It was the summer of 1985 and my childhood hero Steve Cram was hopping all over Europe setting world records in Nice, Oslo and Budapest. Everyone, myself included, was truly inspired and wanted to run all day and then some more.

Towards the end of a summer track season, my parents took my brother and I to an August holiday in Scarborough. As the son of a working class lorry driver and a hairdresser, I recall it being a treat to be able to afford a holiday and to get to stay in the ‘posh’ old Grand Hotel.

Steps

Whilst away for the week, naturally I wanted to keep my running up and would awake early for my daily trot along the sea front, straying out on to the beach so that I could feel the waves rolling in and over my feet as I navigated the sand.

Upon heading back to the hotel I caught my father who was up and about searching for a newsagent to buy his daily paper to keep abreast of the football fixtures being listen for the forthcoming season. He was sat at the bottom of 153 steps which I had to ascend from the promenade to get back up to the hotel entrance.

As I nodded and sped past him, keen to impress, he shouted at me, “Don’t try and run all the way up, you’ll never make it!”. About half-way up, exhausted and a tad embarrassed I stopped my ascent and turned round, hands on knees to call back down to him, “Guess you were right Dad. I give up!”. I tried every single day of the seven that we were on vacation and failed every time, being forced to stop in my tracks however tantalisingly close the summit seemed.

Reaching the Peak

I made the trip back to Scarborough last summer and had a wry smile 37 years later as I took those very same steps I had tried to climb almost four decades ago. “I’m going to have a crack at running up one more time!” I said like an excited kid to my partner Tina, who held my ice cream as I steadied myself, rolling her eyes and winking at her boys in the process.

Less than 3 minutes later I stood at the top of the 153 steps having run each and every single one of them and I turned round in Rocky Balboa pose, arms aloft, to face my family who were gawping up from the promenade at me. “I finally did it at the age of 50!”, I yelled triumphantly.

Levelling Off

The reason I had succeeded as an overweight recreational runner, now turned coach, where I had failed as a club and county level 14 year old was because age had given me the wisdom to realise that every 10 consecutive steps, there was a 10 metre section levelled off on the flat where one could recover before climbing once again.

Where I had tried to run from bottom to top of the flight of stairs all those years ago I now had the maturity and experience to realise that I could run all the steps but needed to walk the flat levelled off bits for just a few seconds before running in my ascent once again.

When I had regained my control of my breathing and finished off my ice cream, this got me thinking as a coach about what we call ‘deloading’.

De-loading

As athletes, we all want to constantly overload our system. We intuitively know that we must do more volume and / or intensity as runners in order to improve. After all Peter Coe, in guiding his son Sebastian to two Olympic 1500 gold medals once famously said. “Athletes that train then same, stay the same!”.

Many of you will be smart enough to realise that constant overload runs the risk of you going stale, panicking and then pushing even harder due to loss of form thus inevitably resulting in injury. So we know that overload must be prefixed by the term ‘progressive’.

Progressive Overload

Many endurance based athletes are aware of certain unwritten ‘rules’ of progressive overload. For example you will know not to suddenly increase your mileage from say 40 mph to say 60 mpw because that’s unfaithful to the principle of progressive overload. You will have a percentage increase week by week in mind which you feel is a ‘safe’ way to ramp up your mileage.

The above being said, as I coach I notice what is far more difficult to inculcate amongst athletes is an understanding of the need to ‘deload’ every few weeks. Yes some athletes will have a regeneration period consisting of days or short weeks off after a cross country season or track season but many are reluctant to deload periodically, regularly and routinely.

If this is you, then you are risking making the very same mistake I made as a 14 year old trying to run up those steps in Scarborough, to further the analogy!

Even just a few easy days

By taking a period of a few short days deloading every few weeks after a block or training or a hard race, not only are you minimising the chance of injury on a risk-reward basis but critically you are also allowing the training effect to take place so that supercompensation occurs and you get fitter.

I had a text message from a Team GB and England masters athlete recently which read ‘PB in the half marathon last Sunday. Legs feel great, I’m out to smash a club interval session tonight’.

This was just two days after her considerable success. I had to say to this athlete that there is a difference between what she felt she could do on the one hand because she was on an understandable psychological ‘high’ and what she should do on the other. In so doing I returned to those very same Scarborough steps and told her the story of the reason for my ascent, 37 years after I had originally failed.

This leaves us with the following questions for self-reflection:

1. What do I understand by the term ‘progressive overload’?
2. How can ‘deloading’ be built regularly and routinely into my training programme?
3. When am I in danger of running a frequency, intensity and volume of work which I can do but shouldn’t necessarily do for the benefit of my long term athletic development?

Matt Long has served both as a Great Britain Masters Team Manager and England Team Coach and welcomes contact through mattlongcoach@gmail.com

The post Steps towards de-loading appeared first on Fast Running.

Luke Caldwell is no stranger to the streets of London. His racing shoes have taken to the place he calls his home city multiple times, from a youngster in the Mini London Marathon to a podium position in the London 10,000. Sunday, however, presents a different type of challenge as he takes to his first London Marathon.

New Beginnings

COVID was life-changing for many people, and one could say the same for Luke. In the midst of lockdown in 2020, he moved to Colorado with his wife. Its altitude may see it favoured by many as a training venue, but it was work rather than running that saw the pair relocate to Bolder. However, the running opportunities it provides were not going to slip by. It took close to a year, but he joined current coach Richey Hansen and the Roots Running Project in early 2021.

“I was definitely going to run, but I wasn’t quite sure how seriously I was going to be taking it. It’s such a great place to run and there are so many other runners out there that it seemed like a shame to not join up with someone. So, I joined up with the Roots Running Club. I’ve been coached by Richey for coming up to two years, it’s going well”.

As well as change in home country, there was a change in running focus. At the time of moving, it had been a while since a PB over shorter distances. It had been a couple of years since a 10k PB, whilst bests over 5k on the roads and track dated back to 2015 and 2013 respectively. A step-up to the marathon was a natural progression.

“When I joined up with Roots, I felt like if I was going to take running seriously again, I wanted a new challenge. I had a lot of years of beating my head against the 5k and 10k, and not really getting anywhere. I wanted a clean slate to try something new. The Roots group has a really nice group of marathon guys, so it fits nicely”.

Houston, We Have Lift Off

The first test over 26.2 miles came at last January’s Houston Marathon. To say it was a success might be an understatement; Luke finished seventh in 2:11:33. That time places him inside the top forty on the UK all-time list, and left him the third fastest Brit in 2022.

He finished just one second behind his training partner, American Frank Lara, also making his marathon debut. Initial targets had been more conservative, but training suggested something faster may be possible:

“When I spoke to Richey initially, I said I thought it would be fun to try a marathon. There were so many champs last year; the Europeans standard was 2:14, and the Commonwealth Games for Scotland was a little bit slower than that. This seemed potentially doable, so I was really shooting for those times until a few weeks before the marathon. I had been keeping up with Frank [training partner, American Frank Lara, also making his marathon debut] in most of our sessions, and everyone was talking about him going for 2:10 or 2:09.

I think I went through halfway in 66 or so. I felt good, so I pushed on. It was a really nice surprise and I felt like it was the first time I’d run a race that I was really proud of for four or so years. It was a good moment”.

