20120125, 08:05
Ser att ni tagit lite inspiration av Renato Canova.
Tänkte bidra med lite info om hans träningsmetoder som jag saxat ifrån Letsrun forumet:
ENERGY PRODUCTION
Muscles, the runner's engine, can be extenden and contracted. The orderly succession of extensions and contractions produces variations of the angles between body segmentes, and allows us to run.
In order to work, muscles need energy, that is possible to consider "very specific fuel" (ATP). Just as some engines run only on petrol, or diesel-oil, our muscles can only use ATP to produce the energy they require.
Our muscles are like ENGINES, in that they turn chemical energy into kinetic energy, producing work.
Muscle not only USE energy, but also PRODUCES energy ; what is more, in the case of the marathon race, nearly all the required ATP is produced during the race itself. This does have some advantages. To cover full marathon, it has been calculated that an athlete burns about 0.7 kg of ATP per kg of bodyweight (so it means that an athlete weighing 70 kg requires about 50 kg of ATP !). If these were to be available before the beginning of the race, his bodyweight would be about 120 kg ! So, muscles need to create ATP during the race ; they can do so because when the ATP is broken down it releases energy and becomes ADP, and a series of chemical reactions allows the muscles to turn the ADP into ATP again, so that the fuel they can use as a source of energy is once more available.
ABOUT ATP and ADP
ATP stands for ADENOSINE TRIPHOSPHATE, molecule composed of four elementary molecules, one of ADENOSINE and three of PHOSPHATE : adenosine---P--*--P--*--P
Usually, only the one further away from the adenosine is broken, and releases the energy that can be used by myscles.
The reaction can be represented as follows :
adenosine---P--*--P--*--P = adenosine---P--*--P+P+energy
The new molecule composed of adenosine and TWO phosphates is called ADENOSINE DIPHOSPHATED or ADP.
Muscles store only a very small amount of ATP, sufficient to cover only the first few meters of a marathon race. So, in order to be able to continue their work, muscvles must produce more ATP, and they do so using what is left over from the previous reactions, in other words muscle produces its fuel from ADP and phosphate (P).
This is possible because complex enzyme system present in the muscle (or better, in each muscle fibre) can use the energy contained in other molecules, for the most part carbohydrates and lipids derived from food.
The re-synthesis of ATP prevalently occurs in one of three ways, that are the three ENERGY SYSTEMS. The difference between these energy system lies in the source of energy used to favour the binding of ADP and phosphate so as to create a new ATP molecule. The three systems are :
- THE ANAEROBIC ALACTID system
- THE ANAEROBIC LACTIC system
- THE AEROBIC system
THE ANAEROBIC LACTIC SYSTEM or (Glycolytic)
It is also known as the ANAEROBIC GLYCOLYTIC SYSTEMbecause sugar molecules are broken down (glycolysis) without the use of oxygen. Thev sugar molecules, to be exact GLUCOSE molecules, are not completely broken down only up the production of lactic acid. The muscle does not in fact contain lactic acid molecules but a negatively charged lactate ion (LA-) and a positively charged hydrogen ion (H+) as well the energy required to produce ATP from ADP and P.
Both these ions can be considered waste matter that hinders the muscles, and they can also flow out of the muscle into the blood, even while muscle work is in progress, when it is sufficiently long as in the case of a marathon.
General opinion is that muscle resort to the anaerobic lactic system when the intensity of the effort is such that the ATP requirement per minute is higher than the amount produced by the aerobic system. The anaerobic lactic system is important for 400m, 800m and even more so for 1500m races, but also to a certain extent for marathon races. We shall see further on that it usually does not involve the whole muscle but only part of its fibres.
THE AEROBIC SYSTEM
Also in this system the energy used to produce ATP may be derived from glucose molecules, but in this case they are totally broken down by a complex chain of biochemical reactions involving oxygen, to from carbon dioxide and water. These reactions may occur also starting from fatty acids which are burnt down to carbon dioxide and water.
As in other systems, "energy" is intended as the energy used to produce ATP from ADP and P. In this third system, both the reactions on glucose and those on fatty acids require oxygen. The gas must be taken from the atmosphere and conveyed to the working muscle, more exactly to the mitochondria of the muscle fibres.
In marathon races (as in 10000m races, half marathons, walk races and long distance ski races) the athlete's performance greatly depends on the amount of oxygen per minute that is conveyed to the muscles fibres and on the amount the muscles can effectively use.
Note that a small part of the energy produced by the aerobic system derives from the combination of oxygen with aminoacids, the elementary molecules of proteins.
THE INTRODUCTION PERIOD
The I.P. usually last between 6 and 8 weeks, and follow a period of rest and nervous recovery, commonly known as TRANSATION PERIOD, which should always follow a marathon race. During the I.P. the athlete should first reacquire the capacity to work, and then develop the qualities which were neglected for months, during the preparation for the previous marathon race, and are often below the required level.
There are two main physiological targets in this period :
- Recovery and development of muscle efficiency
- Recovery and development of aerobic endurance
These physiological targets correspond the achievement of technical targets which will have a direct influence on the marathon runner's activity.
The development of the athlete's muscles may be achieved with training means other than running : general and specific conditioning exercises, isometric exercises, exercises with overloads, proprioceptive exercises and, expecially, various types of circuit training . These exercises may be combined together and performed in various ways.
It's also useful to work on running technique, using technical paces and short uphill runs, and to lay the foundations of an improvement of running efficiency by developing mobility and muscle elasticity.
We mentioned earlier that the I.P. is principally aimed at restoring aerobic endurance. From a practical point of view this means increasing the athlete's capacity to work. The training means are simple and don't vary greatly :
- SLOW PACED CONTINUOUS RUNS in a state of breathing balance, with an extensive progression, up to one and half hours
- MEDIUM PACED CONTINUOUS RUNS, with an extensive-intensive progression, i.e. the athlete is required to run progressively longer and faster, up to 45'
- CONTINUOUS PROGRESSIVE RUNS, slow paced at the beginning and then medium paced ; here again the progression is extensive-.intensive ; the duration increases up to one hour.
THE FUNDAMENTAL PERIOD
The F.P. lasts between 8 and 10 weeks, and is the crucial phase of the athlete's preparation. During this period the athlete sustains the maximum work load and begins to work on POWER ENDURANCE.
The number of kilometers increases, while muscle efficiency in distance work in enhanced and the preparation, both mental and physical, for long distances begin. The internal load is carefully monitored with medical check-ups and field tests (if you want). The tendency is to "attack" the organism with a mixture of stimuli.
The training means don't vary greatly ; the important features are steadfastness and continuity of the work loads. The athlete often reaches a state of general fatigue which attenuates muscle vigor, but this condition can be considered normal and should not be mistaken for an inadequate physical condition or for over-training.
The physiological targets are listed below in order of importance :
- Develop AERIBIC POWER
- Develop ANAEROBIC ENDURANCE
- Develop AEROBIC ENDURANCE
- Maintain MUSCLE EFFICIENCY
The achievement of these physiological targets implies the improvement of technical features essential to an athlete's running capacity. The choice of training means, in particular the pace set for the exercises, becomes crucial. In this period, runs at below anaerobic threshold speed are intersected with runs performed at a speed higher than anerobic threshold speed, thus preparing the improvement of SPECIFIC ENDURANCE which is the essence of the preparation for a marathon race.
WORKOUTS
I cannot follow all the single questions, so i prefer to continue in explaining my phylosophy. Now, for example, because you can understand my training system(not only mine, but is the Italian School of Marathon), I want to show you a table about different speeds, and the connected types of work. (MP is Marathon Pace)
Over 110 % of MP * Short distances with intervals
(ex. 10 x 500m rec. 1'30")
110 - 108% of MP * Intensive specific endurance
(ex. 10/12 km of intervals
long 1000/3000m with rec. 500m)
108 - 105% of MP * Intensive-extensive spec. endurance
(12-16 km with intervals from
2000 to 5000m)
* Progressive fast run (20' - 40')
105 - 103% of MP * Extensive specific endurance
(15-23 km with intervals from 3000
to 7000m)
* Steady fast pace runs (20' - 40')
103 - 97% = MP * Marathon Pace (races 18-25 km)
* Progressive medium-fast run
(from 45' to 1 hr 20')
* SPECIFIC INTENSIVE LONG (28-30 km)
97 - 95% MP * Steady medium-fast pace runs
(from 45' to 1 hr 20')
* SPECIFIC EXTENSIVE RUN (32-36 km)
95 - 92% MP * Progressive medium run
(1 hr - 1 hr 30')
* SPECIFIC EXTENSIVE RUN (36-45 km)
92 - 90% MP * Medium run (1 hr - 1 hr 30')
* SPECIFIC VERY EXTENSIVE RUN
(40 - 52 km)
90 - 85 % MP * Marathon endurance (2 hr - 3 hr)
85 - 80 % MP * Slow runs
Under 80% MP * Regeneration
You can see how very little difference in speed are considered a different medium of training. Training is like a stairs, with many stairs that have to be run without skipping anything.
From this type of consideration belongs the MODULATION of a marathon runner, different depending on periods and personal situations.
What is important to understand is that there are TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRAINING :
1) SPECIFIC TRAINING for your SPECIFIC SHAPE for the important races
2) TRAINING for SPECIFIC TRAINING
For example, if you are able running 4 times 400m in 53" recovering 4 min, and with this SPECIFIC WORK you can run 1'46" on 800m, if you want running in 1'45" is clear that you have two different possibilities (about the evolution of this workout) :
a) 4 x 400 in 53" using 3 min recovery instead 4'
(improvement in specific endurance reducing recovery time)
b) 4 x 400 in 52"5 always with 4 min recovery
(improvement in specific speed endurance running faster)
c) 5 x 400 in 53" using 4 min recovery
(improvement in endurance running a bigger volume)
The goal in training is clear. The question is : HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO DO IT ?
