Hill Training

Let’s face it, no one likes running hills. They can kill your legs for days and leave you with little energy in reserve.  However, in my opinion there is no better way to strengthen and prepare legs for running than to run hills.  I’ve often found myself in a difficult part of a race where I’m facing a step hill or series of hills and have found that my hill workouts give me an edge over others.  Seeing their face when I truck right past them is priceless and makes all the hard training worthwhile. The trick is not to dread hill running but to incorporate it properly  and to find a way to make it fun.  Here are some tips and techniques for doing just that:

• Use Hill Running as a replacement or compliment to strength training routines.  Although I prefer that runners incorporate a solid weight training routine and use hills to supplement, for those hectic weeks you can use hills to accomplish two goals at once.
• Sprint up small hills as fast as you can…not only will this quicken the experience, but it will also recruit fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are important to build.  You’ll be able to build strength and improve quickness.
• Find a long hill or series of hills and take your time at a steady pace.  I like to envision myself climbing a mountain and keeping my pace a bit shorter and steadier than normal.  Keep your back straight and work through the pain.  This will give you that extra stamina to tackle any hill.
• Try bleacher workouts.  For those of you that have access to a track with bleachers, try running laps with bleacher runs integrated into them.  Take as many trips up/down as you can per lap.  Go for 4-8 laps at a minimum taking a relaxed pace during the lap portion and a fast pace through the bleachers. 
• Make hills part of your weekly runs.  Find a route that has a good mix of hills and run it a few times per week.  This will simulate race conditions and help you overcome your dread of hills.  Soon, those big hills won’t seem so bad.

Hill Training doesn’t have to be integrated into every run, but it should be done once per week to really see improvement.  Even if you only do a few hill sprints or intervals per day, you’ll start seeing results within weeks.  I know hill training really helps me blow through hills on race day and my legs are stronger because of it.  Find a way to enjoy it and stick to it, you’ll be pleased with the results.

Interval Training

Interval Training WILL Increase Your Speed!

As a runner, you will want to find ways to increase your Personal Records (PR’s) both in training and come race day. One of the most effective methods to increase your speed is called interval training. Interval training basically consists of pre-set distances ran at a race pace for the purpose of increasing the output of your legs, lungs, and body. Most active runners set aside 1-3 days per week to do interval training because of its important place in a solid training regimen. Ideally, you should set at least 1 day aside for this, even if you only run a few days per week. By effectively mixing intervals into your routine, you will find that you’ll get much more out of your distance or timed runs. Here are some example interval training workouts, 1 for each level of runner. Beginner:

• Stretch as usual and take a 400m (1/4 mile or 1 lap on a track) warmup jog to get the blood flowing
• Rotate 2 times between 200′s (1/2 of 1 lap on a track) and 400′s with full recovery in between intervals
• Rotate 2 times between 200′s and 400′s with 5 minutes recovery time in between

Giving yourself full recovery (return to normal heartrate) will allow you to find a good pace for yourself without burning out early. Changing to a 5 min recovery near the end will force you to sustain an elevated heartrate as you finish your workout…which is meant to simulate the end of a race. A distance of 1.5 miles will allow you to work your way to a longer and more intense workout. Intermediate Workout:

• Stretch as usual and run a 400m warmup lap
• Run 4 quick 50m sprints to get the legs ready
• Rotate 3 times between 400m and 800m intervals with 2 minutes recovery time
• Rotate 3 times between 400m and 800m intervals with 3 minutes recovery time

In this routine, you will add more distance (4.5 miles total) which will buy you more recovery time near the end when you’ll need the extra rest to push through the tough stretch at the end. Advanced Routine:

• Stretch as normal and follow up with a 1/4 mile warmup jog
• Run 4 50m sprints to get the blood to the legs
• Run 4 Rotations of 400m and 1200m intervals
• For the first 2 rotations, use 3 minute recovery periods. For the second 2 rotations, switch to 3:30 minute recovery times.

From this routine, you can advance to more difficult interval runs, such as 1 mile or 5k intervals. However, by depending on your goals you may not need to use longer distances. This routine covers 5 miles on its own, mixing in shorter runs to allow your body to learn how to rest while running. You will eventually learn to use the 400m runs as a rest run (don’t cheat yourself) and find your 1200m times improving over the course of a few weeks. Interval training is a fantastic way to improve your stamina for those tough parts of the run when you would normally hit the brakes and slow down. By properly incorporating intervals into your running routine, you’ll find yourself not only pushing through the tough times in your training, but you’ll also be amazed by that extra speed you have at the end of a race. Your mile pace will improve dramatically and you will be setting new PR’s in no time!

10k Training Guide

After you’ve built up a good base and feel good about 5k’s and below, you might want to consider running a 10k.  Although it is only 6.2 miles, a 10k is a completely different animal than a 5k and requires a bit more of a serious training approach. You will need to work much harder on all fronts, as well as be comfortable calculating your own pace chart.  In this type of race, it is very easy to burn out quickly and find yourself demoralized as you get passed over and over again.

