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From: Turlo
Date: 12/19/2002
Time: 9:46:41 PM
Remote Name: 195.92.168.169
I can see you guys of been pretty busy on this one! Tom I’m very impressed with your knowledge. Ok I’m just going to try and clarify some of the points that you have made over all the posts on this topic, by bringing my ideas and a bit of science into the fray.
Firstly I’m going to talk about why a an elite male middle distance runner needs to run in excess of 80 miles per week when they are only racing over 800m – 3k. The answer to this is a simple one, research as suggested that an 800m race has a 50/50 ratio between anaerobic and aerobic energy production, they longer the event the higher the % of aerobic work. Ok so this tell us that aerobic training is just as important (if not more important) than anaerobic training. Where as the anaerobic energy system can by trained with short burst of exercise, the aerobic energy system has to be trained for a much longer duration for the adaptations at a cardio-vascular level and at a muscular level to take place, Eg. 40 mins+ of steady running. These adaptations don’t just happen over night, research has suggested that it takes upto 18 months for these adaptations to be maximised . Ok so that’s the simple question of why MD runners have to carry out such high weekly mileage’s. From this athletes should use the winter period as a time to build up a solid aerobic base, by having a High weekly mileage (80-120) mainly consisting of moderate intensity aerobic runs.
Ok so we need to talk about where strength, speed and speed endurance training, as these are obviously key components of a middle distance runners training program. DOES A HIGH WEEKLY MILEAGE REDUCE SPEED???? A high weekly mileage that consists purely of aerobic training does reduce speed in my opinion, and it is also scientifically proven. High weekly mileage’s consisting purely of endurance training, reduces the efficiency of certain fast twitch muscle fibres performing the job that they are meant to perform, which is to provide fast, powerful muscle contractions. Basically they take on certain characteristics of slow twitch muscle fibres, which in turn has an effect on speed. Those facts are scientifically proven. However I don’t see any problem with this happening during the winter training period, where pure speed is not really important. As I stated earlier I see the winter period as a time for maximally developing the aerobic energy systems and I don’t think that pure speed has any real important during the winter, if you are a summer MD runner. From that I agree with Tom’s comments that high intensity track sessions should be dropped during the winter. But I do feel that SOME low intensity speed sessions ie. Strides, can be included during the winter training period. But I do feel that the following types of training should be included during the winter period: Steady State runs, Aerobic Interval Sessions carried out on the grass or road with reps covering 800m to 1 mile, hill sprint sessions and circuit training geared towards strength endurance and not pure strength.
Ok lets talk about the role of strength training, do believe MD runners should take part in some kind of high strength training in the pre-season period ie March to May and this should be maintained through out the season. I think hill sprints, sand dune sessions, circuits and medium intensity weights are suitable strength sessions for a MD runner. But I don’t think that the use of high weight and low reps are suitable for an MD runner, due to the injury risk factor and due to the muscle mass gains associated to high weights, which leads to weight increases for the runner. BOB SMITH who is one of my lecturers at Uni, specialises in strength training for endurance athletes, he advises athletes such as Paula Radcliff and Kelly Holmes just to name a few. Bob was also world over 40’s world iron man champ. He came up with the idea that MD runners should use a 1 set 15 rep weight session, that such include squats, cleans, lunges, chest press and seated rows. He suggested that weight sessions consisting of high weights, low reps and several sets were inappropriate for endurance athletes due to the injury risks and due to the muscle tightness the day after the weight session. He used this session with Kelly Holmes as she was getting so many injuries and found it difficult to train the day after a high weight low rep session as he muscles became so tight. He suggests that only 1 set 15 reps with moderate weights still has as good a strength benefits that high weight strength sessions do, but his session provided a lower injury risk and did not cause muscle stiffness the day after a session. Bob has been working with Kelly for 2 years now and her injury problems have died down quite a lot.
There has been much scientific research undertaken in the last 20 years on the strength training effects on endurance. Although studies has shown that strength training has a positive effect on force of muscular contractions and pure speed, very few studies have found that this has a positive effect on endurance performance. Basically MD running hasn’t really advanced in the last 20 years compared to other events (Coe’s record only went a few years ago, which stood for 18 years), and I feel this can be attributed to a more scientific approach to training methods. (Wayne we have agreed on that statement on several occasions)!!!!
I think that the major problem with British MD running is that training seems to be geared towards the strength and speed side of things, taking the focus off the endurance side of things. Two Practical examples Alester Donaldson and Mark Sesay are two of Britons most successful 800m runners over the last few years and they both built like brick shit houses, but only have Pb’s of around 1.46 and have done sod all on the international scene. Obviously both of these take part in a lot of strength and speed training, while not paying enough attention to endurance. I remember reading an article about Mark Sesay a few years back, saying that he was not going to take part in any cross country races during the winter because he weighed too much!!!!! (12-13 stone if I remember correctly) One word for that, PATHETIC.
No article on MD running would be complete without a references to myself. I the last track race I took part in was when I was 16. I ran a pb of 4.06 for 1500m OFF NO TRACK SESSIONS, as I had been injured throughout the season. But during the cross country season I was banging out 40-45 miles per week with with little speed work, and I can only attribute my pb of 4.06 for 1500m to the high mileage that I was doing during the cross country season. Also it can be pointed out that several of this countries top 800 and 1500 runners are coming from a speed back ground and very few are coming from an high standard longer distance cross country standard. Whereas the great MD runners such as greats such as Aouita, Cram, Coe, Ovett, Morceli, Walker, Snell, Elliott, Ryun, Kip Keino and El Guerrouj could perform to a high standard over a range of distances (800-5000m).
I hope this has added some more MEAT to the debate.
Ian Turlington