Andi finished her workout today. She ran a 15 minute warm up followed by 5 min at T pace (threshold pace) followed by 1 minute recovery jog, repeated 5 times. So there was a total of 25 minutes at T pace. T pace is about 90% vVO2max or 88-92% of max HR (heart rate). I find an easy way to estimate your T pace is to add one minute onto your time for one all out mile or 1600m.
For example, I can run a 1600m in about 5:15, well once my hamstrings aren't so tight and I get some leg speed back. If I add one minute onto that I get 6:15 pace for threshold runs. This also is the pace that you could run all out for one hour when well rested and properly trained. It is usually a little slower than 10k pace.
Based on her 5k time last July, McMillan calculates 7:04 to 7:13 pace for Cruise Intervals.
Andi executed almost perfectly. She came back and said, "that was tough." The second half of the run is up Rancho Vista (a little hilly). She averaged around 7:00 to 7:15 during the "cruise intervals." Her heart rate was around 170 during each bout at T pace and peaked at 175. Using the 220-age this puts 170bpm at 90% for her.
Her mile splits were 8:13, 8:08, 7:22, 7:12, 7:15, 7:55, 7:43. Total mileage was 7.5 in 58:16 (avg 7:41). I told her to do some form of this running at T pace (total 25-30 minutes) once a week as lately she has just been putting in the easy miles and needed to add a new training stress to her program.
Nice workout Andi! Can you go backwards on that formula I mentioned? If Andi can run 7:10 for T pace then can she run 6:10 for a 1600m? Maybe we will find out at the AVC All Comers meet at the end of the month!
Showing posts with label training methods. Show all posts
Showing posts with label training methods. Show all posts
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
That McMillan Article
I knew I could find that article by Greg McMillan on marathon recovery. It was in the December 2007 issue of Running Times. Thanks Clay for saving all his back issues. His article restates everything I said in my last post. He adds that "research indicates that the muscle damage from running a marathon can last up to two weeks" but that "soreness (or lack there of) is NOT a good indicator of muscle healing." What this means is that even though you feel good, it doesn't mean that your muscles are fully healed. I know this is a little late for you CIM runners, but here is his Optimal Marathon Recovery Program given in the same issue. We are on day 10 today!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
3 days to go!
Race day is right around the corner. My father-in-law is in Sacramento this week and said that the town is already buzzing about the race. He said to check out the sacbee website for lots of info. Here is ultra runner Tim Twietmeyer's mile by mile breakdown of the course (He has won Western States 100 five times and has run every CIM!). He is also leading the 3:35 pace group.
I guess Josh Cox, who trains in Mammoth with Ryan Hall, will be running CIM along with 20 other men trying to get a qualifying mark for the next olympic trials marathon. So there should be a good US presence there. It also means that Ryan Hall may be up there cheering on his friend. We'll have to keep our eyes open for celebrities at the expo.
Weather still looks good with forecast of partly cloudy, high of 57 and low 35. It may be even colder than that. Warm clothes will be a must for pre and post race. We have to catch the bus between 5 and 5:30 am. It will be COLD.
Here is my checklist for race day packing:
1. Race shoes (New Balance 1224)
2. Running gloves
3. Race shirt and arm sleeves
4. Race shorts
5. Injinjis (socks)
6. Skull cap (I may buy a new one at the expo)
7. Sunglasses
8. Pre race warmups (throw away clothes)
9. Post race long sleeved shirt and warm up pants (it will be cold afterward and I want to stick around the finish line area to cheer)
10. Vasoline or bodyglide
11. Bandaids
12. Preferred breakfast foods (it will be an early morning)
(Bagel, banana, power-bar)
13. Any other day before food (carbs)
14. Race morning beverage (I don't need too much to drink it tends to go right through me)
15. Powerbar gels (my brand of choice)
16. Clothes for return trip home
17. Poncho for starting line (throw away)
18. Garmin Forerunner 305 (I almost forgot!)
19. Toothbrush, deoderant, extra pair of contact lenses, etc.
20. Cell phone
Ok, that is my list. Let me know if I forgot anything.
I guess Josh Cox, who trains in Mammoth with Ryan Hall, will be running CIM along with 20 other men trying to get a qualifying mark for the next olympic trials marathon. So there should be a good US presence there. It also means that Ryan Hall may be up there cheering on his friend. We'll have to keep our eyes open for celebrities at the expo.
Weather still looks good with forecast of partly cloudy, high of 57 and low 35. It may be even colder than that. Warm clothes will be a must for pre and post race. We have to catch the bus between 5 and 5:30 am. It will be COLD.
Here is my checklist for race day packing:
1. Race shoes (New Balance 1224)
2. Running gloves
3. Race shirt and arm sleeves
4. Race shorts
5. Injinjis (socks)
6. Skull cap (I may buy a new one at the expo)
7. Sunglasses
8. Pre race warmups (throw away clothes)
9. Post race long sleeved shirt and warm up pants (it will be cold afterward and I want to stick around the finish line area to cheer)
10. Vasoline or bodyglide
11. Bandaids
12. Preferred breakfast foods (it will be an early morning)
(Bagel, banana, power-bar)
13. Any other day before food (carbs)
14. Race morning beverage (I don't need too much to drink it tends to go right through me)
15. Powerbar gels (my brand of choice)
16. Clothes for return trip home
17. Poncho for starting line (throw away)
18. Garmin Forerunner 305 (I almost forgot!)
19. Toothbrush, deoderant, extra pair of contact lenses, etc.
20. Cell phone
Ok, that is my list. Let me know if I forgot anything.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Another 6 mile run on Turkey Day
It was a lazy morning. The kids slept in until 7:30! I didn't get out for a run until 1:00 but the weather was still beautiful. Andi and I were talking yesterday about how thankful we are for the weather we have had over the past few months. It has been nearly perfect for marathon training. Today was no different. I was in shorts and a t-shirt and was cruising along today. My right leg is still not 100% but much better than Tuesday. I really have no idea why it has been bothering me. I am definitely shutting it down to give it time to rest before December 6th. It just feels tight and it aches during and after my run. At least I wasn't limping like I was on Tuesday.
I got an email from a high school friend of mine that now lives in Minnesota. His name is Bryce and him and I ran together for four years and eights seasons. We also used to get together for pick up basketball games and we could always out last everyone else playing for hours. Bryce was an 800m specialist in track and a tough cross country runner as well. I remember watching him break 2 minutes in his 800m split of a 4x800m relay at the state meet our senior year. He just picked up running again this year and was asking for suggestions on how to maintain his fitness in the cold Minnesota winter.
Both coming from Vegas, we tend to be wimps in the frigid midwest weather. I think the coldest temps I have run in were in Idaho at around 12 degrees. My advice is to invest in some quality winter gear! A pair of running tights, good running gloves, a skull cap (something to cover the ears), and some long sleeved running shirts are all essential. I occasionally wear a shorts sleeved shirt over my long sleeved shirt for an extra layer. I got my cap at Target $10, my gloves at Costco $10, and my tights and shirts from Nike outlet. I have also collected some nice long sleeved technical shirts from races. The Twin Cities Marathon gave out some great long sleeved finishers shirts (see pictures). Once you have some decent gear you just have to "saddle up" and get out there. It is one thing to say it and another to actually do it, especially first thing in the morning. You may have to resort to the treadmill for some of your weekly runs. When you are able to go mid day (weekends) the winter gear should help keep your ears and fingers from falling off. A running partner might also help keep you accountable and get your butt out the door.
Anyone else have suggestions for Bryce, please post a comment. Last year my dad said they went over a month with temperatures that were continuously below zero! Good luck Bryce!
I will try and post some treadmill workouts soon that will help ease the monotony. Click on the treadmill label below this post to read all my treadmill workouts over the past 2 years!