Lovers of intensity say : run 4 x 400 trying running faster, going directly to solution b) spending some time
Who believes in aerobic base, says : before try to develop your AEROBIC POWER, for having a higher base for working in anaerobic way.
For example, we can extend the SPECIFIC BASE running a crescent number of 400m in slower time : 10 x 400 in 60" recovery 1 min, that develops in 8 x 400 in 57" rec. 1'30", that can develop in 6 x 400 in 54"5 rec. 2', that can develop in 5 x 400 in 53" rec. 4', that can develop in 5 x 400 in 52" - 52"5 rec. 4', that at the end can develop in 4 x 400 in 51"5 - 52" rec. 3'.
For running 10 x 400 in 60", you NEED MORE AEROBIC BASE.
For running 4 x 400 in 51"5, you NEED MORE SPEED.
So, you can combine at the same time workouts of Aerobic base (1 h progressive run, 40' fast, 20' very hard) with workouts of pure speed and strength (short sprints uphill, speed drawing a sledge, exercises of explosivity), trying to improve the speed in the first, to last more in the second.
AT THE SAME TIME, WE IMPROVE OUR SPEED IN ENDURANCE (because is also easier running a little bit faster when your speed is better) and our ENDURANCE IN SPEED (as is possible running very close your max. speed for a longer time).
ALL THE DISTANCES ARE OF SPEED, as in any case the winner is the fastest.
ALL TRAINING IS OF ENDURANCE, because you can always to last more long time very close your max. intensity.
SO, TRAINING ENDURANCE WE CAN IMPROVE IN SPEED, and of course is correct also the contrary.
Renato Canova
Coach
RE: TRAINING 9/24/2003 11:45AM - in reply to fred
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There are many types of FAST PROGRESSIVE RUN, depending on the event and the period.
For ex., during the FUNDAMENTAL PERIOD, for a marathon runner is a run lasting 30-40 min, starting with a speed a little faster then MP (for a runner of 2:06 = 2'59" per km, about 2'57" soon) increasing continuously the speed with a max. speed of about 8% faster than MP (if MP is 3' per km, 18" are 10%, and 14"4 is 8%, so the final speed can be around 2'45"). For example, athletes like Frederick Cherono, winner in Rome with 2:08:47, used running 52 min starting from 3'10" about and finishing about 3' (at 2300m of altitude), while Makori, winner last year in Venice with 2:08:49 and preparing at sea-level in Torino, run 12 km in 35'16" with 4 fractions of 3 km run in 9'06" + 8'57" + 8'45" + 8'28".
Also 10000m runners use this system, but with less long distance and faster speed.
Nicholas Kemboi and Moses Mosop, at the end of July, run on the track 10000m in 27'59"6 and 28'06" respectively using this progression per km (Davos, 1600m of altitude) :
2'58" - 2'54"8 (5'52"8) - 2'52"8 (8'45"6) - 2'52" (11'37"6) - 2'50"4 (14'28") - 2'47"2 (17'15"2) - 2'47" (20'02"2) - 2'44"8 (22'47") - 2'40"6 (25'27"6) - 2'32" Kemboi (27'59"6) / 2'38"4 Mosop (28'06")
Renato Canova
Coach
RE: TRAINING 9/24/2003 12:17PM - in reply to Coevett
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Regeneration, as the name says, it means an activity that can help your body in quickly recovering the effects of fatigue.
For ex., after a session of SPECIFIC MARATHON ENDURANCE (like 4 x 5000m in 15' for an athlete able running 2:08, with 1000m recovery run in 3'20"), the level of lactate can be about 6 mmol.
The day after, in the early morning, of sure is not lower than 1.5 / 1.8 mmol.
If you go running for 1 hr very slow (is not important if is 6 or 7 min per mile), when you arrive your level of lactate decreased under 1 mmol (may be also 0.6), a value not available naturally.
So, the mean of regeneration IS NOT TO BUILD SOMETHING IN YOUR BODY, but is to permit a more fast recovery in order to prepare in a better way the next workout.
It's not true that running very slow it's not use. Resting a full day is not so good, in order to recover, as running slowly.
The problem is not running at medium pace every day, but modulating intensity and quantity, in order to improve in your endurance at high intensity.
For training high quality, we need complete recovery.
To "crush" the speed of training is always a mistake, because your body cannot develop its SUPERCOMPENSATION.
Renato Canova
Coach
RE: TRAINING 9/25/2003 1:14AM - in reply to Abuc
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Marathon is 42 km long also for women, so, if is possible, the volume in training for a woman is the same of a man. It's wrong to consider the quantity of training in relation of the used time.
If we prepare 1 hour race, may be correct to speak about the total time of training, because the event lasts the same time, and the difference is in distance ; on the contrary, if we are speaking about a distance, we have to put in relation the volume in km run during the preparation, as for men like for women.
For ex., I often use a type of training called "SPECIFIC or SPECIAL BLOCK", consisting in one tough training in the morning and in the afternoon, in order to put in crisis your body for exhalting the SUPERCOMPENSATION. If the management of this training is correct (is very important to recovery well after, and to be fresh before), normally the athletes have a good improvement in their shape, in short time.
An example of this type of training (that can have different typologies, and different targets), made with ORNELLA FERRARA (bronze medal in '95 WCH), is the following (16th of July 1995) :
Morning : 15 min easy run + 24 km at 3'36"6 average per km
Afternoon : 15 min easy run + 24 km at 3'34"2 p/km
In that day, Ornella ran about 54 km, among them 48 about 95-98% of Marathon Pace.
So, there is no difference between training of men and women. An athlete is an athlete, also if there are physiological and psychological differences. Of sure, Paula Radcliffe and Naoko Takahashi run as much as the best male runners.
Renato Canova
Coach
RE: TRAINING 9/26/2003 4:27AM - in reply to Abuc
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The Spanish have to very different schools regarding short distance and marathon. For short distance, many coaches (for ex. Pascua, coach of 800m runners and 1500m), use plyometric exercises, technique of running, and generally many workouts for increasing strenght.
About marathon, their system is based only on the run. But run means to use very different means. For ex., running very short sprints climbing is a mean for strenght, having the target to recruit the most part of fibres in muscles interested in the action. So, it's a typical WORK OF STRENGHT. But, if you run longer and slower, always climbing (for ex., repetitions of 600m-1000m at 95% of intensity, with 4'/6' min recovery), this is a work for STRENGHT ENDURANCE. In this case, you normally are not able to increase your max. strenght, but are able to use for longer time a good percentage of it. If you run continuously climbing for 6-10 km, of course with a gradient of 5-6% (not 15% like sprinting), you improve at the same time your strenght endurance but, physiologically speaking, you can imrpove the permeability of the membranes, so you can eliminate quickly lactate from fibres. Running at 3' per km, 3'05" or 3'10" is not the same. If you control, for ex., the level of AEROBIC THRESHOLD (using the conventional limit of 2 mmol), and the ANAEROBIC THRESHOLD (using 4 mmol), you can see, in a marathon runner well trained, that the difference is about 5%, that means, if 3' is Aer. T., that 2'51" in An. T.
So, when you run at 3' (that is for some athlete Marathon Pace) you are in a total aerobic area, if you go at 2'50" you run over the threshold, and is no more possible, running in a competition, going down under the threshold itself. THIS IS THE REASON BECAUSE IN THE MARATHON WE MUST USE EVEN PACE, OR NEGATIVE SPLIT.
About the mileage, depends on the age of the athletes. If Martin Fiz and Abel Anton never ran more than 230 km a week, because their background was different (many years in short races, Anton 3'37" in 1500m, and already old), for full marathon runners (for ex., Juzdado) the volume was very high (very close 300 km a week), of course during fundamental period.
Spanish, like Italians, use a very big modulation. The specificity is in extension, not in quality. If you run 4 times 5 km in 15' recovering 1 km at 3'20", you are in better shape for marathon when you run 5 tiems 5 km in 15', not when you run 4 times in 14'40" (if your goal is running 2:07').
Renato Canova
Coach
RE: TRAINING 9/26/2003 4:42AM - in reply to fred
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Regarding the preparation of Ethiopians and Kenyans, their phylosophy are very different. This happens because their tradition is different.
Etiopians won their first medals in Marathon. Abebe Bikila, winning barefoot in Rome '60, and with shoes in Tokyo '64, was followed by Mamo Wolde winning in Mexico City in '68, by Fatuma Roba winning Atlanta '96, and by Abera winning Sydney 2000. We are speaking about 5 gold medals in Olympics, while never a kenyan won OG.
Also for Gebre, Abebe is yet a myth, and that's the reason because he wants to improve the World Marathon Record. Also if he was able to win everything, without marathon is not (in his own mind) the best ethiopian athlete all time, but yet Abebe is more important.
For Ethiopians (like for Japaneses), Marathon is a religion. For Kenyans, the tradition is for cross, steeple, 5000m, from Keino, Jipcho, Biwott winning steeple in Mexico City, and their natural type of training is good for HM more than for any other event.
BUT THEY HAVE NO A CORRECT MENTALITY FOR MARATHON.
The ridiculous result of Kenyan Team during last edition of World Ch. can confirm this fact. They were all together in a residential camp, trained by a kenyan coach. Final result is a world record : 5 men and 1 woman in WCH training in the camp, 1 arrived (finishing fuel after 35 km), and 5 retired ! It was not a case that Catherine Ndereba, knowing Marathon in US, and Joyce Chepchumba, already expert, prteferred to prepare respectively in US and in Davos-St. Moritz.
It's not possible to improvise without knowledge.
The fact is that the philosophy of Marathon is completely different from the philosophy of other events.
From 800 to almost HM, the goal is to improve the power of the engine, non existing any problem regarding the quantity of fuel, so you have not to pay attention at the consumption of fuel.
