Training Wisdom

[wvrunner]

We have many talented, well informed runners who post on this board. Considering this, I'm asking our "resident experts" to post some of their philosophies on training. What has worked for them, what hasn't and any other suggestion they may offer to improve one's training. I know one size does not fit all, but I myself have gotten many good ideas from many different sources.
Mine personally:

1. Sustained consisent training- a few breaks here and there, but for the most part going at it year round.

2. Weekly long run- 20-25% of weekly mileage. Start slow and work it down as the run progresses.

3. Train the aerobic system- don't spend too much time on the track or run too many short runs.

4. Vary your training surfaces- run some on the soft, some on the road, mix flats and hills. Too much of one thing isn't good.

5. Gradual progression in miles- Ran as many miles as you can "intelligently" and try to do a little more each year.

6. Shoes- find what works and buy the same ones again and again until the company discontinues them (1-2 years usually).

7. Tempo runs- an efficient way to get faster, used to be people only went 3-4 miles, I think the longer the better, to a degree.

8. Group Running- makes you push yourself and helps all involved.

9. Long Intervals- 800's,1000's, milers and up work for me for anything from the 5K to the marathon.

10. Rest- easy on the easy days, pace doesn't matter.

Let's hear from everyone else!

[woody]

The things that I feel have worked for me are very similiar. I would probably only add a few things to the list.

1. morning runs i belive can be a very valuable thing because instead of doing all of the miles in one run it allows your body to rest some while still aloowing you to get in more miles with a smaller chance of injury.

2. Runs of atleast 30 minutes or more because anything less than 30 minutes has no aerobic effects.

3. And finally keep it fun by training with other people and going different places to run.

[Justin]

This is a great idea Coach Mickey.

1. Consistancy. The most important thing with just about anything. Long term consistant training is the only way to reach full potential.

2. Weekly mileage (over long term). Have you ever heard someone say how many miles a week they are training? Ever wonder what it means? If someone says they are at 100 mpw, does that mean they ran 100 miles last week, or is that their peak, or average. Personally, I have always taken my last 8 weeks and averaged them to get what my mpw is. Peppering a couple high weeks between weak training is not the same as long term training.

3. Hills, lots of them. I have never been a huge tempo run guy, I substitute hills instead. I pretty much make sure I have a good share of hilly runs. I also usually have my longest run be over hilly terrain.

4. Have a measuring gauge. I always have a "measuring gauge" run. It's a course which I run at least once every couple weeks. The idea is to run this course with the same effort level and track the time. This is hard for many to do, because human nature would be to run it "harder" each time. That's not the point. I had a 10 miler from my parent's house in HS and college which I used.

5. Pace (or effort) awareness. Kind of goes with #4. When in HS and college I could pretty much hit any pace on a track that anyone wanted me too. If doing 800's and coach said to run 2:25, I'd be able to run straight even splits without thinking. If the next one coach said 2:20, my legs would hit straight 70's. I'm not sure if this is teachable, but it always came in handy. I think it comes with just basic awareness of one's body. I was normally a pacer for workouts because of it. I really think it helps in workouts to hit pace not time. For instance running those 800's even splits would be better than going out in 65 and then relaxing on in to the finish. I think the ability to gauge effort goes right along with pace.

6. Keep fast twitch active. I think this is one point a great majority of distance runners do not practice. There is a difference or I guess seperation between fast twitch and anaerobic. The seperation comes with duration of work. When I mean fast twitch, I mean the explosive or fast movements. Every distance runner should do some sort of fast twitch exercise every week, 2 times is what I prefer. It's easy, after a couple normal runs during your week do some simple accelerations. I go 50-100m. Start jogging and accelerate to a point where you "kick" with all you have for 2-3 strides, then slow gradually. The key is to not allow your HR be elevated for any longer than a minute or 2, and to recover completely between reps. No lactic acid buildup should occur, thus it's not anaerobic. Note: Be careful. Do these after your run, so you should be warmed up. You WILL be sore the next day, especially if you haven't sprinted in a long time. Over a couple weeks it will be routine and you won't be sore. You'll also note an increase in ability to change gears when needed, these gears are in everyone, you just have to work on them.