I got an email from a high school friend of mine that now lives in Minnesota. His name is Bryce and him and I ran together for four years and eights seasons. We also used to get together for pick up basketball games and we could always out last everyone else playing for hours. Bryce was an 800m specialist in track and a tough cross country runner as well. I remember watching him break 2 minutes in his 800m split of a 4x800m relay at the state meet our senior year. He just picked up running again this year and was asking for suggestions on how to maintain his fitness in the cold Minnesota winter.
Both coming from Vegas, we tend to be wimps in the frigid midwest weather. I think the coldest temps I have run in were in Idaho at around 12 degrees. My advice is to invest in some quality winter gear! A pair of running tights, good running gloves, a skull cap (something to cover the ears), and some long sleeved running shirts are all essential. I occasionally wear a shorts sleeved shirt over my long sleeved shirt for an extra layer. I got my cap at Target $10, my gloves at Costco $10, and my tights and shirts from Nike outlet. I have also collected some nice long sleeved technical shirts from races. The Twin Cities Marathon gave out some great long sleeved finishers shirts (see pictures). Once you have some decent gear you just have to "saddle up" and get out there. It is one thing to say it and another to actually do it, especially first thing in the morning. You may have to resort to the treadmill for some of your weekly runs. When you are able to go mid day (weekends) the winter gear should help keep your ears and fingers from falling off. A running partner might also help keep you accountable and get your butt out the door.
Anyone else have suggestions for Bryce, please post a comment. Last year my dad said they went over a month with temperatures that were continuously below zero! Good luck Bryce!
I will try and post some treadmill workouts soon that will help ease the monotony. Click on the treadmill label below this post to read all my treadmill workouts over the past 2 years!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Yasso 800s! (average 2:49)
Clay, Dale, Michael and I met at Joe Walker this morning for Yasso 800s! For those of you that don't know what the heck that means, it is 10x 800m with equal recovery time. Your average time can be used as a predictor for your marathon time.
I woke up late and was 3 repeats behind by the time I got there. I jumped right in with Michael after a mile warm up and did his last 4 with him then finished out the last 6 on my own.
There were great conditions again this morning and here are my splits.
I woke up late and was 3 repeats behind by the time I got there. I jumped right in with Michael after a mile warm up and did his last 4 with him then finished out the last 6 on my own.
There were great conditions again this morning and here are my splits.
2:58
2:55
2:53
2:52
2:48
2:47
2:46
2:42
2:46
2:44
I have wanted to do this workout many times before but never attempted the full 10. It was tough! My average time was 2:49!
Clay and Dale were hitting sub 3:15s the whole way and Michael said he was steady at 3:00 before running the last few under 3:00 with me. It was a great workout for all of us.
There is some controversy around this workout as a predictor. Some people swear by it, some think it is baloney. I think the workout has to be placed into your marathon training at the right time (2-3 weeks out) and you have to have the aerobic base behind it to make it work.
Read Runners World's article here.
Coach Greg McMillan says that in his experience, Yasso 800s predict about 5 minutes too fast. In my case averaging 2:49 would predict a 2:54! Hey that is my goal time, how convenient.
I believe that the folks that don't believe it works also don't have the aerobic base to support a goal time equivalent. I read one discussion board post that said, "I can run Yasso 800s in 3:05 but my marathon time was 3:25." He either didn't have the aerobic base behind his training or he picked the wrong course. I don't think it would work if you ran Palos Verdes or San Fransisco (hilly). If you use this in your marathon training and you don't run the predicted time, my guess is that if you CONSISTENTLY built up your mileage over the next year or so you could probably hit that time. In high school or college I bet I could have hammered that workout and average 2:40s easy but there was NO WAY I had the aerobic ability to run a 2:40 marathon.
Yasso 800s are basically a VO2max interval workout (and a long one). If you take my goal time of 2:55 for the marathon for example, the VDOT calculator says my interval pace should be 2:53s for 800m, and McMillan's Calculator says I should be running 2:45-2:52. Funny how that works out!
Either way it was a great workout by all and we have one more hard workout planned for this weekend. Sunday at 60th and the aqueduct at 6am...16 miles with the last 8 at marathon pace (6:40)!
A few fun unrelated article to check out:
First, Deena Kastor submitted three holiday recepies to the New York Times! Green Chile Pumpkin Pie. YUM!
Second, a funny article on MEGAMARATHONERS! Can you believe that the record for most marthons run in a life time is 1636! My favorite quote is, "The jerk percentage among marathoners is just so much lower than the jerk percentage among lawyers," (no offense Brad). For those of you that still think that running is bad for your body and hard on your joints causing arthritis (you're probably not reading my blog), then how do you explain the guys in this article, all over 60 years old and all running strong (and more mileage than I do). Even one of these guys, Mr. Defronzo, was born with a curved spine and diagnosed later with an enlarged heart, and at the age of 74 ran his 402 marathon! Funny that he is also a lawyer with a 12ft x 12ft picture of himself finishing the Philadelphia marathon that says, "I will go the extra mile for you." His doctor says, "his vitals are those of a much younger man, and his muscular and skeletal system is spectacular."
Third, it is Thirsty Thursday again! This clip of Coach Jack Daniels PhD. is on altitude training and east Africans and is worth the watch!
2:55
2:53
2:52
2:48
2:47
2:46
2:42
2:46
2:44
I have wanted to do this workout many times before but never attempted the full 10. It was tough! My average time was 2:49!
Clay and Dale were hitting sub 3:15s the whole way and Michael said he was steady at 3:00 before running the last few under 3:00 with me. It was a great workout for all of us.
There is some controversy around this workout as a predictor. Some people swear by it, some think it is baloney. I think the workout has to be placed into your marathon training at the right time (2-3 weeks out) and you have to have the aerobic base behind it to make it work.
Read Runners World's article here.
Coach Greg McMillan says that in his experience, Yasso 800s predict about 5 minutes too fast. In my case averaging 2:49 would predict a 2:54! Hey that is my goal time, how convenient.
I believe that the folks that don't believe it works also don't have the aerobic base to support a goal time equivalent. I read one discussion board post that said, "I can run Yasso 800s in 3:05 but my marathon time was 3:25." He either didn't have the aerobic base behind his training or he picked the wrong course. I don't think it would work if you ran Palos Verdes or San Fransisco (hilly). If you use this in your marathon training and you don't run the predicted time, my guess is that if you CONSISTENTLY built up your mileage over the next year or so you could probably hit that time. In high school or college I bet I could have hammered that workout and average 2:40s easy but there was NO WAY I had the aerobic ability to run a 2:40 marathon.
Yasso 800s are basically a VO2max interval workout (and a long one). If you take my goal time of 2:55 for the marathon for example, the VDOT calculator says my interval pace should be 2:53s for 800m, and McMillan's Calculator says I should be running 2:45-2:52. Funny how that works out!
Either way it was a great workout by all and we have one more hard workout planned for this weekend. Sunday at 60th and the aqueduct at 6am...16 miles with the last 8 at marathon pace (6:40)!
A few fun unrelated article to check out:
First, Deena Kastor submitted three holiday recepies to the New York Times! Green Chile Pumpkin Pie. YUM!
Second, a funny article on MEGAMARATHONERS! Can you believe that the record for most marthons run in a life time is 1636! My favorite quote is, "The jerk percentage among marathoners is just so much lower than the jerk percentage among lawyers," (no offense Brad). For those of you that still think that running is bad for your body and hard on your joints causing arthritis (you're probably not reading my blog), then how do you explain the guys in this article, all over 60 years old and all running strong (and more mileage than I do). Even one of these guys, Mr. Defronzo, was born with a curved spine and diagnosed later with an enlarged heart, and at the age of 74 ran his 402 marathon! Funny that he is also a lawyer with a 12ft x 12ft picture of himself finishing the Philadelphia marathon that says, "I will go the extra mile for you." His doctor says, "his vitals are those of a much younger man, and his muscular and skeletal system is spectacular."