In Marathon, the goal is TO REDUCE THE CONSUMPTION OF FUEL at the same speed, indicated for running the marathon in your goal (for ex, 2:20 for a woman in 3'20" a Km).
Kenyans are not able to think in this way. For them, mileage is running long and slow, and speed is running faster. Putting together this two works, of sure you cannot prepare a good marathon.
RE: TRAINING 10/10/2003 3:00AM - in reply to pumpkin
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The first time that I heard about this system (intensity before quantity, for marathon runners) was in 1972, from Belgian Gaston Roelants, one of the greatest runners of the period. Roelants was record holder of steeple, then moved to marathon. At that time, he was already old (35 years), and, when he explained me his program, I also asked him "why speed before endurance ?". His answer was : "For me, running long and slow is very easy, after many years of activity. What I lose in short time is the capacity of running fast. So, for me it's a mistake running many km slowly before developing speed. When I'm able to run 10 times 1000m in 2'48" recovering 1 min, for me is very easy, in short time, running 20 km at 2'58" and full marathon at 3'10"".
Going on with our experience, we applied this system with all italian runners, from Pizzolato to Poli, from Bordin to Bettiol, from Baldini to Caimmi to Giacomo Leone now.
Currently, long and slow run doesn't exist in a modern training program for marathon. Really, about 40-50% of the global volume is done with slow run (under 80% of Marathon Pace : for example, if you run a Marathon at 3'10" per km, 19" every 100m, 20% is 38", so running at 3'50" isn't a work, but regeneration run), but TRAINING FOR BUILDING YOUR PERFORMANCE BEGINS WHEN YOU RUN OVER 90% OF M.P. (from 3'30" going faster). Specific workouts for marathon are WORKOUTS LASTING MORE THAN 1:30:00 at a pace of 90% or better, and in any case never shorter than 22/24 km.
In our methodology (the same for Spanish runners), at first we try to lift Anaerobic Threshold (about 60-45 days before the marathon, difference between AT and AnT may be about 10%), then, maintaining the same intensity, we try to develop specific endurance.
In the modern concepts for middle distance, WE TRY TO DEVELOP THE POWER OF OUR ENGIN (that is Anaerobic Endurance) in the first 2 months of preparation, then TO DEVELOP SPECIFIC POWER-ENDURANCE GOING TO THE EXTENSION.
This is a system not only for marathon, but for all long distance. Of course, is yet possible to use the other system, but the capacity of intensity cannot stay long time without being stimulated, and is a mistake to permit that your quality can go down too much.
RE: TRAINING 10/12/2003 12:21PM - in reply to Tackwire
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Kenyan marathoners are the greatest power in the world about the distance. However, when I say that Kenyans have not a correct mentality for running marathon, I really want to say that for Kenyans Marathon isn't a specialism in their mind from the beginning of their activity. Kenyans fear marathon, don't love it. Ethiopians love marathon. Also Gebre wants to finish with the world record in marathon, in other case he doesn't feel the greatest. He had a big poster of Abebe Bikila at home, as Abebe was his myth. The first race of Gebre was a full marathon (when he was 16 years old) finishing n. 99 in Addis Abeba in 3:06.
Every year, there is a promotional marathon in Addis Abeba that involves more than 200 new runners, never active before. Instead, Kenyans have fright about the distance. This is the reason because is correct to speak about Wakhiiuri as Japanese Trained. Wakhiiuri went to Japan for training with a Japanese coach in 1985, because in Kenya vwas not possible to train for a Marathon, due to a wrong mentality. For a Kenyan (yet today, if is not in one of the group of Marathon runners), health is shape, and shape is shape for every event. One of the things that I try to teach to Kenyans is that health is important for traininig, training is important for reaching a good general shape, and specific shape is due to specific workouts (so you can be in top shape for 5000 non beeing able to run HM, for example). Many Kenyans, after winning, think that it was possible "because I'm strong". But many are strong, and about strong athletes the best trained wins.
Also Wainaina lives and trains in Japan.
About women, is another problem. Really, NOBODY IS ABLE TO TRAIN IN KENYA. Catherine Ndereba trains in USA, Joyce Chepchumba, Tegla Loroupe in Germany with Wagner, Okayo in Italy with Rosa, Barsosio and Kutol in Italy with me, Wanjiru in Japan. In Kenya doesn't exist a right ambience for training marathon (for women), and all the best prefer to train long time abroad.
Another fact is that they are not advanced in their tactical knowledge. Normally, in Kenya they run long distances without drinking, without measured courses, without tarmac, without flat roads. So, are not prepared for knowing exactly marathon. They are strong, but many times their interpretation of the race is casual, and can be good in a normal marathon, not in a Championships.
If you think how many top runners there are in Kenya, you must admit that Italian and Spanish won more medal (in proportion) then Kenyans in the big Championships
RE: TRAINING 10/12/2003 12:48PM - in reply to over the hill
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Like in many cases, the solution of this problem is individual. I want to bring two examples :
1) Orlando Pizzolato, was able running 28'22" 10000m on track and yet non able to finish well a full marathon. He reduced his mileage very much during last week, using at the same time the diet without carbohydrates (first 3 days of the last week) and with load of them during the last 3 days. He really finished his fuel about 30-32 km, during all marathon in the period 1982-83. His coach Giampaolo Lenzi decided to try a marathon at the end of a normal week, and results were better. So, from 1984, Orlando ran yet more than 200 km during last week. For him, to reduce too much volume it meant to have too much time for thinking about the race, consumpting all his nervous energies.
The volume was so a mean for facing the race with another tranquillity, because volume was yet high, but intensity decreased very much. With this system, Pizzolato won New York, and was able to be competitive for 4 years (from '84 to '87) also in important championships.
2) Maria Curatolo, the smaller top class athlete in the word (1,44 tall x 38 kg), in 1987, at the end of a week with 256 km, ran for training a HM without any pressure.
The Italian best was of Laura Fogli (1:12'32"). After 15 km, she asked me "how am I going ?", and I replied "If you run last 5 km in 16'15" you beat Italian Record". She told me "In this case, we try", and improved her pace terribly. At the end, her time was 1:12'17", new Italian best.
On the contrary, when she had to compete in a very important Championship, she needed to break completely her training during last 3 days, for recruiting nervous energies. So, is clear that was not a problem of work, but of nervous energies.
In any case, of course it's not possible to training on Speed Endurance in the last week before the race.
RE: TRAINING 10/13/2003 11:24AM - in reply to pre101
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There's a big difference between athletics of 40 years ago and athletics of today. At the time of Lydiard, activity was very little, lasting only a short part of the season. This fact suggested to use LONG PERIODS OF PREPARATION, during which it was possible to work for blocks (aerobic development before anaerobic workouts). Today, this type of training is no more possible, if you want to compete frequently following the current calendar. When Snell and Elliot won OG, the number of races that they ran in the season was really very little : there was no professionalism in the activity, because athletes had amateur status also if their level was at the top. This fact, that provoked short durations in the career of many athletes (Elliot finished his activity only 22y. old, after winning OG with the new world record...), on the other side permitted a very deep preparation for those athletes that had no problems of money or of job, and wanted to test themselves at their max. level.
For example, in marathon Derek Clayton was already able running in 2:08.37 in 1969, preparing his world best with more than 5 months of training without other competitions.
Now, a top runner wants to compete in the most part of the season, running different distances.
So, the modern system has to take into account the needs of the athletes.
Growing at the same time (if we are talking about a period of 2 months, for example) in endurance and speed is not only possible, but absolutely correct.
If you stay long time in aerobic activity, you can extend your base for next period, but cannot bring your Anaerobic Threshold on a very high level, so you need more long time for building high intensity later. After I continue my discussion.
RE: TRAINING 10/29/2003 11:53AM - in reply to White Boy Roy
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Repetitions of 200 and 400m are no more used in modern marathon training. We don't use normally speed faster than 10% of your Marathon Pace (for example, for an athlete able running at 3:00 pace in 2:06:36, 110% in 2:42 in 1000m : this is the max. speed that we use, going till 400m in 64.0-65.0 for 15-20 times, but exalting recovery (f.e. 200m in 45.0). However, running distances under 1 km can have only mechanical reasons, and of sure is not a fundamental work.
If you want to run at 3'10" / 3'12" pace, your main works are around that speed. You must remember that marathon IS A SPECIALISM OF EXTENSION. So, for example, you can develop your SPECIFIC MARATHON ENDURANCE with these workouts (once every two weeks) :
* 8 x 2000m in 6'20" rec. 1000m in 3'40" (23 km in 1:16:20)
* 6 x 3000m in 9'30" rec. 1000m in 3'40" (23 km in 1:15:20)
* 5 x 4000m in 12'40" rec. 1000m in 3'40" (24 km in 1:18:00)
* 4 x 5000m in 15'50" rec. 1000m in 3'40" (23 km in 1:14:20)
* 3 x 7000m in 22'10" rec. 1000m in 3'40" (23 km in 1:13:50)
* 6/5/4/3/2/1 km rec. 1 km improving speed (19'12" at 3'12"-15'50" at 3'10" - 12'32" at 3'08" - 9'18" at 3'06" - 6'08" at 3'04" - last km under 3', rec. 1 km in 3'40") = 26 km
At the same time, you must develop your long run, alternating every 10 days a work having different goals :
* DURATION (moderate speed, becoming from 2 hr, increasing of 15 min every time, arriving at 2:45 at the 5th session)
* DISTANCE (at a 3'20" pace, starting from 25 km, for going to 30 - 34 - 38 in 4 different sessions).
The normal development of your preparation can be done during a period of about 3 months.
tinman
RE: TRAINING 10/29/2003 4:29PM - in reply to Renato Canova
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Renato, again, many thanks for sharing your wisdom and experience.