7. Visualization. The mind is very powerful. I always visualize each race and even workouts. The night before every race before I would go to sleep, I'd lay in bed and just visualize exactly what the race should go like for me. Most courses I could get down to just about every step, I'd find by the time I crossed the finish line I was asleep. The next day, it was automatic. No thinking required, thinking kills runners.

This is what I have for now. I can't wait to hear from others.

[frojoe23]

I think that my philosophies may differ a little bit. They follow Mickey's to a certain degree

1) Run Long, Run Often : I feel that the long run is the sole most important part of training. Get one long run in a week. I typically find that I fall in that 20-25% of weekly mileage, but I don't believe that is a set in stone rule. For example, I may only run 60 miles for the week on 5 days, but my long run is 20 miles. Now if I would have run the other two days. That is something like 33% of the weekly total. However, if I would have run the other two days I would have around 80 miles and now my long run is 25%. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that the long run percentage should be based on your intended miles for the week (because lots of times people don't get a chance to run everyday). And I'm also saying get in the SCHEDULED long run. If it is supposed to be 20 miles and you can only manage 17, it is not a big deal. But if it is 20 and you only go 14, you are working a completely different system than was intended.

Miles per week does not usally make a great distance runner, but running a lot of miles consistently over a long period of time lets you stand a better chance. I find that mileage accumulated over a lifetime (and not just over a 3 week period at the peak of training) is a great way to improvement. Keep running the high mileage, but don' hammer it out.

2) Don't always race all-out: Sometimes you may treat a race as a tempo session or work on a certain segment of your race. Personally, I aim to race hard about 5 times a year. These are the times when I usually warm-up with myself and avoid contact with people heading into that race. Other times, I will show up at a race to give myself a little speedwork. Since I hate the thought of speedwork, this gives me the chance to use my adrenaline to help me through. I find that speedwork on the track is very challenging, but if you put that in a race-type atmosphere you can have an easier time.

3) Don't overemphasize speed: In reality, speed is not required to run a 5k under 17 or 16 minutes. That is more endurance than most people realize. Unless you are a world beater at 5k-10k or a mid-distance athlete, speed should only be used the final few weeks before a race to boost confidence and to sharpen a little.

4)Know what every run you are doing is for: If you are doing a long run, you should realize that the run is at a slow pace to develop your aerobic capacity, increase your mitochondria count, increase your number of pathways for oxygen to get to muscles (capillary count). If you are recovering from a hard workout the day before, you need to realize that the goal is to flush out any remaining lactic acid, not to just get a run in.

5) Two runs a day means two EASY runs a day: I think that running twice a day one or two times a week is a great way to increase mileage, but there is another underlying function. For me, it has always been to get used to running tired. I find that this works very well for longer races where you are dragging at the end. The first run should be of a significant length, usally longer than the second run of the day. For me it has been 11.5 - 13 in the morning and then 10 at night. That second 10 makes you so mentally tough that in a race there are very few thoughts about tiring - you just keep going!

6) The more easy miles, the better: Remember that every system runs off of your aerobic system. Without a strong aerobic base, there is no way to work any other pathways within your body. If you can not build an aerobic profile that allows you to maximize oxygen consumption at a sub-maximal pace, than there is NO WAY you can work lactate threshold to increase your body's use of oxygen at that pace. If you can't run slow, there is no way to run fast. I try to focus at least 90-95% of miles on building a base or maintaining that base. It is very rare that anybody hears me talk about a track workout or my fantastic tempo run.

