Preparing for Speed
What kind of workout should a runner to do when coming back from a long layoff or a significant running injury? How should new runners who have never done speed work prepare for track workouts so that they can start racing? What kind of speed work should I do when I am focusing on building my aerobic base mileage? Interestingly enough, there are several workouts that will fit any of the situations above.
All of these workouts are designed to strength your joints and ligaments without putting undue stress on your body. They are as important to speed work as is a warm-up jog before a race and a cool-down run after a track workout. For those trying to get back into shape, these workouts are a reminder of what speed work feels like. For new runners, they may be their first introduction to running hard and will help them mentally to prepare for this kind of activity. And for those building aerobic mileage, they offer a low-budget method of reactivating speed muscles without putting a lot of strain on the body at a time when the body is being strained simply by running many more miles.
The first workout involves aerobic (not anaerobic) intervals and can be run with many variations. My favorite is the 15/45 workout. After warming up for a mile, run hard for 15 seconds and jog for 45 seconds, repeating this 15/45 routine for two or three miles. By limiting your hard running to 15 seconds, you will be working on leg turnover but will not be running hard long enough to build up lactic acid in your legs. A variation of this workout can be done on your heart monitor by running up to 80% of maximum heart rate and jogging to 70%, repeatedly going up to 80% and jogging down to 70%. The club's First Time Marathon Program does a different variation of this workout when the runners go hard on the straight portion of the track and jog the corners. The beauty of this workout is that it can be done anywhere and does not require the use of a track.
The second workout is a hard and hilly heart fartlek, ideally run using a heart monitor. Try to find a course with rolling hills and run to 80% of maximum heart rate on uphills, slowing to 70% on the downhills, then picking it up to 80% on another uphill and dropping to 70%, continuing the same pattern for 25-30 minutes. The great thing about this workout is that you not only get a decent workout but you also strengthen your legs by running uphill.
The final workout is a steady-state run that involves running from two to six miles at 75-80% of maximum heart rate. This workout is best done on a relatively flat course. For those without a heart rate monitor, a 75-80% effort is about a minute slower than your 10K race pace and probably a tad bit faster than your current marathon race pace. During aerobic base training, I suggest starting at two miles and slowly building to six miles over the 8-10 weeks of training.
The key to all three workouts is that keeping your heart rate under 80% of maximum will ensure that you do not build up lactic acid during the run so that you will not need a recovery period from the damage associated with anaerobic threshold training. At the same time, you will be working hard enough to prepare both your body and mind for the rigors of anaerobic threshold training and the more intense track workouts that will help you become faster at your favorite event, whether it be as long as the marathon or as short as a 5K race.
Coach West is a licensed coach, affiliated with MCRRC, and available to coach motivated adult runners. A portion of his coaching fees for MCRRC members is returned to MCRRC. For further information about personal coaching opportunities, contact Coach West at kirtwest@comcast.net.