You are much better off taking it easy early and then pushing yourself once you get into a rhythm.  In this guide, we aren’t going to lay out a specific training chart because I am assuming you have a better knowledge of your current level than I do. Instead we are going to talk about what you need to include in your routine on a general level.  Since I have no idea where you are in your training, it would serve no purpose to lay out a specific guide that might either be too easy or too difficult. So, with that being said let’s talk about some 10k training.

• To run strong in this race, you’ll need to be running about 18-24 miles per week at a minimum. This should take you on average about 45-60 minutes per session. 
• Don’t let yourself off easy by focusing on mileage instead of intervals or hills.  Most 10k courses have a mix of hills and so some form of hill training is essential.  Also, without intervals you will find your legs dying quickly when you get passed or try to make a run.  Although you may not be trying to win, it is no fun to be passed by anyone. Train intervals to keep people at your heels.
• Test yourself with long 90 minute runs.  I call these confidence runs because they show you just how much damage your body can take.  Doing these runs once every week or two, will give your legs and lungs a boost.
• Don’t forget to rest! It is easy to overtrain when you are training for races, so remember to monitor your body to see when a rest day is required.
• Good Running Shoes are important! I can’t say it enough, don’t slack on the shoes.
• Lastly, push yourself.  The only way to get stronger and faster is to push your limits.  Use your watch to test times and monitor your progress.  Keep trying to beat your best times and you’ll find your VO2 max increasing, which will pay BIG dividends come race time.

How to Pace

Many runners know how to calculate an overall pace after a race, but most don’t know how to calculate a manageable pace before the race. What I mean is that often at the start of the race, people either start to slow or too fast, causing either a quick buildup of lactic acid or a back of the pack start that is too tough to overcome. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve started a race and watched as much of my competition sprints out the gate thinking they have it made, only to see me triumphantly pass them near the 3-4 mile mark with a giant grin on my face.

The Strategy

There is a strategy that if used properly can help you not only save your best for the end of the race, but also to really manage a race so that you are at your peak effectiveness. There is no special name for it, but you will often find that top runners use some variation of this strategy in their efforts to dominate the race scene. Every race, I usually see a lot of the same people and the ones that continue to win are the ones that use this strategy. So, in an effort to share what I’ve learned in my racing journey, I am going to let you in on the big "secret" of managing your pace to win. Keeping Time The first key is to keep an accurate measure of your training times and distances so you can get an idea of your maximum and average output. It really helps if you have a few races under your belt so you know what your PR’s are and have an idea of what race pace feels like, but if you do not, it is not that big of a deal.

Race Pace

I’m going to use a 10k example because it is one of the most popular race types, but you can use the same strategy for longer races as well. Take your average race/practice distance and time and divide them to calculate your overall pace per mile. For example, let’s say you normally run 6 miles in about 48 minutes. That is 8 minutes per mile. Now, lets say you think you can finish a 10k race in about 47 minutes and you want to set a new PR. That leaves you at about 7:33 per mile. Now, the key is to start at a slower than average pace to give you time to get your legs under you and the adrenaline steadied. So, add about 10-15 seconds to your pace, which means you start at say a 7:48/mile pace. I know it seems odd to start slower and finish faster, but the science behind this is that if you start too fast too early it will cause your legs to build up lactic acid which will cause you pain the entire race. If you start slower than normal, you will hit your rhythm with plenty of energy left to go and you will not feel much of the burn till after the race.

Putting It All Together

So, take the first 3 miles at a longer pace than normal, take the next 3 at a normal pace (7:33′ish), and then take the last 3 at a quicker pace subtracting the same number you added for the first 3. So essentially you end up with 3 miles @ 7:48, 3 miles @ 7:33, and 3 miles @ 7:18 for a total time of about 47 minutes. I know what you are thinking, "how am I supposed to finish stronger when I am tired?" The answer is that your adrenaline and other biological factors will help you more than you realize. Normally, by the 2/3 marker, the body is numb from pain and hitting a breathing and striding rhythm. You can use this to your advantage to really prove to those "sprinters" that smarts beats quickness every time. This is the strategy that I, my peers, and my competition all use to our advantage. This is really where experience beats youth and where you can make improvements outside of your normal training regime. Make sure you share the news as you pass those that are walking the last mile of the race. They will appreciate it.

How to Get Faster

Train Like You Race 

It’s bound to happen to you sooner or later.  Training has gone well and you started to see moderate increases in stamina and skill, but now you want to go faster. It was probably a fair amount per to groaning as I started to get addicted to the feeling of accomplishment and so I started to try to find ways to continue to improve. One of the things that I want to improve upon was my speed, which was pretty weak to say the least. At the time, I could run for an hour or so, but when it came time to pick up the pace, I just couldn’t make it happen. Eventually, after trying a few different methods, I was able to find something that works for me and I still use it today.