Third, it is Thirsty Thursday again! This clip of Coach Jack Daniels PhD. is on altitude training and east Africans and is worth the watch!
Monday, January 26, 2009
6x2 minute intervals: total 7 miles (51:29)
I was wide awake this morning at 6am and haven't run hard intervals in a while and my legs felt good right out the door. The workout today was 6x2 minute intervals with equal recovery (2min). It ends up being equivalent to 6x600m on the track. 6 was what time permitted today, I probably could have done one or two more. During each 2 minute segment I ran between .35 and .37 miles which averages 5:34 to 5:40 pace per mile. I did a 2 mile warm up and a 1.5 mile cool down for a total of 7 miles in 51:29 (avg pace 7:21). Almost equal time to my 7 mile run yesterday but this was a much harder workout.
It was a good workout today, but remember it takes one minute to reach your VO2max so I get a total of 6 minutes at VO2max today. To optimally work on VO2max long intervals are better because you get more time credit. 800s or 1200s (3-4 minute intervals) I think are optimal. Not too long, but long enough to get some good time spent at VO2max. If I had done 6x3 min intervals I would get credit for 12 minutes at VO2max. The key is to stress your system at your maximum oxygen update so that you are able to utilize more oxygen per minute.
I had a friend email me the other day that wanted to know what his training paces should be if he wants to qualify for Boston. Being under 35 years old, his qualifying time is 3:10. Answer: When you are near 3:10 shape your long runs should be between 7:45-8:30 pace, marathon pace is 7:15, threshold pace (tempo pace) is 6:50-7:00, and you should be running intervals at 6:15-6:30. Race equivalents for a 3:10 marathon are a 19:30 5k, 40:30 10k, and a 1:30 half marathon. You probably can't run near these paces right now since you are just starting your training. The best way to determine your current training paces is to run a mile or 5k time trial and plug your time into the VDOT calculator. I would also suggest running a few miles at your marathon goal pace now, even if it is 1 or 2 miles in the beginning and adding a mile every few weeks. You will know you are ready when you can run 10-12 miles at your marathon goal pace and consider it a moderate workout. As far as weekly mileage is concerned everyone is different. It depends on how many days a week you are running and how much time you have to train. I know that I can get into 3:00 marathon shape with running about 4 days a week and about 40 miles per week. To get down to 2:50 I might have to put in a few more. I hope that answers your question Dan! Good luck. I think you should get your brother involved in this one!
It was a good workout today, but remember it takes one minute to reach your VO2max so I get a total of 6 minutes at VO2max today. To optimally work on VO2max long intervals are better because you get more time credit. 800s or 1200s (3-4 minute intervals) I think are optimal. Not too long, but long enough to get some good time spent at VO2max. If I had done 6x3 min intervals I would get credit for 12 minutes at VO2max. The key is to stress your system at your maximum oxygen update so that you are able to utilize more oxygen per minute.
I had a friend email me the other day that wanted to know what his training paces should be if he wants to qualify for Boston. Being under 35 years old, his qualifying time is 3:10. Answer: When you are near 3:10 shape your long runs should be between 7:45-8:30 pace, marathon pace is 7:15, threshold pace (tempo pace) is 6:50-7:00, and you should be running intervals at 6:15-6:30. Race equivalents for a 3:10 marathon are a 19:30 5k, 40:30 10k, and a 1:30 half marathon. You probably can't run near these paces right now since you are just starting your training. The best way to determine your current training paces is to run a mile or 5k time trial and plug your time into the VDOT calculator. I would also suggest running a few miles at your marathon goal pace now, even if it is 1 or 2 miles in the beginning and adding a mile every few weeks. You will know you are ready when you can run 10-12 miles at your marathon goal pace and consider it a moderate workout. As far as weekly mileage is concerned everyone is different. It depends on how many days a week you are running and how much time you have to train. I know that I can get into 3:00 marathon shape with running about 4 days a week and about 40 miles per week. To get down to 2:50 I might have to put in a few more. I hope that answers your question Dan! Good luck. I think you should get your brother involved in this one!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Hill Repeats at 70th & Aqueduct
I met Clay and his son Zach at the hill that leads up to the aqueduct at the end of 70th St. West. For those of you not from this area this has to be the steepest paved roads around. I did a 30 minute warm up starting from our NEW HOUSE! Yes, we bought a house in Quartz Hill, CA near N and 50th St. West. It was a foreclosure, hard to find one that isn't these days. We have some work to do to get it livable but hope to be residing there in February. It will be nice to be closer to some good hills and a public track (Joe Walker MS).
Zach and I did 4x repeats up to the top of the hill which I think is between 1/5 and 1/4 mile long. My times were :70, :71, :80, :76. Then we did 4x short hills that each took about 15 seconds.
Somewhere in the middle would be perfect where the hill takes about :30 to :45 seconds to complete because you could still run them hard but you could do lots of them.
I finished with a cool down back to the new house on a more direct route. It is about 2 mile from the new house to the killer hill. Total mileage was an estimated 6 miles today.
After we were through with the hill repeats we talked about other future workouts we could do there. Doing these hill workouts 3-4x/month will help me lower my mile time towards my goal of 4:55 and improve my form and running economy.
Stay tuned for future workouts on this hill!
Zach and I did 4x repeats up to the top of the hill which I think is between 1/5 and 1/4 mile long. My times were :70, :71, :80, :76. Then we did 4x short hills that each took about 15 seconds.
Somewhere in the middle would be perfect where the hill takes about :30 to :45 seconds to complete because you could still run them hard but you could do lots of them.
I finished with a cool down back to the new house on a more direct route. It is about 2 mile from the new house to the killer hill. Total mileage was an estimated 6 miles today.
After we were through with the hill repeats we talked about other future workouts we could do there. Doing these hill workouts 3-4x/month will help me lower my mile time towards my goal of 4:55 and improve my form and running economy.
Stay tuned for future workouts on this hill!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Cruise Intervals! Best 30 min workout!
I had 30 minutes this morning and wanted to get in a quality run. I was hoping to spend some time at threshold pace without over doing it. It was similar to last week but shorter intervals and less rest. The workout turned out to be a great quality workout and it was completed in just over 30 minutes.
After a mile warm up I did 5x 1/2 mile at threshold pace with 30 seconds rest in between them and finished with a mile cool down.
My times were 3:10, 3:12, 3:06, 3:06, 3:10 and that 30 seconds rest sure goes by fast after 4 of them.
I finished with 3x150m accels.
The total mileage was 5 miles in 36:05 (avg 7:13 pace).
Cruise Intervals are done at threshold pace, or comfortably hard, 90% vVO2max / Heart rate. The idea is just to break up a longer threshold run to make it a little more manageable. Usually rest should be only 1 min/mile intervals. Jack Daniels recommends no more than 30-60 seconds rest. This short rest keeps lactic acid levels constant. Since I was only doing half mile intervals then my rest was only 30 seconds. In other words I could have run 2.5 miles at 6:20 pace, but breaking it up gave me a short mental break.
If you only have 30 minutes and want a quality workout try this: 8 minute warm up, then 5x (3min comfortably hard followed by 30sec easy), finsh with 8 minute cool down. Total 33:30 workout.
Here is what Jack Daniels, PhD. has to say on cruise intervals:
"Plenty of scientific evidence, not to mention common sense, tells you that you can run longer at a certain pace if you take short rests than you can by running that pace nonstop, as in tempo running. This type of intermittent run/rest approach also reduces the stress level of training. No wonder the concept many years ago gave rise to interval training - probably the world's most popular form of high-level athletic training.
