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An introduction to faster pace running drills whose primary focus is on Form rather than Fitness

What does Fast but Not Hard mean? Simple, you run multiple reps at a “fast” pace for a short duration with adequate recovery. The combo of chosen speed, length and recovery are such that no rep feels “hard.” Your focus is not on the difficulty of the exercise but instead on your body and your technique.

In my opinion, Fast but Not Hard running is just as crucial as your Base runs. Be sure to read up on Base Running if you not already done so! Much like Base running though if you are not careful, you’ll run these drills too fast or with inadequate recovery and they will become “hard.” They mustn’t be “hard” because the primary focus must NOT be on effort, it must be on form.

Unlike Base, there is NO requirement to do nasal breathing during these drills. You should be able to do these drills with nasal breathing if necessary. But I prefer to drop that requirement because I don’t want your focus to be on breath, I want it to be on other elements of your body.

Fast but Not Hard drills are all about learning. There are so many cues you can experiment with to see what works best. Incorporating Fast but Not Hard training often will yield big dividends long term. It becomes much easier to transition to race-specific work if you’ve practiced Fast but Not Hard drills because you’ll have developed an awareness of what to focus on to succeed at faster paces.

There are three types of Fast but Not Hard drills that I suggest, each with its own slightly different purpose:

• Strides
• Diagonals
• Surges

Strides

Strides are 15s “Fast” reps with 45s walk in between. Add in 5-10 reps at the end of a Base Run. Do them on the road or compact. Aim for 800m to Mile pace – the fastest pace you can hold NON-STOP for 2-5min.

Strides are the most common type of Fast but Not Hard drill that many runners are already doing – which is excellent! Typically, you add Strides at the end of a Base run. Or, as the final element of a Warm-Up before a workout.

I first learned about Strides from coach Jack Daniels in the book Daniels’ Running Formula. Daniels’ book was the first complete book on Running training I ever read. At the time it was in the first edition, now it is in the third edition. In the book, he suggests you run for about 15s at your Mile race pace with 45s recovery in between. Usually, you’d do 5-10 reps.

Daniels’ has been called the “World’s best running coach” by Runner’s World magazine. When someone of his experience and knowledge suggests something, you should take it seriously and see if it is a good fit in your program. That’s precisely what I did. And I love Strides.

So anytime I use the term Strides, it means specifically 15s “Fast” with a 45s walk in between. Some additional pointers:

• I much prefer runners to walk in between rather than jog. Walking is more relaxing and allows for a brief reflection of the quality of the previous rep. Then you can decide on any adjustments to improve the next rep.
• Starting from a stopped position is also helpful. It is easier to come to a complete stop when walking compared to jogging — more on this in a future post of running cues for Fast but Not Hard drills.
• I recommend that the first rep purposely be slower. Then you build up the speed from one rep to the next without it ever becoming “hard.”
• I don’t suggest you pay much attention to your exact pace. But, for the reps to remain “not hard” but still “fast,” 800m to Mile pace seems just right for most runners. If you don’t know what these paces means, don’t worry about it. But you should be able to hold your Strides pace for 2-5 minutes NON-STOP (in which case it would be VERY hard), but you are only holding for 15s. So these are nowhere near Sprints.
• Do your Strides on the road or compact dirt. At this pace, you want to ensure you have reliable footing. Avoid gravel (rocks slip underfoot), grass (not enough traction – unless you have spikes), uneven or slanted surfaces.

Diagonals

Diagonals are “fast” runs from one corner of a grass soccer field to the opposite corner (“diagonal” across the field) with a super slow reocvery jog along the goal line in between. Complete 15min of Diagonals at the end of a Base run. Run at 3-5k pace along the diagonal – the fastest pace you cn hold for 10-20min NON-STOP. And as-slow-as-posible without walking along the goal line.

I first heard about Diagonals years ago when I was reading an article about Kenyan running – forgive me but I forget the exact source.

Runners would gather at a soccer field. They would run from one corner to the far opposite corner on the other side of the field (“diagonal” across the field) which is about 110-120m. Then they would jog super slow along the goal line about 60-70m. And Repeat. The Diagonals pace was described as Fast but Not Hard.

Perhaps most important to mention is that these run would be part of an easy day or recovery day. Runners would do Diagonals to stay “fresh” – that is, maintain a feeling of faster pace running without accumulating fatigue.

I added this to my program and enjoyed it tremendously. The most extended duration of Diagonals I ever did was 20min. I think for most runners, the sweet spot would be 10-15min worth of Diagonals.

