How fast do you run right now? For reference, this is what a 30-minute 5K pace looks like. Here's what a 20-minute 5K pace looks like.
And this is what a 15-minute 5K pace looks like. But no matter where you are right now, you can run significantly faster with less effort in just 50 days by following a science-based system designed to improve your speed, endurance, and efficiency. I'm a sports scientist, physiotherapist, and former professional athlete, and in this video, I'm going to show you how you can run significantly faster with less effort in just four simple steps.
First, how to train effectively using two key workouts. Second, how to structure your training plan for maximum results. Third, how to use nutrition and recovery to fuel your performance.
And finally, how to use supplements that actually make you faster. Even if you only follow part of this plan, you'll see noticeable improvements in how fast you run and how easy it is in just 50 days. A common myth in running is that if you just run more, you'll run faster and more efficient. But that's not true.
Imagine applying that logic to any other sport. Like saying you'll jump higher just by jumping more without strength training or technique training. To run faster with less effort, you'll need to be more efficient. you need to train with intensity and progression just like you would if you were starting to lift weights.
That means you need two key workouts. If you've ever felt out of breath running, that's your body struggling to get enough oxygen and struggling to get rid of enough CO2. Your VO2 max is how much oxygen your body can use when you're running at your hardest.
Think of it like a car engine. A bigger engine can take in more fuel and go faster. and it works the same with your lungs and your muscles. The higher your VO2 max, the more oxygen your muscles can use and the longer and faster you can run without slowing down.
Elite runners have insanely high VO2 max scores, which is one of the reasons they're so fast. But the good news is you can increase your VO2 max significantly in just 50 days with the right training. To run faster with less effort, you need to train at an intensity of that is so hard that you basically force your body to be able to take in more oxygen. The best way to do this is to use what's called VO2 max intervals.
These intervals push your body to the oxygen limit, forcing it to become better and evolve so you can take in more oxygen the next time. Here's exactly how to do it. Do a warm-up of 10 to 15 minutes, ending with a couple of strides. Then here's what you do. Do 4 by 4 minutes as fast as possible with the .
best average pace. This means that you'll probably run at around 90 to 95% of your max effort in the first three and then at 100% of your max effort in the last one. And then you rest for three minutes between each rep. Start with four reps the first week and then if you feel strong the next week, add one more and keep going like that until you reach seven. If it feels too hard, then keep the same number of reps, so four reps, but reduce the rest by 15 seconds.
every single week. You need to rest between half and equal your running time. Or put another way, if you run all out for four minutes, you need to rest between two minutes and four minutes.
These workouts train your body to handle more oxygen, meaning that after just a few weeks, you'll be able to run without getting out of breath so easily. You'll be able to run longer and faster. Think of your legs like springs. A stiff, powerful spring snaps back quickly and and propels you forward.
A weak slow spring absorbs a lot of force and just waste energy. If you want to run faster with less effort, then you need to turn your legs into powerful springs. Ones that push off the ground with more force and less effort. And that is exactly what speed and power drills do. These exercises train your muscles, your tendons, and your nervous system to produce more power.
with each and every step, which means you can run faster without getting tired so quickly. So let me show you some ways to train speed and power. The first way is hill sprints.
Find a hill with at least a 3% gradient, but the steeper the better. Then sprint for 10 to 12 seconds with a full recovery, so maybe two to three minutes before you do the next one. Then you do eight to 10 reps. Hill sprints forces your muscles to generate max power and develop explosive strength without heavy weights.
The second way is plyometric jumps. These train your body to use the ground as a trampoline, meaning that you'll have less ground contact time and you'll run faster with less effort. This study from 2023 showed a specific protocol we can use to enhance and running economy. Week one, you do five sets of 10 seconds of continuous jumping with 50 seconds of rest in between. You do this every single day.
Then every week, you add a bit of sets and rest a bit less like you can see in this protocol. Focus on minimal contact with the ground and maximum force when jumping. The third way to train power and speed is what's called strides. Strides are 50 to 150 meters of running at speeds of around a one mile pace up to a five kilometer pace.
Strides helps you develop relaxed, efficient speed without tying you out. It also teaches your body to run faster with better biomechanics. Aim for 4 to 6 times 100 meters, building from 5K to a one mile pace, focusing on form and turnover.
All these drills help you improve what's called neuromuscular efficiency. Which means you'll produce more power with each step and you will reduce the energy that is wasted. Which basically means that you'll be running faster without feeling like you're working so hard. So now you're probably wondering, how do you set up a program that uses these workouts most effectively? I'm going to show you in a moment, but you can have the most perfect program in the world.
If your nutrition and recovery aren't dialed in, then you won't see any results. So that begs the question, what do you eat to become a great runner? First. let's talk about carbs. Think of them as your body's premium fuel.
If you want to crush a speed workout, you need quality carbs beforehand. Things like oatmeal, bananas, whole grain bread are great. Don't take it an hour before you go out to race, maybe two or three hours, and you have to work on your digestion as well.
It's also something that is trainable. So you don't just do something one time and think, well, I can't do that. You have to train your gut. to be able to absorb more carbs over time. Next up, there's protein.
This is what repairs and strengthens your muscles after hard training. And it's not just for bodybuilders. It's also for runners and endurance athletes. Aim for 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. Basically, just get a solid source of protein at every single meal.
