The general consensus is that you must run more (and faster) in order to run faster and/or longer and faster. This has been the way of training for many years. In essence, you must run more in order to be a better runner.
However, with the advent of specialized strength exercises this recommendation no longer holds true. You can now get faster by doing specialized strength exercises to strengthen the muscles that are involved in running, as they are involved in running, to make you faster without more running. In addition, they can keep you injury free.
Specialized strength exercises have unique criteria that general strength exercises do not have. Most notable is that they duplicate the neuromuscular pathway of the limbs that are involved in running. For example, driving the thigh forward after the pushoff is duplicated in the knee drive exercise.
This exercise uses Active Cords that make it possible to duplicate the neuromuscular pathway. You assume a standing position as seen in running with the leg to be exercised as far back behind the body as possible. The position is similar to that seen right after the pushoff, just before you drive the leg forward.
The Active cord is attached to the ankle or thigh strap. The Active Cords should have tension on them so that the hip flexors are activated and you then drive the thigh forward. In this way you duplicate the action seen in running. Other exercises are used to duplicate the other actions that occur in the run. See Explosive Running for description of these and other specialized strength exercises for runners.
Special strength exercises have an immediate effect on your performance. By doing them you will be able to see continual improvement in your running, not only in distance, but in speed. For more information on specialized strength exercises see Explosive Running,
It has long been known that running 100 miles and more every week is not required to improve your running ability. “Explosive running” has long been my choice for training my trainees.