-feet and the stones hurt, especially in the more tender mid foot areas when I stepped on them. 

I certainly felt more through the black X Lite 155s, which I was hoping as it has 4mm less in the sole. Remember I'm after that little extra cushioning. Score one to the Inov-8 Bare X Lite 150.

Not all paths are perfect

But these are running shoes. So lets run. I eventually found a rhythm that would let me hit the cracks in the pavement and I landed on the sticks and stones enough to break my bones. No, not really but if you want to go out and land on every stone you can find, these are not the shoes for you. Again, I got great feel and some pain from the black 155s, the blue 150s certainly gave me more cushioning from the stones. Score two to the Inov-8 Bare X Lite 150. 

So far the Inov-8 Bare X Lite 150s have had all the boxes ticked. Great fit, good cushioning but still sound road feel, awesome colours so now it's time for a run. 

My first run was a quick 4km. I varied the tempo from 5 min kms to as quick as 4:05 min kms and the felt fast. They rewarded a quicker tempo and cadence and I felt like a kid again. Just running because I can. But 4km is not very far now is it. How about 21km? In a half marathon race? 

Why? Why not? On the trail I would pull out the Trailroc 235s without a second thought. I'm comfortable with the Inov-8 range and essentially these are a very similar shoe with that additional cushioning. 

Out in the race they felt great. I hit a natural rhythmic pace quite quickly and they felt good. I was getting good feel off the trail/footpath and had to think about my form but it was positive thinking. After 7-8km they began to give a little and I felt more and more comfortable underfoot as the race went on. At this point there were no hot spots, no rubbing or slipping and I was very comfortable. 

By 15/16km I had begun to fatigue (I went into the race after two days in bed during the week) and I had to really work on my running. My quads we heavy and my hips became noticeable but my feet were still comfortable. When I was able to put in some quicker spurts I was again rewarded why a more natural run, so I know that I have to keep working on this. Perhaps for me I am still suited to 3 or 4mm underfoot in the longer races, but for 10kms and under the Inov-8 Bare X-Lite 150 will be the shoe I use. 

How cool is the bone pattern on the White Bare X?

So 25km is not all that far in a pair of shoes. I know that they will hold up as all the reviews I read prior to writing mine have praised their durability. My Inov-8 Road X-Lite 150s have done nearly 400km and although wearing at the high contact points of my running cycle, there is still a lot of life left in them. 

Speaking of soles, I had to race across wet brick pavement the other day and the 150s got me across safe and sound. On my recent runs in the rain they have be terrific - no grip problems at all. 

Well, I've now got a couple of hundred kms on my Bare X-lite 150s and I still love them. The sole has molded to my foot and the grip is wearing quite well. If you look at the tread it does wear according to how you land, I am obviously quite heavy on my right foot compared to my left. 
Cushioning wise they are good, I can do my 5 - 12km runs in them and the feet still feel fresh at the end. 

I would perhaps like a little more strength or firmness in the sole as I get a little underfoot muscle tension after the occasional run - perhaps these are a good training tool, rather than the race day beast I thought. Having said that I'm trying to get more track work into my routine and these are great for my speed work. 

If you like the sound of them, I'm part of Wiggles affiliate program, so why not head on there via my link and check them out :)

Cheers and happy running, Lachie

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