For those wanting to understand some of the theory behind training plans
..... I don't personally subscribe to every detailed aspect of this, but the
concept of phased training over a long period of time is certainly valid.
Steve R.
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Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2006 16:31:42
-0500
From: "Neil.L.Cook (Personal)"
<neil.l.cook@MINDSPRING.COM>
Subject: Re: In Praise of Aerobic Threshold Training
Short question, long explanation. Simply -
1. set a goal - specific, measurable, attainable and public
2. design a plan - phases and cycles that are designed to take you from
your
current point to your goal, include races and measurements.
3. design workouts - weekly schedule of workouts
4. remember two critical points: success is most assured by consistency and
mileage
Now, the complex part:
Variety is essential - vary the distance, the effort and the terrain (road
and off-road)
There are three components you need to build and maintain -
1. cardiovascular fitness - the ability to get oxygen to the muscles and
for
the muscles to utilize the oxygen
2. muscular strength - the ability to exert force over a brief period of
time (explosive) for a long duration. this also includes building the
connective tissue - ligaments, tendons and cartilage
3. neuromuscular skill - the ability to fire muscles in a particular
sequence in order to produce speed
all of this leads to running long and fast(er).
Cardiovascular Fitness is accomplished by increasing the distance you run.
It produces efficient running. Ever increasing long runs at a
"comfortable"
effort.
Muscular Strength is accomplished by running (or skipping) up hills, and by
running fast. The key is to repeatedly raising your heart rate as high
as
possible for brief periods of time (6 to 8 minutes). Recovery should
be
enough to "reload" the system. Form is critical - so that
you strengthen
the right muscles and they fire in an efficient manner.
Neuromuscular Skill is accomplished by doing drills to get your feet off
the
ground. The longer your feet remain on the ground the slower you are
moving. Drills should focus on form and be short in duration.
Full
recovery is most important, since it is technique that you are working on.
Okay, the physiology of all of this will come later (or go to:
http://www.slb-coaching.com/UploadedImages/Macro%20Periodization.pdf).
But
here's a brief peek:
Training involves preparing your body for optimal performance. In
order to
improve we must follow six principles of exercise:
* Stress
* Adaptation
* Progression
* Specificity
* Individualization
* Reversibility
We have three physiological energy systems to produce energy.
Understanding
them and the way they provide energy is important to understanding how to
train effectively.
. ATP-PC system or "phosphagen system:
available immediately, no
oxygen is required, but can provide energy only for 8 to 10 seconds
. Glycolysis system: starts in about 8 to 10
seconds, breakdown of
glucose or glycogen to pyruvic acid or lactic acid, no oxygen is required,
can last about 120 seconds. Sometimes referred to as anaerobic
system.
* Aerobic system: starts after about 2 minutes, requires oxygen and
last as long as oxygen can be supplied. Limited by your maxVO2.
[BTW - all energy comes from ATP, glycogen is the start of the Krebs
Cycle.
Fat MUST be broken down into glycogen before it can start the Krebs Cycle
and produce ATP and energy for our muscles (and all cells). Burning
fat is
misleading. We break down fat to produce glycogen, then the glycogen
and
free hydrogen ions via the Krebs Cycle produces ATP that is the source of
all energy in our body. The variable is the immediacy of the energy
demand.
The phosphagen system produces the energy under the most demanding
situations - and when you start running (no matter what the pace)! The
glycolysis system breaks down the glycogen that already is stored in
muscles
without the presence of oxygen. But, both of these systems will only
provide just over 2 minutes of energy! So, all energy we use when
running
(unless we are truly sprinting) comes from the Aerobic energy system - in
the presence of oxygen.]
We need to build three behavioral components for optimal performance:
* Endurance
* Strength
* Speed
The result is our ability to perform at an optimal level. This is how
we
reach our goal of racing well.
...
Training Phases:
1. Base Building - focus is on aerobic endurance and
building mileage
- both weekly total and long workout.
2. Strength Building - focus is on building muscular
strength - making
muscles strong so they can go fast.
3. Speed Building - focus is on neuromuscular movement
- moving fast.
4. Racing & Maintenance - this includes any
necessary taper and the
focus is on rest and race.
5. Recovery - time "off" from serious
training.
The Training Phases (Macro Periodization) last weeks and months (in reverse
order):
1. Recovery - 2 to 4 weeks
2. Racing & Maintenance - 4 to 8 weeks
3. Speed Building - 6 to 8 weeks
4. Strength Building - 6 to 8 weeks
5. Base Building - at least 12 weeks, the longer the
better.
The Four Week Training Cycle (Micro Periodization) last four weeks for each
cycle: (use these to vary your weekly training - try not to increase both
the total weekly mileage and the distance of your long run in the same
week)
1. Base Week - "normal" or
"average" weekly total and long workout
distance.
2. Increased Weekly Mileage - increase weekly total,
but not distance
of the long workout.
3. Increased Long Workout - increase long workout
distance, but not
the weekly total.
4. Recovery Week - back to Base Week totals.
The second four week cycle is a combination of weeks 2 and 3 - increased
weekly mileage and increased long workout. For example:
1. Base Week: total distance is 30 miles, long workout
is 10 miles.
2. Increased Weekly Mileage: total distance is 34
miles, long workout
is 10 miles.
3. Increased Long Workout: total distance is 34 miles,
long workout is
12 miles.
4. Recovery Week: total distance is 30 miles, long
workout is 10
miles.
Second Cycle:
1. Base Week: total distance is 34 miles, long workout
is 12 miles.
2. Increased Weekly Mileage: total distance is 38
miles, long workout
is 12 miles.
3. Increased Long Workout: total distance is 38 miles,
long workout is
15 miles.
4. Recovery Week: total distance is 34 miles, long
workout is 12
miles.
And so forth.
...
Build for Two Years Ahead
The real benefit of this type of program is two years in the future.
You
will reap benefits during the first year you adopt this approach to your
training, but the greatest benefit will be two years after you start this
type of program. The real benefits of endurance training come during
the
second year of following a sound training program.
Typical week would look like:
Monday - Active Recovery, shortest workout of the week, typically 3 to 6
miles, very easy effort, avoid hills
Tuesday - depending on phase this is a harder workout - LT, Tempo, Time
Trial. Distance can vary but should contain no more than 30 minutes
of LT
level work.
Wednesday - mid-week medium distance run, 10 to 15 miles, varying
pace/effort, must be a challenge, but something you can recover easily from
in 24 hours
Thursday - similar to Tuesday
Friday - easier day, can do longer comfortable effort run
Saturday - long workout or race.
Always finish at a faster pace than you
start. Vary tempo, effort, terrain and surface. Alternate
segments -
moderate, then hard, or build intensity
Sunday - for those doing longer events (over 50 miles) this should be your
second long run. Effort should be more comfortable than on Saturday.
for
those doing shorter events race on Saturday and go long on Sunday. If
you
go long on Saturday, you can run in a race on Sunday but effort should be
moderated.
There are many variations and the details are important, but this is an
over
view. There are a number of other articles on my website that might
be
helpful.
nlc
This e-mail has been scanned by an old runner and is assumed to be free of
junk miles.
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Neil L. Cook
SLB Coaching & Training Systems
Asphalt Green Triathlon Training Institute
http://www.slb-coaching.com <http://www.slb-coaching.com/>
http://www.agtri.com <http://www.agtri.com/>
neil.l.cook@mindspring.com
coach@SLB-Coaching.com
ncook@AsphaltGreen.org
coach@AGTri.com
New York City
212-472-9281 or 917-575-1901
For me Frailty is a lot harder to bear than dying.
A Sweet Lightning Bolt Production
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