Do you feel like you’ve hit a plateau on your runs? Have you trained and trained but just feel like no matter what you do, you’re still running at the same pace? Perhaps it’s time to step up your game and add a little speedwork to your routine!

Speedwork is an extremely beneficial part of training. It’s not just about running faster, but rather running better. It is known to make runners perform more efficiently and has been shown to improve finish times for runners anywhere from a few seconds, to several minutes, relatively.

Active.com suggests runners who partake in Speedwork focus on the following fundamentals to get the most out of their workout, but to apply one or two elements at a time until they become natural before adding more elements to their training habits:

• Focus: Keep eyes straight ahead on a horizontal plane. Avoid tilting your head up or down, right or left.

• Fix: Keep your elbows bent so that your arm is at a 90-degree angle.

• Rotate: Rotate the shoulders so that your hand moves down and backward past the hip with force.

• Hammer: At the end of the arm rotation, have your wrist relaxed and on a hinge so that the hand can follow through as though it is wielding a hammer.

• Squeeze: Keep your arms close to your chest so there is no space between the arms and upper body.

• Pinch: Pinch your shoulder blades together to keep your back straight.

• Arch: Curve the lower back slightly.

• Punch: Punch your knee out and forward in the initial movement from the ground.

• Cycle the foot: When the foot leaves the ground, bring the heel to the hip, followed by punching the knee out and forward. These movements should be made in as much of a straight line as possible.

• Snap: Pull the foot down and back until the back of the leg is straight.

Columbus Roadrunners offers Speedwork training sessions on Tuesday nights at Hardaway High School Track for anyone interested in improving their running. Be sure to check out our calendar for Speedwork routines, or check our Facebook page for updates.