Question, are you saying that long runs in which you alternate race pace with 1km reps at 10% slower than race pace is a good simulator or conditioner for the marathon...and the other workout of primary importance is a long run of 2- 2hr 45 minutes? How much slower should a marathoner run in the long runs of "Duration" be compared to race pace?
By the way, I have been claiming for some 15 or more years that the best training pace is within 5% of race pace and everything else is just mileage at whatever pace helps you maintain circulatory efficiency and fuel efficiency. I have witnessed many time how runner who have done a lot of average paced mileage can drop down at the start of a race season and run a lot faster than their training paces. It made me wonder why everyone is so obsessed with running ast in workouts. I ran a 15:13 5000m run on 45 miles per week and only once ran below 6 minutes (5:52 for two miles in training). Now, I know that I was not world class, nor was I running high mileage, but doesn't it seem odd that a person can run that fast in a race without running fast in training. I coached a 10,000m guy who had a mile personal best of 4:38 who ran 32:23 on 70 miles per week of nothing but 7:00 paced runs. I coached a bunch of sprinters under 50 seconds for the 400m who never ran under 58 in training for a single 400m or 27 for the 200m. Mostly they ran about 10% slower than race pace, but at shorter distances with long recoveries between reps. Does anyone else see the disparity here between speed emphasis in training and that which can be achieved with merely consistent slower, strength workouts? Renato, what is the deal with speed and endurance? How much speed do we really need?
Renato Canova
Coach
RE: TRAINING 11/8/2003 3:52AM - in reply to tinman
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I totally agree with you. Performances and results in big events are the product of talent (of the athlete) x goodness of training (that is the product of goodness of methodology x seriousness in application). So, there are always two different components in athletics success : THE ATHLETE and THE COACH. But, sometime a very talented athlete without a good coach can be able to reach top results (not to last, but sometime a good shape can be a causality : how many athletes had a good results and then disappeared ?) ; never a good coach without talented athletes can push the same at the top.
Personally, the performance of a my athlete that gave me more satisfaction was a 2:18:23 in a marathon (Venice, '95) of a Swiss guy (was at that time the physiotherapist of Italian Team, working with us in Tirrenia, our national centre), without any kind of talent (4:20 in 1500m, no elasticity, very bad running style), working 8 hours per day with our athletes, that had the will to train hard after finishing is job (sometime from 9 to 11 pm during September), that was a totally unthinkable performance.
And, about last year, of course I was satisfied about the victory of Shaheen in World Championships, but it was normal with his qualities. I was very more excited when I saw Nicholas Kemboi growing so fast, when I had the opportunity to discover his talent step by step after training him from 3 years but giving programs and never having the opportunity to stay with him for 75 continuous day for knowing his attitude before never discovered.
But it's also true that you can grow in your experience only having direct contacts with something new. So, during the last 6 years I matured more advanced ideas about human limits, about new types of training, about connections without different type of training and performance, about the importance of resting and/or modulating training. And these new ideas were possible because I had informationâ??s that only very talented athletes could give me. No books, no studies, no scientists can give me the same information. It's like a very good engineer, able to design a perfect car for travelling on Kenyan roads, that has in his mind and in his "theorical knowledges" the capacity of designing a "Formula One" like Ferrari or Williams, but cannot do it till when has not the opportunity to work at that level, discovering a lot of different problems that, before, he didn't know could exist.
A coach good for every athlete and for every kind of age and of value doesn't exist. I have problem, now, when I speak about the activity of very young people, and also when I speak about the activity of an amateur, because in my mind the normal level of talent, of training-sessions, of professionalism, and so of intensity in training, are very different from the level of basic activity, and it's not possible to do in miniature the same training of a champion for a normal athlete.
Simply, they are two different things.
tinman
RE: TRAINING 11/8/2003 6:45AM - in reply to Renato Canova
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Renato:
I understand what you are saying. First, it can be very gratifying to help runners who have very little talent achieve very good performances. I too have enjoyed helping average persons achieve levels they only thought were part of their dream. On the cotrast, too, coaching genetically talented persons can be interesting. Such creatures mark territory that science has yet to quantify fully. A friend from Eugene, OR once told me that Steve Prefontaine would often party most of the night but get up early in the morning for a hard 10 mile run (at least 5:30 pace per mile); getting only 3-4 hours sleep. If that were me, I would be jogging a 10 miler. How can science measure such greatness fully?
For all it is worth, helping persons do better than they have before is what makes coaching joyful. I have coached both extremes and shun no persons. All that I ask is that they be honest with themselves about how much time and energy they can give to training. The one truth about athletics, irregardless of genetic gifts, is that dedication is the central ingredient of success. Dedication means making athletics a priority above which only basic necessities are more important like water, food, shelter, clothing, etc. It is OK to admit up front that athletics is marginally important if that is one's personal truth. There are no delusionsâ?? then and no excuses worth having. A coach can serve honest admonitions.
The art of coaching is interesting because each person is different. Key principles must be determined in order for an intelligent, cohesive training plan to be designed. In my opinion, one of the greatest myths is that all runners need a certain amount of a given type of training. Example: All runners need 120-140 miles per week in order to be good 10k runners. If you can run 20 repeat 400s in 63 you can run a 10,000m race in 28:00. Such ridiculous statements hurt the sport because runners think that if they just work themselves to those standards then they too will be successful. What happens to a runner's confidence when they achieve such measures but run far slower than 28:00 in a race? Depression ?
Sport is more than just times to be run or trophies to be won. If sport is just limited to those only then most persons are losers. I choose to believe that no person is a loser who runs many miles and pushes many intervals. I choose to think that sport's only real importance is the inherent worth of doing it as best one can. I have witnessed depression in one runner who achieved sub- 29:00 for the 10k for the first time in his life (it was a personal best by more than a minute). How can it be that a runner who devotes his life to sport and achieves a huge personal best time is so depressed that he attempts suicide? We have made sport too important if success is measured by how fast one runs or how well one performs at the Olympics. Let us always find joy in sport because it is sport. Let us find satisfaction in not our time or place but OUR EFFORT. Giving your all is what measures your greatness, whether that means winning the Boston Marathon , or whether that means running 19:00 for the 5k. It is not the place or the time that tells the truth of who a runner is and how hard they have fought. I have a good friend who has cerebral palsy. He tries harder than anyone I know when he trains and races. He is slow by world standards and never places near the front of any race or any division. I consider him to be an fine example of what a sportsperson should be: honest, dedicated, and willing to face adversity
RE: TRAINING 3/31/2004 11:57PM - in reply to Here's some questions
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In Italy now are 2 p.m, I finished the training with Rop, Makori, Frederick Cherono and Daniel Kirwa Too (4 times 5 km in La Mandria Park on hilly course, recovering 4 min jogging, in 15:06 - 14:37 - 14:45 - 14:50, not for Daniel that ran slower), and, having sent thru e-mail the full training to some friend, I switched on my computer for reading letsrun. So, I saw the poster of the training (probably after your message), that you can see for having more details. But now I want to answer to your questions :
1) This schedule is not only good for a Kenyan, but, you can think it or not, Italian runners train harder. For example, with Italians I use to give big importance to recovery, that preparing marathon is always running, and running fast. My athlete Fabio Rinaldi, winner on 14th of march in Treviso with 2:11:48, ran for example 5 times 5 km recovering 1 km in 15:26 / 3:18 - 15:22 / 3:17 - 15:19 / 3:19 - 15:24 / 3:21 - 15:08 (29 km in 1:29:56). When he trains with my Kenyans in Italy, no Kenyan is able to follow the same training. He kills them DURING RECOVERY. For an African, recovery is recovery. When I gave them my first programs for Kenya, writing for example 4 times 15 min at Marathon Pace recovering 4 min moderate speed, I realized that in 4 min they could run 500m : jogging was jogging. So, Kenyans have always more quality, and training must be different.
2) You can see my answer above. May be that if I find a talented Kenyan able to follow the schedule of an Italian he can run 2:03, not the contrary.
3) In any case, there are many personal differences between one and another athlete, not between a Kenyan and a European athlete. For example, I saw, in December, January and February, during the most important workouts in my different camps, always two athletes in front, in every type of work : Noah Serem and Thomas Kipkosgei. They were the best in 6-8 km tempo run climbing, in 35/38 km, in specific marathon endurance (8 times 8 min. at Mar. Pace recovering 3 min jogging, or 4 times 20 min at MP with the same recovery). So, I told to the manager Gianni Demadonna to find a marathon for them. Serem ran in Vigarano, with another my athlete ALWAYS 4-5 min behind, Pius Maritim. After a split in HM of 68:04, Maritim was able running under 65:00 the second half, winning with 2:13:02, while Serem took 3 min (2:16:06).
The same in Rome with Thomas Kipkosgei. His shape was good for 2:08, and I thought that he could win. Instead, after 33 km his fuel finished, and he run in 2:17:57 (n. 11).
On the contrary, I had athletes never good in training (like the new Joseph Kadon, 34 years old, 2:11:30 in Seville and never fast in training), like already in the past Elijah Korir (2:08:59 at 35 years, with training of poor quality).
What happens ? Some athlete is not sensitive about the energies that he spend in training. Rodgers, for example, is aggressive only some time, when we use a training like test, but normally trains at 90% of his possibilities. He is mentally relaxed, and doesn't use nervous energies in training. He is like Stefano Baldini, never very good in training (never good like Fabio Rinaldi, for example), or Alberico Di Cecco, that are able in training preserving nervous energies. This is an important characteristic, that can bring a good athlete to become a champion.
4) The big difference is in more modulation, with less long run, more recovery and more quality without destroying himself. Of course, before to say that the work of today is better than the work of the past, we must await the results of Boston, that he already won 2 years ago. Last year his problem was of overtraining. This year I want to control the last period, especially under the nervous point of view. Every comment can be precise after Boston.
