Runs don't really have a specific meaning, they can refer to part of a solo. For excercises, you could check out a lot of the tricks here. Many of the hosts have fast picking excercizes. Try Robert Bennet's tricks or Troy Von Halbach to see what you can do if you set your mind to it. If you are able to find a book in the Guitar Grimoire series, the excercise book, I would look at it very closely if I were you. I wouldn't buy it, because its really repetetive, (they'll write out an excercise, then write it out again but moved up a few frets, when you could do that yourself without having them write it.) The excercises they have there are exactly what you want i think. They have sweep picking, alternate picking on scales, and alternate picking for chromatic passages. They also let you know what you're doing, its not entirely technique (though it mostly is.) If you were to learn some of the excercises in that book (dont have to buy it, but could) and really practice them a lot, you'd improve your technique quickly.