In
the previous piece I provided a number of ways for developing qualities
specific to a race. However, specific training is too tiring to perform on a
daily basis and may not work on your strengths and weaknesses.
This
brings me to general training. General training provides a foundation for
specific training thereby allowing us to handle higher volumes of specific
training in later phases. The most general training we can perform is to
enhance movement quality, which consists of mobility and stability work. The
next level involves training the general qualities of running: endurance,
speed, and strength. This piece will focus on endurance or general
conditioning. While general conditioning can take the form of any exercise(s)
that elevate your heart rate for a considerable time I’ll be sticking solely to
discussing running workouts.
Option
1: Short to moderate length runs at a low intensity. Training at 55-75% of
maximum heart rate comprises over 80% of the training time of elite athletes
across all endurance sports (Seiler and Tonnessen, 2009). According to Ultimate MMA Conditioning by Joel
Jamieson (2009) these sessions develop the aerobic system by increasing
mitochondrial density and capillarization of the slow twitch fibres and by increasing
the volume of the left ventricle in the heart.
Paula Radcliffe was known for running regular 150 mile weeks
Option
2: Long Runs. Long runs develop the ability to use a higher percentage of fat
as a fuel source in addition to achieving the benefits from option 1. While it
was once thought that runs of roughly two hours or more recruited fast twitch
muscle fibres this is no longer the case. It’s now believed that the FT fibres
convert their glycogen stores to lactate and transport them to slow twitch
fibres where the lactate is used as a fuel source. Regardless, long runs have some
positive adaptations to fast twitch muscle fibres. The long run is necessary
for competing in the marathon and half marathon, but its use at shorter distances
– especially the middle distances – has been debated. Developing the ability to
burn fat at a high rate interferes with the ability to burn glycogen at a high
rate. It’s usually better to stick to higher weekly mileage in this case than
to have a long run. Still, one of the greatest 800 m runners of all time Peter
Snell was well noted for running 22 milers.
800-1500m: 60-90 min
5km-HM: 90-120 min
Marathon: 2-3 hours
Option
3: Easy Runs with Variations. This is a fun way to spice up an easy run. By
adding in some faster running for very short durations you can make an easier
transition to harder training in later phases. I now use this method for most
runs in my introductory phase of two to four weeks. These workouts can also be
used in later phases so long as you can recover for harder workouts. All of
these options work regardless of the event you’re training for; this is after
all general training.
15sec at 1500m pace every 3-5min
25sec at 3000m pace every 3-5min
30sec at 5km pace every 3-5min
45sec at 10km pace every 3-5min
3-5 x 30sec hill repeats at 5km pace
The last 5-15min of a run done
gradually faster
Option
4: Run/Walk. I use to laugh at the idea of taking a walk break in the middle of
an easy run until I realized it was a great way to come back from an injury. By
running at a faster pace for a brief period and then taking a walk break I
could elevate my heart rate to 120-150 bpm for an hour without too much stress on
my legs. In recent months I’ve become fascinated with the methods of Mihaly Igloi
who back in the 1950s trained Olympic medalists and world record holders
through daily interval training. He would have his runners run for distances of
100-400 m with short jogs and walk breaks thereby elevating the heart rate to
above 120 bpm for three hours.
1-3min
comfortably hard with a walk or jog break until your heart rate drops to 120
bpm for the same length as an average easy run
Option
5: Cross Training. Joel Jamieson’s book that I referenced above is an excellent
source for developing the energy systems through a variety of methods. If you’re
frequently injured, currently injured, or coming back from an injury his book
is a fantastic resource.
Stay fit,
Jonathan Pratt
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