I liked the idea of being on a soccer field too. Real grass is preferable to turf. Grass has more give than over surfaces. There is less elastic recoil, so your leg muscles are worked more strongly. Plus stabilizer muscles are working more too because a grass field is very slightly uneven. And if you find the (dry) grass starts to feel slippery, you’re running too fast – a great external cue to slow your reps down.

During the recovery jog along the goal line, I would go super slow. Get to the corner. Stop. And then start the next rep. If I was starting to get huffy or puffy during the super slow jog, I knew the previous rep was too fast.

In my experience, Diagonals run between 3k and 5k pace are best. So at a pace that you can hold NON STOP for about 10-20min. And the recovery jog needs to be super slow. But unlike Strides, I feel the jog recovery during Diagonals is more beneficial than walking. It keeps you “on your toes” in your running posture. And it keeps you honest not to go too fast and need the walk.

If you were to track your average pace for the full 15min of Diagonals, you’d want it to ends up being about the same as your Base pace or slower. If it is a lot faster than Base pace, you’re running too quickly across the field, too fast along the goal line, or both. Diagonals are NOT a workout that should require several days to recover. It is a run that should activate the body, so you run better the next day.

Surges

Surges are 20-30s pick-ups to a “fast” pace that you add during a Base run. “Change gears” to increase the pace. “Coast” to decrease the pace. Spread out your Surges with at least 3-5min of Base running in between. Aim for 5k to 10k pace for the Surge – the fastest pace you can hold NON-STOP for 20-40min.

Strides and Diagonals are drills that you add after a Base run. Surges, on the other hand, are added during a Base run.

I first read about Surges in Steve Magness’ book The Science of Running. Magness refers to Surges as “stuff” you can add into distance runs – plus he lists many other things you can add to distance runs. Prior to reading this, I had only done Strides and Diagonals as stand-alone elements after Base runs. The concept of a brief pace increase during a run sounded like a solid idea. Interestingly, at PowerWatts, we have been adding Surges into most of our endurance development blocks for over 10 years. I never thought to transfer this successful method from the realm of cycling into run training and coaching. BTW, Science of Running, is a good book for coaches with some background in physiology and exercise science. It can help you level up by adjusting your thought-process and more soundly understanding the underlying principles or run training. You can also check out Magness’ website

Back to Surges. You’re running at Base pace, breathing comfortably from your nose, then you’ll slowly increase your speed from Base to a “fast” pace and hold it. The whole process of gradual acceleration and hold takes about 20-30 seconds. Then you slowly decrease back to Base pace. One back at Base pace, your nasal breathing may be mildly uncomfortable for about five breaths. But after that, nasal breathing should be very comfortable – if not, your Surge was too fast.

In this context, “fast” is 5k to 10k pace. The fastest pace you can hold NON STOP for about 20 to 40min. Much slower than a Stride and a bit slower than a Diagonal.

Surges are a great strategy to increase the overall run quality of longer duration Base runs. Often runners tend to get sloppy or lose form as the fatigue accumulates or the mind wanders during longer runs. But when you add in a Surge, all your focus comes back to form. Plus, the increased pace lends itself to better overall technique.

Further, Surges as help you learn to “change gears” so to speak to increase from Base to your Surge pace. You can do so by lengthening the stride, increasing the stride rate or some combination. You can experiment to find what feels best for you.

Similarly, you’ll learn how to transition from your Surge speed back down to your Base speed. You want to avoid “hitting the brakes” and putting a lot of force into the ground to slow you down. Instead, make the transition very gradually by “taking your foot off the gas” – that is, stop generating as much forward thrust – and “coasting” like riding a bicycle without pedalling to bring the pace down.

Space out your Surges a lot more than Strides or Diagonals. Typical you’d run at Base for at least 15min first. Then over the remaining duration of your run, sprinkle in five to eight Surges with at least 3min Base in between. Preferable 5min or more.

Rule #1

I have a long list of cues to practice during Fast but Not Hard drills that I want to share with you. For example, I want you to practice running like Juantorena, then like Landy, then switching between styles like Bekele.

But first, we need a clear mechanism to ensure that you don’t run too “hard” during these drills. Something akin to the comfortable nasal breathing requirement of Base runs.

That’s where Rule #1 comes in: If you can’t Stay Loose, you’re training too hard. Come back tomorrow, learn about this “Rule.” Then we’ll go over the Cues the day after.