Supertraining

Bill,

Thanks a lot for that marathon info.  Can you post a link to the
bulletin from which your information came?  I searched for it but I
didn't find anything very specific.

Kyle Norman
Arlington, VA

--- In [EMAIL PROTECTED], "W.G. 'Bill' Johnson"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> And now for something from the aerobic end of the training spectrum,
> some marathon training tips from the Sports Performance Bulletin,
May
> 19 2008/Issue 169:
>
> Mistake No. 1
> Carrying out three long runs during the four-week period before race
> day - a 13-miler four weeks before the race, a 21-miler three weeks
> before the marathon, and a 14-miler two weeks in advance of the big
> day (we might also count the nine-miler at race pace one week before
> the marathon, which would give us four long runs in the pre-race
> month). For a runner with average leg strength, it takes at least a
> month to recover from strenuous marathon training so that the race
> itself can be completed with rested, healthy leg muscles; scientific
> research suggests that during this month before the race no workout
> should cover more than about 10 miles. This principle was violated
> three different times by the runner above, and as a result his quads
> were not really ready to race on marathon day - they were still
> reeling from the punishing training which had been conducted.
>
> Proper strategy: to promote better recovery while still enhancing
the
> ability to run marathon-type distances, carry out a long run every
two
> to three weeks (not every week), gradually increasing the duration
of
> this effort to 22 miles, only 10 to 12 of which are covered at race
> pace; on alternate weeks, complete shorter-duration quality
training.
> Complete the last long run at least four weeks prior to race da
>
> Mistake no. 2
> Carrying out just one workout per week at faster than goal marathon
> pace. For endurance runners in general, max running speed is a good
> predictor of marathon potential, and for individual runners
> improvements in max running speed almost always lead to upgrades in
> marathon performance. It is difficult, however, to enhance max speed
> when only one 'speed' session is completed per week, especially when
> that 'speed' session is more of a tempo run than a higher-intensity
> effort.
>
> Proper strategy: complete at least two faster-than-marathon-pace
> workouts per week, mixing interval workouts at 10-K, 5-K, and 3-K
pace
> with neural training (see Mistake no. 3) and placing less emphasis
on
> tempo runs.
>
> Mistake No. 3
> Failing to complete any neural training, i. e., failing to train at
> VO2max speed (i. e., vVO2max) and omitting 'super sets' from the
> overall programme. It is certain that vVO2max workouts produce more
> gains in vVO2max, lactate threshold, and running economy than any
> other type of training session; these three physiological variables
> are great predictors of marathon success. It is likely that super
sets
> have a similarly strong physiological effect.
>
> Proper strategy: carry out a neural workout every 10 to 15 days
during
> the early stages of marathon training - and every week during the
last
> eight weeks before a marathon.
>
> Mistake no. 4
> Emphasizing non-running-specific strength training. For the first
four
> months of the pre-marathon training period, this runner emphasized
> strengthening exercises which involved isolation of particular
muscles
> or muscle groups and seated or lying-down postures. These kinds of
> exercises are likely to have only a small (or no) impact on actual
> running strength (i. e., the ability to consistently take longer
> strides and the ability to be more stable and economical when the
foot
> is on the ground during the stance phase of the gait cycle; if you
> doubt this, read Owen Anderson's piece on one-leg exercises earlier
in
> this issue).
>
> Proper strategy: start preparations for a marathon with six weeks or
> so of whole-body strengthening, with an emphasis on exercises which
> involve most of the muscles in the body simultaneously and which
avoid
> seated and reclining postures. Then move on to hill training and
> exercises which duplicate key aspects of the gait cycle, including
> one-leg squats, high-bench step-ups, one-leg hops in place, bicycle
> leg swings, reverse bicycle leg swings, eccentric reaches with toes,
> and arrested step-downs, focusing on weight-bearing exercises which
> require high degrees of coordination and must be carried out with
full
> body weight supported by one leg at a time. Finally, finish with
about
> eight weeks of explosive work, including hops, bounds, sprints,
