gone alpine

Assuming you read the article on endurance training, now specifically you want to do better in a specific area. Here you will learn how to...

train to run

Basics on running

~ What it takes to run. Getting out there and doing it, finding your motivation... and good knees.

WHERE DOES MY ENERGY COME FROM?

For marathon running/hiking/snowshoeing/: an average run/hike/trip takes pretty much 100% oxidative. At times it could be 5% immediate, 15% glycolytic and 80% oxidative.

For triathlon: each area differs - cycling 0% immediate, 10% glycolytic and 90% oxidative. Long distance running 100% oxidative. Swimming 10% immediate, 20% glycolytic and 70% oxidative.

In addition to eating a proper diet, you should also take dietary supplements to make sure that any nutrients you loose due to sweating or training are replenished. The following tables will help guide you in selecting the supplements appropriate for you. The first table lists the nutrients recommended for endurance track-and-field athletes, as well as the range of intake for each nutrient. Note that within the ranges of intake, the lower amounts are for smaller individuals and lower-activity days, while the higher amounts are for larger individuals and higher-activity days.

Diet!!! what are you eating???

~ Diet plays a very important role in muscle recovery and training. You need to pay close attention to your salt, electrolyte & calcium intake and protein. All of which are very important to your recovery and training. Your body will rob what it already has to build somewhere else if it is not getting what it needs from food. This will hinder your activity greatly! The robbing will come from precious muscle, which is protein. While exercising and training over 20 minutes you need to make sure you are taking in nutrients into your body. When you walk up to 1 1/2 to 2 hours your body burns a combination of what food you ingest and body fat. After your reach that mark at 1 1/2 to 2 hours your body just burns body fat. If you don't have much body fat, this plays even more of an important role. You need to bring some sort of nutrient with you while you are training. This doesn't mean you need to stop off and cook a meal. Learning how to eat and drink small amounts while training relieves your body of side aches and full bloating tummies, while your body gets the nutrients it needs to keep going.

Recommended nutrients & ranges of intake for runners:

    REMEMBER Salt is very important! You need to make sure you eat it. When your body sweats you loose salt. Salt in necessary to the body function. Kinda need salt to live. Its a proven scientific fact that salt does not lead to heart disease. In fact one needs plenty of salt in their diet especially if you are in any way sweating as an athlete. Salt is necessary to normal liver function, without salt your liver with shut down and life can not live without a liver. Also without salt in your diet you CAN drink too much water and become over hydrated. When your body can't release the excess water you run into lots of trouble. There was a woman that died during the Boston Marathon because she didn't have enough salt in her diet, her liver shut down and she expired right there on the  race course.  The only time one needs to be concerned is if there are issues with the Kidneys, this you should know if you make regular visits to your doctor.

Race and Marathon runners!

There are those of us that don't seem to think that leisurely jogs or  runs are enough, we have to go out and prove ourselves that we can run miles without killing ourselves.

~ What exactly is a marathon? Besides FREAKING NUTS! To answer it I have to quote it from one of my favorite training books, Jim and Phil Wharton say it beautifully. "No one knows the exact details of the origin, but it is generally accepted that the marathon commemorates Phidippides, an overly enthusiastic Greek messenger who ran 25 miles-from the plains of Marathon to Athens-to bring news of the victory of the Athenians against Darius the Great in 490BC. Phidippides arrived in Athens, shouted, "Rejoice! We conquer!" and dropped over dead. Now, that should have been the end of that, but some runner took a look at Phidippides incident and said, "Whoa! Killed him! Let's make a sport out of it and to it competitively!" The reason why the original 25 miles grew to the 26.2 is because of a request made from King Edward VII's youngest daughter, because she wanted to see the race from her throne. You would think that they would have reduced the race back to the original 25 but no... oops! "So today's marathon is set at 26.2 miles and is embraced by the running community as the ultimate challenge."

~ Event training. You will need to set aside time. It takes time to train for an event. This means you will have to cut into TV time and make it workout time. Do not underestimate the need for training! When planning your training, first you need days and time within those days. What days are you going to have to train. You will need to set aside one day as a long day, the rest as easy/medium days. Your final training month should look something like this:

So if you were running a marathon it would look something like this:

~ Taking it slow isn't always a bad thing. IN FACT it can be a very good thing. Running longer, but at a slower pace will still certainly improve the cardiovascular system and build your core endurance, but the lower intensity will also lessen the onset of injury, as less stress is placed on the muscles, joints, tendons, and ligaments. The duration of the long run will depend largely on what your target race is and it is very important that the increase in mileage does not happen all at once. For help here, follow the 10-percent rule, which states your weekly running mileage should not increase by more than 10 percent at a time.

