My schedule involves Tempo running, Up hill/ Down hill running, Fartlek or Interval training on every Tuesday. If you are targetting a faster time for marathon finish, these running workouts will help you to improve speed and strength. All speed workouts demand good amount of energy and I use these runs to spit out my hidden anger and frustrations. I just hate the anguish while running, but love the elevated, engergised feeling after the run. It gives me the sensation of winning a losing battle.
If you are wondering what these workouts are, read the short excerpts taken from a running site.
Tempo Runs: A tempo run is a workout of 30 to 45 minutes, usually run on trails or in the woods so you have no reference to exactly how far or how fast you are running. Here's how to do a tempo run. Begin at an easy pace, about as fast as you would during any warm-up on the track. After 5 or 10 minutes of gentle jogging, gradually accelerate toward peak speed midway through the workout, holding that peak for 5 or 10 minutes, then gradually decelerate, finishing with 5 minutes of gentle jogging, your cool-down. At peak speed, you should be running somewhat slower than pace for a 5-K run. Run hard, but not too hard. If you do this workout correctly, you should finish refreshed rather than fatigued.
Interval Training: This is a more precise form of speed training than tempo runs above, or fartlek below. You may have done interval training, or some variation on it, during the track season whether or not you recognized it by that name. Interval training consists of fast repeats (400, 600 and 1,000 meters in this program), followed by jogging and/or walking to recover. It is the "interval" between the fast repeats that gives this workout its name. Perform a 400-meter jog between the 400 repeats, a 200-meter jog between the 600 repeats, and 3 minutes walking and/or jogging between the 1,000 repeats. Most important is not how fast or slow you walk or jog the interval, but that you be consistent with both the repeats and the interval between. For example, you do not want to run this workout and discover near the end that you are running the repeats slower than at the start, or that you need more rest during the interval between. If that happens, you picked too ambitious a time goal for the workout. Interval training is best run on a track, although it can be run on soft surfaces or on the roads, as long as you maintain consistency.
Fartlek: Fartlek is a Swedish word, loosely translated as "speed play." A fartlek run in this program is a workout of anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes that involves constant changes of pace at different distances. It is entirely intuitive (similar to tempo runs) and is best run on trails in the woods where you have no idea how far you are running. After 5 or 10 minutes of gentle jogging at the start, pick up the pace and SURGE for maybe 10 or 20 or more seconds, then jog or even walk for a near equal time until partly recovered, then surge again. These speed bursts could be anywhere from 100 to 400 meters, or longer. They could be up a hill or down a hill or on the flat. They could be at top speed or at the pace you might run a 5,000 meter race or from this tree to that tree. Bill Dellinger, 5,000 meter bronze medalist in the 1964 Olympic Games and who succeeded Coach Bill Bowerman at the University of Oregon, said: "An athlete runs as he feels. A fartlek training session can be the hardest workout a runner does all week, or it can be the easiest." Dellinger adds: "In order to be a good distance runner, you have to build strength and endurance, learn race pace, and practice race tactics. Fartlek training can incorporate all of these essential elements into a single workout." Fartlek teaches you how to surge in the middle of the race to get away from opponents--or hang with them when they attempt to surge on you.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Back from Groin Injury
After getting recovered from groin injury (which was troubling me from last two months) I am happy to be back on the road and running. Due to the injury, I had to cut down on the mileage and take rest. Though the groin was troubling me for sometime, I didn’t stop running and the pain wasn’t subsiding too. It worsened to a stage where I couldn’t even stand in a relaxed posture. Most of the websites I referred recommended few stretches and ample rest. Injuries are hard to avoid. It’s always better to take rest until it heals completely.
I hit the road last Friday, struggled a lot to complete 10k on Firday and16k on Sunday. I was missing my running and breathing rhythm and found hard to complete the run on Sunday. I took 10-15 mins more than my usual time but was happy to be on the road. Today I did a 10k in 49mins and the run was quite satisfactory.
The resting period was quite killing. Without running my energy level was at ground zero and my days were quite sober. Nowadays it’s become hard to imagine a life without running.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
2008 Training Plan
After the singapore marathon, I have cut down my weekly mileage and was primarily concentrating on running techniques and weight loss. I have lost nearly 6kgs/13.2lbs since November 2007 and also changed my running style to a certain extent. This year I am quite desperate to crack the 3hrs 45mins marathon or rather 3hrs 30mins marathon (if things go well) and have come up with an intense (to my standards) training plan which is primarily focussed on quantity. If the plan doesn't work this year I will come up with tougher training plan next year. 37 weeks/8months is a long duration and I wish everything works out as planned.