The rest of the article is here. Check it out.
Greg McMillan says of cruise intervals:
"The Cruise Interval workout was popularized by the running coach, Jack Daniels. They, like the other Stamina workouts, are meant to increase your lactate threshold pace. Cruise Intervals are like shorter and slightly more intense tempo intervals. They last three to eight minutes and the pace is between 8K and 12K. Like tempo intervals, they are followed by short recovery jogs (30 seconds to 2 minutes). You'll probably find that it's easy to run too fast on these. The tendency is to treat them like regular long intervals. However, keep it under control and work on a smooth, fast rhythm. Control in training is key to improvement." Read his article here.
After a mile warm up I did 5x 1/2 mile at threshold pace with 30 seconds rest in between them and finished with a mile cool down.
My times were 3:10, 3:12, 3:06, 3:06, 3:10 and that 30 seconds rest sure goes by fast after 4 of them.
I finished with 3x150m accels.
The total mileage was 5 miles in 36:05 (avg 7:13 pace).
Cruise Intervals are done at threshold pace, or comfortably hard, 90% vVO2max / Heart rate. The idea is just to break up a longer threshold run to make it a little more manageable. Usually rest should be only 1 min/mile intervals. Jack Daniels recommends no more than 30-60 seconds rest. This short rest keeps lactic acid levels constant. Since I was only doing half mile intervals then my rest was only 30 seconds. In other words I could have run 2.5 miles at 6:20 pace, but breaking it up gave me a short mental break.
If you only have 30 minutes and want a quality workout try this: 8 minute warm up, then 5x (3min comfortably hard followed by 30sec easy), finsh with 8 minute cool down. Total 33:30 workout.
Here is what Jack Daniels, PhD. has to say on cruise intervals:
"Plenty of scientific evidence, not to mention common sense, tells you that you can run longer at a certain pace if you take short rests than you can by running that pace nonstop, as in tempo running. This type of intermittent run/rest approach also reduces the stress level of training. No wonder the concept many years ago gave rise to interval training - probably the world's most popular form of high-level athletic training.
Now the same idea brings us a newer, more effective form of training - cruise intervals. Simply put, cruise intevals are a type of threshold-pace running in which you divide the workout into several segments that are separated by recovery periods. As a result, the lactic acid level in your blood remains quite constant, the same as in a steady tempo run. (I have actually tested this with my runners, and found it to be true even when they were running 6 miles of cruise intervals.)
A typical crusie-interval session should include a warmup, the cruise intervals and a warmdown. I generally recommend the 1-mile distance for cruise intervals but believe that any distance from 1/2 mile to 2 miles (3 minutes to 10 minutes of hard running per interval) would prove equally effective. The short rest between intervals is essential to the workout; it should last only 30 to 60 seconds.
How many cruise intervals can you do on each hard day? The general rule of thumb is that your cruise intervals should total no moare than 8 percent of your total weekly mileage. If you run 20 miles a week, do about 1 1/2 miles of cruise intervals; if you run 50 miles, do about 4 miles. Generally my athletes run just one cruise interval session per week.
Don't let a low or moderate weekly mileage total hold you back. Cruise intervals can prove particularly effective for runners in the 15- to 30- miles-per-week range. For example, a 20-mile-per-week runner might do 3 x 880 yards at threshold pace with 60-second recovery jogs between the 880s. Cruise intervals also make an excellent transition from a steady-running program to one that includes more demanding workouts."The rest of the article is here. Check it out.
Greg McMillan says of cruise intervals:
"The Cruise Interval workout was popularized by the running coach, Jack Daniels. They, like the other Stamina workouts, are meant to increase your lactate threshold pace. Cruise Intervals are like shorter and slightly more intense tempo intervals. They last three to eight minutes and the pace is between 8K and 12K. Like tempo intervals, they are followed by short recovery jogs (30 seconds to 2 minutes). You'll probably find that it's easy to run too fast on these. The tendency is to treat them like regular long intervals. However, keep it under control and work on a smooth, fast rhythm. Control in training is key to improvement." Read his article here.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
12 mile long run in Quartz Hill (1:37:15)
I wanted to get in a 12 mile run today to push my weekend total over 20 miles. I don't even know the last time I got in a 20 mile weekend. This was also my third day running in a row. I can't even tell you the last time I ran three days in a row. Needless to say my legs were pretty tired from the get go this morning. My pace was considerably slower than usual but I was more concerned with putting in the time on the road today.
It was a tough run. My legs were pretty tired from the hills yesterday and I picked a hilly route through Quartz Hill. I didn't eat before my run either so I had no extra energy. My average pace over the 12 miles was 8:06. I will take tomorrow off.
Dean Karnazes wrote about hill running in his new book. He says you can coast up hills or attack them. When coasting up hills you would try and keep your heart rate from increasing by more than 10 beats per minute. When attacking hills you run at a "hard but manageable effort," which I think is probably similar to a threshold type effort.
He also talks about steep hill sprints which are short bout maximum efforts similar to interval training, which is what I have been doing once a week. See yesterday's post. Dean says, "steep hill sprints build a more powerful stride" which is true. They are very effective for improving running economy (RE). Uphill workouts also provide less pounding on the body with the same or greater cardiovascular stress. Unfortunately, Sir Isaac Newton was right, what goes up must come down. Running downhill causes much more pounding and stress on the musculoskeletal system due to the braking forces involved. You could walk down the hill forward or even backward to minimize the stress on the quadriceps. The problem then becomes rest time between repetitions. You get more rest if you are walking down the hill. If the goal of the workout is to stress VO2max then I think you must jog down the hill to limit the rest interval to at most 1.5x the work interval. If the goal is maximum effort anaerobic sprints for stride power and running economy (which can be as short as 10-15 seconds and should be no longer than 45-60 seconds) then walking downhill is appropriate for a work to rest ratio of 1 to 3.
In my opinion hill running is a weakness for many runners and should be addressed in all training programs. I used to dread hills in races but now I know that I can use them to my advantage and I enjoy adding hill workouts to my training. I really feel like I got a workout after a good hard day of hills.
My colleague Clay Patten did some steep hill sprints today on 70th up to the aqueduct. See some pictures of his run here.
It was a tough run. My legs were pretty tired from the hills yesterday and I picked a hilly route through Quartz Hill. I didn't eat before my run either so I had no extra energy. My average pace over the 12 miles was 8:06. I will take tomorrow off.
Dean Karnazes wrote about hill running in his new book. He says you can coast up hills or attack them. When coasting up hills you would try and keep your heart rate from increasing by more than 10 beats per minute. When attacking hills you run at a "hard but manageable effort," which I think is probably similar to a threshold type effort.
He also talks about steep hill sprints which are short bout maximum efforts similar to interval training, which is what I have been doing once a week. See yesterday's post. Dean says, "steep hill sprints build a more powerful stride" which is true. They are very effective for improving running economy (RE). Uphill workouts also provide less pounding on the body with the same or greater cardiovascular stress. Unfortunately, Sir Isaac Newton was right, what goes up must come down. Running downhill causes much more pounding and stress on the musculoskeletal system due to the braking forces involved. You could walk down the hill forward or even backward to minimize the stress on the quadriceps. The problem then becomes rest time between repetitions. You get more rest if you are walking down the hill. If the goal of the workout is to stress VO2max then I think you must jog down the hill to limit the rest interval to at most 1.5x the work interval. If the goal is maximum effort anaerobic sprints for stride power and running economy (which can be as short as 10-15 seconds and should be no longer than 45-60 seconds) then walking downhill is appropriate for a work to rest ratio of 1 to 3.