Pace or Tempo training. once you’ve established your base fitness level with the long run, you should add some speed. The tempo run will ultimately be performed once or twice a week, with the tempo sections lasting anywhere from 8 to 40 minutes (with proper warm up and cool down done around the tempo section). The target pace is roughly 20-30 seconds slower than your race pace, which should put you right under your lactate threshold (LT). The LT is the heart rate at which the blood lactate levels begin to skyrocket. The tempo/LT run combines elements of pure speed with that of endurance and is an important part of any training regimen. 
 

As for pacing, your long run should be done be slow enough to allow for a normal conversation over the entire duration of the run, which equates to about 90 to 120 seconds slower than your 10k race pace (i.e., an athlete with a 36-minute 10k should target a 7:30-8 minute pace for their long run). The long run builds that all important aerobic base and will prove to be the key piece in your training foundation. In this regard, the long run is a year-round staple, but holds even greater importance for the pre-season phase of training.
 

Speed or Muscle, which is better? To run faster, one will eventually have to train at faster speeds. If our primary focus was a 5 or 10km race (vs. a marathon or Ironman triathlon), adding speed-based intervals would be extremely important. Intervals from 200 to 1600 meters in length are ideal for building speed. Your target pace here should be closer to your 5 or 10km race pace, with a rest period of equal length between efforts. Try to keep the efforts as even as possible, since running them too fast will make it too difficult to finish all of the intervals. Using even-splitting will help you develop proper race-day pacing. Aim to run about three miles of effort during your speed workouts (six 800's, twelve 400's, etc).

~ Importance of the weight room! You will need this to strengthen your core. The reason your core is important is because somewhere around the late miles your body is going to start to slouch. First your chin droops followed by your shoulders hunching over next it becomes impossible for you to stand let alone finish the race. By strengthening your upper body you train your muscles to stay upright and strong. Your stomach plays an important role in this by far. It also gives your body balance and strength to keep going. It all plays an important role in your endurance. Dedicate one day of your training to just upper body. Leave your legs out of it! They are getting enough of a workout, they can use this extra day to rest.

While running shorter intervals might not be all that important for an Ironman athlete, building strength is still a goal. In that regard, the intervals can take the form of running hills, which builds strength and can reduce overuse injuries (common with track workouts). Like any workout, hill running should be approached gradually, increasing both the number of repetitions and length of the hill as your fitness level grows. When doing hills, your running form should include a more forceful arm swing to help drive you uphill, a shorter stride length and incorporating a slightly higher lift in the knee. Once you make it to the top of the hill, your recovery will be an easy jog back down as you prepare for the next repeat.
 

Running every workout at the same pace is a sure fire way to reach a plateau in your running. By targeting each of your workouts to one of the four elements above, you will be able to train your body to operate at higher speeds.

~ The Four to Make You Fly  Add these drills to your run training and the results will become readily apparent during a race; you'll run past more people than ever.

Overview of the Four Drills

The first two drills are strides and skipping. When I ran track in college, we started and finished each workout with a set of strides. A stride isn't an all-out sprint but a chance to focus on good, quick running form. Skipping--yes skipping--is a simple form of plyometrics, the explosive jumping exercises that build fast-twitch muscle fibers. Since roughly 20 percent of the energy tapped for a 5K is anaerobic, you need to train this energy system to last.

The next drill is the Brick, the fundamental bike-to-run transition workout. In a sprint tri, you have no time to ease into running form--your run leg is over before most Ironman athletes even find their rhythm. That means you'll need to practice the bike-to-run transition much more than other triathletes. The easier it becomes, the quicker you'll be able to find your 5K pace.

Last is a core-strength exercise that doesn't involve running: the plank. Remember, the key to a fast 5K is efficiency. You'll need a strong core to provide a stable platform for you legs to turn over smoothly and quickly. Unfortunately, most athletes neglect core work and ultimately never enjoy their full potential. With this easy exercise, you won't be lumped into that sad category.

