As the weather gets warmer and the ratio of sun to rain increases I see more and more people out pounding the pavement and pedals around Portland. It’s also the season when there are multiple options every weekend for competing in a bike or running race.
A few weeks ago one of my clients requested some information on training for the Portland marathon, and as if on cue the latest NSCA Strength & Conditioning Journal arrived with an article entitled “Training the Aerobic Capacity of Distance Runners: A Break From Tradition”.
The author, a coach at the London Sport Institute at Middlsex University, reviews a number of pertinent research studies into the matter of the most effective means by which to develop the 3 key aspects of aerobic capacity as applies to running, which are:
1) Maximal Oxygen Uptake (VO2 max)
2) Lactate Threshold
3) Running Economy
His findings are that 1 and 2 are best trained through high intensity intervals, which in this case are intervals ranging from 4 minutes down to 15 seconds. This shouldn’t be a surprise to most of us, but it’s good that the author is careful to note that athletes should only engage in such training after building a base of conditioning and strength over time.
As in the weight room, doing too much too soon whether it be running or cycling can be quite hard on the body. I’ve spoken with many people over the years that have attempted to start training for a race or lose weight by jumping into an aggressive running program only to shortly end up on the sidelines with an ankle, knee, or back issue.
Similar to training for other sports, using a periodized training program is important, and will ultimately provide much greater results than jumping straight into one with too much volume (amount of work done) and intensity.
High enough intensity for you?
As for running economy, the author notes some studies that found runners had increased time to exhaustion in testing by undergoing heavy strength protocols by up to 21%, with no change in bodyweight or VO2 max. As running and cycling are dependent on strength/power to weight ratios and rate of force development, it makes sense that the more power one can produce, and the more force muscles can produce relative to bodyweight, the easier it is to hold a given pace.
However simply adding strength work to a running program with a high volume of distance running isn’t the answer either, as this may likely end up proving to be too much stress and injury may result. Based on related studies the author suggest replacing a third of the total endurance training time with gym-based training in order to maximize benefits and prevent overuse injury.
As it happens Lou Schuler just blogged on why he thinks running with fat loss as a goal isn’t the best idea.
To be blunt this has been a settled issue for years among smarter segments of the fitness industry. Fat loss guru Alwyn Cosgrove has been demonstrating through his client’s results, and that of the thousands of people that use his programs for years that an intelligent nutrition program combined with strength and interval training is by far the most efficient and effective means by which to drop fat.
It turns out that those already skinny runners and cyclists would be smart to get in the gym as well. And in fact most all of the best ones already do.
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About the Author:
Owner of Elemental Fitness Lab in Portland, OR. Our approach to training is to integrate research (I'm an NSCA CSCS, certified Functional Movement Screen, and Precision Nutrition) with practical experience. I've studied martial arts in Japan and the U.S. for many years, and have put in my time in the gym, in the water, on the snow, on the rock wall, and on the bike.