In my opinion hill running is a weakness for many runners and should be addressed in all training programs. I used to dread hills in races but now I know that I can use them to my advantage and I enjoy adding hill workouts to my training. I really feel like I got a workout after a good hard day of hills.
My colleague Clay Patten did some steep hill sprints today on 70th up to the aqueduct. See some pictures of his run here.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
10 mile progression run (1:13:27)
After a week of easy runs I was ready to do some quality training today. I got up early to drive up to the aquaduct for a 10 mile run. The workout was divided into three parts (3 miles easy, 3 miles just above marathon pace, and 3 miles at threshold pace with a 1 mile cool down). I started at 70th going west on the aquaduct with a turnaround at 110th. There was a slight head wind (breeze) on the way out. The pace progressed every three miles with miles 7-9 at threshold (LT) pace. This was a tougher workout than I expected because there was a 6 mile warm up at a moderate pace before the LT miles.
The first three mile splits were: 7:57, 7:57, 7:58
AVG HR=135
The second three mile splits were: 7:17, 7:15, 7:21
AVG HR=150
The third three mile splits (LT) were: 6:26, 6:27, 6:11
AVG HR=170
I ran into Clay just as I was finishing my 9th mile and ran my cool down with his warm up.
The cool down mile was: 8:29
Total time for 10 miles was 1:13:27 (average pace 7:20)
I just finished reading an article from the Journal of Strength and Conditioning from 2005 titled: A Comparison of Methods for Estimating the Lactate Threshold.
The researchers tested subjects in a lab to find their true LT values and velocity at LT. Then each subject performed 4 tests, over 3-6 weeks, designed to estimate their lactate threshold pace. The purpose was to find which tests were most accurate and give runners an simple way to determine their training paces when lab tests are not available.
The four tests were VDOT, 3200m time trial, 30 minute time trial, and Conconi Test.
They did a 400m and 800m time trial to obtain values for Jack Daniels' VDOT formula.
The 3200m time was entered in to a regression equation to find LT pace.
The 30 min time trial was done on a treadmill where AVG pace over 30 min=LT pace and AVG HR for the last 20 min=HR at LT.
The Conconi Test was an old validated test done on a 400m track but it seemed too difficult to describe here, and you need an assistant.
The results showed that the VDOT and the 30 min time trial were the closest estimates of running velocity at lactate threshold. They gave the 30 min time trial the advantage because it also gave the runner an estimated HR at lactate threshold for those that set training intensities based on HR.
I found it interesting that they only did a 400m and 800m time trial for the VDOT formula. Number one, because those distance are almost completely anaerobic; and number two, they are very easy to recover from and reproduce often. They mentioned this in the discussion and state that longer race distances put into the VDOT formula may be even more accurate.
The 30 minute time trial was done on a treadmill, not a track, and I'm not sure why. It seems to me that you could still get average HR information and it would be easier for the runner to adjust their pace during the effort if they ran on a track. The only part that bothered me was that I thought threshold pace was closer to 10k-15 pace (or the all out pace for 1 hour), and I don't know too many people that can run a 10k in 30 min.
Either way the researchers felt because if it's simplicity, accuracy, and amount of training information given, the 30 minute time trial was the best method for estimating lactate threshold.
I personally have been using the VDOT formula which is based on a recent race time at any distance, due to the fact that you don't have to do any time trials, especially if you are racing fairly often. I find that it is very accurate for my estimated training velocities, and equivalent race times at other distances.
The first three mile splits were: 7:57, 7:57, 7:58
AVG HR=135
The second three mile splits were: 7:17, 7:15, 7:21
AVG HR=150
The third three mile splits (LT) were: 6:26, 6:27, 6:11
AVG HR=170
I ran into Clay just as I was finishing my 9th mile and ran my cool down with his warm up.
The cool down mile was: 8:29
Total time for 10 miles was 1:13:27 (average pace 7:20)
I just finished reading an article from the Journal of Strength and Conditioning from 2005 titled: A Comparison of Methods for Estimating the Lactate Threshold.
The researchers tested subjects in a lab to find their true LT values and velocity at LT. Then each subject performed 4 tests, over 3-6 weeks, designed to estimate their lactate threshold pace. The purpose was to find which tests were most accurate and give runners an simple way to determine their training paces when lab tests are not available.
The four tests were VDOT, 3200m time trial, 30 minute time trial, and Conconi Test.
They did a 400m and 800m time trial to obtain values for Jack Daniels' VDOT formula.
The 3200m time was entered in to a regression equation to find LT pace.
The 30 min time trial was done on a treadmill where AVG pace over 30 min=LT pace and AVG HR for the last 20 min=HR at LT.
The Conconi Test was an old validated test done on a 400m track but it seemed too difficult to describe here, and you need an assistant.
The results showed that the VDOT and the 30 min time trial were the closest estimates of running velocity at lactate threshold. They gave the 30 min time trial the advantage because it also gave the runner an estimated HR at lactate threshold for those that set training intensities based on HR.
I found it interesting that they only did a 400m and 800m time trial for the VDOT formula. Number one, because those distance are almost completely anaerobic; and number two, they are very easy to recover from and reproduce often. They mentioned this in the discussion and state that longer race distances put into the VDOT formula may be even more accurate.
The 30 minute time trial was done on a treadmill, not a track, and I'm not sure why. It seems to me that you could still get average HR information and it would be easier for the runner to adjust their pace during the effort if they ran on a track. The only part that bothered me was that I thought threshold pace was closer to 10k-15 pace (or the all out pace for 1 hour), and I don't know too many people that can run a 10k in 30 min.
Either way the researchers felt because if it's simplicity, accuracy, and amount of training information given, the 30 minute time trial was the best method for estimating lactate threshold.
I personally have been using the VDOT formula which is based on a recent race time at any distance, due to the fact that you don't have to do any time trials, especially if you are racing fairly often. I find that it is very accurate for my estimated training velocities, and equivalent race times at other distances.
Monday, September 1, 2008
8 mile easy run (61:00)
A beautiful day for a run with just a light breeze to cool me down. Even this afternoon there was no wind and we had a great BBQ with my sister-in-law and her family.
My run today was 8 miles in 61 minutes which is an average of 7:37 per mile. The last two mile were at marathon pace 6:50 to 7:00.
FYI: The altitude at my house is 2350ft.
Total mileage for August was 82, but that is averaging 3 runs per week. Still not consistent training. Must start to ramp it up.
My colleague Clay Patten, PT biked around Lake Tahoe this weekend (72 miles) in under 4.5 hours. The story and pictures are posted here.
Clay and I are presenting our third running clinic at Valley Physical Therapy Group on September 20th at 11am. The topic is Lower Limb Running Injuries: Prevention and Treatment. We are also offering a free gait analysis and shoe prescription for those who RSVP.
This is the same day as the Relay for Life: Palmdale, at Highland High School. Valley Physical Therapy Group Family and Friends has a team this year. Come out and join us for the Running Clinic, Relay for Life, or BOTH! Mark your calendars for September 20th.
My run today was 8 miles in 61 minutes which is an average of 7:37 per mile. The last two mile were at marathon pace 6:50 to 7:00.
FYI: The altitude at my house is 2350ft.
Total mileage for August was 82, but that is averaging 3 runs per week. Still not consistent training. Must start to ramp it up.
My colleague Clay Patten, PT biked around Lake Tahoe this weekend (72 miles) in under 4.5 hours. The story and pictures are posted here.
Clay and I are presenting our third running clinic at Valley Physical Therapy Group on September 20th at 11am. The topic is Lower Limb Running Injuries: Prevention and Treatment. We are also offering a free gait analysis and shoe prescription for those who RSVP.
