Run-Down Forums

[Angelo Z]

Almost all competitive distances have the aerobic side as the majority over the anaerobic side. The 400m is 57% aerobic. As I have researched, it takes about 3-4 months to build a solid aerobic base to withstand about 7 months of training. It's much like building a structure. You first build a base with 50 miles representing clay. A year later, you build the base with 80 miles a week representing concrete and so on. I am 3 days into my aerobic base training by now. I can feel that my leg muscles are aching once more which I haven't felt for ages. My regular 800m time decreased by about 5 seconds after the first 2 days of running at a high mileage. There are controversies about how much mileage should be done when building a base, but 120 miles is the closest to the injury limit. More mileage indeed does help. Running 50 more miles than 70 miles does help even more but only when the runner can run 70 miles comfortably. The speed of one's base work is only gained through the training after they're finished building their base. If you're running 50 miles a week, don't expect to be able to run faster to run more miles in the same amount of time. This is what tempo runs, and power aerobic runs are used for.

There is an alternative to running 120 miles a week but at a fast pace. This applies to the runners that run twice a day. However, it's inefficient running a high mileage at a fast pace or high intensity. An aerobic base is used for increasing oxygen efficency. It should feel comfortably exhaustful. Meaning that you can run comfortably while sweating uncontrollably.

There is a difference between running hard for 30 minutes and running for 60-90 minutes. 60-90 minutes allows for mitochondrial respiration to occur. LT training is the most important for making gains because it should last for the majority of a year however, a proper aerobic base still is crucial in allowing for signficantly more efficient LT pace running afterwards. The best way to train anyways, is to isolate each energy pathway for a certain time period. 3 months of basework, 7 months of aerobic power training or steady-state running, and 1 month of all out speed training. Some runners train all 3 pathways at the same time which causes disturbances in the body's enzymes and metabolism. Gains are still being made, but are extremely limited. Here is an example of what the 7 month long type of training should look like: http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0058.htm and for the 1 month for building speed (Hicham's 3rd cycle) http://run-down.com/guests/mv_el_guerrouj.php
And the first 3 months is just running 16-17 miles every day and 20 miles on Sunday.

And lastly, the only way to even run a 3:39 or 3:35 mile is: http://www.runningplanet.com/training/new-look-running-fatigue.html

http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/lactatethreshold.html
http://www.rrca.org/resources/articles/base.htm
http://www.rrca.org/resources/articles/base.htm
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My favorite all time race: Hicham El Guerrouj - Prefontaine Classic Mile 2002 http://youtube.com/watch?v=4YykUTHzOL8
¥London 2012 XXX Olympiad¥

[Angelo Z]

Here is bit of Alan Webb's training (you have to read through to find it) http://www.kidsrunning.com/news/krwebbinterviewmick.html

I said that I would go up to 200 miles a week a couple months ago. My base is now at ~120 miles a week. I run 17 miles everyday outside (the treadmill can't handle the time). I am increasing my mileage by 7 miles every week until I feel like it's too much. 200 is the limit, and as of the past 3 days, I ran 51 miles so far. I feel so much better and it just feels like I take a lot more air in. I have drastically increased my caloric intake to make the recovery as best as possible and not lose so much muscle mass. When I complete a whole week of 150 miles, I will go back down to 120 but with increased speed (enough to still be able to run with oxygen). Since I took a closer look at Webb's times, he almost ran a sub 3:50 mile in highschool! 3:43 is only 7 seconds away from that. Let's all see what happens when mitochondria and capillaries are pushed to the max. This is a good article that explains everything thoroughly about the adaptations that occur while under aerobic exercise: http://www.medicinenet.com/aerobic_exercise/page2.htm
_________________
My favorite all time race: Hicham El Guerrouj - Prefontaine Classic Mile 2002 http://youtube.com/watch?v=4YykUTHzOL8
¥London 2012 XXX Olympiad¥

[Angelo Z]

Holy Jesus, I think I found the real secret to making gains. I just got back from my 4th day of basework and the run felt like hell. With everyday passing by, I would sweat a bit more during my 17 miles. 4 days ago, I barely had any sweat. Today however, I was dying. I was drowning in my own sweat and it felt so much more intense. Here is how it goes: I first started out all of my mitochondria full of energy. As each day went by, I would have less and less mitochondria that were fully energized. When the body runs out of the active mitochondria like mine did today, I have just stimulated my mitochondria reproduction by five-fold. It is this period when most of the gains occur. No pain no gain. It is best to take no rest days so the body can be stimulated much more. I'll see what happens to me on day five, tomorrow. In fact, the pure definition of aerobic exercise is called mitochondrial respiration. They produce adenosine triphosphate or ATP as a result of oxygen debt. They do lose their energy through time if they are recruited everytime and will only significantly reproduce again if the body is in need. Those 17 miles I ran today were punishing. As a result, the brain sends signals to produce more mitochondria.When I run again tomorrow with new mitochondria, the other ones will start to replenish themselves again. This is what will allow me to constantly increase my mileage every week.

I have also studied about their life expectancy. They can last up to 1.5 years even when not recruited meaning that this whole 3 month base building phase would certainly outlast my future 8 months of lactic tolerance and capacity training.
_________________
My favorite all time race: Hicham El Guerrouj - Prefontaine Classic Mile 2002 http://youtube.com/watch?v=4YykUTHzOL8
¥London 2012 XXX Olympiad¥

[Angelo Z]

Day 5 of base work: A failure.

I thought that it would be pretty normal to run 30 minutes today at 5:00 mile pace. Afterall, no runner out there runs at the same pace and time everyday...I stopped running after 3 minutes. My greatest success with the 30 minute runs was when I was doing the training in the training article on the 1500 and mile. Running slowly makes me slow. It might work differently for other people, but for me it doesn't. I remembered that when I attempted to do base work for the first time, I ran 17 miles like it was a walk. As each day went by, it would feel more like a jog and then a hard run. It's unbelievable, if I run at a slower pace, I completely adjust to it within a few days. I'm going back to the training that works for me. Just like Webb said, "I just take my current training and increase it in everything; intervals, speed, long runs, etc." The only slow runs I'll ever add are just two recovery runs every weekend.

I think I missed something. I thought that this whole mitochondria thing was so good that it would make me faster. As a result, this further leads me into believeing my "neuromuscular theory" about running. I'll go over it again, when you run fast, the legs just adapt to that feeling of speed . This is why my 1st day of base work felt like a walk because it was that direct transition from my legs being used to sub 5 minute miles and sprints. I have been successful up until this point with barely any basework during my whole running experience. There's no reason to still deny the training from before.

I would also like to mention something about running 200 miles a week. I read a biography on Galen Rupp's coach last night. He failed his career because he thought more miles was better. He run 180 and even 200 a week. His immune system eventually got so weak that he would always get sick. Not only that, but he also got injured quite oftenly. "Wow Angelo, you didn't know that by now?"

I've taken a new approach in running. I began to admire Webb. I don't know why, but now he's one of those runners that I really like such as Hicham. He said that his training philosophy is speed and indeed it is. He does drills everyday such as 2x20m, A skips, B skips, and straight leg runs. Speed is mostly technique, not raw power. It's kind of like a samurai sword vs. a broad sword. I am going all out on technique development too-10 minutes every day, and 2 hours over Saturday and Sunday. I want to make a thread about technique and how much it helps me in running. Honestly, I really do run these runs that I talk about.
_________________
My favorite all time race: Hicham El Guerrouj - Prefontaine Classic Mile 2002 http://youtube.com/watch?v=4YykUTHzOL8
¥London 2012 XXX Olympiad¥