> one-leg squats with lateral hops, in-place accelerations, Indian
hops,
> drop jumps, and high-knee explosions. These moves enhance the
ability
> to run fast, and as max running speed increases, it drags marathon
> pace along with it.
>
> Mistake no. 5
> Using gels during the marathon itself. This is very tricky business,
> since exactly the right amount of water must be taken in with each
> packet of gel. Take in too much water - and you end up with a
> hypotonic sports drink in your gullet which delivers too few carbs
to
> your leg muscles. Take in too little water - and you concoct a
syrupy
> goo within your intestines which actually drags in water from
> surrounding tissues and spurs diarrhoea. Pour sports drink down your
> throat along with the gel, and you might as well begin scouting
around
> for a Portaloo.
>
> Proper strategy: it is possible to use gels during the race, but
you'd
> better have a sports-drink expert or exercise physiologist calculate
> your water intake for you. It's far easier to simply use sports
drink
> throughout the race (remember never to mix sports drink with
water), a
> practice which will increase your chances of avoiding GI upsets and
> delivering enough carbohydrate to your muscles.
>
> Mistake no. 6
> Employing a training programme which is devoid of variety. Note that
> although our marathon runner attempted to make the overall training
> schedule progressive by broadening the duration of the cross-
training
> (aqua jogging, stair-machine, and bicycle) workouts, the easy runs
on
> Monday and Thursday, and the Saturday long run, the programme is
> monotonously similar from week to week. Although the workouts get
> longer, the types of training sessions utilized do not change.
>
> Proper strategy: avoid a too-heavy dependence on tempo and long
> running, substituting an array of higher-quality workouts, including
> neural sessions (see Mistake no. 3), lactate-stacker workouts
> (two-minute intervals at close to max pace, separated by four-minute
> recoveries), hill climbs, fartlek efforts, speed-strength circuits,
> 800-metre intervals at 3-K pace, 1200- to 1600-metre intervals at 5-
K
> speed, 2000- to 2400-metre reps at 10-K pace, and competitions
ranging
> in distance from 5K up to the half-marathon. These kinds of
exertions
> will have a much broader - and larger - impact on the key
> physiological variables which are important for endurance-running
> success, including vVO2max, lactate-threshold running speed, and
> running economy. They will also promote the ability to run faster,
> which is critically important for all types of racing.
>
> Final Points
> Completing our analysis, it's important to bear in mind that aqua
> jogging does not remove lactic acid from the leg muscles (see
Sunday's
> workout above); in fact, if the aqua jogging is above a fairly
minimal
> intensity, it will actually increase muscle lactic-acid
> concentrations. In truth, there's no need to fret about lactic-acid
> levels in the muscles. Most of the stuff is removed or metabolized
> within minutes after a workout is over, and of course lactic acid
does
> not cause muscle soreness or stiffness.
> Note, too, that this runner can run much faster than 4:08 - or even
> 3:57 - for the marathon. If he can complete 18-mile runs at 8:20
pace
> relatively early in the overall preparatory period (as indicated in
> his letter), then the range of paces between 8:00 and 8:20 - not
8:57
> - can be utilized to select a reasonable goal velocity, depending on
> how aggressive one wants to be at goal setting. An 8:20 pace would
of
> course produce about a 3:38 marathon - and automatic qualification
for
> Boston for this runner. That can happen without problem, as long as
he
> doesn't get burned out during training.
>
> Remember that it is your overall fitness which will determine your
> success at marathon racing, not the quantity of miles in your
training
> log or even the number of long runs which you have completed. In
fact,
> too many training-log miles will make your legs feel like logs on
race
> day. The idea in marathon training is to 'peak' in neural and
> physiological fitness and in the ability to run long at goal
marathon
> speed about a month before the race - and then to reach an even
higher
> 'peak' in marathon capacity over the last four weeks by combining
less
> total running and greater rest with the right amount of intense -
but
> not prolonged - training. If you can pull that off, while retaining
> your confidence, you will have the greatest chance of running your
> best-possible race.
>
> Any others?
> W.G. Johnson
> Ubermensch Sports Consultancy
> San Diego CA
>