Train to run !

And thank you.

Winning the Eircom Spider Award with the runireland crew was a nice feeling, but the true winners are the community we are building between us. It showed you do care about our website and do care about our news, articles and online entries so a big thank you to you personally.

Now back to the article...........The sensation of putting one foot in front of the other in a smooth flowing action of single sport running is not regarded enough as technical sports.

Many books are out there, about how to train but not enough about how to run. Developing runing skills through Drills and specific sets are important.

Triathletes for example although the legs are predominantly the main limbs used in the bike and run sections the individual muscles in both the upper and lower leg are contracting in a different way when running.

There are no shortcuts to becoming a good runner. Technique, speed, strength and mobility training, together with an awareness of the specific requirements of running will lead to longer and faster performances.

 Connemara 100 Miles august 2017, picture Seb Locteau

Seasonal running Program:

The distances covered can be up to twice race distance and up to race distance for long distance athletes. This type of training should be emphasised during the base phase of training. This style of training should be carried out at the athlete anticipated or targeted race pace. These sessions make the athlete more efficient at their target pace. Physiologically it helps develop the athlete’s anaerobic threshold and psychologically it assists the athlete in judging race pace. Depending on the athlete’s ability a number of session formats can be adopted including set distance sessions progressively increasing with target times over a number of weeks or interval sessions.

Interval Training
Interval training is governed by the following:
Distance Intensity
Repetition Time

For a novice athlete an introductory interval session may be:
Run 1 minute walk 1 minute X 10

In this example the distance is governed by a fixed time work interval, the intensity is also governed by the time of the fixed time work interval, the repetition is tenand the time is again the fixed rate work interval.

As athletes progress so should the intervals. A further example for a more advanced athlete is:
Run as hard as possible for 200m of a track, jog 200m for recovery x 12
In this example, the distance is governed by the 200m of the track. The intensity is governed as “as hard as possible”, though it could quite easily be determined by a target time for each 200 metre work interval.

The repetition is defined as twelve, though again if you were using a target time for the 200 metre-work interval you could suggest that the athletes continue until unable to make the target time. The time is not a factor other than if a target time is applied.

As further progression is applied, the athletes can be charged with either:
> Reduce the rest periods
> Increase the intensity of the work periods (running faster/harder)
> Increase the distance / length of the rest periods

 Please note: Do not try to change all three variables at once, as this could possibly lead to injury and overtraining.

Connemara 100 Miles august 2017, picture Seb Locteau

Strength Training
Strength training in running is a contentious area. It is widely accepted that an increase in specific muscle strength can improve running efficiency by increasing the strength of individual and specific muscles so that fewer fibres are recruited for a given workload.

For example:

If a runner develops stronger running muscles their muscles would be more efficient at propelling them whilst running. This would lead to a reduction in the number of fibres recruited to propel him at a given speed.

It is also widely acknowledged that core stability training (the training of the muscles that stabilise the trunk of the body) is beneficial to increasing a runner’s efficiency through eliminating excessive movement from the trunk, thus transferring the maximum power through the body and onto the road.

Within running, the development of overall body strength outside of the two specific areas discussed is unlikely to produce any significant benefits and may cause hypertrophy within muscles, therefore leading to an increase in muscle mass (bulk) in muscles not specifically related to running which will have adetrimental effect on efficiency.

When looking to develop additional running specific strength, the use of various running training methods needs to be considered before non running training is deployed. Hill running, resistance running and aqua jogging can all play a part in this. If you feel that your athlete will benefit from specific non running strength training then you are advised to contact a suitably qualified instructor to assist you in delivering this. The same situation applies to the development of core stability.

Tom Hogan at the World Mountain marathon championship 2016 coach by Sebastien Locteau

Race Technique Training
As part of the preparation that you give your athletes you need to include some of the techniques that will be employed during a typical race.

Sessions need to include:
Accelerating out of corners
Mixed pace running
Responding to forced acceleration
Choosing best line
Drafting Dead turns
Downhill running
Uphill running

And the good thing about it ! You don't need to be a coach to do it !

Sebastien Locteau

First published on runireland.com on the 3/12/2011