The text is taken from Runner's World.
At the time of writing (turn of the month January / February) we are in a period that I like to call «Basic training period 2». We are still early in the training season, but are entering a transition phase. Although it seems that the winter is getting shorter and shorter, the weather conditions in our elongated country are very variable. Snow and cool days do not have to stop us, but as with driving, it is important to adapt the speed to the conditions. If there is snow and partly slippery conditions, there is a great strain on the Achilles, back, knees and the risk of groin strain is great. If the conditions are difficult, run 10-20 seconds slower per. km than under normal conditions. Cross-country skiing is a very good option. You use many more muscle groups than a runner and it is an excellent form of exercise to increase endurance. However, it is important to run at least a couple of times a week to keep the running muscles going.
How to take the next step
In the phase we are now entering, there are three types of training in particular that should be given priority, so-called key sessions. It is also important that you are a little aware of what speed you should run at. No matter what you train and at what speed you should run at, you have the benefit of running. The condition improves. If you want to take a step further, it is important that you should know a little about what forms of training you should train, and not least, what speed you should run at. Here is some help for this.
The four most important key sessions / forms are:
- LONG TRIPS
- AT TRAINING (THRESHOLD TRAINING)
- INTERVAL - VO2 TRAINING
- RESTORATION TRAINING
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- THE LONG TIMES
Long trips are important for many reasons. One of the purposes of these sessions is to "teach" the body to burn fat instead of glycogen. In addition, they control a number of other processes that help you increase your aerobic capacity. For the majority of runners, it is the volume that counts and not the speed. Under normal running conditions I recommend approx. 1 - 1.5 minutes slower per. km than your best time of 5 km. If you run 5 km in 25 minutes, you have a km speed of 5 minutes per km, and you should instead keep 6 - 6.5 min. pr.km. on the long trips. Or around 130 percent of your 10 km speed. If you want to monitor your heart rate, then you should be at 65-75 percent of your maximum heart rate. A long trip over 90 minutes should count as a key session, and the recovery should be accordingly.
- AT-TRAINING
Threshold training is training where the heart rate is up against the anaerobic threshold. By this is meant the intensity level at which the body's lactic acid level remains constant. The muscles form lactate when the workload becomes too great, so that the oxygen supply becomes insufficient and the muscles have to work anaerobically. In short, threshold training develops the speed you can maintain without getting stiff. It can often be difficult to know what is the right speed for such training. A pointer can be your 10 km competitive speed. Run drag of varying length at that speed. It should mean that the heart rate should be at 75-80 percent of maximum heart rate.
- INTERVAL TRAINING
The purpose of this session is to increase your maximum oxygen uptake, that is, you should increase the amount of oxygen that the body can absorb and utilize during hard physical work. The training helps to increase the maximum speed without getting stiff, and you get more oxygen transported out to the muscles in the legs. Normally one calculates that max VO2 speed is the speed you can keep for around 8-12 minutes. The interval training should consist of both short and long intervals, and a duration of between 90 seconds and 15 minutes, with relatively short breaks. I have good experience with drag in 3-5 minutes. Here it is important to listen to the body and find a speed that is as close to your maximum oxygen uptake or speed as you keep in competitions.
- RESTORATION TRAINING
It is important to remember that only 70-80 percent of your training should be so-called quality training. This means that around 70-80 per cent should be at a suitably calm pace, ie so-called recovery training. How much recovery depends on a number of different factors, not least your training background. Treat yourself to two to three quiet days between each hard session. And remember, no GPS or heart rate monitor can replace your body's signals, so listen to it.
Good luck! It is not long until spring and the running season starts for most people.
The article is taken from Runner's World .
