It's never too early to begin planning for a fall marathon, be it your first or one more in a long line of marathons. Whichever, you'll want a training plan that maximizes your chances for success and for a fast timepossibly a new PR. Recent research in Europe holds the promise of dramatic breakthroughs from a lactate-threshold workout.
In the past, most marathon training plans revolved around two key workouts: (1) a weekly or biweekly 12- to 20-miler to build endurance, and (2) weekly interval sessions to increase aerobic capacity. While these workouts remain cornerstones of marathon training, the new research suggests that other types of training, such as the workouts outlined below, can do even more to improve marathon performance.
The European scientists, including groups in Poland and the Netherlands, began by looking into various training speeds as they related to personal-best marathon times. To do this, they measured the blood lactate levels of a group of marathon runners as the runners ran at five different speeds. One of the speeds was very close to actual marathon race pace, two were faster, and two were slower.
|
|
The results showed that the runners produced little blood lactate when they ran at or slightly slower than their marathon pace. However, if they increased their pace to a point just 2 to 3 percent faster than marathon pace, blood lactate levels soared, making it more difficult for muscles to contract.
No wonder marathoners run at a speed slightly slower than their lactate threshold running speed (LTRS). To run faster would require much more effort than anyone could maintain for 26.2 miles.
The trick to better marathon performances, then, is to elevate your LTRS. This will allow you to run at a faster pace without accumulating the lactic acid that slows you down. The improvements can be surprisingly significant. Take the case of the 3-hour marathoner. A mere 5 percent increase in LTRS should produce a 9-minute drop in marathon time.
Fortunately, it's relatively easy to increase your LTRS. All you have to do is train at speeds around and just faster than your LTRS. In time, this training will raise your LTRS.
For marathoners, the best time to do LTRS workouts is during the last eight weeks of the training program. Use the early weeks to build your mileage and long runs. Then, in the last two months, do fewer long runs and more LTRS workouts. In general, LT workouts include a mixture of runs of varying distances, at paces a little slower than, equal to, and a little faster than your LTRS. This mixture of distances and near-LTRS paces produces optimal results.
Owen Anderson, Ph.D., is the editor and founder of Running Research News and author of Lactate Liftoff. An exercise physiologist and training expert, Anderson coaches and offers training camps for runners. He's based in Lansing, Michigan. To learn more about Owen and his work, please visit www.rrnews.com
Given below, is a list of sample workouts that will help you to improve your LTRS (I myself strongly believe that LT-workouts are more important than "traditional" faster speedwork, if you are interested to improve over distances of 10K and longer):
1. Run two 10-minute repeats at your current 10-K race pace. Jog easily for 4 to 6 minutes between the repeats. This pace is slightly faster than your LTRS.
2. Do steady 25-minute runs at a pace about 12 seconds per mile slower than your current 10-K race pace. This is your approximate LTRS.
3. Do 4-6 2000 meter repeats at LT-pace, resting for 90 seconds after each repeat. There are unconfirmed rumors that the famous Haile Gebrselassie does this workout in his training.
4. As part of 10-14 mile run, run 2 segments of 2-3 miles at threshold pace (e.g. 3 miles easy - 2.5 miles at threshold pace - 3 miles easy - 2.5 miles at threshold pace - 1 mile easy.)
5. Run 12K-races, 15K-races, half marathons, and 25K-races hard.
6. As part of a longer run of 9-14 miles run a segment consisting of 3-5 sets of running 10 minutes at LT-Pace and running 5 minutes easy.
7. 5x1mile at 10 seconds faster than your LT-pace (approx. 12K-pace) with 60 seconds rest after each repeat.
With the exception of workout 7, I myself (Christoph F. Eick), used all the listed workouts in my training, and they seem to work. I especially like workouts 3, 4, and 6 in the list. If you have a good LT-workout that should be included in the list (or have doubts about the usefulness of a workout listed above), please send it to me: ceick@aol.com