7) Specificity: There is no way that you can win the New York City Marathon if you are training to win the Tour De France. The work that you do in other sports may translate some into running, but not exactly. The aerobic capacity that you would develop from swimming could translate, but that is only for those muscles used in swimming. Running uses a whole different set of muscles which would not be trained for running. Only those muscles used in swimming would benefit from the aerobic capacity developed during swimming.

This also applies to specific training inside running. If you run hills, you will be good at hills. If you run the flats, you will probably make a good runner at sea level. If you run on the track, you will develop a senseof pace for the track. Know what your goals are running-wise and what your aiming for and train in a way that will benefit your goals the best.

8) Follow your framework: Draw up an outline for a training plan. Know what your goal races are and what type of training you have to do to get there. Make sure you have a solid base, followed by at least a sharpening period, and then a taper leading into the race. Allow flexibility in your schedule but follow it as best as you can.

9)Believe in what you are doing: If you believe that the work you are doing will get you to your goal, then it will be a lot easier to swallow your training. For me, I can not fathom speedwork, so I don't do it. I know that it is a mental challenge for me, so I back away from it. It just is not something I believe needs to be done, and if that is my attitude headed into a speedwork session then it is not going to go very well and I won't reap the benefits that I should've. Confidence counts for a lot and there is no reason why you should set up your schedule for failure. That doesn't mean overall - that means day to day. You need to remain positive about your running. If you are not a good hill runner, there is no reason not to work on it, but don't go and try to run Mount Everest. It will only lead to disappointment. In other words, keep your workouts to something that you know you have a very good chance of accomplishing. Don't try to run 5xmile repeats on the track in 4:45 if you can't run under 10:00 for two miles.You need to try and leave every workout feeling good about what you accomplished and where you are headed tomorrow.

Don't really know if any of that made sense. Ask questions and I'll try and clarify if you don't understand. I'm not even sure if I understand what I just wrote.

[QCS Admin]

I might have to get more bandwidth on that post

[Justin]

I really think this thread will end up being one of the best on this site. If you guys don't mind, but I would like to comment on some things, and start some discussion on what has been posted. Please do not let the input from others stop. I mean some of these comments as friendly discussion, not personal criticism or anything, afterall whatever works for some, may not fit the bill for others.

I always thought that 20-25% rule on long runs to be more of a guideline for recreational runners and people shooting for finishing a marathon. If you look at just about all the elite runners' logs which are available it is usually less than this. Most have shown the true test of fitness is long term weekly mileage, which includes long runs. The accumulation effect of fatigue seems to cause the best adaptation.

I agree with Jaron to a certain extent with the speed. For most runners who are running the longer races, over 10k, speedwork isn't as important. The rules change however the faster you get. I always look at 6:00 pace for a goal race pace as a cut-off. If you are looking to average under 6:00 mile pace in your race you should get some interval work in. Speed work is the difference between running 2:30's and 2:20's for the marathon in many cases. The small amount of gains from some sessions of hard mile repeats will really matter late in the race. I always heard the story of Jeff Smith for the longest time not really hitting any hard intervals, then one Summer-Fall he hooked up with Dave Rinehart and they worked through some brutal mile repeat sessions, which smitty hated. That Fall he won the Marine Corps. I personally like to do intervals with a group, even if everyone is running different paces.

[marc]

I am amazed I don't see anything on here about hydration and the effects that dehydration has on your body on a long run. Personally, I can notice the effects of that the most. I think that nutrition has to be one of the most important, if not the most, aspect of training. How carefully does everyone monitor their intake of foods and fluids?

[scott]

Marc I dont think nutrition has a huge effect on people. Of course people will have better health if they eat better, but will it help them get faster? I find that as long as I keep the foods, good or bad, consistently the same everyday I feel fine. I dont like to try new foods in my diet. I don't eat as much ice cream as Jaron though so you will have to ask him. ; )

[Justin]

I really think nutrition is more important the older you get. I personally have a huge problem with this. I never really watched what I ate when I was younger, in HS and college, and it never really had an effect. Now that I am a little older I do notice it a ton. I've put on 10-15 lbs since then, and really it's the biggest obstacle I have to overcome in my running now.