Surrey Cross Country Championships 2019. Photo: Nigel Bramley

Bumpy Journey

That performance led to a spot at the European Championships and a first Great Britain vest in six years. However, as many can attest to, the marathon can provide unexpected challenges. Sadly, such challenges arose in Munich where Luke was forced to stop after 15 miles. What happened remains a mystery:

“My preparation went really well, training wise. I decided to stay in Colorado until the last minute, I think I flew out on the Thursday to the UK and then flew to Germany on the Friday. I raced on the Monday and I felt not great from the beginning.

By 15 miles, I couldn’t really run in a straight line. I got put in the back of an ambulance and had two IV drips. So, one way or another, I was very dehydrated. I took all my drinks on and thought I had drunk pretty sensibly before the race.

My only guess is it was something to do with the travel, or the humidity. It was August and in Europe, and I’d done all my training back in Bolder”.

Whilst not the performance desired or deserved, it provided lessons for the future, including for Sunday. Luke has taken a different approach to this race, having travelled to the UK ten days in advance.

Big Goals

He may be a relative novice of the distance, but Caldwell goes into Sunday’s race with the fourth fastest personal best of the seventeen-strong British line-up. An achilles problem following the Europeans limited running-based training until the start of the year; however, with a good training block behind him since, he is looking to improve further. Not shy in sharing his goals for the race, eyes are set on August’s World Championships qualifying standard (2:09:40):

“I’d like to shoot for the World Champs standard. I’ll see how that plays out in terms of what groups are going at what pace, whether we go out slightly faster or slightly slower and then push on. I think there’s no excuses, my build up has gone as well as it could have. For the last six or eight weeks, it’s been as good as I could have hoped for”.

As well as having friends and family providing plentiful support on the course, the race comes with an element of familiarity through his training partner Frank Lara, also making his first London Marathon appearance. Having finished within a second of each other in Houston, a city that Frank calls home, it is exciting to see how the pair will fare in Luke’s hometown.

“Houston is Frank’s home city, so he was showing me around. I feel like London is my home city, so it’s nice to have him here, and to have a friendly face. We’ve done pretty much every step of our training runs together, so I think it will be good fun!”.

“It’s Fun to be Back”

The closing miles of the London Marathon will be familiar for Caldwell, as he is one of many in the field to have taken part in the Mini London Marathon as a junior. The three mile route from Old Billingsgate to The Mall has hosted the likes of Emile Cairess, Ben Connor, Phil Sesemann and Alice Wright, who all start on Sunday. He spoke fondly of those races (“they were super exciting, the biggest thing I’d ever done at the time”), not imagining at the time he would one day be back in the elite field for the full distance.

Luke noted that, looking at the mini marathon, it’s fun to be back. That statement is twofold; with his research job coming to a close in the summer, he will be returning to live in the UK.

Some things have been missed during Colorado life, including the multitude of racing opportunities within an easy travel distance. These will soon be available once more. Having won three consecutive fixtures in the 2019/20 season, perhaps Division 3/4 of the Surrey League will regain a particularly fast athlete. As Luke said, “I do kind of miss the cross-country, maybe I’ll do some more next year!”. This time, however, it would be as one of the fastest marathon runners of recent years.

The post It’s Fun To Be Back appeared first on Fast Running.

Most people’s journey to the start of a marathon is the length of a training block. A set number of weeks, perhaps a couple of months. For Alice Wright, swap months for over two years. A combination of injuries and illnesses curtailed multiple attempts at a marathon debut, plus a small matter of traversing a global pandemic. However, as the famous saying goes, “everything will be alright in the end, so if it is not alright, it is not the end”. Going into Sunday’s London Marathon as the fastest British female, the journey ended well in the end.

Early Beginnings

The story starts long before the marathon. For those perhaps less familiar, Alice’s running journey began as a junior whilst running for Worcester. Junior achievements included track and cross-country podiums at the English Schools, Midland Championships and Worcestershire Country Championships.

A 2014 move to the University of New Mexico provided a collegiate athlete career containing great success. Highlights included NCAA 10000m silver in 2016 and 2017, alongside two cross-country team titles (2015 and 2017). International appearances came also. A first Great Britain vest at the 2014 European XC Championships preceded 10000m bronze at the 2015 European U23 Championships and European XC bronze in 2016.

The transition to from collegiate to professional athlete saw Wright stay in the States and join the HOKA Northern Arizona (NAZ) Elite team. Based at 7000ft altitude in Flagstaff (Arizona) under the guidance of Ben Rosario and two-time Olympian Alan Cupepper, the current roster includes Steph Bruce, Aliphine Tuliamuk and Futsum Zienasellassie, the latter competing at Monday’s Boston Marathon and Sunday’s Rotterdam Marathon respectively.

A senior British debut at the 2018 European Championships in Berlin soon followed, initially finishing sixth but upgraded to fifth following Meraf Bahta’s disqualification. Ventures onto the road followed in 2019, alongside success on the track. PBs at 5000m (15:45.51) and 10000m (31:56.52) were accompanied by three half marathons, the quickest a 71:38 in San Diego. That is when the marathon story begins.

A foot stress fracture two weeks out from the 2019 Chicago Marathon curtailed a debut. Continuation of that injury, alongside the COVID pandemic, derailed intended London Marathon starts (“I lost count of how many “Londons” I missed”). No injury nor pandemic put the 2021 Valencia Marathon start line in clear sight. It could never be that simple, though. This time? Liquorice poisoning (as Alice puts it, “mad, I know!”).

Content with a Debut

The training for Valencia was not in vain, however, and the journey to a marathon start has a happy ending. Last January’s Houston Marathon provided the long-awaited maiden outing over 26.2 miles. It was a success, finishing second in 2:29:08. When asked, Alice agreed it went as expected:

“Yes, I’d say so. The goal was to be a little conservative, finish as high up as possible and try and run the world standard (which at the time was 2.29.30). I achieved that, so I was content with that as a debut!”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Alice Wright (@alicewright139)

The reward was a spot at August’s European Championships, finishing 22nd as the fastest Brit in 2:35:33. She has readily admitted finding the latter miles tough in the hot conditions Munich provided.

Photo: James Rhodes

Fast forward to this year and, unlike many who find themselves in Greenwich Park on Sunday morning, Alice has already run a marathon in 2023 – a visit to Japan for the Osaka Women’s Marathon in January. It came with less-than-ideal preparation – how could it be any other way – a car accident the week prior:

“I unfortunately got in a pretty bad car accident the week before Osaka which was quite terrifying to be honest! You never think it’s going to be you until it happens. I got hit from behind on the motorway as I stopped for traffic up ahead and my car was written off. I was fortunate that my legs weren’t hurt, I just hit my head on the steering wheel and had a few glass cuts, but miraculously I came off it probably as well as one could”.

Despite blustery conditions, she finished less than a minute outside her PB (2:29:50). It was short of the goal, however, and is where London comes into play.

London Calling

The London Marathon is on the race wish-list for many British runners, and it is no different for Alice. It is also an opportunity to race at home, something she has done only once in the past twelve years a- the Night of the 10000m PBs in 2019. As she says;

“It’s a race I’ve always wanted to do and have tried many times to get to the start line of, but unfortunately, due to injury, I’ve had to scratch numerous times. I think with it being on home soil and having taken part in the mini marathon as a junior, I’ve always wanted to give it a go!

