Masters Running | How to keep and increase your speed as a masters runner

You may have noticed it if you’ve been a runner for a while—your speed begins to fall off.

So does that mean from now on, you should do only long, slow miles? 

Should you avoid speed work when you’re in your 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, and beyond? 

Or should you do more speed work to combat this decline? And risk getting hurt? 

The good news is, you can still do hard runs (and it can be one of the best things you do)—whether that’s a track session or a tempo run—as long as you adapt and adjust your training. 

Let’s dive into the tips that will help you keep and increase your speed as a masters runner.

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WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR SPEED WHEN YOU’RE A MASTERS RUNNER?

With every year, your body’s ability to breathe in oxygen and drive it to the rest of your body declines, but you can slow this decline with one speed session a week.

So why is this oxygen ability and delivery essential to you as a runner?

It’s because you need energy for your runs, and oxygen is used to break down glucose for energy. 

Technically, this whole oxygen process is called Volume Oxygen Maximum, otherwise known as VO2 Max.

That means your VO2 Max is how much oxygen (your oxygen maximum) you can process in a minute, based on your weight. 

The most accurate VO2 Max number comes from VO2 Max testing, where you’ll run on a treadmill while wearing a face mask that measures the volume and gas concentrations of each inhale and exhale. 

Not into that kind of testing? You won’t get a number, but your VO2 Max is how long you can endure a maximum effort for a handful of minutes.

What this all really means is that you have a high ability to take in and drive oxygen to the rest of your body. 

But this oxygen means nothing if your body doesn’t know what to do with it. 

You still need to tell your body what to do with all this oxygen, and that’s where speed work plays a big part in keeping and improving your speed. 

Let’s dive into the tips for doing speed work as a masters runner.

4 TIPS FOR SPEED WORK AS A MASTERS RUNNER

Start with one speed run a week

Speedwork is stressful on your body, and because of this, a little bit goes a long way. And this is especially critical if you haven’t done speed work in some time.

You need to introduce these hard sessions slowly and carefully because you don’t want to increase your risk of getting hurt.

Begin with one hard session a week to see how you respond to this type of run.

Did it take a lot out of you? How much recovery time did you need?

Your body doesn’t recover on a strict timeline, so allow yourself time to recover from these speed sessions. More rest is always better than too little. 

Do a walking warm-up before your run

Walking is a gentle way to prep your muscles for running by warming them up gradually, without the high impact forces of running. 

Try a 10-minute walk before your run to prepare your body and mind for what’s to come.

Do 4 x 400 meters at a hard pace (or your 5K pace), with a 3-minute recovery between each 400 meters

This interval run is only a suggestion—always feel free to modify or adjust based on how you feel on any given day. 

Make this workout easier by:

• Doing 2 or 3 intervals at 400 meters
• Changing the interval length from 400 meters to 200 meters
• Extending the recovery time between each interval from 3-minutes to 4-minutes

Make this workout harder by:

• Doing 6 intervals instead of 4
• Extending the length of each interval to 600 meters or 800 meters
• Decreasing the recovery time between each interval to 1 or 2-minutes

Remember to stay in tune to how you feel throughout this run. Do you feel dizzy? Do you have any sharp pains? If you do, stop your workout.  

Need more running workouts? Sneak in more speedwork and build strength with these hill workouts.

Cool down with a 10-minute walk or jog

An easy jog or a walk after a hard session brings your heart rate down gradually, so you don’t feel dizzy and lightheaded. 

CONCLUSION

As a masters runner, you can still do hard runs and push your speed, as long as you adapt and adjust your training. 

But making adjustments to your running is easier said than done. That’s why this free guide is here to help you decide when to adjust your run or rest.