Endurance Training for Running

Garrett Turbett, MSc

“Being prepared to work in a group and absorb, listen and share information is so important and I don’t think I’d have developed as well as an athlete if we hadn’t confronted the changes that came our way.”

Seb Coe, European Endurance Conference, Oct. 2011

Outline

What is endurance; what makes up the many components of endurance?

How are these components to be divided according to the time of year, the athlete and the competitive distance?

What are the physiological changes that take place in order to develop endurance?

How can endurance be maximised through developing efficiency in runners and through working to an athlete’s strengths?

Endurance – what and why?

Daniel Lieberman with Dennis Bramble and other colleagues, suggests that long distance endurance running played a key role in our evolution. 

spring-like arches in the foot short toes long tendons in the legs a large gluteus maximus unusually large joints in the legs and spine a nuchal ligament connecting the head and neck low and wide shoulders that are decoupled from the head an elaboration of sweat glands and loss of body fur.

Why? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jrnj-7YKZE

What is endurance?

"Endurance training is the act of exercising to increase stamina and endurance"

Wikipedia.

“The result of a combination of adaptations that lead an athlete to an ability to endure certain physiological stresses.”

Garrett.

Physiology 101

ATP – Strength-Power (power lift, high jump, javelin thrower, golf swing, tennis serve)

ATP+PCr – Sustained Power (sprints, fast breaks, football line play, gymnastic routine)

ATP+PCr+Lactic Acid – Anaerobic Power Endurance (200-400m running, 100m swimming)

Electron Transport-Oxidative Phosporylation – Aerobic Endurance (beyond 800m running)

Components of endurance

Aerobic endurance

Maximal Aerobic Power (MAP). VO2 maximum (ml.kg.min-1)

Anaerobic Threshold / Onset of Blood Lactate Accumulation

Muscular Power – contractile capacity

Another?

Non lab based tests

VO2 max. Balke Test: (1963)

• 10min w/up

• 15min track run

• (((Total distance covered ÷ 15) - 133) × 0.172) + 33.3

A/T – run a 10k… PB normally is very close to A/T.

Periodization review

% time on each component

SpeedStrength HillsThreshold (A/T)Flexibility Endurance

All vary according to training phase, distance being trained for, individual athlete needs.

Is all high intensity running created equally?

Estimates of anaerobic and aerobic energy contribution during selected periods of maximal exercise (95% effort)

Duration % Aerobic % Anaerobic

0-10 seconds 6 94

0-15 seconds 12 88

0-20 seconds 18 82

0-30 seconds 27 73

0-45 seconds 37 63

0-60 seconds 45 55

0-75 seconds 51 48

0-90 seconds 56 44

0-120 seconds 63 37

0-180 seconds 73 27

0-240 seconds 79 21

GASTIN, P.B. (2001) Energy system interaction and relative contribution during maximal exercise. Sports Med, 31 (10), p. 725-741

800-1500m

Getting the mix right – is it about speed or endurance?

Run over and under distance events at different phases of the year

When - in what phases?

Become pace aware

Run tactically – become a student of the track

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0obmSUvS2Gs

Learn to mix pace within a few seconds

5,000-10,000m

“You may not believe in mileage, but you certainly run mileage!”

Develop A/T

Become pace aware

Run tactically

Learn to mix pace within a few seconds

Recovery runs – use a heart rate monitor

Level % MHR

1 60-70

2 71-75

3 76-80

4 81-90

5 91-100

High Mileage – pro’s and con’s?

10k to Marathon

Moving to the marathon too soon.

Time for base.

The right kind of speed-work?

Intervals

Hills

Tempo runs

What kind of each of these? All of these all of the time, or specify within different phases?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guv9vpIAcLc&feature=related

The ultra marathon

Moving to the ultra too soon. Really?

Time for base.

Working in the A/T work.

Getting the mix right – is it more important for the ultra?

Specificity – 100miles will expose any weakness!

Josh Cox, USA 50k Record Holder.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcUmGzciPfo&feature=fvsr

Maximising

Knowing boundaries of physiology and how to get the most out of them.

•Does a high VO2 max win every time?

•The importance of A/T training.

The athlete

Not every athlete is created equally.

Endurance running performance depends on a complex interplay of factors, including: (1)a high maximal oxygen uptake (VO2MAX); (2) the ability to sustain a high percentage of VO2MAX for long periods of time (fractional utilisation of VO2MAX); and (3)the ability to move efficiently (ie, "cost of running" or "running economy")

But how can you develop efficiency?

Considerations

Female Athlete Triad

Eating disorder

Cessation of menstrual cycle – Amenorrhea

Osteoporosis

Clinical symptoms of the Triad may include disordered eating, fatigue, hair loss, cold

hands and feet, dry skin, noticeable weight loss, increased healing time from

injuries, increased incidence of bone fracture and cessation of menses. Affected

females may also struggle with low-self esteem and depression.

Athlete age, gender, history…what to consider?

References, Links and Contact

http://www.enduracoach.co.uk http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~skeleton/danlhome.html http://coaching.uka.org.uk/qualifications/coach-education-and-pathway/ http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/42/3/172.extract