Brad Hudson advocates finishing runs uphill as it stimulates more muscle fiber activation. When a muscle gets very fatigued part of it can shut down and stop firing economically. You can force them to re-fire by taking them out of their normal movement pattern. In cycling this is called 'variable gearing' which is used in conjunction with big gear work. In running- doing runs on a very rolling and undulating course or finishing a longer run up a steep hill (strides at the end of a long run also work) can have the same effect. The run from this morning is about the easiest I can find close to my house.. good news? Yes I think so. It's a brutal run and I love it..
2 comments:
I just read your high milage blog and wanted to know if you think that also applies to triathletes. I only compete in Olympic and sprint distance. Usually I run 3 days a week averaging about 16 to 20 miles a week. I have rarely seen more. My best 10k time in a tri is 44:30 and 42:00 solo. Do you think if I up my milage I would get faster?
Hi Robyn- Thank you for the question on my blog, it's a good one.
"Do you think if I up my mileage I would get faster?"...
A huge key to running well in triathlon is to not only be a good runner but also to have the cycling fitness that will allow you to bike fast and still start the run on relatively fresh legs. So the bike is the place to start. I always ask my athletes- How fast would the best runners in the world run if they had to bike first? If you made the best 10k runner (Bekele) bike 20 miles all out then run a 10k... he would have to walk! But to answer your question- it's very likely that if you upped your mileage you would run faster. But the mileage that you add needs to be appropriate so that you don't compromise your health or the bike workouts... run too much and your bike suffers or you will get injured. Once you have built your base and your ability to absorb more miles, the last 8-10 weeks before your "A" race should have 1-2 workouts per week focused on specific race intensity workouts. IE: Start with 400's at goal race pace on full recovery. Then slowly gravitate the workout towards longer intervals with less recovery until you reach something like: 8 X 1000 at goal pace on 1' rest. Your long runs should (comfortably) hit upwards of 8-10 miles. Also, starting now- I would recommend 1 tempo run per week that starts at ~15:00 and gradually progresses towards your goal race time. Run these at 2-8 heart beats below your lactate threshold. This is perhaps the most bang for your training buck..
Your #1 goal should be to stay healthy, so never compromise that for the sake of a training log number. Still keep a solid focus on bike endurance though so that you can come off the bike more fresh and ready to run.
Hope that helps..
Lucho
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