Keys To Speed - Intervals

What's an interval and how will it help me get faster? Good questions. Intervals are segments of your workout where you pick up the pace to a certain level, hold it for a given time and then slow down/recover, just to do it again...and again...  Intervals are done in the pool, on the bike and the run as well. They can be set up all kinds of ways with various recovery times between them. The subject is too big for a short post, but the point is, if you're familiar with them, how do they fit into your training plan? Are they in your training plan? They have to be for you to reach your fastest speeds. If you're not familiar, just look/research on line or ask a friend. They are pretty much a staple for experienced athletes.

Intervals are often, "faster than race pace," in the effort you put in to engage quick turnover and those fast twitch muscles of yours. They tax your high-end energy system by pushing it a bit beyond what you'll do race day, which can make race day seem a bit easier.

Intervals can also be done AT race pace and the biggest benefit from this is simply to know and feel what your ideal pace is. Swimming 100s - 500s in the pool can get you familiar with what your next swim leg should feel like pace wise. Same with running either by time (your watch if out on the roads) or at the track. Example - you want to average 8 minute miles for an upcoming 10K. You go to the track and do, say, 800s/half mile repeats hitting 4 min. per 2 laps, recover with a slow/easy half lap and then hit it again and repeat several times. You begin to understand exactly what 8 min. miles feel like. Or, you can do them faster than your race pace for the reason mentioned above. Exact same thing applies on the bike on the roads.

GPS watches/computers make this a lot easier as you can just look down and see your pace when running for example. I'm not a high-tech guy at all, but have been using my GPS watch in my races so that I know exactly what my running pace is. Sometimes I look at it and say, "Man, you're slowing down, come on, pick it up!" Other times it's, "Slow down you running fool! What are doing going this fast?? Pace yourself!" So, be sure you're including intervals, shorter and medium distance/time, to your training to become as fast as possible!

Keys To Speed - Recovery!

Below are portions of a good article by a coach named Steve Fluet that I came across. It fits well into the subject of getting faster. When we train and workout, we're not getting faster or stronger. We're getting weaker and slower. It's only through thorough recovery that we make gains and get stronger and faster.  Enjoy the article.

"For many triathletes 'recovery' is a bad word.  Some think it will cause them to lose fitness, or that they may get fat because of a couple of days off.  If they do take a day and train easy, it many times ends up being a fast training day because it is completed with training partners whom let their testosterone get in the way. 

So when it is time to plan out a taper for a major race? Invariably, the taper always ends up being too short.  Why does this happen? 

First, how many of you feel you may lose fitness during your taper?  For example,  you are doing an ironman race in 4 weeks.  Your taper needs to start 4 weeks out from race day.  But many times you panic and find yourself running very long 2 weeks out.  Well, you just left your race out there by training long 2 weeks before. 

To really understand the process of recovery and regeneration you need to understand some very important functions of the human body.  After you complete a hard or long training session or race, your body needs time to recover and regenerate.  This process involves repairing the damage to your muscles, replenishing glycogen stores, allowing the immune system to strengthen. This happens by actively completing recovery workouts to help the body get rid of the lactic acid that accumulated in your body from the training or the race.

I always tell my athletes- the workouts are important- but it is the recovery that makes you stronger and allows you to improve your fitness.  If you never allow for recovery you always end up breaking yourself down.  The process of regeneration never happens. 

Look at athletes who are into power lifting or body building- their recovery process is so very important.  They work really hard and then allow time to recover so they can get the most in muscular strength development.  Look at so many Ironman triathletes who lose weight all season long- even though their body fat was very low to start with: they are only losing muscle which will result in a loss of power. 

When you plan out your training try to block the quality close together so you have the rest of the week to recover, which will allow you to be ready for some longer weekend training.  The bottom line is training should always be progressive week to week in small amounts, with recovery built in every 3^rd to 4^th week depending upon the individual. 

Here are some key points to consider when looking at recovery:

1.       Make sure you have set hr training zones that you follow for every workout.

2.       Plan your nutrition for training and follow the plan.  This will allow for better results while training, sets you up for the next training session, and allows you to access fat stores for aerobic training.

3.       Follow workouts with recovery drinks within a 30-minute window after training. (Linc here - I strongly recommend Hammer Nutrition's Recoverite!) Whatever you do- don’t go without consuming something after training.

4.       After 90 minutes follow with some quality protein either as a shake or whole food so you can assist the rebuild process of the muscles. 

5.       Try to eat every couple of hours so your blood sugar levels stay even which can lessen your immune system stress.

6.       Monitor your am resting heart rate before you rise in the morning.  This is done before you lift your head off the pillow.  Do this for 7 – 10 days and then take an average.  If you find the am hr is 3-5 beats above your average you need to schedule a recovery day.

7.       Build in active and passive recovery workout days in your training.  Active recovery workouts would include easy bike rides on flat roads or on a trainer.  Keep it in the small ring with the 2 lowest gears that you have and drink a recovery drink while you are riding.  Also easy swims that include some drills sets or some off stroke also help in recovery.  Avoid running on active recovery days- the impact is too much to allow for recovery.   Passive recovery is no training at all.  Take the day and relax, get some extra sleep, eat well, get a massage or soak in a hot tub with epsom salts.  All these can help to allow your body to recover faster.

