Boost Running Performance With "Strides"
What are Strides?
Strides, also known as sprint intervals or pick-ups, involve incorporating short bursts of speed into a run. Typically, a stride lasts between 20-30 seconds and takes place on flat or slightly inclined terrain. Strides are performed at a higher intensity, faster pace, and with a more significant range of motion than a regular jog.
Why are Strides Beneficial?
Integrating strides into a running plan offers the following benefits:
Improved Running Form: Fast sprinting can enhance foot turnover rate, arm swing, and body posture, all of which are key elements of proper running form.
Increased Speed: Doing strides once or twice a week can help the body grow accustomed to running at an increased pace. This improved speed can facilitate firefighters' ability to move quickly over rough terrain, even with heavy gear and equipment.
More Efficient Body Use: Strides help train the body to use energy in a more efficient manner. This efficiency can translate to earlier fatigue and a lower risk of injury.
Incremental Training: Working up from shorter, slower strides to longer, faster sprints can serve as a motivational tool, as firefighters can celebrate their progress and see real improvements in running performance.
How Can You Incorporate Strides in Your Running Plan?
Integrating strides into a running plan is straightforward. Here are the steps to take:
Start Gradually: To avoid injury, it's essential to add strides gradually to your running plan. For example, my favorite introduction to strides workout is below:
-15 minute warm up at Aerobic Threshold
-5x30 second strides w/ 2.5 minute recovery @ AeT in between
This workout takes 30 minutes in total. 15:00 for the warm up and 15:00 for the 5 sets of strides.
Check out this blog on how to calculate your Aerobic Threshold
Progress Volume: I recommend only doing strides once or twice a week, alongside regular runs. Too many strides workouts in total, or too many too soon, can lead to injury, fatigue, or burnout.
Monitor Progress: My go-to way to track progress with strides is to track average heart rate. Over time, as your aerobic fitness increased, you should see a drop in your average heart rate when conducting the same workouts. Keep in mind other factors that influence heart rate such as temperature, caffeine intake, stress, etc.
By gradually and intentionally adding strides, runners can see improvements in speed, body efficiency, and overall performance. So, whether as part of a training plan or a regular running routine, strides are an essential component to consider in your running plan.
Do You Need Help Designing a Running Plan?
You might be interested in my 16 week running plan. This program contains examples of “strides” workouts, as well as threshold runs, aerobic based runs, and more.
As a thank you for checking out my article I want to offer you a $10 OFF coupon to use on my running plan. Simply click the button below and use code Blog10 to redeem the coupon at checkout!