Strides: Do a set of strides before and after each run. If possible, do them on dirt or grass. Run for 20 seconds as fast as you can while maintaining smooth form and then rest 30 seconds. Do a total of four strides.

Brick: Because of the importance of the neuromuscular transition from the bike to the run, I like to see people do--at a minimum--one brick a week throughout their training for a sprint event. Two bricks a week is even better. Your run shouldn't last longer than 20 minutes and should follow this format: Take two minutes to find your legs and then do six 30-second fartleks at 5K race pace with one minute of jogging recovery after each. Use the remaining time to run easy and cool down.

The Plank: Start in a modified push-up position where you're resting on your forearms. Keeping your legs, torso and head in a straight line, push your body up off the ground and hold the pose for 30 seconds. Repeat four times. Work up to holding the pose for one minute. Do the plank exercise every other day, year round.

Posture

Do you run vertical or are you one who leans forward or even back? The most efficient position for your body to be in while running is an upright, straight posture where the center of your head, shoulder, hip and ankle are in a nice vertical line. One’s upper body is relaxed (remember tension here will draw blood flow way from the legs, where it is needed most, just like in cycling), arms hanging loose at the side with a near 90-degree bend at the elbow, hands loose (verses making fists), shoulders back, and your chest out. A relaxed face and jaw will help keep your upper body tension-free. As for the lower body, the hips are pressed forward underneath you and your butt should be tucked in. Running with your butt sticking out behind you (i.e. a sitting position) will limit the range of motion on your legs. Adding an ever so slight forward lean will aid in your balance as your legs extend out in front of you during the running motion (see photo below). 

Support and the foot plant

Thinking of the vertical posture outlined above, the most efficient foot plant is having your foot land directly under your hips, offering the greatest support to your running mass. Landing on the mid-to fore-foot allows us to use the spring action of the foot and ankle to help propel the running stride. A slight lean forward will help you land on the front or forward portion of the foot, instead of on the heel (common for those who lean back or over-stride).

Landing on the heel (see photo bottom right) can lead to injuries as it transfers the impact up the leg, through the knee and to the hip. This action will also make you less efficient, as landing on your heels is akin to putting the brakes on. Conversely, landing on your toes (as sprinters do) places a great deal of pressure on the calves. 

The Stride

The most efficient stride has a quick, effortless leg turnover where the foot lands directly beneath your body mass. The running effort is aimed at the forward motion. This means your arms should also be moving in a forward motion, to keep your body from bouncing up and down, which wastes energy). As for the rate of turnover, most experts agree that 180-200 steps per minute is the most efficient rate. Over-striding (longer strides and a lower turnover) will lead to landing on your heel, causing a breaking action in the motion. 

Of course, subtle changes in running form will occur as the terrain changes. When running uphill, one should increase the arm swing motion (always moving forward and back verses across the body) and shorten the stride. For running downhill, drop the arm carry ever so slightly and lengthen the arm swing. Your stride will be longer downhill and a slightly more forward lean will put gravity on your side. 

Coupling work on your stride mechanics with lactate threshold testing to determine your ideal training zones (in terms of both heart rate and pacing) should set you on the path for a great racing season! 

~ Rest days - VERY IMPORTANT! Rest days do not = weakness or no muscle building. On the contrary, these are the days your muscle actually builds. It takes 24-48 hours for your muscle to recover from the stress' it just encountered. If you over train you will actually cause muscle trauma and weaken muscle, joints and ligaments. By giving your body off days your body will heal quicker and you will be able to train stronger on your training days. This is also why you want one heavy training day to push your muscles past comfort and have medium to light days for building strength and endurance.

~ What does it take to do the Hood to Coast? If you remember when you were a teenager you will know, what it is like. Heavy activity all night long. This is a runners race that goes from Timberline lodge on Mt Hood to Seaside on the coast of Oregon. If you want to start doing races this is probably not the first one to jump into. However it is a good goal to do. You the participant have to run designated legs of the race leap frogging your team-mates as you make your way from Mt Hood to the coast, over the course of the evening/night until the entire team cross' the finish line.  For specifics ask Ken.

  Read these articles for specifics on Biking, Backpacking, Climbing, Cross-training, Hiking, Snow-shoeing, Walking, and Nutrition.

Nutrition     Training     Climbing     Hikes     Rides     Links    Psyche pages     About us   Home