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By Landice, March 9, 2011 11:06 am

Running on the L8

Whether you refer to yourself a competitive or recreational runner, the fact of the matter is, if you’re investing time and effort into your training program, your end goal is improvement.  As a runner, improvement means being able to run faster than you have before over a given distance and/or performing at a level that you were previously unable to.  Although competitive running events are most often the best proving ground for the hard work that you lay down on a week-to-week basis, self assessment sessions can prove to be equally beneficial and are an integral means of evaluating the effectiveness of your training program.

There are a wide variety of ways to assess your body’s response to a given training progression. One of my staple, albeit very simplistic and unscientific, assessment sessions while competing as a long course triathlete, involved my favorite Sunday long run route:  A 25k (15.5 mile) run over undulating terrain.  I’d know that I was coming into “good form” when I could complete the course while running within 10% of my race day goal paces without having to push too hard to do so.  There are a variety of very controlled and precise tests that one can pay for to assess improvement as well; VO₂ max and lactate testing sessions are 2 options that come to mind.  These tests are typically executed within the confines of a laboratory setting and provide a plethora of data for the testing subject.  Unfortunately, they also come with a price tag and can be hard to access in some parts of the country.

A simple, yet very effective means of assessing your aerobic fitness on a month to month basis is by employing the “T20” test.  This test can be carried out on a flat section of road, the track or even the treadmill.  You’ll want to make sure that you’ve kept your training fairly light for the 3 – 4 days preceding the test to ensure that your system is well rested and ready to perform up to its full capacity.

The testing session involves 3 segments:

1. The warm up segment.  Approach this the same way that you would a normal track or treadmill based workout.  See my prior training tips if you are unfamiliar with proper warm up protocol.
2. The testing segment.
3. The cool down segment. Once again, employ the same cool down protocol you would upon completion of a normal track or treadmill based workout.

Equipment: You will need a heart rate monitor and stop watch.

Course & Conditions: You should strive to execute the testing session on the same course and  under similar conditions every time you employ it as air temperature, humidity levels, wind, course gradients, etc. will all have an effect on your ability to maintain a specific pace at a given heart rate/oxygen consumption rate.

Unlike a race, there is no need to run at maximal effort during the testing segment.  Upon conclusion of the warm up routine, the athlete will run for 20 minutes continuously (hence the term “T20”).  The athlete should use the first 10 minutes of the testing segment to gradually build to 85% of maximal heart rate.  In order to do so, he or she will need to gradually increase pace along the way.  If you choose to run on the track or treadmill, a safe pacing strategy would be to start off at your estimated marathon race pace and to then build by 3 – 5 seconds per mile every quarter mile/400 meters until heart rate finally reaches 85% of maximum.  Once you have attained said heart rate, maintain your pace through the end of the 20 minute segment.  Although allowing your heart rate to drift a couple of beats above 85% is just fine, try to limit it to no more than that.  Reduce pace if need-be in order to maintain the goal heart rate along the way.

Upon completion of your cool down, note the amount of distance that you traveled during the second 10 minute segment of the 20 minute run.  Denote this distance, along with the corresponding heart rate, in your training journal.  You would be wise to also denote the environmental conditions that you faced when executing the test and your degree of fatigue leading into the test (i.e. how you felt during your warm up, and during the hours preceding the testing session).

As previously mentioned, for the distance runner, one of the main objectives of one’s training program is to increase the speed at which one can run for sustained periods of time; a key ingredient in your ability to do just that is to increase your running economy.  Simply put, running economy is a measurement of the amount of oxygen your body consumes at a given speed.  Oxygen consumption rates can be correlated very closely to heart rates, as it is the blood that transfers O₂ to the working muscles; as the athlete begins to push harder, the muscles demand for O₂ increases and blood must be pumped to the musculature at a faster rate in order to deliver it.

