Quality Training Essentials

꧁✿🌸╭⊱ Quality training 1: LONG SLOW RUN ⊱╮🌸✿꧂

Typically, a runner performs this training session at the weekend, and it predominantly trains the aerobic energy system. Common mistakes involve running at a pace that is too fast or starting at a pace that is too fast and dramatically slowing in the latter part of the run because of the over-optimistic start.

We start slow and comfortable and go on and on. We increase the distance of this run each week whilst having a drop back down in the distance every 3-4 weeks.

Relevant for all running: Crucial for Marathon preparation and Half marathon preparation.

꧁✿🌸╭⊱ Quality training 2: TEMPO RUN  ⊱╮🌸✿꧂

Comfortably hard running. This challenges the heart and lungs. It's not so complicated that you can't speak; you can say 2-3 word strings before taking a breath, but it's undoubtedly a challenging run.

Tempo training sessions take many different forms. The most popular involves a warm-up followed by a specified running period at a 'tempo' pace followed by a cool down.

Or beginning at an easy pace and getting progressively faster throughout the run. For anything up to a half marathon, the tempo section of a run can be anything up to 1 hour.

It may be longer than that in peak training weeks for a marathon.

꧁✿🌸╭⊱ Quality training 3: LACTATE THRESHOLD  ⊱╮🌸✿꧂

When we consider the energy systems, most people interested in the sport will be familiar with the terms aerobic and anaerobic. These refer to energy generation with or without oxygen, respectively.

Aerobic energy production has waste products of carbon dioxide and water, whereas anaerobic energy production has lactic acid as a waste product.

This can cause feelings of muscle soreness, and in undertrained or overtrained athletes, we may get the phenomenon of acidosis.

When we consider lactate threshold training, we aim to increase the pace at which we meet the lactate threshold. The faster this is, the quicker our race times will be, whether they are at a pace below or above the lactate threshold.

The Lactate threshold pace is loosely defined as the pace that one could maintain for 1 hour.

For most, this is between their 10km and half marathon pace. Lactate threshold workouts focus on running at this pace for specified periods or distances.

A Popular session is the YASSO 800s.

800m run at an approximate lactate threshold pace, with a recovery period equal to the time it took to run the 800m.

Another session that really tests is a 2000m run at lactate threshold pace with 3 minutes recovery x 3.

꧁✿🌸╭⊱ Quality training 4: SPEED  ⊱╮🌸✿꧂

This does what it says on the tin, really. Regarding the quantity of your training, only a tiny amount should be done at speed. 

When considering speedwork, we are looking at training paces around your 5k pace or quicker. As such, these should only be done on distances of approx 400m or shorter, and if you have access to a track, they are best done there without the obstacles of curbs, etc, that you might not see going at such a pace. 

These are actual tests for your Lactic energy system, as the first portion of each repetition will be done before significant respiration occurs in the working muscles. 

Running at speed will help you to run more efficiently. When trying to hit specific places, you will stand up taller, use your arms more, pick your legs up more, and use your whole body to propel you forward. 

The recovery between efforts will allow you to do this all again, so you might get 2-3 km of quality running throughout a 5-6km session, but you won't feel nearly as tired. 

Typical sessions include 10x400m with 90s recovery. 12x200m with 1 min recovery.

꧁✿🌸╭⊱ Quality training 5: RUNNING FORM  ⊱╮🌸✿꧂

Speed workouts address running form, however, if you are training for a much longer distance event you may find that your running form deteriorates over the longer distances. 

You can do various drills at a more realistic pace that can help your running efficiency. 

In a warm-up for any of the Quality Training 3 or Quality Training 4 sessions, it is advisable to do 3-5 strides. 

These are short sections where you accelerate, focussing on the movements necessary to propel you forward that bit faster. 

One example of a running form drill is the cadence drill. Focus on lifting the legs up with the hip flexors and having a kick at the back rather than shuffling along. Try to increase the number of steps in a given period, even if that means a shorter stride.

꧁✿🌸╭⊱ Quality training 6: ACTIVE RECOVERY ⊱╮🌸✿꧂

After all the quality sessions of a training week, you may have a build-up of acidosis in your muscles. 

A recovery run helps to remove this. You run at a very easy pace. It's similar to your long-run pace, but importantly, it's done to feel. It should feel minimal effort, although the beginning of the run may have some mobility restrictions due to the build-up of fatigue from other sessions. 

This run aims to get oxygen to the muscles to alleviate the feelings of acidosis. This run will also allow you to get your muscles warm for a really good stretching session.

If your run leading up to an important race does not have one of the above purposes, then you need to question why you are doing it. 

Continuously running at a pace between Quality Training 1 and Quality Training 2 will lead to a slight improvement in your running performance over time. 

To achieve success in running, your training must be quality. This doesn't mean always fast. But it does mean always having an identifiable reason for your run.

Training is defined as the study of a subject to improve your skill in that subject.

When the purpose is to improve skills, each training session must have a purpose. 

When using the terms quantity and quality in run training, 

• quantity quite obviously refers to the mileage covered in a training period; 
• quality refers to training sessions having a specific purpose. 

You may have heard the term junk miles. Quality training does not have junk miles.

To achieve improvements in fitness that will ultimately lead to faster race times and being able to run for longer, we must train the different energy systems.

Each system has a greater or lesser bearing on different race distances, but since our focus is on races of 5km and beyond, it makes sense to adapt the volume of training overall while still training all energy systems all the time.