My family and friends can come and watch which always makes it that extra special. Plus I’ve heard the crowds in London are like no other”.

Having not been in the original announcements for the London Marathon fields, Alice’s entry went somewhat under the radar. However, she goes in as the fastest British female. The decision to enter was decided on straight after Osaka, and her goals for London are clear.

“I felt I was in good shape going into Osaka and didn’t quite have the weather conditions to prove it. So in hopes of not letting my fitness go to waste I asked my agent, Hawi, to see if I could get into London. I was delighted to be let in so last minute!”

World and/or Olympic qualifiers are always the goal (let’s be honest!), and that was certainly something I was striving for in Osaka. So yes, I’m definitely hoping I can achieve that in London. Let’s pray for nice weather!”.

For context, the World Championship standard is 2:28:00 and 2:26:50 for the Olympics.

Photo: James Rhodes

Tight Turnaround

With less than three months between the two races, it has been a challenge to get to the London start line in perfect condition. A combination of the NAZ Elite team, her boyfriend and technology provided by COROS have helped with recovery and subsequent build up:

“Honestly, it’s been a bit of an uphill battle. I naively thought it was going to be easier than it was; thinking I could just get straight back into training and somehow feel great (who was I kidding!). I was grateful to be under the watchful eye of coach Alan [Cupepper], who reminded me that I likely would feel rough for a good few weeks and it would ‘all come together at the last minute’.

Between Osaka and London, I did the majority of my training down in Phoenix (pretty much sea level) so I could maximize recovery, but I popped back up to Flagstaff for easy and long runs, as well as team events.

I certainly couldn’t have made the turnaround without my boyfriend John, who either paced or biked with me for pretty much every big workout, and my COROS helping me stay on track with my training progression and recovery”.

Childhood Memories

As Alice notes, she raced twice at the Mini London Marathon in 2010 and 2011, finishing third on both occasions. The event, historically run the morning of the marathon on the last three miles of the course, has hosted a who’s who of British elite athletes in their early years. Over half of the British athletes in the elite field this weekend raced at least once in the Mini London Marathon. Global medallists Keely Hodgkinson, Jake Wightman, Josh Kerr and Alex Yee did so too. Those races bring back good memories:

“I absolutely LOVED the mini marathon (aside from that hourly chiming clock in the pre-race accommodation…if you know, you know on that one). It definitely whet my appetite for running the full thing one day … and here I am! Although, I’m a week away so probably shouldn’t speak too soon based on how my previous tapers have gone. I’ve a long-haul flight and a lot of ‘London travel’ before then, so plenty of disasters to avoid between now and then I am sure”.

Each year, children stand on the Mini London Marathon start line dreaming of one day making an Olympics. “I’ve pretty much committed my whole life to running, so I wouldn’t say no to a little break-through that leads to an Olympic Games”.

Photo: James Rhodes

On Sunday, that breakthrough may come and the dream one step closer.

The elite women’s race of the London Marathon starts at 09:30 on Sunday 23 April. Fast Running will provide on the ground coverage throughout the day.

The post London Calling for Alice Wright appeared first on Fast Running.

If you’re training for a marathon, chances are you’re well aware of the importance of pacing yourself during the race. After all, there’s nothing worse than hitting “the wall” halfway through and having to drag yourself to the finish line. But figuring out the right pace for you can be tricky, especially if you’re a beginner or if you’re not sure what to expect.

So how do you find your perfect rhythm on race day?

First things first: let’s define what we mean by pacing. In running terms, pacing refers to the speed at which you run during a race or training run.

It’s important to have a consistent pace throughout the marathon, rather than starting out too fast and burning out later on. This is where many runners go wrong – they get caught up in the excitement of the race and push themselves too hard at the beginning, only to pay for it later on.

If you’re lucky (/work hard enough) you might have Sir Mo Farah to set the pace for you on race day like this lot. Photo: Jon Super for Virgin Money London Marathon.

So how do you find your ideal pace?

One way is to use a pacing chart or calculator, which can give you a rough estimate of how fast you should be running based on your recent training times. These tools can be helpful, but keep in mind that they’re just estimates and may not take into account factors like terrain, weather, and your current fitness level if you’ve had a great training block since your last race.

Another way to determine your pace is to use sessions like Yasso 800s or a marathon pace tempo, but looking at cardiac drift during the run. If you can run your goal marathon pace for a decent distance, say 8-10 miles, without seeing much drift in the heart rate or effort required tor sustain this pace then it is a good sign you’re in the right ball park.

If you’re seeing a lot of drift, even 5-6 miles into that marathon pace run, then it’s worth considered if the pace is a bit too spicy, or even looking at what is causing the rise in heart rate or effort, as this could also be other factors like heat, dehydration, fuelling etc (which can also be factors on race day too).

Lastly, consider the other factors beyond just fitness and legs. What pace can you continue to eat gels and drink sports drink at? If you’re fitness and training say you should run X minutes per mile, but you can only keep fuelling 10-15 seconds a mile slower, then think about what will be limiting factor over the course of your race.

But what about runners of different abilities and speeds?

How do you determine the right pace for you? It can all depend on experience and where you at in your running journey but here are some guidelines for different athletes.

• Beginner runners: If you’re new to running or are training for your first marathon, it’s important to start out slow and build up your endurance. Aim for a pace that feels comfortable and sustainable, and don’t be afraid to walk if you need to. Remember, the goal is to finish the race, not to set a personal best time.
• Experienced runners: If you’ve been running for a while and have completed a few marathons, you probably have a good idea of what pace works for you. Still, it’s important to pay attention to your body and make adjustments as needed. If you’re feeling strong, you might be able to push yourself a little harder. But if you’re feeling tired or sluggish, it’s okay to ease up and take it a bit easier.
• Fast runners: If you’re a seasoned runner with a lot of speed and endurance, you might be tempted to push it from the start. But beware of the temptation to go too fast too soon – even the most experienced runners can hit “the wall” if they push themselves too hard. It’s better to start out at a slightly slower pace and then pick it up as the race goes on. This way, you’ll have more energy left in the tank for the final stretch.

Always keep an eye on those pacemakers in case they sneak off for the win. Photo: Mick Hall

Keeping the game plan in place when the gun goes

Now that you have an idea of how to find your ideal pace, let’s talk about some strategies for staying on track during the marathon. We all know from Mike Tyson that “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face” but what is less clear is why the vast majority of distance runners treat the starting gun like someone has punched them straight on the nose.

These are some techniques that might help you stay on track in the early stages and keep it going strong in the final stages.

Check your watch

It can be tempting to ignore your watch during the race and just go by feel, but checking your pace every mile or so can help you stay on track. If you’re running slower or faster than you should be, you’ll know to adjust your pace accordingly.

But also remember that GPS can be inaccurate, especially in big cities. If the marathon has mile or kilometre markers than you can have some landmark times to check to make sure everything is in-sync. Knowing what time you should pass through 5,10,15k and halfway will mean you can quickly check the time at that set distance marker and you know it’s accurate… hopefully.

Run even splits

This means running the same pace for each mile of the race, but keep in mind that it’s not always possible (or advisable) to run even splits, especially if the course is hilly or there are other factors that might affect your pace. We know the chump who runs the horrendous negative split and still gets a PB is given some kind of hero status, but it’s not necessarily the best PB they could have achieved on the day.

