This morning I literally found myself checking on . . . me! And since my approach to this season represents a return to my philosophy before I came to Whitman-Hanson (this is year #8) I figured I should take advantage of the internet and insure I am still in step with the running community. I began with a simple Google search "most important factors in long distance running." There I found a 2017 article "8 Factors In Reaching Your Running Potential." The article starts out with commentary on "common knowledge" then shifts to factors "the more experienced runners might know." Out of the gate the article details two of those factors which follow below. They may sound familiar.
- Slow down to go faster
The most common fault that I see with middle to back of pack runners is the pace that they run their easy runs at. The easy run should be run at a relaxed, conversational pace. For example, a 4hr marathoner or 25min Parkrunner should not be running any faster than 6:00 min/km for their easy running. By running too fast, your heart rate will increase outside of the zone that’s best for aerobic training and into the lactic threshold zone. It might be ok for 1 or 2 runs per week at this intensity, but can seriously limit your aerobic development if you run in that zone every day. An easy run that is performed too fast can also ruin your ability to recover. Easy days should follow harder training days and if you’re working too hard on the easy day, your body won’t get the recovery it requires and you’ll break down with injury or fatigue.
- The most boring thing is also the most important
All of the top coaches and athletes in the world agree that the single most important factor in improving fitness is consistent training. It’s boring, unglamorous and very much blue collar but consistency is the main piece of machinery required to build a long distance running engine. Patience, gradual load progression and sufficient recovery practices allow a runner to link days, weeks, months and years together to form the base of a fitness pyramid in which specific training programs are built on. Consistency should form the cornerstone of a training program and if another element of your running is starting to compromise how consistent you are, it needs to be managed. For instance, if you are doing hard weights training that force you to take 2 or 3 days off for recovery or you find you sprain your ankle often during trail running forcing you to rest for a week then you’re compromising consistent training. Back it off.
The first reaction from some of you may be, "I'm not a middle of the pack runner" or "I want to be at the front of the pack." All well and good. But consider your age, your experience. Most of you are nowhere near reaching your potential. My job is to get you there. But if you read further "consistency" (always part of my lexicon) and "gradual load progression" (i.e. management) are the "cornerstones" of a good training program. That's how we've been working and will continue to work in the weeks to come.
Today, Group 1 will be running EASY Pace miles for time. Long Slow Distance (LSD) running. Those further along in the program will be running longer than our newer runners. We'll follow that up with weight room, core and stretching. But before that I'll ask Group 1 to describe the purpose of LSD running in our program. Your turn to Google!
Groups 2 and 3 will be running easy with Coach Coletti and Coach S. Coach Coletti will follow up the run with strides and the weight room. Coach S will split his squads where they will either go to events or finish up with core and stretch.
Tomorrow is an early dismissal day and practice will start following dismissal at a specific time to be determined at practice today. Looking ahead to Saturday the forecast calls for it to be sunny and very warm so we will, in all likelihood, return to the Hanover Rail Trail for our long run. See you at 2:30!
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