8 Ways to Run Faster!

Janae Baron

I am a mother of four, wife and marathon runner! I have a personal record in the marathon of 2:47 and love all things running related! You can follow my daily journey at hungryrunnergirl.com

8 Ways to Run Faster!

I love to dream big with my running.  After my first marathon in 2010, I decided I wanted a sub-3 marathon.  After eight years of working towards that goal, I finally got it.  I wanted to share a few things that I have done over the years to get faster, and I hope they can help someone reading this to hit their next fitness goal.

*I started running with faster people.  There is nothing to be afraid of, they will cheer you on and try to help you. They will encourage you to try more, you will have someone to focus on ahead of you to catch, and you will be less likely to quit because you see them hurting and not quitting too.

*If you want to get faster, try getting a coach.  I can’t recommend it enough.  Online training plans are awesome but having a coach to make things more personal for you makes a big difference.  I think having a good coach will take you to your dream times.  

*I prioritized sleep.  I know that isn’t possible for everyone, but I really think it helped me to get faster.   I said goodbye to electronics after 8 pm and made sure to sleep 8-9 hours each night.  

*I raced a lot!  Races help me to run faster in training, and the more I do, the less nervous I am about the big race I have coming up.  The smaller races are the best dress rehearsals and the best way to figure out your nutrition and what gear helps you to run your fastest.

*I learned to fuel often during races.  For the marathon, I take in 100 calories every four miles.  Six gels over the 26.2 miles.  The more I fuel before, and during the race, the faster I run.

*I refuel after every run with Core Power.  I can’t believe the positive difference I feel in my training with Core Power.  Getting in high-quality protein (Core Power has 26g or 42g) within 30 minutes of finishing a run helps my body to start repairing, rebuilding, and replenishing quickly so that I can get out there again and do what I love.  Refueling after a run helps me to stay injury free so that I can continue working towards my big goals and get stronger with each training cycle.  I also have to note how much I look forward to my Core Power during my run.  During those final miles, I look forward to the creamy, rich taste waiting for me in my fridge.  Whether I am running a short training run or a long run, I always finish with Core Power.  

*Trails!  The dirt is great for injury prevention, and they help you strengthen different muscles that you don’t use on the roads.  Those hills make us strong, and the change in scenery helps us mentally too.

*It takes as much mental training as physical training.  Read books about mental training, listen to podcasts that give you tools to fight the urge to quit, and fill your brain with positive thinking.  We don’t have control over the first thoughts that pop into our heads, but we do have control over the second thoughts.  We can choose to dwell on the negative or flip those thoughts into cheering for ourselves and building ourselves up!

Happy running, and I am cheering for you as you go out there and do big things!