We’re not saying you have to get there holy grail of a negative split, but aiming for even splits and then limiting how much you fade in the second half can be a great race tactic. You just need to look at how the race is often won at major city marathons, with the winner usually being the one who either picks up the pace after 35km, or just slows the least of the front bunch.

Photo: Valencia Marathon

Use distractions and use the crowds

If you’re struggling to maintain your pace, try distracting yourself with music, conversation, or other distractions. This can help take your mind off the fatigue and help you focus on something else. Just be careful not to get too distracted and lose track of your pace altogether. This isn’t just a jog in the park, you want a PB.

If you’re running in a crowded race, use the energy of the spectators to your advantage. Let their cheers and encouragement carry you through the tough parts of the race. Just be sure to thank them with a smile or a wave as you pass by. Or maybe just a grimace and an effort to not spray them with a snot-rocket as you pass.

Reflection is key

After all is said and done, with 26.2 miles run (tight rhymes), it’s important to sit down and reflect on how things went. Be honest wit yourself about your pacing and ask the tough questions. Could I have started more sensibly? Did I hit the wall or have a massive drop off in the second half?

It might be easier to blame outside factors, things you can’t control, but it doesn’t help you progress. Look at everything you can control, your pacing, training, fuelling etc and write down three things you did well, and three things you might improve for next time.

If you’re reading this the night before your next marathon then one last golden rule, don’t get too carried away in the first five miles. The extra seconds banked have a ridiculous high rate of interest if you’re asked to pay them back after mile 20.

The post The key to pacing your marathon appeared first on Fast Running.

You don’t need to be a ‘fast runner’ be aware that the effects of climate change and the widespread concern in the scientific community over ‘global warming’ will inevitably impact on our sport.

Writing recently in the Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise journal, Mantzios et al. (2022) conducted a large-scale analysis of 1258 races held between 1936 and 2019 across 84 locations and 42 countries. Their findings have implications for the way in which you respond to weather conditions both in training and racing.

Variable analysis

Mantzios et al. (2022) disaggregated the notion of ‘weather’ into 4 variables which could be operationalised and measured, namely:

• Temperature
• Humidity
• Wind Speed
• Solar Radiation

The races analysed by Mantzios et al. were staged across a diverse range of weather conditions: air temperature from −5°C to 35°C (very cold to very hot); relative humidity from 14% to 100% (dry to extremely humid), wind speed from 0 to 25 km·h−1 (zero to strong wind), and solar radiation from 0 to 1234 W·m−2 (dark to extreme sunlight).

Findings

In disaggregating the notion of ‘weather’, the variable which was considered to be most associated with athlete performance was (1) air temperature (allocated a feature importance score of 40%) followed by (2) relative humidity (feature importance score of 26%), (3) solar radiation (feature importance score of 18%), and then finally (4) wind speed (feature importance score of 16%).

Across all endurance events sampled they found that races with an air temperature >17.5°C on the one hand or <10°C on the other were correlated with a decline in athletic performance. So conversely, peak athletic performances tended to occur in endurance events when the air temperature was between 10°C – 17.5°C

Due to the biomechanics of racewalking being associated with lower mechanical efficiency, unsurprisingly the 50km and 20km racewalking events were found to be where athletes were most at risk of heat exhaustion, followed by the marathon, the 5000m, and the 10,000m.

Discussion

Mantzios et al. (2022) said their findings were indicative of the need to develop understandings of how, “the effects of the different weather parameters can be critical for athletes and coaches aiming to optimize running performance as well as for event organizers and officials wishing to mitigate the risk of heat illness to competitors”.

Of course as a ‘fast runner’ you are not immune from the risks posed by the weather and indeed Alonso et al. (2012) reported a heat exhaustion incidence of 3.3 per 1000 elite athletes at the World Athletics Championships.

Interventions

If you are reading this and concerned about priming for peak performance during a freezing cold cross country race, you may consider either extending the duration of or indeed intensity of your RAMP warm up (Raise, Activate, Mobilize and Potentiate). This being said, most of you may be more concerned about ‘keeping cool’ during a Spring or Summer marathon, half or 10k. To try and respond to the weather in a proactive way is what Manztios et al. (2002) term a ‘heat mitigation strategy.’

Unless you are an elite athlete based at one of our illustrious high performance centres, its unlikely you will have access to a heat acclimation chamber. This being said there are at least 3 simpler interventions you could consider.

1. A regular sauna post training.
2. A daily post session bath.

Take the weather with you

The sauna will require gym membership which you may have for cross training purposes and in light of the recent rocketing of energy prices may prove a cheaper option than the luxury of a daily hot bath. This being said what Matzios et al. (2022) term your ‘heat acclimation status’ can be improved from one of both of the above interventions by gradually, progressively spending longer in the said sauna or bath tub.

A third intervention which is certainly less expensive is the wearing of extra clothing layers such as thermals or sweat suits during training. The latter is more of a social practice which one associates with the boxing community and for fighters trying to proverbially ‘make weight’ before a bout.

This intervention comes with a note of caution as it tends to be less intense and more aerobically dominant sessions which lend themselves to the wearing of additional clothing, which should be discarded for structured ‘sessions’ which one associates with more intense speed endurance work.

By understanding that the weather is not just something to endure but something which can be proactively managed by forethought, planning and habituation, you are beginning to sing to the tune of Crowded House whose hit exactly 30 years ago is a reminder to always take the ‘Weather With You’.

This leaves us with the following questions for self-reflection:

1. What weather conditions do I prefer to train and race in?
2. Why might it be appropriate to adjust the volume and / or intensity of a training session in extreme heat?
3. How can my nutritional and hydration strategies help minimise the risk of heat exhaustion during races?
4. When should I use heat acclimation strategies to prepare for a specific race in advance?
5. Which heat acclimation strategies are most convenient for my own athletic needs?

References

Alonso, et al. (2012) Determination of future prevention strategies in elite track and field: analysis of Daegu 2011 IAAF championships injuries and illnesses surveillance. Br J Sports Med. 2012;46(7):505–14

Mantzios et al. (2022) Effects of Weather Parameters on Endurance Running Performance: Discipline-specific Analysis of 1258 Races. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2022 Jan; 54(1): 153–161.

Matt Long was an England Team Coach @ The Commonwealth Games Development Camp and welcomes contact for coaching advice based on this article at mattlongcoach@gmail.com

The post Always take the weather with you appeared first on Fast Running.

[This article was written pre-Milan Marathon, but the author changed races due to unforeseen circumstances and raced Perth 50k instead, clocking 2:57:17 for 50k and ~2:26/27 for the marathon split – Ed.]

Training for Milan Marathon at the start of April, confidence of a PB in the Britton household was high. Coach Tom Craggs had even politely described some recent marathon pacing sessions as “bold” (read: potentially stupid).

The question both coach and athlete are wondering now though “is this a shoe PB or a new PB”.

The last time round

Back in 2018, just on the start of the super shoe era, we followed the build-up to a sub 2:30 showing at the Valencia Marathon. The weapons of choice on my feet were Adidas Adizero Prime Knit Adios, or some fancy name like that. Basically a pair of slippers your Nan could have made, with some boost foam and continental grip.