The T20 test is a very simple and effective means of tracking your body’s response to the training load.  If your training program is an effective one, you should note an increase in pace at the same heart rate every time you execute the T20 test.  My recommendation would be to test every 6 – 8 weeks, but testing every 4^th week is also okay as long as you are not unrealistic in your expectations when it comes to self improvement (for a well trained endurance athlete, an increase of even 1 – 2% in pace per month would be considered outstanding).  If you find that your T20 pace fails to improve after 6 – 8 weeks of solid training, it’s time to re-examine your training program and identify where it’s falling short; this is where a good coach can help of course!

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By Landice, October 6, 2010 12:42 pm

Photo by Chris Milliman. Courtesy of Craft Apparel.

by Janda Ricci- Munn

My last post-workout training tip shed light on post workout cool down and recovery and the concept that effective training means knowing not only how to effectively stress your body, but how to expedite its rate of recovery so that it can properly absorb the day’s training stress and adapt to it/grow stronger. We often think of post workout “recovery” as something that happens in the hours and days after a given workout but pay little attention to our body’s needs in the minutes following stressful training sessions…

Big mistake.

Running by nature is a stressful activity. With every stride, we subject our bodies to quite a bit of eccentric stress. Muscles, joints and connective tissue all take a beating when we pound pavement, cross-country trails and even the treadmill. The degree of stress being imposed upon our bodies is determined by the severity of the training session and your relative state of fitness.

Generally speaking, the harder and/or longer you run, the more you stress your body, although things like weather conditions and course profile obviously factor into the equation as well (i.e. a hilly course will usually exact a higher toll than a flat course will). A highly trained, physically fit runner can typically handle more training stress than their out of shape/beginner counterpart can, which is another reason that newer runners must remember to build their training volume and frequency slowly when undertaking a training regimen.

Regardless as to whether you call yourself a seasoned pro or a rookie however, there are a few keys points to remember when thinking about post workout recovery: Continue reading 'Post-Workout Protocol: Cool Down and Recovery'»

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By Landice, September 24, 2010 11:37 am

Photo by Chris Milliman. Courtesy of Craft Apparel.

A common rookie mistake amongst newer runners is the failure to properly “cool down” and replenish once the main segment of a training session has come to a close.

While at my local fitness center the other day, I noticed a twenty-something year old runner pushing himself through a fairly rigorous treadmill based workout.  Here in Massachusetts, we’ve been enjoying single digit temperatures for the past few weeks, so you can count on the fact that treadmill and elliptical machine use at the local gyms is sky high at the moment.  As such, many gyms choose to impose a 30 minute user limit upon many of these machines, which in turn is a prime reason why many fitness enthusiasts opt to employ a concise, albeit intense approach to aerobic training once their 30 minutes on the treadmill or elliptical commences.  Our twenty-something year old runner seemed to be taking this approach with his workout. Continue reading 'Staying on track with your post workout routine'»

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By Landice, August 16, 2010 2:00 am

In our last beginner fitness tip, Where’s your heart? we looked at the concept of heart rate based training and its application during the foundation phase of the annual training plan.  As previously stated, for the beginner runner, the safest and most effective means of determining appropriate pacing objectives during your treadmill based workouts is via the monitoring of your heart rate response.  One of the advantages of owning a Landice treadmill is the fact that you can effectively track your “HR” response via the wireless heart rate chest strap that is included with the majority of the Landice models.

During the first 4 weeks of your build up, you’ll want to limit your HR to 80% of max during any of your workouts (click here to determine how to estimate your maximum heart rate) in order to allow your body ample time to adjust and to the new forms of stress its facing when undertaking a run specific training program.  Never forget this simple principle:  Effective training is nothing more than optimizing the balance between stress and recovery; hard training breaks the body down, and easier training allows it to adapt to the stress and grow stronger. Continue reading 'Aerobic Fartlek Session – Train your heart'»

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By Landice, July 7, 2010 10:00 am

Dave Smith

Last week we talked about how injuries, as awful of a truth it is, are simply part of endurance sports.  As I mentioned in the last blog, it is very important to figure out what caused your injury. Most injuries can be avoided, especially the ones caused from overuse. One of the best ways to ensure you’re not getting an injury like this is to get a coach who can help you design a proper training plan that meets your specific needs.