This is the same day as the Relay for Life: Palmdale, at Highland High School. Valley Physical Therapy Group Family and Friends has a team this year. Come out and join us for the Running Clinic, Relay for Life, or BOTH! Mark your calendars for September 20th.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Running Shorts and Runners' Alibis
I finished my article for the High Desert Runners Web Newsletter for August. Here it is for those of you that don't get the newsletter, followed by a list of Runners' Alibis by Coach Joe Newton from Coaching Cross Country Successfully.
“I feel the need, the need for speed”
I was having trouble coming up with a topic for this month’s newsletter and started to regret I volunteered when I began to ask myself, “What am I doing differently in my own training lately?” I have been largely running only marathons and half marathons over the last 5 years since graduating from physical therapy school.
See you on the road (or trail),
Karl Stutelberg, PT
Runners can be crazy whiners!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday 9 miles, June totals 108 miles!
We got home last night around 10:30 after airplane, bus, and car rides. I took today off to recover again, but I did total up my mileage for June which ended up at 108 miles! Total mileage for the year is at 624 and we are right around half way through.
Andi and I got in a great 9 mile run on Sunday from my dad's house to Lake Harriet on the paved running trails. We only took one wrong turn that added about a third of a mile to the run. Total time was about 1 hour 15 minutes (average pace 8:30).
Over the next 2 months I am going to continue to work on speed and slowly start to phase in some threshold runs and marathon pace runs. I also want to increase my long runs to about 1.5 hours at least twice a month.
I hope to get to 2-3 of the cross country series races over the next 6 weeks.
The men's trials 5k final is tonight, not televised but should be streamed online somewhere. I'll post it if I can find it. Possibly on flocast.org.
Andi and I got in a great 9 mile run on Sunday from my dad's house to Lake Harriet on the paved running trails. We only took one wrong turn that added about a third of a mile to the run. Total time was about 1 hour 15 minutes (average pace 8:30).
Over the next 2 months I am going to continue to work on speed and slowly start to phase in some threshold runs and marathon pace runs. I also want to increase my long runs to about 1.5 hours at least twice a month.
I hope to get to 2-3 of the cross country series races over the next 6 weeks.
The men's trials 5k final is tonight, not televised but should be streamed online somewhere. I'll post it if I can find it. Possibly on flocast.org.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Interval training on calm Thursday morning!
Pushing back my weekly interval workout was a good idea. This morning there was NO wind and I felt really fresh. It is important to be flexible with your training plan and be able to adapt to last minute changes. If you plan on a long run over the weekend and you wake up with no energy (or there is a 40 mph wind) then switch it with Sunday and just do a few easy miles to get the "kinks" out and then do a few strides/pick ups/accelerations with the wind after the run.
I switched my interval workout to Thursday and it payed off. I ran a total of 7 miles which included 2 miles warm up, then 4 minute intervals at vVO2max with equal rest, then a mile cool down.
Total time was 52:01 (average pace 7:26)
Each interval was 4 minutes at vVO2max
First interval was .64 miles
Second interval was .66 miles
Third interval was .69 miles
Fourth interval was .70 miles
Pace ranged from 6:05-5:45 during each interval
Total time at VO2max was 8 minutes
I had planned on doing 5x4 minute intervals but stopped after 4 due to time and just didn't want to push it. I felt pretty good today, I probably could have gone on 3 min rest.
Here are two articles from running times magazine on interval training. Great information. Running Times is much more informative and educating then Runner's World. I haven't read a great Runner's World article that I learned something from in a while, it has been good for the blogs only. One of the articles below is written by Greg McMillan!
I also increased my volume (number of reps) on my circuit workout this week. I have been going twice a week on the circuit training so far.
I switched my interval workout to Thursday and it payed off. I ran a total of 7 miles which included 2 miles warm up, then 4 minute intervals at vVO2max with equal rest, then a mile cool down.
Total time was 52:01 (average pace 7:26)
Each interval was 4 minutes at vVO2max
First interval was .64 miles
Second interval was .66 miles
Third interval was .69 miles
Fourth interval was .70 miles
Pace ranged from 6:05-5:45 during each interval
Total time at VO2max was 8 minutes
I had planned on doing 5x4 minute intervals but stopped after 4 due to time and just didn't want to push it. I felt pretty good today, I probably could have gone on 3 min rest.
Here are two articles from running times magazine on interval training. Great information. Running Times is much more informative and educating then Runner's World. I haven't read a great Runner's World article that I learned something from in a while, it has been good for the blogs only. One of the articles below is written by Greg McMillan!
I also increased my volume (number of reps) on my circuit workout this week. I have been going twice a week on the circuit training so far.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
7 mile fartlek run (49:57) to start a VO2max mesocyle
6 weeks until the July 4th Newhall 5k which is just enough time to finish a training cycle with an emphasis on VO2max or interval training. I decided my first run would be a less structured fartlek format, since I haven't done anything that fast over the last 2 months at least.
I ran my regular 7 mile run, the first 2 miles were warm up then I threw in 5 sets of about 3 minutes at vVO2max (velocity at VO2max) which for me is about 5:40-5:50 pace, followed by 2 sets of 90 seconds at vVO2max. It was a good effort with the total time for 7 miles being 49:57 or 7:08 pace.
Mile splits were 7:59, 7:46, 6:53, 7:01, 6:45, 6:34, 6:54.
The recovery time between sets was about 3-4 minutes but it was really just when I felt like I could complete another 3 minute interval.
For those of you interested, you can improve your VO2max by stressing it, meaning running at or very near your velocity at VO2max (the pace you can sustain all out for 10-12 minutes). There is a high anaerobic component as your heart rate is also at its maximum. It takes about 2 minutes of running at this velocity to reach your V02max due to oxygen debt, so I only get credit for 1 minute at VO2max during a 3 minute interval. So total today I spent about 5-6 minutes stressing my VO2 max. Running faster than this speed does not stress it anymore or give you more training gains. It just makes you more sore or tired.
This is a great example of how more or faster is not always better. Don't get me wrong, your vVO2max is a pretty intense speed to begin with (HR 95-100% of your max).
I plan on doing one workout a week of interval training to stress my VO2 max in preparation for the 5k race. My next interval workout will include 3 sets of 5 minutes at vVO2max with approximately the same amount of recovery between. It will either be Tuesday or Thursday, which ever is less windy.
I also hope to get in a 75-80 minute run over the weekend.
I included the two pictures that I ordered from marathonfoto taken at the Boston Marathon. They were really the only two good pictures they took of me there. The last picture is not the finish line but actually some where around half way.
Taken from Runners World Daily blog discussing an article written about ultramarathoners:
I ran my regular 7 mile run, the first 2 miles were warm up then I threw in 5 sets of about 3 minutes at vVO2max (velocity at VO2max) which for me is about 5:40-5:50 pace, followed by 2 sets of 90 seconds at vVO2max. It was a good effort with the total time for 7 miles being 49:57 or 7:08 pace.
Mile splits were 7:59, 7:46, 6:53, 7:01, 6:45, 6:34, 6:54.
The recovery time between sets was about 3-4 minutes but it was really just when I felt like I could complete another 3 minute interval.
For those of you interested, you can improve your VO2max by stressing it, meaning running at or very near your velocity at VO2max (the pace you can sustain all out for 10-12 minutes). There is a high anaerobic component as your heart rate is also at its maximum. It takes about 2 minutes of running at this velocity to reach your V02max due to oxygen debt, so I only get credit for 1 minute at VO2max during a 3 minute interval. So total today I spent about 5-6 minutes stressing my VO2 max. Running faster than this speed does not stress it anymore or give you more training gains. It just makes you more sore or tired.
This is a great example of how more or faster is not always better. Don't get me wrong, your vVO2max is a pretty intense speed to begin with (HR 95-100% of your max).