Looking back at pictures they look like racing flats compared to what is on the same feet four years later. It pains me to say it’s a pair of Nike AlphaFly. The shoes so odd looking, with the big old bubble at the front, they I swore I’d never wear them.

Then Aleksandr Sorokin ran 309km in a pair to smash the World 24hr Record and the shoes had been purchased before the Lithuanian had time to pee in a cup afterwards and get his record ratified. A one time peer, now world record beater over 100 miles, 12 and 24 hours, if the shoes were making a difference and I wanted to compete, they had to be tried.

The slippers from the last 2:29:31 marathon PB.

The marathon training

Still under the guidance of my coach Tom Craggs, who was such a huge help in running 2:29 in Valencia in 2018, we’ve built up to the marathon again. But this time we’re faster.

Before Valencia it was often the effort in the sessions that felt right, but the pace was still to come. Training above 1000m, often on trails and gravel roads, in Chamonix, we knew actual marathon pace would feel harder than it would on race day.

A couple of tasty PBs, over half marathon and an 8km night race gave me confidence and on race day I almost messed it all up by running 5:20 for the first mile, going through halfway in 1:13 and then just about gritting it out for 2:29:31. It was harder work than it needed to be for sure.

So this time round those pre-race PBs have got even quicker. A 10 second half marathon PB of 70:43 took a big jump to 69:27 a few weeks later and that even included a 10k and 10 mile best en-route.

Session, after session, long runs included have been stellar. Only one has been a bit of a ‘mare, but even that shines brighter than my best long run in 2018.

Elephant shoes in the room. Photo: Trecate Mezza Maratona

The Elephant in the room

Now is this just because I’m wearing super-shoes? There’s certainly some old school Twitter and Facebook accounts that would cry this to be true.

There is absolutely no doubt they are playing a part. Going from 31 to 35 years of age you’d say father time was against PBs too, but Sara Hall and Kiera D’Amato made a mockery of that idea recently.

The question might be better phrased as “if I run a PB in Milan, is every second down to the shoes?”. Is it a new PB or a shoe PB?

I would say I’m likely a high responder to these particular kicks, mainly because of my shuffling ultra-runner style being one that really can benefit. Add in the fact that each long run, no matter how well it goes, doesn’t quite knacker me out it did last time round and high quality consistency is easier to come by.

What else has changed?

There are other factors involved too. For most of the intervening four years I have actually been struggling with an injury, but a positive of this has been the development of a love for cycling and the subsequent increase in training volume.

Training hours per year has gone up monumentally since 2018. When you’re only training on foot it’s harder to get into the bigger averages year on year.

Not just cycling, but also hours with the physio have helped. Most weeks in the last 12-18 months have seen two sessions with new physio Ilenia in our local town of Pray. Working on balance, proprioception and, a wee bit, on strength, has felt like it’s brought a huge boost. Particularly my calves, which previously would have been a weak point, are stronger than ever.

What else has improved? Well fueling is easier than ever, but maybe that was already quite advanced in 2018. The new Precision Hydration fuel, with 30 & 90g gels and a 30g chews, make taking enough fuel for 2+ hours of running a lot easier too.

(Here’s a link to a case study of the food I actually did use on the day in Perth, averaging 84 grams of carbs per hour)

Having finished the two year post-grad IOC Sports Nutrition post-grad diploma I’d like to think my day to day nutrition has improved too and I’m certainly at least as lean as 2018, maybe a little more so, but also have fueled my training and recovery well throughout this training block.

Does it matter?

At the end of the day the question in this day in age might also be “does it matter if it’s the shoes or you?”

To me, it does, but only on an intrinsic level. I don’t care if others are just getting PBs down to the shoes (and as a coach it can make for some easy wins) but ultimately a lot of us take part in this sport to chance self-improvement. It’s what it means to you that matters.

So the hard work is going in, I know it’s happening and if I had to swap back into my Adizeros tomorrow I still think a PB would be on the cards, but maybe with a little less certainty.

Once the race is over there’ll be no such dilemma, hopefully. It’ll always be a “you PB” if your last one was already in the super-shoes anyway. Just don’t tell the runners from the 80s who did it in hob-nailed boots.

If you enjoyed this article then you can support the author, or just yourself to run faster, by reading 1001 Running Tips: the Essential Runners Guide. Order your copy today.

The post A new PB or shoe PB? appeared first on Fast Running.

A recent England Athletics Marathon camp in Birmingham involved some athletes who were aiming for Commonwealth Games qualifying standards as a precursor to the trials race in Manchester on April 3rd.

Joining me on a Q&A panel to discuss altitude training were Head of Athletics at Birmingham University – Luke Gunn; Liverpool based physiologist Jamie Pugh; Team England Medical Lead, Sarah Connors; England Athletics Marathon Lead, Tom Craggs and England Team Coach, Allison Benton.

A wide ranging discussion took place over an hour where some key themes emerged which I have summarised as 10 key principles.

1. Consider the options

Before you spend money consider why you are travelling to altitude and what you hope to gain from it. If for example you are going to altitude shortly before a Spring marathon for example, you may want to spend more time training at race pace specifically.

Certain camps are so high that this may be physiologically very challenging – so pick your location wisely and think about timing. Some training locations, for example in Ethiopia, have altitudes in excess of 2600m compared to for example St Moritz or Font Romeu both sitting around 1800m.

Physiologist Jamie Pugh outlined the key physiological changes which take place at altitude including reduced blood oxygen resulting in higher breathing/ventilation and heart rate and a drop in blood plasma. These physiological changes (amongst others) create increased EPO production and over time an increase in the volume of red blood cells and Hb mass.

2. Warm weather training

Taking into account the above, you may feel that a warm weather camp is a better way of getting the best out of yourself. Tom Craggs impressed that heat alone rather than altitude could help foster beneficial physiological adaptations such as increased blood plasma volume, haemoglobin mass and improvements in your ability to run and races in warm conditions. He also stressed some of the benefits of altitude training where nothing to do with the altitude.

Craggs states that the physical benefits of a break from work or study allowing more downtime between training and the psychosocial benefits of spending time with good training partners and friends often in beautiful environments can be powerful and are not dependent on altitude. The panel also discussed some of the risks of altitude training including the need for a longer adaptation period that might be required in warm weather training and the risk of sickness resulting form altitude exposure.

Pugh suggested that indoor training using artificial heat could help one to acclimatise to warm weather camps before departure and maintain adaptations after in advance of potentially hot races.

Warm weather training in Portugal. Photo: Tom Craggs

3. Pre-Camp Preparation

Allison Benton cautioned that, “You need to ensure that you are healthy before travelling to altitude, otherwise you are heading for difficulities as an athlete”.

The Brighton based coach indicated checking a number of markers on a blood test, for example ferritin (the protein complex that serves as a major iron storage system) could give you an indication of how ready your to train at altitude. Jamie Pugh concurring that red blood cell count was important and that self-monitoring around two weeks prior to travel was paramount.

4. Acclimatisation

Three time Commonwealth steeplechaser Luke Gunn stressed that the first 2-3 days of camp should consist of light aerobic running, with the first ‘session’ taking place on Day 4 or 5 and this still being at an intensity below tempo. Pugh maintained that athletes should be aware that it can take 3 weeks or more for some athletes to gain the physiological benefit of altitude training.