8.       Make sure you mix up your long training on the weekends.  Don’t always follow the long ride on Saturday with the long run on Sunday.  Try doing the long on the day before or a moderate ride and run on the same day followed by an aerobic swim the next day for recovery. 

9.       Listen to your body- if you are feeling tired, then take an easy day.  Don’t let your mental thoughts tell you otherwise.  If you really are feeling wiped out take 2-3 days off and then slide back into training after that break.  You will not lose any fitness at all with a few days off.

10.   Consider power naps if you have the flexibility to take them every once and a while. They pay huge dividends to recovery and immune system strengthening.

11.    Try to avoid too much processed food - go with foods that are in their most whole form.  These provide more nutrients for the body.  What you eat has such a huge impact on how you feel on a day to day basis.

12.    Most of all- training needs to be fun and you need to be motivated to train everyday.  If you start to lose that motivation or training loses its appeal, then it is time to take a break.

Bottom line - recovery and regeneration are so very important for training to continue to produce results.  Remember Joanie Benoit at the Olympic trials just coming off of surgery and ended up having a great race.  So many high-end athletes have had great races coming off of a forced rest.  Think about that!"

Steve Fluet

Keys To Speed - Strong Feet

This might seem like an unusual topic, but if you think about it, the strength of our feet is super important. We strengthen our legs through running, cycling, body-weight resistance work and weight lifting. We intentionally work our core and do total body strengthening classes. All of this is great and helpful in racing faster, but what hits the ground first when you run? Obvious answer. If you weigh just 100 lbs., 400 lbs. of force shoot into your foot and up your leg every foot strike, which, should be happening about 80-100 times per foot per minute.

So, a key to racing faster is strengthening the muscles in your feet and ankles. That's right. How many of you do foot strengthening exercises regularly? If you do, it will lower your risk of injury not only in your feet but up your legs as well. I regularly do ankle circles and toes curls (put a towel on the floor, put your feet on it and with your toes, pull the towel back under your feet - kind of like during curls with your toes.) I spell the alphabet with my toes. I can feel the muscles in my feet start to burn if I do these correctly and enough of them, so I know the dozens of muscles in them are getting stronger, thus, I'll be racing faster! If you have weak ankles or sprained them a lot growing up like I did playing quite a bit basketball, all this is even more important. I have little ligament support particularly in my left ankle and so I have to pay attention to what this blog post is about, but it will serve all of us well, if we'll work on those feet!!

Keys To Speed - RACE!!

I can train myself to a certain level of speed. Wise workouts that are diversified and strategic can take me to some fairly fast performances. But, if I want to see real top-end speed realized, I have to race and race often. You know, "On your mark, get set, GO!"  Or, "Five, four, three, two, one" (horn blast.) There is something about those words and sounds that rev something up inside of us. Whether its a world championship race or a local time trial, I just push harder if I'm being timed and if there are others around me "racing" too. This is true of running races, cycling races, swim meets, duathlons, triathlons, adventure races, etc.

Realize that a race is a fantastic workout. Races are workouts the likes of which I normally won't do on my own. For me to get to my top end potential, I have to race and race as much as I can afford to, speaking of time and money. The months leading up to when I won the USAT national championship were composed of a triathlon every other weekend for 12 weeks. Each of the six races had a purpose beyond that day's performance. I knew that after I'd recovered from them, I'd be faster...and faster...and faster, race after race. We all have limits on our time and finances, but strategically placed races (workouts) will take us to a level of speed that we'll never reach, just doing our normal training. Just as I was thinking about writing this post, an email from Runner's World popped in with some good tips on this very subject and here is some of that article:

"In the months leading up to his American best of 2:09:55 at the 1975 Boston Marathon, for example, Bill Rodgers raced everything from two miles on the indoor track to 30K on the roads.
He enjoyed racing, but he also used minor races as stepping-stones toward two or three major goal races each year. This approach has benefits that are hard to replicate in workouts: Intermediate goals maintain motivation, and the race atmosphere pushes you to run hard. For those with prerace jitters, familiarity breeds a more relaxed approach and prepares you for adversity, says Camille Herron, a 2:37 marathoner who, inspired by Rodgers, races 15 to 20 times a year (including up to seven marathons).  Still, you shouldn't just sign up for a race every weekend and hope for the best. Here's how to ensure that there's a method behind the madness.

Race Tired
Rodgers raced 23 times in 1975, but used most as prep for the Boston and Fukuoka marathons. When he ran a three-mile indoor track race a few months before Boston, for example, it was part of a 20-mile day. You don't have to go that far (literally), but resist the urge to be well-rested for every race. If you're racing 10K or less, plan an extended warmup or cooldown–or both.
Apply It: At secondary races, aim to run at least three miles before and after the race. Once that's comfortable, extend the cooldown to five miles. Give yourself at least two days to recover afterward (three days for races of 10 miles or longer) before doing another hard workout."