unCoachJasonTM
VO2max
The monthly newsletter of RunCoachJason.com
Dr. Jason Karp, running & fitness coach, consultant, freelance writer
Director & Coach, REVO2LT Running Team™
October, 2008
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In
this issue:
Running Clinics in the Park
REVO2LT Marathon Training™
VO2max Distance Running Clinic
The Best Workout
Tapering
In
Press
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Running Clinics in the Park
This
fall, RunCoachJason.com will host Running Clinics in the Park, a
unique, laid-back series of free clinics for runners
of all abilities at
Morley Field in Balboa Park
in San Diego, California.
Clinics
will be held on Wednesdays
at 5:30 p.m.
REVO2LT Marathon Training™
From
January 3 to May 31, 2009, Dr. Jason Karp will coach REVO2LT
Marathon Training™, the official marathon training program of
RunCoachJason.com for experienced runners
who want to run the 2009 San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon. An acronym for the
three main physiological factors of distance running performance—Running
Economy, VO2max, and Lactate Threshold—REVO2LT
Marathon Training™
is a unique,
science-based program that targets each of these factors so that
runners can run their best marathon.
Runners in the program will be coached through mid-week track workouts
and weekend long runs at
various locations around San Diego. Runners will also receive weekly
educational seminars, half-price admission to the third annual VO2max
Distance Running Clinic, a 10%
discount at Road
Runner Sports, free PowerBar
products, a pre-marathon pasta party, an official REVO2LT
Marathon Training™ dri-fit T-shirt, scenic group long runs with course
support
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VO2max Distance Running Clinic
Mark
your calendars! RunCoachJason.com’s
third annual VO2max
Distance Running Clinic for runners, coaches, and fitness professionals
will be held on January 17, 2009 at the Marina Village Conference Center in
San Diego, California.
Named after the most popular physiological variable related to distance
running, the VO2max Distance Running Clinic will transform your
running. Speakers include
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The Best Workout
I was recently asked at a coaching clinic what’s the most important type of workout runners should do. While this is a difficult question, and depends on a number of factors (not the least of which are the genetically-determined strengths and weaknesses of the runner), the workout that will give you the most bang for your buck and have the greatest impact on your fitness and performance is long intervals (3-5 minutes) run at the velocity at VO2max (95-100% maximum heart rate). An example would be 5 x 3 minutes (800 to 1,000 meters) at the velocity at VO2max with 2:30 jog recovery. Runners are not the only ones who can benefit from this type of workout; it’s also great for the general public who want to lose weight and get fit. These workouts increase your maximum stroke volume and cardiac output, increase mitochondrial enzyme activity, and increase VO2max. Additionally, these workouts are performed at an intensity higher than the lactate threshold, so there is also an anaerobic component, prompting an improvement in “anaerobic-related” factors, such as acidosis buffering capacity.
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Tapering
With Haile Gebrselassie’s recent world marathon record of 2:03:59 and marathon season beginning in the U.S., there’s a lot of attention on the marathon. If you’re planning on running a marathon this fall, chances are you’re already thinking about your taper. The taper may be the most complicated part of training, since you want to back off on your training to completely recover and eliminate all fatigue while not backing off too much that you lose fitness. While research has shown that tapering results in changes in biological markers that reflect a reduced training stress and an increased recovery, and that improved performance (from 0.5% to 6%) is more likely to occur after a period of reduced training, it has not established the time frame separating the benefits of a successful taper from the negative consequences of insufficient training.
Most
studies on tapering in runners have examined the effect of 1-week tapers on
short distance events, and have found that the intensity of training is more
important than either the training volume (weekly mileage) or frequency.
When training for a 5K, you can reduce both your weekly mileage and the
number of days you run per week as long as you keep the intensity high.
For example, studies using a low volume/high intensity taper for 1 week
(e.g., an 85% reduction in mileage and 5x500 meters at 800-meter race pace
with 6-7 minutes recovery, decreasing by 1 rep each day for 5 days) have found
improvements in running economy and 5K performance, and increases in aerobic
enzyme activity, blood volume, and time to fatigue at 1,500-meter race pace
compared to a moderate-volume/low-intensity taper (e.g., 6 miles at 60% VO2max,
decreasing by 1.25 miles each day for 5 days) or a taper with no running at
all.
There has been little research on the effect of tapering on long-distance
running, with one study finding that a taper using an 85% reduction in mileage
for 1 week did not affect half-marathon performance, and that performance was
similar to that of runners who didn’t taper.
Before a marathon, most people taper for 2 to 3 weeks, however I
believe the taper should be shorter the lower the mileage you’re
doing. Although research has shown that reductions in training volume up
to 60 to 90 percent can improve performance, the research is limited to much
shorter races that are not as endurance-dependent as the marathon.
Given the length of the marathon, and thus its large dependence on
aerobic metabolism, it’s better not to decrease mileage by as much as 90
percent. This is especially important for runners who are less talented
or less fit (4-
to 5-hour marathoners), who will be better served spending as much time as
possible developing their aerobic capabilities rather than by backing off for
a full 3 weeks before their marathon.
Many
of my decisions concerning the taper depend on the strengths and weaknesses of
my athletes and what has yielded positive results in the past.
If they’ve been doing high mileage
(more than 70 miles per week), I
typically begin cutting their mileage 3 weeks before the marathon, with the
first week at 70% of peak training mileage, the second week at 50%, and the
week of the marathon at 35% (not counting the marathon itself).
I keep the intensity high during the first week, including one interval
workout at 3K race pace and one moderately-long run (13-15 miles) with about
half at lactate threshold pace (what I call an LT/LSD combo run).
As it gets closer to the marathon, I reduce the “volume of
intensity” by reducing the number of intervals in each session.
During the second week, I include two short- to medium-distance runs
(5-10 miles)
If
you’re running a marathon this fall, take care in planning your taper—and
good luck on race day!
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In
Press...
6
Simple Ways to Reach Your Best Body,
my article that describes new takes on old, traditional ways of exercising,
appears in the October, 2008 issue of Shape magazine.
From
the time the ancient Greek runner Pheidippides
ran from Marathon to Athens
to announce the Greeks’ victory over Persia in the Battle of Marathon, humans have had a compelling interest with
endurance. Chasing
Pheidippides:
The Science of Endurance, my article that discusses
the science behind endurance and how you can improve yours using the most
up-to-date scientific training methods, appears in the October, 2008
issue of IDEA Fitness Journal.
Airport
Health Clubs, my article that gives you a sneak peak at some of the best
airport health clubs in the U.S. so that you never have to miss a workout when
traveling, appears in the October, 2008 issue of Hemispheres, the
in-flight magazine of United Airlines.
The Best Types of Cardio Equipment,
my
article that examines the research on the best cardio equipment for burning
calories, appears in the October, 2008 issue of the United Kingdom’s
Ultra-Fit magazine.
Tapering for the Marathon, my article that describes the physiology of
tapering and gives advice for the best tapering strategies,
appears in
the September/October, 2008 issue of Washington Running Report.
Activating
Muscles: How to Change Body Position When Lifting Weights, my article that discusses changes in body position and grips that changes the
muscular emphasis of a variety of exercises, appears in the Fall, 2008 issue of Duke
City Fit.
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To
view past newsletters, go to http://www.runcoachjason.com/newsletter.
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©2008
Dr. Jason Karp.
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