That said the panel concurred that some of the other benefits, for example training on different surfaces often in a beautiful environment, should be considered alongside the impact of a low oxygen environment and that these benefits can be felt over much shorter periods.

5. Progressive overload

Physiotherapist Sarah Connors warned about the subcultural dangers of athletes wanting to rightly get the benefit of group training but being pulled along unwittingly at the pace of the fastest runner in the squad, stressing that easy sessions and days need to be light and aerobic.

Gunn was keen to emphasise that one of the key benefits of altitude training was being able to get a training effect without having to run too fast and without over stressing the neuromusculoskeletal system unduly. The four time national steeplechase champion asserted that, “Altitude is a tool and the biggest tool we have as athletes is recovery, so don’t compromise it”.

Craggs went further to say that it’s tempting for athletes on training camps, whether altitude or otherwise, to train a lot harder and add a lot more sessions than they would usually do and this can pose risks. Some of the main benefits of a training camp are gained from the extra recovery and adaptation outside of the running itself away from work and other limiting life stresses.

Photo: Girls Gotta Run Foundation in Ethiopia

6. Monitoring

Connors chose to emphasis the fact that one needs to, “understand the parameters of your own body” pointing specifically to thoracic mobility and hip extension as being common problem areas for athletes on camp.

Connors suggested a number of self monitoring tools such as the knee to wall test, single leg knee bends and single leg glute bridges as well as self scored questionnaires measuring athletes perception of their recovery. Tom Craggs maintained that athletes require a good focus on high quality nutrition with Pugh reminding attendees that the change in oxygen uptake can affect the quality of athletes sleep.

With specific regard to his experience of several visits to Font Romeu, Gunn recounted how all of the above were a necessity because track surfaces can be extremely hard and mountain trails can cause on to easily roll ankles as he had.

7. Strength and conditioning

Gunn stressed that foot drills should be habituated. “Get your shoes off and work those intrinsic muscles in the foot so your ankles are robust”. Whilst of course this is always important runners may find it particularly important given many altitude training locations will also involve a lot more trail runs and uneven surfaces and UK based athletes will be used to. Connors offered the affirmation that this work was invaluable and could be progressed with the aid of a Bosu ball.

8. Run to Feel

Allison Benton still works athletes according to splits but uses a tried and tested formula to calculate the slowing per mile/ km depending on the height of the training camp. This being said consider where running to feel or perceived effort may be just as appropriate for you and other quantitative measures such as heart rate, rather than Strava data. RPE based session prescription can be a sensible approach for coaches in the early days away at altitude closely monitoring intensity during and after runs.

9. Mode of recovery within sessions

From an experiential perspective as a former elite athlete Gunn recounted how, “you can feel like you are dying after the first rep at altitude! So roll on or float recoveries may simply not be possible.

When I’ve been at camp in the first week or so repetition sessions which ordinarily have one minute passive recoveries may need two for quality to be maintained. This being said after a couple of weeks the plan should be to reduce recovery timings to that which would be normal at sea level”.

10. The Window for Performance

Benton referred to a ‘sweet spot’ of between 2-4 weeks for peak performances to occurs between 2-4 weeks. Gunn similarly identified a window of 21-28 days.

In tempting to explain why some athletes may experience a dip in performance in the immediate return home from camp, he pointed out that he had observed athletes feeling fitter back at sea level and therefore overtraining would inevitably result in tiredness.

Shrewdly, he reminded attendees, “You have to restrict your training when you arrive at altitude and you should be prepared to restrict it when you return home”.

Craggs concurred that it may take time for the legs to re-adjust to wanting to run faster at sea level and suggested using drills,  a-lactic hills and strides could be productive in terms of bridging this transition.

The above leaves you with some questions for self-reflection

1. In what ways may an altitude camp be beneficial compared to a warm weather camp or vice versa for my individual needs?
2. What do I want from altitude training and which camp would best help me achieve these goals?
3. How am I going to monitor my health and fitness prior to camp?
4. In what ways do I plan to monitor my health and fitness during camp itself?
5. Why do I need to plan my training and racing strategy on return to sea level way before I go to an altitude camp?

Matt Long served as an England Team Coach at the recent England Athletics Marathon Camp in Birmingham. Matt welcomes contact for coaching support at mattlongcoach@gmail.com

The post 10 principles for training at altitude appeared first on Fast Running.

Thus far in our series on the work of the esteemed Italian coach Renato Canova we have explored three facets of his training- namely (1) Progression Running- through the eyes of Vince Wilson who works with Team GBs Sam Harrison; (2) Special Blocking- as interpreted by Phil Kissi in his coaching of Tokyo Olympian Steph Davis and Team England’s Rose Harvey; (3) Variational and Fractional Running as effected by Rio Olympian and former world record holder for 50km, Aly Dixon.

This final piece explores what Canova (1999) termed ‘Specific Endurance Repetition Runs’.

Specific Endurance Repetition Runs

For Canova (1999) the speed of the repetition runs should be at marathon speed with float recoveries being effected which are not too far removed from this pace. He provides a binary distinction between (a) Extensive Specific Endurance and (b) Intensive Specific Endurance work, the former being characterised typically by a relatively lower volume of longer repetitions and the latter ordinarily involving a higher volume of repetitions over much shorter distances.

Extensive and Intensive Work

As an example of the Extensive mode, Canova (1999) cites the training of Gelindo Bordin, in the weeks before he won the marathon gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

Bordin ran 3 x 7000m between 20m32 and 20m57s with his two 1000m float recoveries averaging 3m09s. The value of this session is that when both repetitions and float recoveries are aggregated we have a session of whose total volume exceeds 14 miles and whose average speed of 2m59s per km would see the athlete home in 2h05 mins if effected for the full 26.2 miles.

The Italian sported a lifetime personal best of 2h08 mins which would be set two years after his greatest triumph in South Korea.

To highlight the value of the Intensive mode of this type of work, Canova (1999) cites the training of 2004 Athens Olympic champion, Stefano Baldini, from earlier in his career.

Several weeks before the Italian ran 2hr07m57s to place 2nd in the London marathon in 1997, he ran a session of 10 x 1000m averaging 2m53s for the reps, with float recoveries effected in a shad over 3 mins. As with the example of Bordin, cited above, Baldini’s pace if effected over the full 26.2 miles would also brought him home in 2hr05mins.

Extensive and intensive adaptations

The Director of Athletics at Cardiff Met University clearly leans towards seeing the utility of what Canova (1999) framed as Extensive Specific Endurance work. He explains that, “I think what Jake Smith and I have found is that longer tempos and also pacing races has provided a good opportunity for longer sustained efforts at marathon pace. Even with the unplanned one, where Jake won the Cheshire Elite Marathon in April last year, it showed us that there are lots of ways to approach the marathon”.

The coaches reading know that most athletes won’t always follow the plan exactly… Credit: Mick Hall

Goal pace

Hutchison (2015) reminded us that it was perhaps the late great Bill Bowerman, with his guidance of American legend Steve Prefontaine, who did most to inculcate the notion of ‘goal pace’ (as distinct from ‘date pace’) into coaching discourses.

This is something which James Thie, who placed 4th in the 1500m at the World Indoor championships in 2005, maintains is at the heart of Canova’s philosophy. The Welshman asserts that, “There is though with every distance, a time and place that you need to run at ‘goal pace’ as physically and mentally you need to know what it feels like on good and bad days!”.