Tänkte bidra med lite info om hans träningsmetoder som jag saxat ifrån Letsrun forumet:
ENERGY PRODUCTION
Muscles, the runner's engine, can be extenden and contracted. The orderly succession of extensions and contractions produces variations of the angles between body segmentes, and allows us to run.
In order to work, muscles need energy, that is possible to consider "very specific fuel" (ATP). Just as some engines run only on petrol, or diesel-oil, our muscles can only use ATP to produce the energy they require.
Our muscles are like ENGINES, in that they turn chemical energy into kinetic energy, producing work.
Muscle not only USE energy, but also PRODUCES energy ; what is more, in the case of the marathon race, nearly all the required ATP is produced during the race itself. This does have some advantages. To cover full marathon, it has been calculated that an athlete burns about 0.7 kg of ATP per kg of bodyweight (so it means that an athlete weighing 70 kg requires about 50 kg of ATP !). If these were to be available before the beginning of the race, his bodyweight would be about 120 kg ! So, muscles need to create ATP during the race ; they can do so because when the ATP is broken down it releases energy and becomes ADP, and a series of chemical reactions allows the muscles to turn the ADP into ATP again, so that the fuel they can use as a source of energy is once more available.
ABOUT ATP and ADP
ATP stands for ADENOSINE TRIPHOSPHATE, molecule composed of four elementary molecules, one of ADENOSINE and three of PHOSPHATE : adenosine---P--*--P--*--P
Usually, only the one further away from the adenosine is broken, and releases the energy that can be used by myscles.
The reaction can be represented as follows :
adenosine---P--*--P--*--P = adenosine---P--*--P+P+energy
The new molecule composed of adenosine and TWO phosphates is called ADENOSINE DIPHOSPHATED or ADP.
Muscles store only a very small amount of ATP, sufficient to cover only the first few meters of a marathon race. So, in order to be able to continue their work, muscvles must produce more ATP, and they do so using what is left over from the previous reactions, in other words muscle produces its fuel from ADP and phosphate (P).
This is possible because complex enzyme system present in the muscle (or better, in each muscle fibre) can use the energy contained in other molecules, for the most part carbohydrates and lipids derived from food.
The re-synthesis of ATP prevalently occurs in one of three ways, that are the three ENERGY SYSTEMS. The difference between these energy system lies in the source of energy used to favour the binding of ADP and phosphate so as to create a new ATP molecule. The three systems are :
- THE ANAEROBIC ALACTID system
- THE ANAEROBIC LACTIC system
- THE AEROBIC system
THE ANAEROBIC LACTIC SYSTEM or (Glycolytic)
It is also known as the ANAEROBIC GLYCOLYTIC SYSTEMbecause sugar molecules are broken down (glycolysis) without the use of oxygen. Thev sugar molecules, to be exact GLUCOSE molecules, are not completely broken down only up the production of lactic acid. The muscle does not in fact contain lactic acid molecules but a negatively charged lactate ion (LA-) and a positively charged hydrogen ion (H+) as well the energy required to produce ATP from ADP and P.
Both these ions can be considered waste matter that hinders the muscles, and they can also flow out of the muscle into the blood, even while muscle work is in progress, when it is sufficiently long as in the case of a marathon.
General opinion is that muscle resort to the anaerobic lactic system when the intensity of the effort is such that the ATP requirement per minute is higher than the amount produced by the aerobic system. The anaerobic lactic system is important for 400m, 800m and even more so for 1500m races, but also to a certain extent for marathon races. We shall see further on that it usually does not involve the whole muscle but only part of its fibres.
THE AEROBIC SYSTEM
Also in this system the energy used to produce ATP may be derived from glucose molecules, but in this case they are totally broken down by a complex chain of biochemical reactions involving oxygen, to from carbon dioxide and water. These reactions may occur also starting from fatty acids which are burnt down to carbon dioxide and water.
As in other systems, "energy" is intended as the energy used to produce ATP from ADP and P. In this third system, both the reactions on glucose and those on fatty acids require oxygen. The gas must be taken from the atmosphere and conveyed to the working muscle, more exactly to the mitochondria of the muscle fibres.
In marathon races (as in 10000m races, half marathons, walk races and long distance ski races) the athlete's performance greatly depends on the amount of oxygen per minute that is conveyed to the muscles fibres and on the amount the muscles can effectively use.
Note that a small part of the energy produced by the aerobic system derives from the combination of oxygen with aminoacids, the elementary molecules of proteins.
THE INTRODUCTION PERIOD
The I.P. usually last between 6 and 8 weeks, and follow a period of rest and nervous recovery, commonly known as TRANSATION PERIOD, which should always follow a marathon race. During the I.P. the athlete should first reacquire the capacity to work, and then develop the qualities which were neglected for months, during the preparation for the previous marathon race, and are often below the required level.
There are two main physiological targets in this period :
- Recovery and development of muscle efficiency
- Recovery and development of aerobic endurance
These physiological targets correspond the achievement of technical targets which will have a direct influence on the marathon runner's activity.
The development of the athlete's muscles may be achieved with training means other than running : general and specific conditioning exercises, isometric exercises, exercises with overloads, proprioceptive exercises and, expecially, various types of circuit training . These exercises may be combined together and performed in various ways.
It's also useful to work on running technique, using technical paces and short uphill runs, and to lay the foundations of an improvement of running efficiency by developing mobility and muscle elasticity.
We mentioned earlier that the I.P. is principally aimed at restoring aerobic endurance. From a practical point of view this means increasing the athlete's capacity to work. The training means are simple and don't vary greatly :
- SLOW PACED CONTINUOUS RUNS in a state of breathing balance, with an extensive progression, up to one and half hours
- MEDIUM PACED CONTINUOUS RUNS, with an extensive-intensive progression, i.e. the athlete is required to run progressively longer and faster, up to 45'
- CONTINUOUS PROGRESSIVE RUNS, slow paced at the beginning and then medium paced ; here again the progression is extensive-.intensive ; the duration increases up to one hour.
THE FUNDAMENTAL PERIOD
The F.P. lasts between 8 and 10 weeks, and is the crucial phase of the athlete's preparation. During this period the athlete sustains the maximum work load and begins to work on POWER ENDURANCE.
The number of kilometers increases, while muscle efficiency in distance work in enhanced and the preparation, both mental and physical, for long distances begin. The internal load is carefully monitored with medical check-ups and field tests (if you want). The tendency is to "attack" the organism with a mixture of stimuli.
The training means don't vary greatly ; the important features are steadfastness and continuity of the work loads. The athlete often reaches a state of general fatigue which attenuates muscle vigor, but this condition can be considered normal and should not be mistaken for an inadequate physical condition or for over-training.
The physiological targets are listed below in order of importance :
- Develop AERIBIC POWER
- Develop ANAEROBIC ENDURANCE
- Develop AEROBIC ENDURANCE
- Maintain MUSCLE EFFICIENCY
The achievement of these physiological targets implies the improvement of technical features essential to an athlete's running capacity. The choice of training means, in particular the pace set for the exercises, becomes crucial. In this period, runs at below anaerobic threshold speed are intersected with runs performed at a speed higher than anerobic threshold speed, thus preparing the improvement of SPECIFIC ENDURANCE which is the essence of the preparation for a marathon race.
WORKOUTS
I cannot follow all the single questions, so i prefer to continue in explaining my phylosophy. Now, for example, because you can understand my training system(not only mine, but is the Italian School of Marathon), I want to show you a table about different speeds, and the connected types of work. (MP is Marathon Pace)
Over 110 % of MP * Short distances with intervals
(ex. 10 x 500m rec. 1'30")
110 - 108% of MP * Intensive specific endurance
(ex. 10/12 km of intervals
long 1000/3000m with rec. 500m)
108 - 105% of MP * Intensive-extensive spec. endurance
(12-16 km with intervals from
2000 to 5000m)
* Progressive fast run (20' - 40')
105 - 103% of MP * Extensive specific endurance
(15-23 km with intervals from 3000
to 7000m)
* Steady fast pace runs (20' - 40')
103 - 97% = MP * Marathon Pace (races 18-25 km)
* Progressive medium-fast run
(from 45' to 1 hr 20')
* SPECIFIC INTENSIVE LONG (28-30 km)
97 - 95% MP * Steady medium-fast pace runs
(from 45' to 1 hr 20')
* SPECIFIC EXTENSIVE RUN (32-36 km)
95 - 92% MP * Progressive medium run
(1 hr - 1 hr 30')
* SPECIFIC EXTENSIVE RUN (36-45 km)
92 - 90% MP * Medium run (1 hr - 1 hr 30')
* SPECIFIC VERY EXTENSIVE RUN
(40 - 52 km)
90 - 85 % MP * Marathon endurance (2 hr - 3 hr)
85 - 80 % MP * Slow runs
Under 80% MP * Regeneration
You can see how very little difference in speed are considered a different medium of training. Training is like a stairs, with many stairs that have to be run without skipping anything.
From this type of consideration belongs the MODULATION of a marathon runner, different depending on periods and personal situations.
What is important to understand is that there are TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRAINING :
1) SPECIFIC TRAINING for your SPECIFIC SHAPE for the important races
2) TRAINING for SPECIFIC TRAINING
For example, if you are able running 4 times 400m in 53" recovering 4 min, and with this SPECIFIC WORK you can run 1'46" on 800m, if you want running in 1'45" is clear that you have two different possibilities (about the evolution of this workout) :
a) 4 x 400 in 53" using 3 min recovery instead 4'
(improvement in specific endurance reducing recovery time)
b) 4 x 400 in 52"5 always with 4 min recovery
(improvement in specific speed endurance running faster)
c) 5 x 400 in 53" using 4 min recovery
(improvement in endurance running a bigger volume)
The goal in training is clear. The question is : HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO DO IT ?
