In most every sport, speed is an important factor for success on the field, court, or otherwise. The following speed program is quite simple in nature, emphasizing proper technique as the key to improvement. Speed has been defined as: Stride Length x Stride Frequency. To improve speed you must take the components of running and improve the time/distance of that movement, or increase the power generated by that movement. Speed is a combination of a number of things such as power, endurance, flexibility, and adaptability.