With specific regard to Jake Smith, who owns a half marathon PB of 60:31s from the 2020 World HM championships, he continues that, “Remember we haven’t specifically targeted the marathon yet but I’ve reflected that longer work of between 8-13 miles in total volume has helped when pacing 21-30km and allowed Jake to come away with 2hr11m00s marathon debut off minimal preparation”.

Pace making to learn the art of goal pace

As well as the use of extensive and intensive specific endurance work, the man who has bagged multiple world masters titles between 800m and 3000m points out that, “Lots of good marathon runners have started off as pacers- such as Geoffrey Kamworor for example”.

The Kenyan is a former world record holder of course for the half marathon and bagged three consecutive titles at the biennial World Half Marathon championships between 2014 and 2018 and clearly used the half marathon as a bridging distance en route to his two New York City Marathon wins in 2017 and 2019. Last year he lowered his PB to 2hr05m23s.

Thie, who served on the team staff at December’s European cross country championships in Dublin, believes this kind of trend may be followed domestically. He enthuses that, “It’s been good to see the London Marathon recently use various athletes for the experience and will be interesting to see what they do when or if they step up”.

He cites 2021 Great North Run winner, Marc Scott and runner up Eilish McColgan as potential future examples of this phenomenon.

The above leaves us with the following questions for self-reflection

1. What place is there in my macrocycle of training to effect Specific Endurance Repetition Runs?
2. How can I make adaptations to Canova’s principles of Extensive and Intensive specific runs can I make which will suit my schedule?
3. When can I use races which are shorter than my target race to learn to habituate goal pace?

James Thie can be followed through @TeamThie and Matt Long has served as both an England Team Manager and Coach and welcomes contact for coaching support at mattlongcoach@gmail.com

References

Arceli, E. and Canova, R. (1999) ‘IAF Marathon Training. A Scientific Approach’. International Athletic Foundation.

Hutchison, A. (2015) ‘Progress form today speed to target speed’. Runners World. 03/09.

The post Be specific with paces appeared first on Fast Running.

In the first article in the series, coach Vince Wilson explained how he has adapted Canova’s principles around progression running with the work which he does with Team GB’s Sam Harrison. To reiterate, the purpose of this series of articles is not to give a detailed account of the famed Italian Renato Canova’s approach to periodisation.

Those who want to understand his approach to the ‘General’, ‘Fundamental’ and ‘Specific’ stages should consult Arceli and Canova (1999).

Coach Kissi

The second piece in the series explores the work of the British Milers’ Club Coach of the Year for 2021, Phil Kissi, and his work with two international athletes, namely Steph Davis and Rose Harvey in the context of one specific aspect of Canova’s (1999) philosophy- what he termed ‘Special Block Training’.

Davis of course qualified for the Olympic Games with a brilliant win in the trials at Kew Gardens (2hr27m16s) in March last year and five months later she finished a highly creditable 39th and was first Brit home in Tokyo. Training companion Harvey made her debut for England in 2021 and ran a fine 2hr29m45s to place 15th in last October’s London marathon.

Attention now turns to the notion of ‘’Special Blocks’ which Canova himself has seen as an evolution rather than a departure from the traditional progression runs which were unpicked in our previous piece.

Special Blocks

Canova (1999: 50) has articulated that, “Another type of progressive run is the soc-called Special Block; the athlete is required to perform the same exercise twice in the same day, once in the morning and then in the afternoon”.

This is more than just simply doing ‘double days’ (see Long and James, 2015) of which there are obvious benefits in terms of being able to effect more volume.

Rather Canova’s approach is positivist in the sense that it adheres to the numerical and the quantifiable and this he suggests that the first component of both the morning and evening sessions should be effected at between 85-90% of marathon speed and the second component of each session, which is recommended to total between 10-15km in volume, should be performed at equal to or slightly faster than marathon speed.

Rose Harvey. Credit: Mick Hall.

Intensity and Extensivity

Canova himself makes the further three-fold distinction between what he terms (a) ‘Intensive-Extensive Special Blocking’, (b) ‘Extensive-Intensive Special Blocking’ and (c) ‘Extensive Special Blocking’.

As an example of (a) he cites the work of Maria Curatolo, who won individual silver and team gold in the marathon at the 1994 European championships in Helsinki. A morning session which she effected consisted of back to back 10k runs in 39 mins and 33 mins respectively. Her afternoon session was a continuous 10k covered in 40 mins followed immediately by 10 x 1k (2 mins recovery) where she averaged 3m11s per km split.

So for Canova, the ethos behind the second component of each run, whether morning or evening is that it is undertaken at 105-110% of marathon speed. As an example of the ‘Extensive-Intensive’, Canova cites the experience of Davide Milesi who placed 3rd in the World Cup marathon in Athens back in 1995.

Morning and evening work

Shortly before this success he undertook both morning of evening sessions of 10km completed in 34 mins, immediately followed by 15km in 46 mins. For Canova, the principle of this mode of session is that the second component is run at marathon race speed itself.

As an example of ‘Extensive Special Blocking’, Canova cites 1955 World marathon bronze medallist, Ornella Ferrara, whose morning and evening sessions would consist of 15 mins easy running followed immediately by 24km continuously averaging 3m35s per km split. The principle behind this mode of run is that the second part is effected at just below marathon race pace- 98% ideally for Canova.

So what does the above mean for the pragmatic coach of the twenty-first century? The forementioned Phil Kissi picks up the baton at this point.

Lifestyle factors

Ever the realist Phil is quick to acknowledge that, “Unless you are a full time athlete you cannot simply follow what Canova advocates”. He does however stress that the principle of working double days is something, “which many coaches I know have experimented with for their athletes at weekends”.

Photo: James Rhodes

Low mileage versus high mileage athletes

Phil acknowledges that whilst Steph David and Rose Harvey could in theory double day as Canova suggests, that their decision to do so only sparingly is as much to do with the type of endurance athletes that they are as much as lifestyle choices.

In a previous article (see Long, 2021a), the Blackheath & Bromley and Clapham Chasers coach articulated that his approach has been to “minimize volume on the road ”for Steph, due to his awareness that she could incur hip, achilles, hamstring or IT band injuries if her mileage exceeds her robustness to cope with it.

Similarly Harvey has previously recounted in these pages (see Long, 2021b) that she does not like to exceed her so-called ‘sweet spot’ of around 70 miles a week and both she and Davis are advocates of cross training with the use of both cycling and swimming.

Low versus high

In the context of the above, Phil extends the debate to talking about other world class athletes arguing that, “How you apply Canova’s work on blocking depends on whether you are a low mileage or high mileage marathon runner.

Let’s take someone like Duncan Kibet who ran 2:04 in Rotterdam back in 2009. He’s a relatively low milage runner who sometimes only covers 80 miles a week, whereas someone like Robert Kipkoetch Cheruiyot, who won Boston 5 times can get up to 150 miles a week at the other end of the spectrum. The point in terms of blocking is whilst Kibet will do something like 60% of his work at marathon pace, Cheruiyot on the other hand will only be able to do around 40% of his total volume at marathon race pace”.

This suggests that Kibet may be the sort of athlete who would benefit from Intensive-Extensive and Extensive-Intensive modes of session because they are effected at faster than marathon pace or marathon pace itself.