52k Race is Bangalore Ultra marathon followed by Singapore marathon two weeks later.
52k Race is Bangalore Ultra marathon followed by Singapore marathon two weeks later.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Recent Running Form
Last couple of months has been quite hectic with work and looks like the trend might continue for another few months. Other than running and work I don’t have free time to do any activity and also have been finding reasons for not blogging too.
Last weekend I took part in Auroville half marathon. Though it was a memorable and happy event, I am disgusted with my performance. I encountered a pretty nasty road rash, missed the route couple of times, did 2-3kms more, walked for a while and completed in 2hrs 17mins.
I was targeting for 1:45 but finished with a horrible timing, probably I was overambitious about my timing. Whole day I was cursing myself for the failure and was pondering why I failed. Moreover before last week’s event, my motivation to run was also quite low and I have been running just for the sake of running. During later half of the race I observed my legs dying and found hard to push myself.
Next day, I thought to alter my training and log more miles per week. But the road rash had stopped me from running and just managed to do a 9k on Thursday. Before the run I also planned to count my stride rate and observed it to be 82-84 per minute. Many websites recommends maintaining the stride rate at 85-90 per minute. I need to do some research on the stride rate and length before I alter my running style.
Overall it’s been a dull phase of running season and struggling hard to jump out of the slump.
Last weekend I took part in Auroville half marathon. Though it was a memorable and happy event, I am disgusted with my performance. I encountered a pretty nasty road rash, missed the route couple of times, did 2-3kms more, walked for a while and completed in 2hrs 17mins.
I was targeting for 1:45 but finished with a horrible timing, probably I was overambitious about my timing. Whole day I was cursing myself for the failure and was pondering why I failed. Moreover before last week’s event, my motivation to run was also quite low and I have been running just for the sake of running. During later half of the race I observed my legs dying and found hard to push myself.
Next day, I thought to alter my training and log more miles per week. But the road rash had stopped me from running and just managed to do a 9k on Thursday. Before the run I also planned to count my stride rate and observed it to be 82-84 per minute. Many websites recommends maintaining the stride rate at 85-90 per minute. I need to do some research on the stride rate and length before I alter my running style.
Overall it’s been a dull phase of running season and struggling hard to jump out of the slump.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Whatever it takes...
Yesterdays 20.5k run was one of the best to my standards. I completed the distance in 1hr 42mins with an average speed of 12km/hr (i.e 5mins/km). When I started the run, I was bit uncertain about maintaining the speed throughout the course. But decided to keep up the pace till my legs could sustain and surprisingly I managed to achieve that. My modified training program is helping to improve my strength and speed. I wish to have this time officially recorded during the pondicherry half marathon which is scheduled on Feb 16th. Whatever it takes, I have decided to train hard and rip myself apart before my next marathon.
"You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can't know what's coming." - Frank Shorter
"It is very difficult to train for a marathon; but it is even more difficult to not be able to train for a marathon." - Aaron Douglas Trimble
"You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can't know what's coming." - Frank Shorter
"It is very difficult to train for a marathon; but it is even more difficult to not be able to train for a marathon." - Aaron Douglas Trimble
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Try Again
I keep receiving weekly Bulletin from Better Life Unlimted. This week topic is "Try Again".
By Dr. Chet Zelasko
Did you ever watch a five-year-old try to skate? It doesn’t matter whether it’s roller blading or ice skating, they fall all the time. Then they get back up and try again. And again. And again. They don’t let failure stop them--they try again immediately. There’s a great lesson there.
If you’re going change the way you eat, you’re going to fail many times on the road to a new style of eating. You’re also going to sleep in more times than you should and miss your workout. That’s inevitable--but just like those kids, try again immediately. This is my business and I’m still trying to get it all figured out when it comes to eating. I don’t eat as badly as I used to eat and not as good as I’m going to eat.
We’re all works in progress and as long as we keep trying, we’ll ultimately succeed.
We can apply this theory to anything we try to learn. Don't give up easily, keep trying.
I am going to train until I crack sub 3hrs marathon. There is no guarantee that I could achieve this before I retire at 50, but I will keep trying.
By Dr. Chet Zelasko
Did you ever watch a five-year-old try to skate? It doesn’t matter whether it’s roller blading or ice skating, they fall all the time. Then they get back up and try again. And again. And again. They don’t let failure stop them--they try again immediately. There’s a great lesson there.
If you’re going change the way you eat, you’re going to fail many times on the road to a new style of eating. You’re also going to sleep in more times than you should and miss your workout. That’s inevitable--but just like those kids, try again immediately. This is my business and I’m still trying to get it all figured out when it comes to eating. I don’t eat as badly as I used to eat and not as good as I’m going to eat.