I plan on doing one workout a week of interval training to stress my VO2 max in preparation for the 5k race. My next interval workout will include 3 sets of 5 minutes at vVO2max with approximately the same amount of recovery between. It will either be Tuesday or Thursday, which ever is less windy.
I also hope to get in a 75-80 minute run over the weekend.
I included the two pictures that I ordered from marathonfoto taken at the Boston Marathon. They were really the only two good pictures they took of me there. The last picture is not the finish line but actually some where around half way.
Taken from Runners World Daily blog discussing an article written about ultramarathoners:
Like trained monkeys or drug addicts, some athletes will do whatever it takes for more.
Runners World comment:
"I don't know about you, but I may have just found a new favorite running quote.
Oh, and a note to the author of the article: Some runners -- particularly the sub-3-hour marathon crowd -- may take offense at that wording.
They are highly trained monkeys, thank you very much."
Thursday, April 3, 2008
7 mile progression run (50:23)
It was a nice morning for a run as it had rained a little last night. I wanted to ease into some faster miles at the end of the run with the last few miles around lactate threshold pace. My shin felt great the whole run with no post-run soreness.
Mile splits for the run were 8:07, 7:44, 7:26, 7:15, 6:53, 6:17, 6:36. Average pace was 7:12 over the 7 miles with 2 short hills thrown in.
I have been reviewing a video by coach Jack Daniels, no I haven't been drinking. It is a great video on training, periodization, and running physiology that is offered on http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/.
He talks about VO2max and lactate threshold and makes it fairly easy to understand how to correctly improve on these through training.
It is timely and costly to determine your VO2max but what is more important is your VO2max velocity or the speed at which you hit your VO2max, which he states is the top speed you can maintain for 10-12 minutes. Max HR is similar but not exactly the same.
Similarly, lactate threshold, another important level to improve on through training, is the point at which lactate accumulates more rapidy than your body is able to clear it. This speed ends up being about as fast as you can sustain for 1 hour when completely recovered, or somewhere between 10k to half marathon pace depending on your fitness level.
Hope this info helps some of you determine proper pacing on some of your training runs. This and other topics will be discussed at our next running clinic May 17th at Valley Physical Therapy Group in Lancaster, CA.
Mile splits for the run were 8:07, 7:44, 7:26, 7:15, 6:53, 6:17, 6:36. Average pace was 7:12 over the 7 miles with 2 short hills thrown in.
I have been reviewing a video by coach Jack Daniels, no I haven't been drinking. It is a great video on training, periodization, and running physiology that is offered on http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/.
He talks about VO2max and lactate threshold and makes it fairly easy to understand how to correctly improve on these through training.
It is timely and costly to determine your VO2max but what is more important is your VO2max velocity or the speed at which you hit your VO2max, which he states is the top speed you can maintain for 10-12 minutes. Max HR is similar but not exactly the same.
Similarly, lactate threshold, another important level to improve on through training, is the point at which lactate accumulates more rapidy than your body is able to clear it. This speed ends up being about as fast as you can sustain for 1 hour when completely recovered, or somewhere between 10k to half marathon pace depending on your fitness level.
Hope this info helps some of you determine proper pacing on some of your training runs. This and other topics will be discussed at our next running clinic May 17th at Valley Physical Therapy Group in Lancaster, CA.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
10k easy run (47:39) WINDY / Karl's take on strength training for runners
It was another windy day in the Antelope Valley (AV). I got out just before it started to get REALLY bad. I wanted to try and keep around 7:40-7:50 pace which is what I want to run my first 12 in tomorrow. I ran mostly north and south which gave me a cross wind most of the way but my splits were all over the place. I won't even mention them. It will be hard to hold back a little for 12 miles as the pace felt pretty easy.
My average pace was 7:40.
For those of you that did not see the article in the AV Press on the running clinic that Clay and I put on in February, you can read the article at Clark's Blog. Take it with a grain of salt, things were taken out of context and we were slightly misquoted.
The NY Times recently posted two articles that are directly related to the topics we discussed at the clinic and are an interesting read.
Can Weight Training Make You A Better Runner?
Can Stretching Prevent Soreness And Injury?
A research team from the Human Performance Laboratory at Adelphi University in Garden City, NY, is gathering information about the strength-training habits of regular runners. You can help. Just take their simple survey here:
I have done resistance training before but rarely lifted legs until recently (last October) when I joined Clay in evolving a circuit training, or super sets, workout at our lunch break to complement our running. I think runners don't strength train their legs, number one, because it makes them so sore that they cannot run for a few days, and number two they think they will gain weight and it will slow them down.
The strength training that we do is a complete body workout with an emphasis on core training, hip and knee stability, and dynamic lifting. It is a complete body workout. Currently it takes us 20-25 minutes to complete, and there is very little rest.
When I first started the program I was sore for a few days after each workout. Now I have no problem running the next day, and we complete the work out 2-3 times per week. The strength training, I believe, has allowed me to increase my mileage quicker without injury. It has also allowed me to POWER up the hills I run stronger and with better form.
Many elite runners are doing similar types of core training. I believe, and it has been proven in many articles, that strength training for runners can be very beneficial. It can even be more beneficial than adding miles just for the sake of adding miles.
Read also Paradigm Shift in Training Endurance Athletes.
Currently our workout is as follows:
3 laps of the gym side stepping with resistive band
2x25 reverse lunges each leg
30x alternating arm swings kettlebell squat
2x15 kettlebell bent over rows each arm
2x15 Bosu ball pushups (or to failure)
2x10 Bosu ball planks with leg extension
5x each, side planks with rotation into plank and back
15x each side kettlebell figure eights
30x double arm swings kettlebell squats
2x25 reverse lunges each leg
3 laps of zombie walk with resistive band
We get all this done in 20 minutes!
It is the equivalent effort of running an all out 5k.
The workout is always evolving. Occasionally we add a new exercise such as dips or other variations of plank exercise. We only started using the Bosu ball about 2 months ago. I will begin posting a weekly video of one of our exercises this week.
I do not recommend starting any of the kettlebell exercises without proper instruction. Some of the plank exercises are also very advanced.
A final note: Running alone does not make us stronger. Even running hills, which runners have thought for many years is their strength training, does not make one stronger. Running more and more miles trains our neuromuscular system to become more efficient at one thing, running. Our body will adapt for any weaknesses or imbalances we might have, and with enough stress will lead to injury.
My average pace was 7:40.
For those of you that did not see the article in the AV Press on the running clinic that Clay and I put on in February, you can read the article at Clark's Blog. Take it with a grain of salt, things were taken out of context and we were slightly misquoted.
The NY Times recently posted two articles that are directly related to the topics we discussed at the clinic and are an interesting read.
Can Weight Training Make You A Better Runner?
Can Stretching Prevent Soreness And Injury?
A research team from the Human Performance Laboratory at Adelphi University in Garden City, NY, is gathering information about the strength-training habits of regular runners. You can help. Just take their simple survey here:
I have done resistance training before but rarely lifted legs until recently (last October) when I joined Clay in evolving a circuit training, or super sets, workout at our lunch break to complement our running. I think runners don't strength train their legs, number one, because it makes them so sore that they cannot run for a few days, and number two they think they will gain weight and it will slow them down.
The strength training that we do is a complete body workout with an emphasis on core training, hip and knee stability, and dynamic lifting. It is a complete body workout. Currently it takes us 20-25 minutes to complete, and there is very little rest.
When I first started the program I was sore for a few days after each workout. Now I have no problem running the next day, and we complete the work out 2-3 times per week. The strength training, I believe, has allowed me to increase my mileage quicker without injury. It has also allowed me to POWER up the hills I run stronger and with better form.