Even if you take as many precautionary steps as you can to not get injured, sometimes it just happens and there isn’t a whole lot you can do. When an injury occurs that requires complete down time you need to do just that…REST. Most endurance athletes are overtrained anyways so taking a week or two completely off is not going to make you lose all of your fitness. During that time, even though you may not be doing much physical activity, it would wise to create a small team of individuals that you trust to help you get back to 100%. This way, when you are ready to do something again you know your game plan. Continue reading 'How to Enhance Recovery from an Injury'»

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By Landice, July 5, 2010 10:00 am

Photo by Chris Milliman. Courtesy of Craft Apparel.

With the summer training season upon us, we have had several requests for some “getting started” training tips. It’s always good to go back to the basics, so we’re reviewing these basic training tips from Janda Ricci Munn.

So you’re looking to test the limits of your endurance and speed and have signed up for a local 5k, 8k or 10k road race.  To date, you’ve employed a more recreational approach to your running but know that in order to finish strong on race day, it’s time to get serious with your training.

But where do you begin?

For the beginner to intermediate competitive runner, there are a number of key elements that must be addressed during your training leading up to race day if you hope to succeed. Continue reading 'Basic Training Advice #1'»

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By Landice, February 11, 2010 10:00 am

At Landice, we want to help you be the best YOU you can be. We’ve enlisted the help of Janda Ricci-Munn, accomplished triathlete and coach. Together, we want to offer you practical training tips to help you reach your own fitness goals. Let us journey with you. Leave us comments and updates. Tell us how you’re doing. Let us know when you’re training for a race so we can cheer you on. Come back next week for another edition of Beginning Running Tips from Janda!

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By Landice, February 9, 2010 10:00 am

My last beginner training tip focused on the importance of proper execution of the cool down and stretching segments of your daily workouts. Today, we’ll dive a little deeper into the importance of hydration both during and after your workouts. If you’re serious about improving your performances, expediting the recovery process is something that you have to take seriously; after all… the faster you recover, the faster your fitness increases.

Sweat loss:
The easiest way to estimate your hydration replenishment needs both during and after training is to weigh yourself, without clothing/shoes, before and after your shorter training sessions (i.e. 40 min. or less). Note the temperatures and weather conditions that accompany specific weight losses. For instance, if you lose 1.5 pounds (24 oz) of body weight after 40 minutes of running on a relatively dry/non –humid 70 degree day, you’ll know for future reference that you’ll need to consume approximately 1.5 x (i.e. in this case, 36 oz) the same amount of water or sport drink (the latter is preferable) over the course of the training session/in the hours immediately proceeding it.
But why 1.5 x the amount you ask? Continue reading 'Post Workout Protocol Part II: Hydration'»

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By Landice, January 28, 2010 11:18 am

At Landice, we want to help you be the best YOU you can be. We’ve enlisted the help of Janda Ricci-Munn, accomplished triathlete and coach. Together, we want to offer you practical training tips to help you reach your own fitness goals. Let us journey with you. Leave us comments and updates. Tell us how you’re doing. Let us know when you’re training for a race so we can cheer you on. Come back next week for another edition of Beginning Running Tips from Janda!

Comments (4)

By Landice, January 26, 2010 10:00 am

Photo by Chris Milliman. Courtesy of Craft Apparel.

At Landice, we want to help you be the best YOU you can be. We’ve enlisted the help of Janda Ricci-Munn, accomplished triathlete and coach. Together, we want to offer you practical training tips to help you reach your own fitness goals. Let us journey with you. Leave us comments and updates. Tell us how you’re doing. Let us know when you’re training for a race so we can cheer you on. Come back next week for another edition of Beginning Running Tips from Janda!

My last beginner training tip shed light on post workout cool down and recovery and the concept that effective training means knowing not only how to effectively stress your body, but how to expedite its rate of recovery so that it can properly absorb the day’s training stress and adapt to it/grow stronger. We often think of post workout “recovery” as something that happens in the hours and days after a given workout but pay little attention to our body’s needs in the minutes following stressful training sessions…
Big mistake. Continue reading 'Post Workout Protocol: Cool Down & Recovery'»