Lovers of intensity say : run 4 x 400 trying running faster, going directly to solution b) spending some time
Who believes in aerobic base, says : before try to develop your AEROBIC POWER, for having a higher base for working in anaerobic way.
For example, we can extend the SPECIFIC BASE running a crescent number of 400m in slower time : 10 x 400 in 60" recovery 1 min, that develops in 8 x 400 in 57" rec. 1'30", that can develop in 6 x 400 in 54"5 rec. 2', that can develop in 5 x 400 in 53" rec. 4', that can develop in 5 x 400 in 52" - 52"5 rec. 4', that at the end can develop in 4 x 400 in 51"5 - 52" rec. 3'.
For running 10 x 400 in 60", you NEED MORE AEROBIC BASE.
For running 4 x 400 in 51"5, you NEED MORE SPEED.
So, you can combine at the same time workouts of Aerobic base (1 h progressive run, 40' fast, 20' very hard) with workouts of pure speed and strength (short sprints uphill, speed drawing a sledge, exercises of explosivity), trying to improve the speed in the first, to last more in the second.
AT THE SAME TIME, WE IMPROVE OUR SPEED IN ENDURANCE (because is also easier running a little bit faster when your speed is better) and our ENDURANCE IN SPEED (as is possible running very close your max. speed for a longer time).
ALL THE DISTANCES ARE OF SPEED, as in any case the winner is the fastest.
ALL TRAINING IS OF ENDURANCE, because you can always to last more long time very close your max. intensity.
SO, TRAINING ENDURANCE WE CAN IMPROVE IN SPEED, and of course is correct also the contrary.
Renato Canova
Coach
RE: TRAINING 9/24/2003 11:45AM - in reply to fred
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There are many types of FAST PROGRESSIVE RUN, depending on the event and the period.
For ex., during the FUNDAMENTAL PERIOD, for a marathon runner is a run lasting 30-40 min, starting with a speed a little faster then MP (for a runner of 2:06 = 2'59" per km, about 2'57" soon) increasing continuously the speed with a max. speed of about 8% faster than MP (if MP is 3' per km, 18" are 10%, and 14"4 is 8%, so the final speed can be around 2'45"). For example, athletes like Frederick Cherono, winner in Rome with 2:08:47, used running 52 min starting from 3'10" about and finishing about 3' (at 2300m of altitude), while Makori, winner last year in Venice with 2:08:49 and preparing at sea-level in Torino, run 12 km in 35'16" with 4 fractions of 3 km run in 9'06" + 8'57" + 8'45" + 8'28".
Also 10000m runners use this system, but with less long distance and faster speed.
Nicholas Kemboi and Moses Mosop, at the end of July, run on the track 10000m in 27'59"6 and 28'06" respectively using this progression per km (Davos, 1600m of altitude) :
2'58" - 2'54"8 (5'52"8) - 2'52"8 (8'45"6) - 2'52" (11'37"6) - 2'50"4 (14'28") - 2'47"2 (17'15"2) - 2'47" (20'02"2) - 2'44"8 (22'47") - 2'40"6 (25'27"6) - 2'32" Kemboi (27'59"6) / 2'38"4 Mosop (28'06")
Renato Canova
Coach
RE: TRAINING 9/24/2003 12:17PM - in reply to Coevett
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Regeneration, as the name says, it means an activity that can help your body in quickly recovering the effects of fatigue.
For ex., after a session of SPECIFIC MARATHON ENDURANCE (like 4 x 5000m in 15' for an athlete able running 2:08, with 1000m recovery run in 3'20"), the level of lactate can be about 6 mmol.
The day after, in the early morning, of sure is not lower than 1.5 / 1.8 mmol.
If you go running for 1 hr very slow (is not important if is 6 or 7 min per mile), when you arrive your level of lactate decreased under 1 mmol (may be also 0.6), a value not available naturally.
So, the mean of regeneration IS NOT TO BUILD SOMETHING IN YOUR BODY, but is to permit a more fast recovery in order to prepare in a better way the next workout.
It's not true that running very slow it's not use. Resting a full day is not so good, in order to recover, as running slowly.
The problem is not running at medium pace every day, but modulating intensity and quantity, in order to improve in your endurance at high intensity.
For training high quality, we need complete recovery.
To "crush" the speed of training is always a mistake, because your body cannot develop its SUPERCOMPENSATION.
Renato Canova
Coach
RE: TRAINING 9/25/2003 1:14AM - in reply to Abuc
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Marathon is 42 km long also for women, so, if is possible, the volume in training for a woman is the same of a man. It's wrong to consider the quantity of training in relation of the used time.
If we prepare 1 hour race, may be correct to speak about the total time of training, because the event lasts the same time, and the difference is in distance ; on the contrary, if we are speaking about a distance, we have to put in relation the volume in km run during the preparation, as for men like for women.
For ex., I often use a type of training called "SPECIFIC or SPECIAL BLOCK", consisting in one tough training in the morning and in the afternoon, in order to put in crisis your body for exhalting the SUPERCOMPENSATION. If the management of this training is correct (is very important to recovery well after, and to be fresh before), normally the athletes have a good improvement in their shape, in short time.
An example of this type of training (that can have different typologies, and different targets), made with ORNELLA FERRARA (bronze medal in '95 WCH), is the following (16th of July 1995) :
Morning : 15 min easy run + 24 km at 3'36"6 average per km
Afternoon : 15 min easy run + 24 km at 3'34"2 p/km
In that day, Ornella ran about 54 km, among them 48 about 95-98% of Marathon Pace.
So, there is no difference between training of men and women. An athlete is an athlete, also if there are physiological and psychological differences. Of sure, Paula Radcliffe and Naoko Takahashi run as much as the best male runners.
Renato Canova
Coach
RE: TRAINING 9/26/2003 4:27AM - in reply to Abuc
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The Spanish have to very different schools regarding short distance and marathon. For short distance, many coaches (for ex. Pascua, coach of 800m runners and 1500m), use plyometric exercises, technique of running, and generally many workouts for increasing strenght.
About marathon, their system is based only on the run. But run means to use very different means. For ex., running very short sprints climbing is a mean for strenght, having the target to recruit the most part of fibres in muscles interested in the action. So, it's a typical WORK OF STRENGHT. But, if you run longer and slower, always climbing (for ex., repetitions of 600m-1000m at 95% of intensity, with 4'/6' min recovery), this is a work for STRENGHT ENDURANCE. In this case, you normally are not able to increase your max. strenght, but are able to use for longer time a good percentage of it. If you run continuously climbing for 6-10 km, of course with a gradient of 5-6% (not 15% like sprinting), you improve at the same time your strenght endurance but, physiologically speaking, you can imrpove the permeability of the membranes, so you can eliminate quickly lactate from fibres. Running at 3' per km, 3'05" or 3'10" is not the same. If you control, for ex., the level of AEROBIC THRESHOLD (using the conventional limit of 2 mmol), and the ANAEROBIC THRESHOLD (using 4 mmol), you can see, in a marathon runner well trained, that the difference is about 5%, that means, if 3' is Aer. T., that 2'51" in An. T.
So, when you run at 3' (that is for some athlete Marathon Pace) you are in a total aerobic area, if you go at 2'50" you run over the threshold, and is no more possible, running in a competition, going down under the threshold itself. THIS IS THE REASON BECAUSE IN THE MARATHON WE MUST USE EVEN PACE, OR NEGATIVE SPLIT.
About the mileage, depends on the age of the athletes. If Martin Fiz and Abel Anton never ran more than 230 km a week, because their background was different (many years in short races, Anton 3'37" in 1500m, and already old), for full marathon runners (for ex., Juzdado) the volume was very high (very close 300 km a week), of course during fundamental period.
Spanish, like Italians, use a very big modulation. The specificity is in extension, not in quality. If you run 4 times 5 km in 15' recovering 1 km at 3'20", you are in better shape for marathon when you run 5 tiems 5 km in 15', not when you run 4 times in 14'40" (if your goal is running 2:07').
Renato Canova
Coach
RE: TRAINING 9/26/2003 4:42AM - in reply to fred
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Regarding the preparation of Ethiopians and Kenyans, their phylosophy are very different. This happens because their tradition is different.
Etiopians won their first medals in Marathon. Abebe Bikila, winning barefoot in Rome '60, and with shoes in Tokyo '64, was followed by Mamo Wolde winning in Mexico City in '68, by Fatuma Roba winning Atlanta '96, and by Abera winning Sydney 2000. We are speaking about 5 gold medals in Olympics, while never a kenyan won OG.
Also for Gebre, Abebe is yet a myth, and that's the reason because he wants to improve the World Marathon Record. Also if he was able to win everything, without marathon is not (in his own mind) the best ethiopian athlete all time, but yet Abebe is more important.
For Ethiopians (like for Japaneses), Marathon is a religion. For Kenyans, the tradition is for cross, steeple, 5000m, from Keino, Jipcho, Biwott winning steeple in Mexico City, and their natural type of training is good for HM more than for any other event.
BUT THEY HAVE NO A CORRECT MENTALITY FOR MARATHON.
The ridiculous result of Kenyan Team during last edition of World Ch. can confirm this fact. They were all together in a residential camp, trained by a kenyan coach. Final result is a world record : 5 men and 1 woman in WCH training in the camp, 1 arrived (finishing fuel after 35 km), and 5 retired ! It was not a case that Catherine Ndereba, knowing Marathon in US, and Joyce Chepchumba, already expert, prteferred to prepare respectively in US and in Davos-St. Moritz.
It's not possible to improvise without knowledge.
The fact is that the philosophy of Marathon is completely different from the philosophy of other events.
From 800 to almost HM, the goal is to improve the power of the engine, non existing any problem regarding the quantity of fuel, so you have not to pay attention at the consumption of fuel.