Many runners talk about using intervals or fartlek runs to improve speed, but if you’re an endurance athlete like me than short 100 400 or 800 m intervals just don’t cut it. For one thing, a lot of people can’t seem to give the effort required to make intervals worthwhile. In regards to fartlek runs, a lot of runners will pace themselves to fast during the beginning of the run and be able to increase their speed during the fartlek intervals. What I found worked best for me, is to use accommodation of heart rate and zone intensity training.

Coming by the step of training, is to calculate your max heart rate and your max intensity that you can sustain during a short interval and use that as a baseline for maximum effort. Most of us have an idea of what it takes to max out as well it feels like to maintain an easy pace. The problem with running an easy pace is that when it comes to race day, you’ll have the extra gas that you need to turn it into high gear. If you learn to train like you race, then you’re much more likely to be with increasing intensity when it really counts.

So here’s what I recommend:

• Train as you race. Unless you’re doing a long distance from trying to build up base mileage, then use most of your runs his moderate tempo runs. In other words, try to maintain an effort that is near your maximum effort but is sustainable for the duration of your run.
• Continue next intervals and fartlek runs into your workouts, but don’t rely on them as the principal methods of building speed.
• If you don’t have one already, by a Garmin 305 or four or five and start using the heart rate monitor to your advantage.

If it seems hard at first to train at a level 3 or 4 intensity, then it means you’re doing it right. If you really want to get faster, then you have to move out of the comfortable runs and into more intense runs. This is especially true if you want to get into racing competitively. Just remember, the more work that you put in during your run, the more you will improve afterwards.

Winter Mileage Base

Building a Mileage Base

Now that the Winter is upon us and for many of us the race season has come to a close, it is time to start thinking about building a solid mileage base for next Spring. This is especially important if you’ve qualified for the Boston Marathon or something similar (although outside of a race overseas or a triathlon, I’m not sure I can think of anything similar) and you need to improve your endurance and cardiovascular stamina.

By building a solid mileage base now, you will be better served by your speed work in the Spring and your race times will undoubtedly improve. Let’s say you are running 10k a week now and you want to run 15k a week, or rather than running half-marathon distances on a weekly basis you want to run full marathon distances. Winter base building is the perfect off-season training strategy for you.

The Golden Rule

The golden rule in building a mileage base is not to increase your weekly mileage by more than 10% at a time. This is important to prevent over-training and injury. Although I have broken this rule on several occasions, considering the time available there is no reason to rush yourself or risk injury.

I recommend alternating between light and difficult runs and adding no more than 1-2 miles per week to your long run. For example, let’s say that you are currently running 20 miles per week and want to increase your weekly mileage to 30 miles per week.

Week 1

• Day 1: 6 miles
• Day 2: 4 miles
• Day 3: 8 miles
• Day 4: 2 miles

Week 2

• Day 1: 6 miles
• Day 2: 4 miles
• Day 3: 9 miles
• Day 4: 3 miles

Week 3

• Day 1: 7 miles
• Day 2: 5 miles
• Day 3: 9 miles
• Day 4: 4 miles

Week 4

• Day 1: 8 miles
• Day 2: 6 miles
• Day 3: 10 miles
• Day 4: 4 miles

Week 5

• Day 1: 8 miles
• Day 2: 6 miles
• Day 3: 10 miles
• Day 4: 6 miles

As you can see, using the 10% method you can achieve an increase of 10 miles per week in just 4 weeks. I didn’t count week 1 because I assume that is what you are already doing. If you don’t have time for 4 run days per week, you could still apply the same strategy and simply adjust the numbers where needed. You can also apply the same strategy for a larger number of miles, such as when attempting to move from half-marathon prep to full marathon prep. The key is to simply be consistent so that your body adapts to the increased load, and to make sure you take advantage of the long runs. The long runs are very important for building the cardiovascular and slow-twitch base needed for the Spring.

This is also an excellent tool for new or beginner runners who are looking to simply run their first race, whether it be a 5k, 10k, half-marathon, or full marathon. By effectively building a solid mileage base, you are increasing your ability to endure over long runs. That part is fairly straightforward, however the added benefit is that when you start your speed work in late Winter or early Spring, you will have stronger legs and lungs, which will incrementally increase your ability to perform under stress during interval workouts or other speed drills. The goal for most of us is setting a new PR, and this is the strategy that will help you do that.

Even if you don’t plan on running longer races, I still strongly encourage you to give this method a try. An increase of just a few miles can make a big difference when Spring rolls around. If you are comfortable running a half-marathon, then just think of how easy a 10k will feel!

When the Spring nears, we will talk more about speed drills and interval workouts to fine tune your speed for Spring race season, but until then get outside and start building up those lungs!