[wvrunner]

I've enjoyed everyone's input, many good thoughts among us. Justin is right about nutrition. An older runner told me that each decade you age it gets tougher to train and maintain your ideal weight. When your under 30 you can essentially train your bad nutrition off. As you get into your 30's and 40's that no longer becomes possible. You have to watch what you eat. Once the pounds are put on they become difficult to take off.

I'll throw another hot topic out there for the masses. Weight Training? Does it help, hinder or have no effect on training. What's everyone think?

[woody]

I personally believe that Weight Training can be a big help to a runner. I have noticed that since I have started to weight train I feel much stronger on runs and more in control of my body when I am trying to run faster. I believe that weight training for runners is much different than what other sports may do. Instead of lifting heavy and trying to build mass I believe that runners should lift light weights with a lot of reps this way they become more tone, not add mass, but they do add some much needed strength. I belive that the core exersices are more important though such as pushups and situps and other such calisthenics, but correct weight training can help improve runners as well.

[Justin]

I think weight training can be some help, if it is done correctly, like Woody said with low weights and high reps. It really depends on the runner though. There were some guys on my college team which just couldn't lift any weights without gaining too much muscle mass. These guys are naturally just bigger guys. I think in the cases of these couple guys the lifting actually hurt their running. Some other keys to lifting is to do it after the day's running is over. The lifting should be secondary to the running, so the full effort should go into the running of the day, with lifting afterwards. I wouldn't say to do more than 2-3 lifting sessions a week at max. One thing that lifting, or any cross training for that matter, should never do is replace running. I really disagree with reducing the running and adding lifting or biking. These things should be done in addition of your normal running, not in replacement. I personally like to lift, primarily for general health purposes, but I always make sure that it is secondary to my running and that I stick with low weights. I am also a fan of core strength exercises.

[woody]

Very well put. I agree 100% with running first then lifting and the cross training not taking place of the running.

[Justin]

I would think Coach Mickey might be one of those guys where lifting could hurt his running. He's naturally just a bigger guy in the upper body than most runners.

[dan]

To my friends:

I am so happy to see a topic such as this one on the message board. How privileged we all are to be in the midst of such a decorated group of runners, all so willing to share tips/tricks/ideas that have brought individual successes. I feel that given the right sort of development, these ideas should be gathered in a packet/booklet form and distributed to the club, almost like a “Tips from the Top” type of thing. Honestly, who is not going to take what Jaron or Coach Mickey says seriously? Are you going to question the ideas of the guy who wins every single QCS race without fail? Are you going to challenge the beliefs of a man who can still run under 50 for the GAR as a master (no offense intended there Coach)? I doubt it.

Anyway, here a few things I would like to add to the table. Then I would like to comment on a few of the things already brought up.

Some of the things not already mentioned that I find important for success:

1) Self- discipline- It takes a certain amount of independence to be able to do what runners do. It is easy to meet up with a group of guys on a cool summer evening to toil away for 8 or 9 comfortable miles. Conversations flow, kids come out in droves, and the feelings of friendship are almost tangible. Now strike that scenario. Fast forward to a time that is likely only a few weeks away from right now. It is 6AM. It is dark outside and the thermometer is reading something miniscule. There are a few options. You can head out the door to go it alone for the day’s 10, or you can sleep in an extra 65-70 minutes and feel much better about yourself. What do you do?

What do you gain from going it alone? What can be earned from pushing through the last few miles back on the Depot or Canal trails when you are all by yourself? One of the most obvious things is the psychological gain. Unfortunately, Jaron is not always going to be right on your butt (or my butt in this case, if you couldn’t tell), yelling at you (me) to hold it because you (we) are only two miles out. Learning to push when you are tired is critical. I am not even close to having a beginning of understanding of how to do it. But dealing with the pain on a training run, by yourself, in the dark, at night, etc., etc. is how you will develop the skill. Learning the best way for you to fight your own limitations is critical to developing your own talent.