In Marathon, the goal is TO REDUCE THE CONSUMPTION OF FUEL at the same speed, indicated for running the marathon in your goal (for ex, 2:20 for a woman in 3'20" a Km).
Kenyans are not able to think in this way. For them, mileage is running long and slow, and speed is running faster. Putting together this two works, of sure you cannot prepare a good marathon.
RE: TRAINING 10/10/2003 3:00AM - in reply to pumpkin
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The first time that I heard about this system (intensity before quantity, for marathon runners) was in 1972, from Belgian Gaston Roelants, one of the greatest runners of the period. Roelants was record holder of steeple, then moved to marathon. At that time, he was already old (35 years), and, when he explained me his program, I also asked him "why speed before endurance ?". His answer was : "For me, running long and slow is very easy, after many years of activity. What I lose in short time is the capacity of running fast. So, for me it's a mistake running many km slowly before developing speed. When I'm able to run 10 times 1000m in 2'48" recovering 1 min, for me is very easy, in short time, running 20 km at 2'58" and full marathon at 3'10"".
Going on with our experience, we applied this system with all italian runners, from Pizzolato to Poli, from Bordin to Bettiol, from Baldini to Caimmi to Giacomo Leone now.
Currently, long and slow run doesn't exist in a modern training program for marathon. Really, about 40-50% of the global volume is done with slow run (under 80% of Marathon Pace : for example, if you run a Marathon at 3'10" per km, 19" every 100m, 20% is 38", so running at 3'50" isn't a work, but regeneration run), but TRAINING FOR BUILDING YOUR PERFORMANCE BEGINS WHEN YOU RUN OVER 90% OF M.P. (from 3'30" going faster). Specific workouts for marathon are WORKOUTS LASTING MORE THAN 1:30:00 at a pace of 90% or better, and in any case never shorter than 22/24 km.
In our methodology (the same for Spanish runners), at first we try to lift Anaerobic Threshold (about 60-45 days before the marathon, difference between AT and AnT may be about 10%), then, maintaining the same intensity, we try to develop specific endurance.
In the modern concepts for middle distance, WE TRY TO DEVELOP THE POWER OF OUR ENGIN (that is Anaerobic Endurance) in the first 2 months of preparation, then TO DEVELOP SPECIFIC POWER-ENDURANCE GOING TO THE EXTENSION.
This is a system not only for marathon, but for all long distance. Of course, is yet possible to use the other system, but the capacity of intensity cannot stay long time without being stimulated, and is a mistake to permit that your quality can go down too much.
RE: TRAINING 10/12/2003 12:21PM - in reply to Tackwire
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Kenyan marathoners are the greatest power in the world about the distance. However, when I say that Kenyans have not a correct mentality for running marathon, I really want to say that for Kenyans Marathon isn't a specialism in their mind from the beginning of their activity. Kenyans fear marathon, don't love it. Ethiopians love marathon. Also Gebre wants to finish with the world record in marathon, in other case he doesn't feel the greatest. He had a big poster of Abebe Bikila at home, as Abebe was his myth. The first race of Gebre was a full marathon (when he was 16 years old) finishing n. 99 in Addis Abeba in 3:06.
Every year, there is a promotional marathon in Addis Abeba that involves more than 200 new runners, never active before. Instead, Kenyans have fright about the distance. This is the reason because is correct to speak about Wakhiiuri as Japanese Trained. Wakhiiuri went to Japan for training with a Japanese coach in 1985, because in Kenya vwas not possible to train for a Marathon, due to a wrong mentality. For a Kenyan (yet today, if is not in one of the group of Marathon runners), health is shape, and shape is shape for every event. One of the things that I try to teach to Kenyans is that health is important for traininig, training is important for reaching a good general shape, and specific shape is due to specific workouts (so you can be in top shape for 5000 non beeing able to run HM, for example). Many Kenyans, after winning, think that it was possible "because I'm strong". But many are strong, and about strong athletes the best trained wins.
Also Wainaina lives and trains in Japan.
About women, is another problem. Really, NOBODY IS ABLE TO TRAIN IN KENYA. Catherine Ndereba trains in USA, Joyce Chepchumba, Tegla Loroupe in Germany with Wagner, Okayo in Italy with Rosa, Barsosio and Kutol in Italy with me, Wanjiru in Japan. In Kenya doesn't exist a right ambience for training marathon (for women), and all the best prefer to train long time abroad.
Another fact is that they are not advanced in their tactical knowledge. Normally, in Kenya they run long distances without drinking, without measured courses, without tarmac, without flat roads. So, are not prepared for knowing exactly marathon. They are strong, but many times their interpretation of the race is casual, and can be good in a normal marathon, not in a Championships.
If you think how many top runners there are in Kenya, you must admit that Italian and Spanish won more medal (in proportion) then Kenyans in the big Championships
RE: TRAINING 10/12/2003 12:48PM - in reply to over the hill
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Like in many cases, the solution of this problem is individual. I want to bring two examples :
1) Orlando Pizzolato, was able running 28'22" 10000m on track and yet non able to finish well a full marathon. He reduced his mileage very much during last week, using at the same time the diet without carbohydrates (first 3 days of the last week) and with load of them during the last 3 days. He really finished his fuel about 30-32 km, during all marathon in the period 1982-83. His coach Giampaolo Lenzi decided to try a marathon at the end of a normal week, and results were better. So, from 1984, Orlando ran yet more than 200 km during last week. For him, to reduce too much volume it meant to have too much time for thinking about the race, consumpting all his nervous energies.
The volume was so a mean for facing the race with another tranquillity, because volume was yet high, but intensity decreased very much. With this system, Pizzolato won New York, and was able to be competitive for 4 years (from '84 to '87) also in important championships.
2) Maria Curatolo, the smaller top class athlete in the word (1,44 tall x 38 kg), in 1987, at the end of a week with 256 km, ran for training a HM without any pressure.
The Italian best was of Laura Fogli (1:12'32"). After 15 km, she asked me "how am I going ?", and I replied "If you run last 5 km in 16'15" you beat Italian Record". She told me "In this case, we try", and improved her pace terribly. At the end, her time was 1:12'17", new Italian best.
On the contrary, when she had to compete in a very important Championship, she needed to break completely her training during last 3 days, for recruiting nervous energies. So, is clear that was not a problem of work, but of nervous energies.
In any case, of course it's not possible to training on Speed Endurance in the last week before the race.
RE: TRAINING 10/13/2003 11:24AM - in reply to pre101
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There's a big difference between athletics of 40 years ago and athletics of today. At the time of Lydiard, activity was very little, lasting only a short part of the season. This fact suggested to use LONG PERIODS OF PREPARATION, during which it was possible to work for blocks (aerobic development before anaerobic workouts). Today, this type of training is no more possible, if you want to compete frequently following the current calendar. When Snell and Elliot won OG, the number of races that they ran in the season was really very little : there was no professionalism in the activity, because athletes had amateur status also if their level was at the top. This fact, that provoked short durations in the career of many athletes (Elliot finished his activity only 22y. old, after winning OG with the new world record...), on the other side permitted a very deep preparation for those athletes that had no problems of money or of job, and wanted to test themselves at their max. level.
For example, in marathon Derek Clayton was already able running in 2:08.37 in 1969, preparing his world best with more than 5 months of training without other competitions.
Now, a top runner wants to compete in the most part of the season, running different distances.
So, the modern system has to take into account the needs of the athletes.
Growing at the same time (if we are talking about a period of 2 months, for example) in endurance and speed is not only possible, but absolutely correct.
If you stay long time in aerobic activity, you can extend your base for next period, but cannot bring your Anaerobic Threshold on a very high level, so you need more long time for building high intensity later. After I continue my discussion.
RE: TRAINING 10/29/2003 11:53AM - in reply to White Boy Roy
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Repetitions of 200 and 400m are no more used in modern marathon training. We don't use normally speed faster than 10% of your Marathon Pace (for example, for an athlete able running at 3:00 pace in 2:06:36, 110% in 2:42 in 1000m : this is the max. speed that we use, going till 400m in 64.0-65.0 for 15-20 times, but exalting recovery (f.e. 200m in 45.0). However, running distances under 1 km can have only mechanical reasons, and of sure is not a fundamental work.
If you want to run at 3'10" / 3'12" pace, your main works are around that speed. You must remember that marathon IS A SPECIALISM OF EXTENSION. So, for example, you can develop your SPECIFIC MARATHON ENDURANCE with these workouts (once every two weeks) :
* 8 x 2000m in 6'20" rec. 1000m in 3'40" (23 km in 1:16:20)
* 6 x 3000m in 9'30" rec. 1000m in 3'40" (23 km in 1:15:20)
* 5 x 4000m in 12'40" rec. 1000m in 3'40" (24 km in 1:18:00)
* 4 x 5000m in 15'50" rec. 1000m in 3'40" (23 km in 1:14:20)
* 3 x 7000m in 22'10" rec. 1000m in 3'40" (23 km in 1:13:50)
* 6/5/4/3/2/1 km rec. 1 km improving speed (19'12" at 3'12"-15'50" at 3'10" - 12'32" at 3'08" - 9'18" at 3'06" - 6'08" at 3'04" - last km under 3', rec. 1 km in 3'40") = 26 km
At the same time, you must develop your long run, alternating every 10 days a work having different goals :
* DURATION (moderate speed, becoming from 2 hr, increasing of 15 min every time, arriving at 2:45 at the 5th session)
* DISTANCE (at a 3'20" pace, starting from 25 km, for going to 30 - 34 - 38 in 4 different sessions).
The normal development of your preparation can be done during a period of about 3 months.
tinman
RE: TRAINING 10/29/2003 4:29PM - in reply to Renato Canova
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Renato, again, many thanks for sharing your wisdom and experience.