Many elite runners are doing similar types of core training. I believe, and it has been proven in many articles, that strength training for runners can be very beneficial. It can even be more beneficial than adding miles just for the sake of adding miles.
Read also Paradigm Shift in Training Endurance Athletes.
Currently our workout is as follows:
3 laps of the gym side stepping with resistive band
2x25 reverse lunges each leg
30x alternating arm swings kettlebell squat
2x15 kettlebell bent over rows each arm
2x15 Bosu ball pushups (or to failure)
2x10 Bosu ball planks with leg extension
5x each, side planks with rotation into plank and back
15x each side kettlebell figure eights
30x double arm swings kettlebell squats
2x25 reverse lunges each leg
3 laps of zombie walk with resistive band
We get all this done in 20 minutes!
It is the equivalent effort of running an all out 5k.
The workout is always evolving. Occasionally we add a new exercise such as dips or other variations of plank exercise. We only started using the Bosu ball about 2 months ago. I will begin posting a weekly video of one of our exercises this week.
I do not recommend starting any of the kettlebell exercises without proper instruction. Some of the plank exercises are also very advanced.
A final note: Running alone does not make us stronger. Even running hills, which runners have thought for many years is their strength training, does not make one stronger. Running more and more miles trains our neuromuscular system to become more efficient at one thing, running. Our body will adapt for any weaknesses or imbalances we might have, and with enough stress will lead to injury.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
2 minute intervals for 40 minutes.
I probably missed my opportunity to do a longer run this weekend because I slept in until 7am this morning as both my boys slept great last night. Tomorrow it is supposed to rain all morning with heavy winds.
I only had an hour to run so I went for the closest hills again and ran a 10 minute warm up followed by 2 minute interval workout of 2 min at 5k pace followed by 2 min comfortable (around 7:30 to 8:00). I repeated that for 40 minutes so I ended up running a total of 20 minutes at sub six minute pace. That included a few hills in the middle of the run. I ended with a 10 minute cool down with my dog Emma.
Total mileage was 8 miles with the first 7 in approximately 50 minutes. Mile splits were 7:46, 7:13, 7:11, 6:21, 6:47, 6:50, 6:32. The splits are deceiving as it depended on how many intervals at 5k pace were included in that mile.
I have been doing more research on the Boston Marathon and found a you tube video of the race course. There is A LOT of downhill and it will be tough to hold back the first half of the race.
Even if it is raining I think I will go to Quartz hill tomorrow to get some hill training in.
Watch the entire Boston Marathon course here in 16 minutes 30 seconds.
I only had an hour to run so I went for the closest hills again and ran a 10 minute warm up followed by 2 minute interval workout of 2 min at 5k pace followed by 2 min comfortable (around 7:30 to 8:00). I repeated that for 40 minutes so I ended up running a total of 20 minutes at sub six minute pace. That included a few hills in the middle of the run. I ended with a 10 minute cool down with my dog Emma.
Total mileage was 8 miles with the first 7 in approximately 50 minutes. Mile splits were 7:46, 7:13, 7:11, 6:21, 6:47, 6:50, 6:32. The splits are deceiving as it depended on how many intervals at 5k pace were included in that mile.
I have been doing more research on the Boston Marathon and found a you tube video of the race course. There is A LOT of downhill and it will be tough to hold back the first half of the race.
Even if it is raining I think I will go to Quartz hill tomorrow to get some hill training in.
Watch the entire Boston Marathon course here in 16 minutes 30 seconds.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
19 miles on the aqueduct (2:25:24)
My goal today was to run for about 2.5 hours. I figured I could sustain a pace of about 7:45 for that amount of time. I ran along the aqueduct on the dirt side to get off the road, and it felt great to stay off the pavement.
For those of you that don't know what the "aqueduct" is, it is a water filled canal that runs for hundreds of miles and is only about 6-7 miles from my house. There is an asphalt trail on one side and dirt on the other. I opted to run on the dirt side the entire time today, and was glad I did.
I won't bore you with 19 mile splits but highlight the half marathon split was (1:40:30) and I hit 18 miles in 2:18:00. I was very consistent with my mile splits, mostly between 7:25 to 7:40, with a few slower miles here and there but only the first mile was over 8:00. My average pace over all was 7:39.
Coach McMillan, out of Flagstaff, AZ has a great article on long runs. Today I decided to do a long steady distance run and try and get through the run without any carbs. I parked my car at 60th and the aqueduct and used that as a home base. I ran out for 4 miles, then back to the car for water, then out for another 4 miles in the opposite direction, then back for water, then out for 1.5 miles, and back to the car for water. It worked out well but I should have gone back to the car one other time as I was getting a little dehydrated.
Overall, I felt good but I don't think I could have gone much farther. I will try and get in probably 2-3 more long runs of at least 18 miles before the big day. My next long run will be a "fast finish" long run.
For those of you that don't know what the "aqueduct" is, it is a water filled canal that runs for hundreds of miles and is only about 6-7 miles from my house. There is an asphalt trail on one side and dirt on the other. I opted to run on the dirt side the entire time today, and was glad I did.
I won't bore you with 19 mile splits but highlight the half marathon split was (1:40:30) and I hit 18 miles in 2:18:00. I was very consistent with my mile splits, mostly between 7:25 to 7:40, with a few slower miles here and there but only the first mile was over 8:00. My average pace over all was 7:39.
Coach McMillan, out of Flagstaff, AZ has a great article on long runs. Today I decided to do a long steady distance run and try and get through the run without any carbs. I parked my car at 60th and the aqueduct and used that as a home base. I ran out for 4 miles, then back to the car for water, then out for another 4 miles in the opposite direction, then back for water, then out for 1.5 miles, and back to the car for water. It worked out well but I should have gone back to the car one other time as I was getting a little dehydrated.
Overall, I felt good but I don't think I could have gone much farther. I will try and get in probably 2-3 more long runs of at least 18 miles before the big day. My next long run will be a "fast finish" long run.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Interval Training 7 miles (50 minutes)
The weather has been beautiful here, no wind, with the highs around 70. I try and start my runs around 6am and the temp has been in the mid to high 30s which feels great once you get warmed up.
I did a 10 minute warm-up and then eased into my intervals today. The format was 4 minutes at 5k pace then 2 minutes easy. I repeated that for 5 times and then did one last 2 minute interval with all I had left. I cooled down for the last 8 minutes.
The workout totaled 7 miles and I ended at exactly 50 min, which is avg 7:08/mile. The pace on the intervals was around 6min/mile, some a little faster, some a little slower, but not by much. I felt pretty good and was tired by the end.
If anyone is looking for some new running shoes, some shoe sites have some great deals in their clearance section as the new models are coming out soon. Check 'em out!!
www.roadrunnersports.com
www.eastbay.com
www.finishline.com
Finally, looking for a new treadmill? If you have $75k lying around this new model, the G-trainer, might be fun. Run with near zero-gravity. The designed it with rehabbing athletes in mind.
I did a 10 minute warm-up and then eased into my intervals today. The format was 4 minutes at 5k pace then 2 minutes easy. I repeated that for 5 times and then did one last 2 minute interval with all I had left. I cooled down for the last 8 minutes.
The workout totaled 7 miles and I ended at exactly 50 min, which is avg 7:08/mile. The pace on the intervals was around 6min/mile, some a little faster, some a little slower, but not by much. I felt pretty good and was tired by the end.
If anyone is looking for some new running shoes, some shoe sites have some great deals in their clearance section as the new models are coming out soon. Check 'em out!!
www.roadrunnersports.com
www.eastbay.com
www.finishline.com
Finally, looking for a new treadmill? If you have $75k lying around this new model, the G-trainer, might be fun. Run with near zero-gravity. The designed it with rehabbing athletes in mind.
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