Something like chicken, eggs, or Greek yogurt. Whatever works for you. And then add a quality source of fat every day. Avocados work wonders. And then hydration.
You can have the best training plan in the world, but even if you're just a little hydrated, your performance tanks. Just a 2% drop in hydration will slow you down big time. So make sure you're drinking enough water throughout the day and not just before your run.
And then please don't fall into the trap of thinking, that more training is better. You don't get better while you're training. You get better when you recover between workouts. So let's talk about sleep.
If you're not getting seven to nine hours of sleep per night, you are leaving speed on the table. Sleep is when your muscle rebuilds, your body adapts, and you actually absorb all the hard work that you're doing. Then there's what's called active recovery. And no, this does not mean going for an easy run. where you're still running fast just to please your ego.
Trust me, I speak from bitter experience. Active recovery means light jogging or stretching or mobility exercises. Things that keep you moving without overdoing it.
This helps you bounce back faster and stronger. Lastly, rest days. I know it's tempting to skip them because you need that mental break, but trust me, if you don't have rest days, then you will never be truly ... recovered. And if you never fully recover, then guess what?
Your speed sessions, they stop working. So take your rest days seriously. They are just as important as your hard training days. But what about supplements?
Do you need them to run faster? No. But if you're training hard, they can give you that extra 3%, which can mean the difference between running at 20 something 5K and finally breaking sub 20. So here are three supplements that actually help runners. No BS, no gimmicks. The first one is caffeine.
If you've ever had a strong coffee before a run and you felt that extra gear, that's caffeine working. Studies show that taking caffeine 30 to 60 minutes before a hard run or a race can help you push. harder, keep going for longer, and basically just perform better.
It's basically a cheat code for tough workouts. Now, if you're already a heavy coffee drinker, then don't expect miracles. And that's because your body adapts to caffeine over time. But if you time it right and don't overuse it, then it can give you that extra push when you need it.
The second one is creatine. A lot of runners think that creatine is just for bodybuilders, but that's not true. Creatine helps with short... bursts of power, which makes it perfect for hill sprints, explosive strides, and just boosting overall speed. And no, it won't make you bulky or slow.
That's a myth. Just three to five grams per day is all you need. The third one is beta alanine.
You know that burning feeling in your legs whenever you push too hard? That's lactic acid buildup. Beta alanine helps you delay that burn so that you can keep going faster for longer. This is a especially helpful for tempo runs, VO2 max runs, or any run really where you're pushing it near the limit.
So should you take supplements? Look, supplements aren't magic. If your training, diet, and recovery aren't dialed in, then supplements won't really make that much of a difference. But if you got everything else dialed in, those three that I just mentioned can help you gain that extra edge, especially for tough workouts. So if you want to experiment, then start with caffeine.
then add creatine and finally you can try to experiment with beta-alanine. But before we put it all together in a weekly program, how do you even know if this is working and you're actually getting faster? A lot of runners just check their GPS watch to see if they're getting faster.
But here's the problem. Pace does not tell the full story. Some days you'll feel amazing and run faster. Other days you'll be slower due to fatigue, weather or what you ate that morning. If you only focus on pace, you'll miss the real signs of progress.
Instead, here are three things you should track. First up, time trials. Every three to four weeks, do a test run at maximum effort to see your actual real-world results.
It could be a mile or a 5k. This will show you over time if you're improving and if your training is actually working. Secondly, you should track your heart rate at different paces.
If you're running the same pace with a lower heart rate, that means that your body is getting more efficient. Or put another way, you're using less energy to run at the same pace. And thirdly, you need to track cadence and stride length.
There are really just three ways to get faster. You can either take more steps, longer steps, or a combination of the two. So small changes to your steps per minute or your stride length can make huge differences.
If your steps per minute is a little higher and your stride length is a little longer, then you're running faster with... less effort. So let's structure your 50-day program with a week that looks something like this.
Monday, you do VO2 max intervals plus plyometric jumps. Tuesday, you do an easy run or rest. Wednesday, you do a tempo run plus the plyometric jumps. Thursday, you do an easy run and the plyometric jumps. Friday, you do a long run and plyometric jumps.
Saturday, you... rest or you do some cross training and Sunday you do speed and power drills and the plyometric jumps. This setup gives you enough intensity and recovery to maximize your speed gains without burning out.
If you're a beginner then start by only running three times per week, removing the easy runs and combine the tempo run and long run so it looks like this. Adjust the total training time based on your current level. If you're a beginner you might just do 20 minutes per session and if you're an elite runner you might run up to two hours per session.
If you want to improve even faster, then add two strength training sessions to your week like this. And just like strength training, progressive overload matters. So track your times and make sure that you're increasing your volume, so either your intensity or your time each and every week to make sure that you are improving. So if you want to run faster for longer in the next 50 days, here's what you need to do.
Train for speed, not just endurance. Long, slow runs won't make you better. You need more intensity.
Two. Use the two key workouts, VO2 max intervals plus speed and power drills. These build the engine and the power to run faster with less effort. Follow a structured plan. Balance hard training with recovery.
More training is not always better. Fuel properly and recover well. Speed gains happens when you rest, not when you're running.
And track progress the right way. Track your time trials. Look at heart rate efficiency. and then focus on your biomechanics.
And if you want to make sure that you are avoiding the biggest mistakes that slows basically every runner down, then check out this video next.