Always Train like a "BadAss" 2 Be #1

Training for speed is no cake walk, but it could be the difference between completing a race and competing in a race. There are a number of things you can do to become faster, but you won’t find “do the same old program you’ve always been doing” on the list.

You can’t expect to run fast in competition if you don’t run fast in practice, which means that strength and endurance training won’t make you faster. Instead, try adding intervals to your training regimen. This can be as simple as adding hills or sprints to your normal routine. Running uphill makes you work twice as hard, which builds strength, power and speed. Surprisingly, running downhill can also improve your speed.

While training for a super fitness competition I had to train for a half mile beach sprint which wasn't going to be easy. My bother had me doing quarter, half and full mile interval sprints for at least 2-3 consecutive miles. Running each one full force sprinting. I chose a area I could run and we marked the course out with spay painted dots. White was quarter mile, green half mile and red one mile. I would rotate which color I was running each day I went to train. Between each interval I got a break of 100 yards which I had to keep walking at a fast pace to prepare for the next interval run. My brother even had my rest/walking period marked for each color run in black. Those color dots came up fast and when I got to them it was time to start hauling butt again. Red, while, or Green day we called it. Of course red was the hardest because it was a mile haul out sprint. I called red dot day barf day because it always made me barf after I was done sprinting a mile.

I also did a lot of hills and down hill running for speed. I also ran in the sand so I would get use to running in the sand for the race. I would always run in soft, dry sand with my shoes on to make it tougher for me. Certain days I would also wear leg weights in the sand to make it even more tough on me. Making my training tougher  would only prepare me for the race that much better. I also ran at the hottest times of the day to make it again that much harder and tougher on me. My run in the competition would be late morning or early afternoon and would be in the hot sun so I made sure I was used to much hotter and tougher conditions to be able to run my best that day.

Add plyometric (explosive movement) drills to your workouts to increase power, coordination, agility, and speed of movement. “Bounding” is a good example of a plyometric drill that can help you run faster: As you run, push forcefully off the ground with your feet for each step you take. This exaggerated version of running will have you literally leaping as you run. This improves both your explosive power and speed.  If you decide to follow a speed-training regimen, just keep in mind that it's especially hard on the body and shouldn’t be done on consecutive days.  I chose a video below with some of the drills I was taught by my brother for my own speed, power and endurance training. Some of the drills my look funny and odd and some are funny to preform as well, but they work and they do prepare you for any type of competition you may be entering or if you just want to improve your skills to be more all around fit, healthy and completely "BadAss"   

✿