We’re all works in progress and as long as we keep trying, we’ll ultimately succeed.
We can apply this theory to anything we try to learn. Don't give up easily, keep trying.
I am going to train until I crack sub 3hrs marathon. There is no guarantee that I could achieve this before I retire at 50, but I will keep trying.
Friday, January 04, 2008
Observations on Treadmill Training
Every time I visit the gym, I can’t resist myself from running on the treadmill. I would work on overall body strengthening exercises combined with core strengthening followed by a fast 5k run. Primarily I make use of the treadmill for correcting my posture and improving the lactate threshold. Usually it takes 21:30 – 21:50mins for me to complete a 5k on a treadmill with an average speed of around 13.9km/hr. Whether its road running or treadmill running I have the style of taking longer strides. The distance on the treadmill is calculated only based on the time and speed but not on the stride length and rates. If my strides are longer, definitely I would be covering more than 5k on the treadmill in sub 22 mins. Recently with less intensity I broke my 5k PR on road in 21:51 mins which again contradicts with the treadmill timing. After doing some research on stride length and speed, I came across a good article on Treadmill Training.
Few interesting points from the article
The first study to evaluate carefully the kinematics of treadmill versus 'overground' running was completed in 1972 at Penn State University in the US, in a study of 16 male members of the university's track and cross-country teams(4). The runners were evenly divided between distance specialties, with five sprinters, six middle-distance runners and five cross-country runners, all of them required to run at three speeds at three different inclinations on both the treadmill and normal ground.
This groundbreaking study uncovered fundamental differences between treadmill and overground running. For instance, at relatively routine speeds of 3.35 and 4.88m/sec (119 and 82 seconds per 400m respectively), the athletes' stride lengths were absolutely identical on treadmill and firm ground; but when velocity rose to 6.4m/sec (62.5 seconds per 400m), treadmill stride length was about 5% longer than overground strides. The same situation occurred during uphill (10%-grade) running, with strides equal at moderate paces but about 8% longer on the treadmill when velocity rose to 6.4m/sec. During downhill running (10%), stride lengths on the ground and treadmill were equal at all speeds.
Not surprisingly, stride rates were lower on the treadmill during fast running both uphill and on the level: since stride lengths were longer on the treadmill, stride rate would have to slow down in order to keep speed at a constant level. Predictably too, 'support time' (the length in milliseconds of the stance phase of the gait cycle) increased significantly on the treadmill for all speeds during uphill and downhill running - and at the very highest speed during level running. Basically, the runners were trying to create more stability for themselves on the unstable, fast-moving and/or inclined treadmill by keeping their feet on the belt a little longer than usual. In fact, this effect may have been the cause of both the lower stride rates and longer strides: with the stance phase elongated, more propulsive force could have been created, broadening strides but trimming stride rate.
No wonder my stride length was longer on the treadmill at higher velocity.
Few interesting points from the article
The first study to evaluate carefully the kinematics of treadmill versus 'overground' running was completed in 1972 at Penn State University in the US, in a study of 16 male members of the university's track and cross-country teams(4). The runners were evenly divided between distance specialties, with five sprinters, six middle-distance runners and five cross-country runners, all of them required to run at three speeds at three different inclinations on both the treadmill and normal ground.
This groundbreaking study uncovered fundamental differences between treadmill and overground running. For instance, at relatively routine speeds of 3.35 and 4.88m/sec (119 and 82 seconds per 400m respectively), the athletes' stride lengths were absolutely identical on treadmill and firm ground; but when velocity rose to 6.4m/sec (62.5 seconds per 400m), treadmill stride length was about 5% longer than overground strides. The same situation occurred during uphill (10%-grade) running, with strides equal at moderate paces but about 8% longer on the treadmill when velocity rose to 6.4m/sec. During downhill running (10%), stride lengths on the ground and treadmill were equal at all speeds.
Not surprisingly, stride rates were lower on the treadmill during fast running both uphill and on the level: since stride lengths were longer on the treadmill, stride rate would have to slow down in order to keep speed at a constant level. Predictably too, 'support time' (the length in milliseconds of the stance phase of the gait cycle) increased significantly on the treadmill for all speeds during uphill and downhill running - and at the very highest speed during level running. Basically, the runners were trying to create more stability for themselves on the unstable, fast-moving and/or inclined treadmill by keeping their feet on the belt a little longer than usual. In fact, this effect may have been the cause of both the lower stride rates and longer strides: with the stance phase elongated, more propulsive force could have been created, broadening strides but trimming stride rate.
No wonder my stride length was longer on the treadmill at higher velocity.
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