| Training Schedule Stories |
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No Pain No Gain People always are asking me, “How do I improve my race times and ultimately get faster?” My answer is always the same. Run faster more often. It seems like a really simple concept and it is. Runners are often looking for the magic workout. I have a secret, there isn’t one. Don’t get me wrong; there are as many different ideas on how to incorporate speed workouts into training plans, as there are coaches. But it always boils down to the above-mentioned fact. So what actually happens when you start incorporating speed work into your training plan? There are a couple of different things. It helps to improve your running economy. Running economy is the measurement of how much oxygen your body will use running at a constant speed. Think about it like you are testing out two different vehicles. Both vehicles are going the same speed on the freeway but one is using half the amount of fuel. That vehicle is more desirable from a performance standpoint. If you can improve running economy you will be able to use less oxygen and therefore make it easier for the body to perform at a particular pace. Speed work will also help you increase your lactate threshold. You are probably asking yourself what the heck is that! Lactic acid is constantly produced in the body for various biomechanical processes. Typically it is kept at an even concentration within the blood. During intense exercise the amount of lactic acid being produced is greater than the body’s ability to remove it. This causes that burning sensation that is associated with pushing yourself to the point where you have to stop. A runner wants his lactate threshold to be as high as possible so he can maintain a faster pace before his body gives out. The last two benefits we will talk about is an improvement in aerobic capacity (VO2 max) and the development of a better mental attitude. Aerobic capacity is the maximum capacity of an individual’s body to transport and use oxygen during incremental exercise. By optimizing your aerobic capacity you make your body more efficient at absorbing and delivering oxygen to different muscle groups. The more efficient your muscles are at absorbing oxygen the less wasted energy you will have. You have probably heard the saying, “It’s all mental.” Well with running it is true. Speed work is able to give you a mental edge that other training cannot. It helps to get your mind used to the physical demands of racing and the stress on the body it can involve. I always tell my athletes to remember during a race that they have been here before. They have run this pace, felt this pain and overcome it. They didn’t fail, melt away or spontaneously combust – they just kept pushing and survived. We see so often that the more mentally tough the athlete the better the outcome. With so many ways to incorporate speed work into your training plans let’s chat about a few. Threshold training, or tempo training as it is often referred to, helps to increase your lactate threshold among other things. The main component of threshold training is the tempo run. This is a steady prolonged run where the goal is to run at about 88 to 92 per cent of your maximum heart rate. The goal is to run at just below your lactate threshold in order to improve it. An example that world renowned running coach Jack Daniels uses is a 40 minute steady run at, or around, 25 to 30 seconds slower per mile than your five kilometre race pace. This example is if you were training for a five to 10 kilometre race. Interval training is usually what most people think of when they hear the word speed work. Interval training is used to run at a faster pace than can be sustained during a single consistent session. This allows the body to recover between intervals therefore making the athlete able to push the pace a bit more. Typically interval training helps to maximize aerobic capacity. One thing to make sure to keep an eye on though is to limit the length of the interval sessions. Anything much longer than five minutes per rep results in the body switching over to using the anaerobic system instead and builds up too much lactic acid in the blood. Interval training should be considered hard running, but not all out running. An example of an interval workout would be something like two minutes running hard with a one minute break in between repeating that set eight times. The last type of speed work we will talk about is the repeat workout. This is not to be confused with the interval workout. The repeat workout is typically faster than the interval workout and is designed to help with running economy. The athlete becomes more comfortable running at a quicker pace therefore making his stride more efficient. A good coach can help an athlete in adjusting his stride during repeat workouts to help to improve his running economy. An example of this type of workout that I often give to my athletes is 10 to 12, 4 x 400 metres at or above race pace with 400 metre jogs in between. Repeat workouts should always be done at or above race pace for the race the athlete is training for. Now all this may seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Anyone can benefit from a little speed work in his training plan. Whether you are starting out or a seasoned marathoner, speed work can make a big difference. If you don’t know where to start, try having one run a week that you pick up the pace during the final few kilometres. Or try doing a shorter run, but run faster than you normally would. I am not going to lie. It is going to hurt, you are going to go through some pain, but in the end it will be all worth it. There is nothing more rewarding than a nice hot shower after a hard speed workout. So go out there and get out of your comfort zone! Nolan Tudor is manager of The Tech Shop and a running coach in Calgary.
