Run Training

I mentioned before that you should buy a copy of Dr. Phil Skiba's book, Scientific Training for Triathletes. It's not just for triathletes...it's for all endurance athletes. Read that, then get yourself a copy of Dr. Jack Daniels book, Daniels' Running Formula. The Daniels book is the simplest, easiest to understand method of figuring out run training. Plus, it reminds me of my favorite recovery drink.

The key to Daniels, and what makes it so perfect for the amateur runner/triathlete, is the VDOT system. The VDOT tables provide racing and training paces that relate to an athlete's overall fitness level. For example, let's say you ran a rested 10k in 45 minutes. You would look up that 10k time in the tables, and get your VDOT number. That number for you is 45.

You then look up the various training paces for a VDOT of 45. Your easy/long ("E/L") run pace should be 9:16 min/mile. Your threshold (T) runs should be at 7:27. You'll also see that your marathon, or M, pace should be 7:57. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, that M pace is your target half IM pace. If you can run a 45 minute 10k, you should be able to run a 1:45 half IM split. If you can't or don't -- you either failed to build sufficient stamina in training, or you rode too hard on race day.

My advice is: Until you've got years and years under your belt and have proof that you know better, stick to the Daniels tables training paces. I see two fails on a regular basis:

First, people do not do sufficient volume, or a sufficiently long weekend run, to hit the E/L VDOT pace. If you run a 45 minute 10k, and cannot run 2-3 hours every Sunday at 9:16 pace, you do not have the stamina required to execute your race plan. Don't bother trying to get faster until you can hold that long run pace for as long as you feel like it, every time out. This is serious stuff -- the run leg of a long course race is like doing the second half of an open run event twice that long.

Do not neglect long-run stamina.

Second, people do threshold runs too fast. A good threshold workout done once a week is 4x or 5x 1-mile repeats. These are done at the T pace from your Daniels VDOT line. Again, our 45 minute 10k racer has a T pace of 7:27. That will feel slow for the first few of the mile repeats. T pace is meant to be the pace you could hold for about an hour. So think about it...if you're doing mile repeats that take 7-8 minutes each, and only have to run at an effort you could hold for an hour -- these should not feel terribly stressful. It is far too tempting to do these far too hard. DON'T.

Stick to the plan. Get yourself a GPS pacing watch, or use MapMyRun or another phone app. Until you've got some serious experience, you will otherwise do T workouts too hard.

I haven't done a running event yet, so I'm estimating my VDOT. I have a lot of experience with pacing and perceived exertion judgement -- I had the benefit of doing 5 years of run training on a flat route that had mile markers on the ground (the Pacific Beach and Mission Bay Strand in San Diego). At the moment, I estimate my VDOT to be around 35. That puts my long run pace at 11:15 and my T pace at 9:07. And...puts my target half IM pace at just 9:46, far short of my goal of 9:00.

I did my first T workout last night -- 4x 1-mile with 2-3 minutes walking between reps (and 10 minute EZ running before/after). The course was slightly downhill for the first two; back uphill for the second two. I did:

9:15
8:25
9:25
9:10

So, that is about right. From a "feel" perspective, the first two felt easy and I to stay disciplined the keep the pace slow enough. By the last one, my legs were feeling pretty worked. But, my breathing did not get to the point where the "stopping wish" was strong. I stayed in a zone where I was breathing hard, but felt that I could sustain that breathing effort for quite some time. This morning I feel well recovered and capable of doing a good hard ride tonight.

That is key to a T workout -- do not overdo it. You need to be back up and at it the very next day.

As for my E pace -- I had a very satisfying 90 minute run last Saturday at 11 minute pace. I was able to lift effort a bit over the last 20 minutes. This coming weekend, I do my first 2-hour effort. Again, the goal here is to be able to complete that run at the target pace, without taking on so much fatigue that I can't do my long ride the next day.

Get familiar with Daniels' VDOT system. It works, and it has solid science behind it. If you don't get the book, you can use google and find some online VDOT calculators that will help you target your training paces.