The Intense (Speed) Distance Events By Jack Daniels

[George Payan]

Running Training: Principles and Needs
The Intense (Speed) Distance Events

By Jack Daniels

The article is Part 6:
Four Phases of Endurance Training

Part 1 - 4 are under Endurance section
Part 5 under Coaches Forum, Track & Field Forum

In keeping with my approach toward the physiological demands of training and racing distance events, I feel it is appropriate to plan training sessions based on the duration of time to be raced rather than the distance to be raced. For example, an elite runner concentrating on racing the 5000 meter distance is in training for a race that will last about 13 to 15 minutes, the same duration of time a less-gifted or beginner runner might spend racing 3000 meters, and not much beyond the time spent racing a one mile distance for some runners.

Therefore, it is less desirable to say this is the type of training necessary mile racing, if in fact, some runners race a mile in a time that makes it more like a two mile event. Clearly, if you accept this approach, then it is even more erroneous to say your are training for a 10K distance, that may require some runners more than double this time it take others to complete. What you should gear your training for is to race for a particular duration of time--4 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minute, a few hours, etc...

Add to this time/distance dilemma, the fact that some individuals have different physiological (and psychological) makeups than do others and it is no wonder that a particular coach's training system works well for one athlete and not so great for another. One of the greatest mistakes we make in training beginner runners is to throw them into a program being currently used by some successful star athlete. What we are doing in this case is to force one runner to fit someone else's mold.

It can be confusing enough to say different individuals need different training programs; to further cloud the issue by saying all milers should train the same because the race distance is the same, can often result in disappointment.

I will present some ideas and sample training phases and workouts that are geared toward preparing runners to race durations of time that rely heavily on both aerobic and anaerobic energy sources. I call these races, "intense distance events," or "speed distance events" and they are typically those that will cover 1500 to two miles in distance.

The approach to these races is to learn to get out well, but with as little effort as needed to stay with the pace you want. This is followed by a conscious effort to increase the pace during the middle portion of the race and eventually to shift into an even faster,more anaerobic finish.

To accomplish this, you need to train both for speed and economy, and for aerobic power. These races are won with speed, but a high aerobic capacity allow for some control in the middle of the race and provides a strong base and recovery system that provide for optimum anaerobic training. There is a definite need for steady, comfortable distance runs, for demanding intervals and for a variety of repetition-type workouts. Threshold training becomes an extension of easy runs and allows for light quality training that can be mixed with reduced amounts of faster runs.

You must learn to run fast and still be in control of your mechancis; run fast and not strain; run fast and still feel there is another gear when needed. Being able to do this is where having a high aerobic capacity pays off; it means saving anaerobic reserves for the final gear, rather than having to call upon them just to maintain the intensity of the mid-race pace.

There is no doubt that some runners in the speed-distance events rely more heavily on endurance than do others, and this is where being able to read your reactions to various types of training (or having a coach who can do that for you) really pays off. This is also why it takes years to develop your full potential. Some seasons are spent developing one aspect of your talent, other seasons are spend realizing some things aren't the right thing for you to do. There must be a certain amount of experimentation for each individual to find the proper mix of training ingredients. What I feel I can do best at is to identify the types of training and training intensities that meet the needs of different body systems. I can also suggest some logical order of training that will suit most people, but the optimum mix of ingredients is an individual matter, that can be identified and finalized only through numerous seasons of training. You hang onto the positives and set aside the negatives (but don't be too quick to discard the negative altogether).

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