2) Knowledge- You have to be knowledgeable about this sport. Some people do not
to know a lot about their opponents. That is okay, I suppose, but I feel that just going from day to day without really making an effort to learn about the sport is a poor idea. Read a running book. Get on letsrun.com to read about the national and world running scene. Go to runningmaryland.com to look at meet results. Read Runner’s World. Look at pictures of some random race in West Virginia because some guy you’ll be racing next weekend has raced some guy that was in this race a few years earlier and you want to compare. Just soak up everything you can. Plus, you look like a genius when you can spout off times and records from years in the past. At one point during 10th grade, I knew everyone’s PR’s better than they did personally. If they wanted to know what they ran and where for a certain meet, they would come to me. I enjoy being a statistical geek. Also useful is my ability to do amazing mental math, but that is because I am a nerd and I like doing multiplication and division in my head for fun. No more needs to be said on that. But I like knowing that 31:20 for 10k on the track is 15:10 per 5k or 3:02 per kilo. 3:02 per kilo is about 9:38 for 3200 meters. That is 4:49 per 1600 meters, 72.25 seconds per 400m, or 36.125 per 200. So if you want to be a good 10k guy, run an 800 in 2:24.5, then do it 11.5 more times, in a row, without a break. Good job.

To comment a little on what else has been mentioned:

Nutrition- I obviously do not subscribe to the theory of being incredibly attentive in this area. I am the second largest kid on the Lehigh XC team, checking in at about 5’11” and 160 lbs. So I am not really fat, just thick I suppose. Anyway, I love to eat. If I don’t eat a lot or if I don’t eat stuff I enjoy, I feel sick. I don’t deny myself and I reward myself (frequently). There are a few theories as to how nutrition should impact running. Mark Wetmore, coach of the heralded Colorado Buffaloes, says you should be “paper thin” or that you should resemble “a skeleton with a condom pulled over your head.” Then there is another school of thought which reasons that 70+ MPW will burn almost anything, good or bad. I like that one. It comes straight from my favorite running book, Once A Runner, by John L. Parker, Jr. In it he describes how Quenton Cassidy, protagonist and just all-around amazing dude, is “not out to mold himself a stylishly slim body….if the furnace was hot enough, anything will burn, even Big Macs…” You can see why I favor this perspective.

Fast-Twitch Stuff- I agree with Justin in the idea of getting fast-twitch stuff incorporated regularly. We do striders here a lot at school, pretty similar to how he described them actually, and it keeps you sort of snappy. Plus, it always feels good to push the end of a long run and really get moving. It makes you feel alive in a way not many other things can, and cannot easily be duplicated. Finally, I think the saying “All work and no play makes Jack (or Jaron, or Justin, or Jimmy) a dull boy” is appropriate here. I have always liked the idea of just letting loose during a run every once in awhile, distance run or race regardless. Have fun!

Well, I would like to continue. However, it is finals week. I have just finished Exam #1 in my Linear Algebra/Differential Equations. It was three hours of intense math that may have garnered me 160 or 170 out of 200 for the exam. I’ll take it. I hope.

On the plus side, though, we just had a fire drill at 1:45 AM because some kid 3 floors above me set off the smoke alarm with a bag of burnt popcorn. Picture getting rudely awakened the night before you have a final exam at 8AM and multiply that by about 150. Then take the other 150 kids and imagine them laughing at the other poor kids who are unlucky enough to actually have a test the day after such nonsense. I love dorm life.

Thanks for such a good discussion. We really should get this stuff published.

Christmas is coming, let’s hope I don’t get fat. If I do, please put a penny in my hat. If you haven’t got a penny, too bad, because a ha’penny is not valid currency in the United States, and if you sawed a penny in half and gave it to me, I would be ticked for your lack of respect. Thank you and goodnight.

DAN