Summer Is the Time for Aerobic Base-Building
The spring racing season is almost over. Soon those hot, humid days will be upon us again. Many runners, including myself, hate to run hard in the heat. Moreover, it can be dangerous to race distances longer than a 5K in extreme conditions. We can, however, turn a negative into a positive and use the summer as a time to prepare for the fall, whether we are planning to run a marathon, race shorter distances, or both.
The key to successful training is to run as many miles as possible. Of course, we must factor in things such as family and work responsibility, past weekly mileage, running goals, injury history, etc. But if you compare two similarly situated runners, the one who is training at a 40-mile-per-week level will generally perform better at races ranging from the 5K to the marathon than another who is running 25 miles per week.
It is possible to double your weekly mileage over the course of the summer by planning to do it methodically. The results will be most impressive in the fall. Here's how to do it.
First, follow the 10 percent rule. This means that you should never increase your weekly mileage by more than 10 percent in any given week. It is readily acknowledged by most running coaches that this conservative approach will help stave off running injuries that could result in layoffs of weeks, if not months.
Second, schedule a recovery week every fourth week. Instead of increasing your mileage every week by 10 percent, drop it by 33 percent every fourth week. Then pick up where you had left off the previous week and increase your weekly mileage over the next three weeks by 10 percent. The easy week allows the runner to recover both physically and mentally.
Third, run these miles at an easy effort. For those training with a heart monitor, this means keeping heart rates in the 60-70 percent range—equivalent to training at a pace that is 90 to 120 seconds per mile slower than your current 10K running pace. This means staying away from speed work while you're in this increased mileage phase. Runners who incorporate speed work while building mileage will significantly increase their risk of injury.
Fourth, make sure that stretching and proper nutrition is part of the training program. Our muscles become tighter and tighter as our mileage goes up. A proper stretching program can help prevent this tightness. Strideouts at the end of a run can also help loosen up muscles. Our bodies also need more fuel when running more, so make sure to consume enough carbohydrates and maintain your hydration levels.
Finally, do not be afraid to take a day off or to cut back on your running in times of extreme heat. Instead of doing your long run on a 95-degree day, it may be better to wait and run it when the temperatures are cooler. I have also found that there are days when my body seems to be telling me not to run. Usually, it means I'm fatigued and that a day or two off will enable me to come back refreshed.
In closing, please keep in mind that the best-laid plans can go astray. We may draw up a plan to increase our mileage goals, but if we encounter a summer that's as bad as this past winter, then our principal goal may be simply to find a way to run.
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.
