Don't Break the Law
When first doing running drills, the body needs to adapt to the stress that it is taking. This is called the Universal Law of Adaptations. After progressively doing running drills, the body gets used to this stress that it is under. Eventually the starting load that was put upon it gets easier. This is a sign that the body's stamina has increased. As an added benefit, with this increase in stamina, the body is capable of running faster as well.
Listen to the Principle
Increasing the number of reps of running drills performed will not only increase stamina, but it will also increase speed as well. This is similar to the Progressive Overload Principle with weight lifting. Heavier weights need to be lifted for the muscles to get overloaded and new growth to begin. The same holds true with running drills, except this is done by adding more reps. Reps can be measured by duration or distance.
Weigh Me Down
Adding resistance to the body during running drills is a great way to increase speed and stamina. First of all, the added weight makes the body work harder. This in turn taxes the cardiovascular system harder which increases stamina. The body will also get used to the extra weight it is carrying. So when the weight is taken off, and the body is lighter, it will be easier to run. By default, this will cause an increase in speed.
The easiest way to add weight to the body is with a weighted vest or gravity belt. They come in different sizes and weights. They have little tiny pouches on them where small weights are inserted to increase the resistance. They can range anywhere in weight from 20 to 75 pounds.
Hit the Ground Running
Performing higher reps of longer duration drills at a high intensity will strengthen the cardiovascular system and increase speed. The reason for this is that, at higher intensities, the anaerobic system is more in use. Then, when the intensity is lower, the aerobic system is being utilized. Aerobic means with oxygen and anaerobic means without. This is seen when breathing becomes very labored. At aerobic levels, the body is mainly relying on fat for energy, whereas with anaerobic, it is relying on stored carbs for energy. Tapping into both of these energy pathways for longer durations with more reps will increase stamina and speed. A good way to incorporate this would be interval training. This is where speed is fluctuated from really intense to moderate then back to really intense again. Another form of this training is called sprint intervals. This is where all-out sprint intervals alternate with recovery periods. Both styles are effective for increasing speed and stamina.
Tags: increase speed, increase stamina, running drills, cardiovascular system, doing running, drills body