Question, are you saying that long runs in which you alternate race pace with 1km reps at 10% slower than race pace is a good simulator or conditioner for the marathon...and the other workout of primary importance is a long run of 2- 2hr 45 minutes? How much slower should a marathoner run in the long runs of "Duration" be compared to race pace?
By the way, I have been claiming for some 15 or more years that the best training pace is within 5% of race pace and everything else is just mileage at whatever pace helps you maintain circulatory efficiency and fuel efficiency. I have witnessed many time how runner who have done a lot of average paced mileage can drop down at the start of a race season and run a lot faster than their training paces. It made me wonder why everyone is so obsessed with running ast in workouts. I ran a 15:13 5000m run on 45 miles per week and only once ran below 6 minutes (5:52 for two miles in training). Now, I know that I was not world class, nor was I running high mileage, but doesn't it seem odd that a person can run that fast in a race without running fast in training. I coached a 10,000m guy who had a mile personal best of 4:38 who ran 32:23 on 70 miles per week of nothing but 7:00 paced runs. I coached a bunch of sprinters under 50 seconds for the 400m who never ran under 58 in training for a single 400m or 27 for the 200m. Mostly they ran about 10% slower than race pace, but at shorter distances with long recoveries between reps. Does anyone else see the disparity here between speed emphasis in training and that which can be achieved with merely consistent slower, strength workouts? Renato, what is the deal with speed and endurance? How much speed do we really need?
Renato Canova
Coach
RE: TRAINING 11/8/2003 3:52AM - in reply to tinman
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I totally agree with you. Performances and results in big events are the product of talent (of the athlete) x goodness of training (that is the product of goodness of methodology x seriousness in application). So, there are always two different components in athletics success : THE ATHLETE and THE COACH. But, sometime a very talented athlete without a good coach can be able to reach top results (not to last, but sometime a good shape can be a causality : how many athletes had a good results and then disappeared ?) ; never a good coach without talented athletes can push the same at the top.
Personally, the performance of a my athlete that gave me more satisfaction was a 2:18:23 in a marathon (Venice, '95) of a Swiss guy (was at that time the physiotherapist of Italian Team, working with us in Tirrenia, our national centre), without any kind of talent (4:20 in 1500m, no elasticity, very bad running style), working 8 hours per day with our athletes, that had the will to train hard after finishing is job (sometime from 9 to 11 pm during September), that was a totally unthinkable performance.
And, about last year, of course I was satisfied about the victory of Shaheen in World Championships, but it was normal with his qualities. I was very more excited when I saw Nicholas Kemboi growing so fast, when I had the opportunity to discover his talent step by step after training him from 3 years but giving programs and never having the opportunity to stay with him for 75 continuous day for knowing his attitude before never discovered.
But it's also true that you can grow in your experience only having direct contacts with something new. So, during the last 6 years I matured more advanced ideas about human limits, about new types of training, about connections without different type of training and performance, about the importance of resting and/or modulating training. And these new ideas were possible because I had informationâ??s that only very talented athletes could give me. No books, no studies, no scientists can give me the same information. It's like a very good engineer, able to design a perfect car for travelling on Kenyan roads, that has in his mind and in his "theorical knowledges" the capacity of designing a "Formula One" like Ferrari or Williams, but cannot do it till when has not the opportunity to work at that level, discovering a lot of different problems that, before, he didn't know could exist.
A coach good for every athlete and for every kind of age and of value doesn't exist. I have problem, now, when I speak about the activity of very young people, and also when I speak about the activity of an amateur, because in my mind the normal level of talent, of training-sessions, of professionalism, and so of intensity in training, are very different from the level of basic activity, and it's not possible to do in miniature the same training of a champion for a normal athlete.
Simply, they are two different things.
tinman
RE: TRAINING 11/8/2003 6:45AM - in reply to Renato Canova
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Renato:
I understand what you are saying. First, it can be very gratifying to help runners who have very little talent achieve very good performances. I too have enjoyed helping average persons achieve levels they only thought were part of their dream. On the cotrast, too, coaching genetically talented persons can be interesting. Such creatures mark territory that science has yet to quantify fully. A friend from Eugene, OR once told me that Steve Prefontaine would often party most of the night but get up early in the morning for a hard 10 mile run (at least 5:30 pace per mile); getting only 3-4 hours sleep. If that were me, I would be jogging a 10 miler. How can science measure such greatness fully?
For all it is worth, helping persons do better than they have before is what makes coaching joyful. I have coached both extremes and shun no persons. All that I ask is that they be honest with themselves about how much time and energy they can give to training. The one truth about athletics, irregardless of genetic gifts, is that dedication is the central ingredient of success. Dedication means making athletics a priority above which only basic necessities are more important like water, food, shelter, clothing, etc. It is OK to admit up front that athletics is marginally important if that is one's personal truth. There are no delusionsâ?? then and no excuses worth having. A coach can serve honest admonitions.
The art of coaching is interesting because each person is different. Key principles must be determined in order for an intelligent, cohesive training plan to be designed. In my opinion, one of the greatest myths is that all runners need a certain amount of a given type of training. Example: All runners need 120-140 miles per week in order to be good 10k runners. If you can run 20 repeat 400s in 63 you can run a 10,000m race in 28:00. Such ridiculous statements hurt the sport because runners think that if they just work themselves to those standards then they too will be successful. What happens to a runner's confidence when they achieve such measures but run far slower than 28:00 in a race? Depression ?
Sport is more than just times to be run or trophies to be won. If sport is just limited to those only then most persons are losers. I choose to believe that no person is a loser who runs many miles and pushes many intervals. I choose to think that sport's only real importance is the inherent worth of doing it as best one can. I have witnessed depression in one runner who achieved sub- 29:00 for the 10k for the first time in his life (it was a personal best by more than a minute). How can it be that a runner who devotes his life to sport and achieves a huge personal best time is so depressed that he attempts suicide? We have made sport too important if success is measured by how fast one runs or how well one performs at the Olympics. Let us always find joy in sport because it is sport. Let us find satisfaction in not our time or place but OUR EFFORT. Giving your all is what measures your greatness, whether that means winning the Boston Marathon , or whether that means running 19:00 for the 5k. It is not the place or the time that tells the truth of who a runner is and how hard they have fought. I have a good friend who has cerebral palsy. He tries harder than anyone I know when he trains and races. He is slow by world standards and never places near the front of any race or any division. I consider him to be an fine example of what a sportsperson should be: honest, dedicated, and willing to face adversity
RE: TRAINING 3/31/2004 11:57PM - in reply to Here's some questions
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In Italy now are 2 p.m, I finished the training with Rop, Makori, Frederick Cherono and Daniel Kirwa Too (4 times 5 km in La Mandria Park on hilly course, recovering 4 min jogging, in 15:06 - 14:37 - 14:45 - 14:50, not for Daniel that ran slower), and, having sent thru e-mail the full training to some friend, I switched on my computer for reading letsrun. So, I saw the poster of the training (probably after your message), that you can see for having more details. But now I want to answer to your questions :
1) This schedule is not only good for a Kenyan, but, you can think it or not, Italian runners train harder. For example, with Italians I use to give big importance to recovery, that preparing marathon is always running, and running fast. My athlete Fabio Rinaldi, winner on 14th of march in Treviso with 2:11:48, ran for example 5 times 5 km recovering 1 km in 15:26 / 3:18 - 15:22 / 3:17 - 15:19 / 3:19 - 15:24 / 3:21 - 15:08 (29 km in 1:29:56). When he trains with my Kenyans in Italy, no Kenyan is able to follow the same training. He kills them DURING RECOVERY. For an African, recovery is recovery. When I gave them my first programs for Kenya, writing for example 4 times 15 min at Marathon Pace recovering 4 min moderate speed, I realized that in 4 min they could run 500m : jogging was jogging. So, Kenyans have always more quality, and training must be different.
2) You can see my answer above. May be that if I find a talented Kenyan able to follow the schedule of an Italian he can run 2:03, not the contrary.
3) In any case, there are many personal differences between one and another athlete, not between a Kenyan and a European athlete. For example, I saw, in December, January and February, during the most important workouts in my different camps, always two athletes in front, in every type of work : Noah Serem and Thomas Kipkosgei. They were the best in 6-8 km tempo run climbing, in 35/38 km, in specific marathon endurance (8 times 8 min. at Mar. Pace recovering 3 min jogging, or 4 times 20 min at MP with the same recovery). So, I told to the manager Gianni Demadonna to find a marathon for them. Serem ran in Vigarano, with another my athlete ALWAYS 4-5 min behind, Pius Maritim. After a split in HM of 68:04, Maritim was able running under 65:00 the second half, winning with 2:13:02, while Serem took 3 min (2:16:06).
The same in Rome with Thomas Kipkosgei. His shape was good for 2:08, and I thought that he could win. Instead, after 33 km his fuel finished, and he run in 2:17:57 (n. 11).
On the contrary, I had athletes never good in training (like the new Joseph Kadon, 34 years old, 2:11:30 in Seville and never fast in training), like already in the past Elijah Korir (2:08:59 at 35 years, with training of poor quality).
What happens ? Some athlete is not sensitive about the energies that he spend in training. Rodgers, for example, is aggressive only some time, when we use a training like test, but normally trains at 90% of his possibilities. He is mentally relaxed, and doesn't use nervous energies in training. He is like Stefano Baldini, never very good in training (never good like Fabio Rinaldi, for example), or Alberico Di Cecco, that are able in training preserving nervous energies. This is an important characteristic, that can bring a good athlete to become a champion.
4) The big difference is in more modulation, with less long run, more recovery and more quality without destroying himself. Of course, before to say that the work of today is better than the work of the past, we must await the results of Boston, that he already won 2 years ago. Last year his problem was of overtraining. This year I want to control the last period, especially under the nervous point of view. Every comment can be precise after Boston.