Training schedules prepare you for your next big race If your goal is to finish and gain the confidence of running an ultra-marathon the following program will help prepare you to reach the end of these long, long races. Ultra-marathons encompass any run over the 42.2 kilometre distance of the standard marathon. The potential to be intimidated by ultra-marathon training is certainly there, but this program is very much like a marathon training schedule in that you’re doing a progressively longer run every other weekend and the eventual long run is 4 to 4½ hours. For some runners that will seem do-able, and if one adds in the planned walk breaks that help get you through a long race, it can be extremely do-able! There are some ultra programs that favour a long run on the Saturday and then going out on the following Sunday and doing at least half to two-thirds the previous day’s distance so you are preparing your body and mind to sense what it feels like to run tired. This is good to try once in awhile, but only if you have an abundance of spare time and very little social or family life outside of training, because you’re not going to feel like doing a whole lot of anything after these back-to-back long training sessions. The cost of this approach may have you living the lonely life of the long distance runner. Race organizers are making available more and more ultra-marathon races locally in Alberta and B.C. They also make great destination runs that can turn into amazing vacations. You can find 27 ultra-marathons in IMPACT’s Race Source Guide inside this issue. And if you want to get a taste of what extreme ultra-running is about, read Nicki Rehn’s story on her 330 kilometre epic adventure in the Italian Alps, also in this issue. Here’s to great training! Ultra-marathon champion Gord Hobbins owns Gord’s Running Store in Calgary. If you have questions about this training program, please e-mail him at
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• Easy runs and optional days are only if you feel good and can truly run easy. • Long Slow Distance is run at an easy pace, if you can talk comfortably when running, you will be running an easy pace. • 27/3 or 25/5 means run 27 minutes and walk three minutes, for the ultras (unless you plan to win) everyone ends up walking some portion of the race. In training it’s a good idea to have long walk breaks to get used to the cycle of running after walking breaks. • Hilly runs and hill repeats prepare you for speed work. For hill repeats; look for lengths of 300 to 600 metres and a gentle enough slope in which you can maintain a nice upright running form. The uphill is the workout and the downhill is the rest period. • Tempo runs are at an intensity in which your breathing feels laboured, but controlled enough so if you had to, you could run faster during the workout. • Intervals should be run at your full or half-marathon pace (based on your most recent finish time). The goal is to maintain this pace as closely as possible and only add segments of 15 seconds to the rest periods, if needed. • Hill repeats, tempo and interval runs should be preceded and followed by a 10 to 15 minute warm-up and cool-down. • Hills, for strength and power, usually a precursor to intervals; 400 to 1,000 metres long and a moderate grade (five to 10 per cent). Anything too steep uses muscles not normally used running. • Fartlek, (speed-play) is running that simulates race conditions more closely than any of the speed training sessions and can be as unique as your imagination and the terrain you’re on. Many runners begin their foray into marathons later in life so I’ve drawn up a marathon schedule for runners age 40 and over, as the mileage is not as high as many programs and the rest days are more essential to the aging athlete. Essential for running a good marathon is to peak at the correct time, thus the opening seven weeks are relatively short and the longer runs are a maximum 15 kilometres. I recommend that the longs be done at a pace that is 30 to 45 seconds slower than your marathon pace, and then increasing the pace during the last three to five kilometres of the run to your race pace. I have also added in one day a week that is either a 10K run or cross-training and I would recommend you go with cross-training to save the additional pounding to the body. The tempo runs scheduled once per week should be between your 10K race pace and your easy run pace, but again it is crucial to start these out slower and try to quicken the pace slowly over the 22-week schedule, so that come week 20 you are doing the 10K tempo run at very close to your race pace. Each long run you need to practice what to eat and drink, before, during and after the run. Finally, think about these key points and you will have a fun and successful marathon: 10 times. Last year he completed three Ironmans in three days raising $258,000 for charity.Gord owns Runners Den in Hamilton, Ont. E-mail him at
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The top Kenyan runners all have tremendous aerobic bases. The Nordic cross-country skiers have perhaps even higher aerobic bases. Because their sport is essentially non-weight bearing they can tolerate much higher training loads. The performance potential is restricted by the engine. It is true whether you are a five hour marathon runner or you are a 2:05 marathon runner. If I had to do it over again (don’t I wish) I would still average 160 to 200 kilometres per week throughout the year, because running is still the best exercise for running. But I would supplement it with four to five hours per week of non-weight bearing, medium intensity aerobic training (i.e. cross-training). Then you can achieve the same benefits of doing ultra high mileage without injury. I would also do a moderate amount of weight training (lower weights – high repetitions) as running neglects many muscle groups. The other critical area – particularly for middle distance runners (up to 10,000 metres) is the dynamic stretching exercises that are essential to develop power and flexibility to maintain form when fatigue sets in. We did these – but not nearly consistent enough. Lydiard has it right. Build a big aerobic base throughout most of the year – then harvest that fitness with balanced training in the period prior to a peak performance. Quality of both the base and the speed work improves as the athlete gets fitter. Peter Butler, owner of Forerunners in Vancouver, has a 28:12 second 10K personal best and ran a 2:10 marathon PB. He represented Canada at track and field competitions for more than 12 years. He has been coaching for 25 years. Assumptions for half and 10k The half-marathon program assumes the runner has a good aerobic base of three to four months with mileage of 40 to 50 kilometres per week. The runner has successfully completed several half-marathon races and wants to improve his or her performance by taking their training to the next level. The 10-kilometre program assumes the runner has a good aerobic base of two to three months with average mileage of 30 to 40 kilometres per week. The participant has successfully completed several 10K races and wants to improve his or her performance by taking their training to the next level. Both programs are for the recreational runner who wants to improve their personal bests. The programs have many similarities as the two distances are not that much different. The 10K is 90 per cent aerobic and 10 per cent anaerobic, while the half-marathon is 95 per cent aerobic and five per cent anaerobic. |
