When incorporating intervals and walking into your runs, it’s beneficial to work on speeding up your walking segments. Faster walking can improve your overall time, making your training more effective. Here are some tips and techniques to help you walk faster during your runs.
Why Walk Faster?
Improving your walking speed during intervals is crucial because it reduces the overall time spent on walking, allowing you to cover more distance efficiently. Whether you’re following the Galloway run-walk-run method or another interval training program, every second counts.
Common Reasons for Slow Walking
Understanding why you walk slowly is the first step to improving your pace. Common reasons include:
Fatigue from running: You may slow down to recover.
Slow steps: Taking leisurely strides instead of purposeful ones.
Lack of focus: Not paying attention to your walking technique.
Tips to Walk Faster
Increase Your Cadence: Take smaller, quicker steps rather than long, slow strides. Increased cadence is more efficient and can help you move faster.
Practice Bigger Steps Initially: When you first start walking after a run, take bigger steps to set a strong pace. Once you’ve recovered a bit, shift to smaller, quicker steps.
Focus on Your Form: Just as with running, maintaining good form is essential for walking. Keep an upright posture and engage your core.
Train Your Walking: Incorporate more walking into your daily routine. Walk to the store, during lunch breaks, or go hiking on weekends. Consistent practice will naturally improve your speed.
Incorporate Hills: Walking uphill strengthens your legs and improves endurance, both of which contribute to faster walking.
Improve Recovery: Work on recovering more quickly from your running segments. Faster recovery means you can maintain a quicker walking pace.
Enhance Your Endurance
Building better endurance through running will also help your walking. One effective method is Fartlek training, which involves running at varying speeds to improve overall stamina. This kind of interval training can accelerate your recovery time, allowing you to walk faster during intervals.
Practice, Practice, Practice
The key to improving both your running and walking speeds is consistent practice. The more you train, the more efficient you become. Consider these activities:
Daily Walks: Integrate walking into your daily routine.
Hill Training: Use hills to build strength and endurance.
Fartlek Running: Implement Fartlek sessions to enhance recovery and speed.
Training your walking speed will positively impact your running, and vice versa. If you need more tips on running faster, check out my e-book on improving run speed.
With these techniques, you’ll be able to cover more distance during your walking intervals, boosting your overall performance. Keep practicing, stay focused, and get out there and run!
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