VO2max

The monthly newsletter of RunCoachJason.com

Dr. Jason Karp, running & fitness coach, consultant, freelance writer

Director & Coach, REVO₂LT Running Team™

August, 2008

*******************************************************************

In this issue:  

VO₂max Distance Running Clinic a Big Success

Dr. Jason Karp Accepts Teaching Position at Grossmont College  

Running Twice Per Day

Negative Splits

New Consulting Services

In Press

*******************************************************************

VO₂max Distance Running Clinic a Big Success

The second annual VO₂max Distance Running Clinic for runners, coaches, and fitness professionals in San Diego’s Mission Bay on July 19 was a huge success!  All of the attendees received valuable information from speakers Dr. Jason Karp, 4-time Olympic Trials qualifier Thom Hunt, and sports nutritionist Kim Mueller.  Thanks to all those who attended.  If you missed it, don’t fret.  DVDs of the presentations will be available soon.  In the meantime, you can purchase the clinic info packet with all of the speakers’ handouts for just $11.95 at http://www.runcoachjason.com/clinic or http://www.runcoachjason.com/merchandise.  And stay tuned for the next edition of the VO₂max Distance Running Clinic!

*******************************************************************

Dr. Jason Karp Accepts Teaching Position at Grossmont College

Dr. Jason Karp recently accepted an offer to teach in the department of Exercise Science and Wellness at Grossmont College in El Cajon, California for the fall, 2008 semester. 

*******************************************************************

Running Twice Per Day

One of the most common questions I get from runners and coaches is whether it’s better to run once or twice per day.  An excellent question, I heard it again at the recent Elite Emerging Coaching Camp held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, CA. 

If you’re running low mileage (less than about 30-40 miles per week), it’s better to run once per day.  Running 5 miles all at once is better than running 2 miles in the morning and 3 miles in the evening.  But once your weekly mileage reaches a level at which your daily runs are averaging about an hour, I believe it’s better to run twice per day at least a couple of times per week as you continue to increase your weekly mileage rather than to keep extending the length of all your runs.  Although it takes more time out of your day to run twice, physically and psychologically, it’s easier to run 4 miles in the morning and 6 miles in the evening than it is to run 10 miles (or even 8 miles) all at once.  Running twice per day allows you to increase the training load while minimizing stress.  However, don’t break your weekly long run into two separate runs since there is a definite endurance and metabolic benefit from running long.  

For those of you who want to lose weight or work with people who do, running twice per day also results in two separate elevations in your post-workout metabolic rate, which will give you two opportunities to burn more calories during the day.  One study published in British Journal of Sports Medicine had women run for 50 minutes at 70% VO₂max one day and twice for 25 minutes at the same intensity another day.  Another study published in Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology had men cycle for 30 minutes at 70% VO₂max one day and twice for 15 minutes at the same intensity another day.  Both studies found that the combined increase in post-workout metabolic rate was higher after the two workouts compared to after the single workout.  By running twice per day, you get two aerobic bangs for your buck.

*******************************************************************  

Negative Splits

(adapted from Karp, J.R. The Errors of Our Running Ways. Running Times, July/August, 2006.)

I used to coach a talented runner who ran the first mile of every race too fast, only to slow down dramatically during the latter segments and end up disappointed with the result.  He thought he was better than his workouts and he let his competitive spirit and pre-race adrenaline obscure his knowledge of his true fitness level.  It was frustrating to watch him start off so well and get slower with each successive lap of the track.

The faster you run the first mile of a race, the more your muscles rely on oxygen-independent metabolism to produce energy.  With the greater reliance on oxygen-independent metabolism and muscular work comes an increase in muscle and blood acidosis and the accumulation of metabolic by-products that cause fatigue.  Whether the race is a mile or a marathon, you can’t put running time in the bank.  You will end up losing more time in the end than what you gained by being “ahead of schedule” in the beginning.  No matter how strong your will is, the metabolic condition caused by running too fast too early will force you to slow down during subsequent stages of the race. 

Although race strategy sometimes dictates that you change the pace during the race to challenge your competitors, the best way to run your fastest possible race is by starting out at the pace you can maintain the entire race.  While it may feel easy, especially in the marathon, to run the first mile of your race at the same pace as the last, your patience will pay huge dividends during that last mile.  The same can be said for racing the mile.  If you run the first lap of the mile at the pace you can run for the whole race, you’ll be able to run much faster during the last lap.  Ideally, the second half of your race should be equal to or slightly faster than the first half.  This is called running negative splits.  To negative split a race requires accurate knowledge of your fitness level, confidence to stick to your plan when others have taken the early pace out too fast, and a good dose of self-restraint. 

When you race, you don’t run at some arbitrary intensity.  The percentages of your VO₂max and lactate threshold you can sustain for a specific amount of time are predictable.  The longer the race, the lower the percent VO₂max at which you’ll run it.  Research has shown that the speed at VO₂max can be sustained for only about 8 to 10 minutes.  Talented, highly-trained runners therefore race 3,000 meters at 100 percent VO₂max, 5,000 meters at 90 to 95 percent VO₂max, and a marathon at 80 to 85 percent VO₂max (about 95 percent of lactate threshold).  Your workouts, which should be performed at specific speeds that correspond to specific percentages of VO₂max or lactate threshold, are invaluable for providing you with knowledge of your fitness level and for predicting your average race pace (assuming you account for such things like the terrain and the weather).  As I tried to convince my overzealous athlete, your workouts don’t lie. 

*******************************************************************

New Consulting Services

In addition to their consultations for runners, RunCoachJason.com has recently added telephone consultations for coaches and fitness professionals to their list of services.  If you want to learn more about specific aspects of training to take your athletes or clients to the next level, or you want the opportunity to have your fitness and running questions answered immediately, you can talk to Coach Jason live.  For a list of consultation topics and to book a telephone consultation with Coach Jason, go to http://www.runcoachjason.com/consulting. 

*******************************************************************

In Press...
Training Characteristics of U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials Qualifiers, my research article documenting how the best marathoners in the U.S. train, with comparisons made between men and women and elite and national-class runners, appears in the Summer, 2008 issue of New Studies in Athletics, the official technical publication of the International Association of Athletics Federations.

The Long View, my article on how strength training, only when done for power, can improve your running, with sample programs for strength and plyometric training, appears in the Summer, 2008 issue of Techniques for Track & Field and Cross Country, the official technical publication of U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Tapering for a Marathon, my article that describes the physiology of tapering and gives advice for the best tapering strategies, appears online at Personal Training on the Net, an online education resource for fitness professionals.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Triathletes, my article that includes advice from some of the top triathletes in the world, appears in the July/August, 2008 issue of Colorado Runner. 

 

High School P.E. Class Revisited, my article that revisits the old school exercises you did in high school gym class, appears in the Summer, 2008 issue of Duke City Fit.  An excerpt of the article also appears in the July/August, 2008 issue of IDEA Fitness Journal, the premier trade magazine for personal trainers and fitness professionals.  
*******************************************************************

To view past newsletters, go to http://www.runcoachjason.com/newsletter.

*******************************************************************

To unsubscribe from this newsletter, e-mail jason@runcoachjason.com with the word “unsubscribe” on the subject line.

*******************************************************************

©2008 Dr. Jason Karp.