Likewise Davis and Harvey may be inclined to follow suit given their being relatively low mileage athletes The likes of Cheruiyot, alternatively, would be inclined to favour Extensive Special blocking because it is slightly slower than marathon pace and allows him to maintain a considerably larger volume of work than Kibet.

Blocking adaptations

Phil is adamant that if one read’s Canova’s work according to the spirit in which it conveys rather than taking his work as prescription you can modify the practice whilst remaining faithful to the ideology.

He points out that, “When I worked with Katy Ann-McDonald who ran in the World Junior Championships over 800m in 2018 we adapted the principle of special blocking to get her used to running championship rounds. For me you can do double days of (a) endurance only; (b) endurance and speed and then (c) two pure speed endurance sessions”. So what Phil is suggesting is to be guided by Canova’s notions of ‘intensity’ and ‘extensivity’ but not to be bagged down by the maths.

Periodisation

Phil offers a cautionary note for those of you planning to embark on adopting some of Canova’s principles on special block training and stresses that, “You’ve got to make sure that after every 3 or 4 hard weeks you through an easy week in there for the purposes of recovery and regeneration otherwise trying to do sessions twice daily is simply too tiring”.

Of course one should progressively overload the system building gradually over months and years from one double day per microcycle to two and then perhaps three in order both to maximise the adaptations from training whilst minimising injury risks.

This leaves us with the following questions for self-reflection

1. Do I consider myself to be a high or relatively low mileage endurance athlete?
2. When does my lifestyle allow for the potential to undertake double days of training?
3. Which modes of special blocking suit my development needs as an endurance athletes?
4. How does the way in which I apply blocking fit in to my wider periodised plan of training?

Matt Long has served as both an England Team Manager and Coach and welcomes contact for coaching support at mattlongcoach@gmail.com

References
Arceli, E. and Canova, R. (1999) ‘IAF Marathon Training. A Scientific Approach’. International Athletic Foundation.
Long, M. and James, G. (2015) Two Goes Into One. Athletics Weekly. 5th March. p.54-55
Long, M. (2021a) ‘Kissi and Tell’. Fast Running. May 5th.
Long, M. (2021b) ‘From completer to competitor’. Fast Running. October 28th.

The post Building Special blocks appeared first on Fast Running.

The purpose of this series of articles is not to give a detailed account of the famed Italian Renato Canova’s approach to periodisation. Those who want to understand his approach to the ‘General’, ‘Fundamental’ and ‘Specific’ stages should consult Arceli and Canova (1999). This being said for the uninitiated the following offers a small insight into his coaching achievements.

Canova’s Coaching CV

Canova began his involvement with the Italian athletics federation way back in the early 1970s. He has proved himself a world class coach through the success of his athletes on then international stage over more than four decades.

Most notably back in the 1980s along with Luciano Gigliotti, Canova worked with Gelindo Bordin, who became the 1988 Seoul Olympic marathon gold champion as well as bagging two European titles in 1986 and 1990.

Following his nurturing of the Italian national marathon team, a decade and a half or so later, Stefano Baldini became the 2004 Athens Olympic marathon champion and like his forerunner Baldini, he was also a double European marathon champion in 1998 and 2006.

Canova achieved massive success a decade ago at the London Olympics in 2012 with his athletes Abel Kiriu and Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich taking silver and bronze respectively, along with another bronze medal over 5000m for Thomas Longosiwa behind Mo Farah of course. More recently the Italian guru’s staggering successes have continued with the likes of Sondre Nordstad Moen who set a European Marathon Record in Fukuoka of 2:05:48 in 2017 and that same year, once again in London, Geoffrey Kirui took World Championships marathon gold.

Modes of training

This series looks at for modes of training advocated by Canova and asks you to consider when and how you could utilise them in your own macrocycle of training. They are as follows:

1. Progression Runs
2. Special Blocks
3. Fractional and Variational Running
4. Intensive and Extensive Specific Endurance Runs

In this first piece we address Progression Runs, which for Canova (1999:50) is, “a continuous run in which the running speed is not constant but increases progressively during the same exercise”.

Progression Running

Canova (1999: 50) continues that, “Usually the run is divided into 2, 3 or 4 fractions each of which is performed at a constant pace but the speed is higher than the preceding fraction”.

‘So what, I already do progression runs?’ I hear you protest. Hold fire! Where the work of Canova may be of use to you is in his threefold typology of progression runs. They are as follows:

1. Fast Progressive Runs

These should be between 20-40 mins in duration and effected between 102% of marathon race pace at the beginning of the run and up to 108% by the end of the session.

2. Medium-Fast Progressive Runs

These are framed as being between 45 and 60 mins in duration with the speed getting progressively faster between 95% and 105% of marathon speed.

3. Medium Progressive Runs

These are cited as being useful for the general preparatory phase of training associated with aerobic base building. They tend to be effected between 60 and 90 minutes in duration and unlike (1) and (2) tend to be between 85% and 100% of marathon race speed and not faster.

In faster progression runs it can be hard to get the athlete in focus. Photo: Tom Craggs

Adaptations to progression runs

Coach Vince Wilson has worked with Sam Harrison, who represented Team GB at the European 10,000 Cup last summer, since 2019.

“Canova was right to grade progression runs” says Wilson. “Sam and I use them at different points of the periodisation cycle. After she ran the London marathon last October, (where she placed 16th in 2hr32m) for example, we wanted to refocus on the 10k after her recovery.

So she’d do a 3 mile progression run starting off at 6m10s for the first mile, then down to 5m40s for the second mile and finishing off around 5m00s for the final mile. When you think about it this session is quite difficult when you are still trying to get a marathon out of your legs”.

Aerobic gains

Retaining the aerobic gains made during marathon training is something which the former England and Team GB middle distance athlete himself clearly believes has helped Sam to go on and run a 32m07s 10k PB in winning at Telford in December.

“You don’t fill a bath up with water whilst at the same time pulling the plug out. What’s the use of having a big aerobic tank with a giant hole in it?”.

Bridging sessions

So aside from the retention of aerobic gains what value is a progression run for Sam, who ran in the World Half Marathon championships in Poland in 2020?

Vince continues that, “Its very much a transitory session which bridges between building aerobic endurance and speed endurance. Its better than doing say 3 x 1 mile reps because its continuous nature means its inevitably more aerobic”.

So clearly the above would be variation of what Canova would term a fast progressive run but does Sam ever do longer progression runs?

“Sam will be running 12 miles this winter in progressively faster blocks of 4 miles, for example beginning at 5m50s per mile, moving on to 5m20s per mile and then culminating in 5m10s per mile. She can do a session like this every 20 days or so and its much better than going out and doing a simple steady 15 mile run.”

So how would Sam progress this session to continue to gain an appropriate training adaptation over time? Vince asserts that, “We will move on to 3 x 6 mile as we begin the marathon block in July and eventually this will build to 3 x 8 miles”.

It’s not about going all in every hand

The man who himself was guided by the late, great Jimmy Hedley and who trained regularly in the North East with Steve Cram, signs off by saying, “I used to play poker. The analogy I will use is that in tournament poker you are looking for long term advantages and not going all in too soon as it’s all about building steadily and constantly improving even if only small amounts as the short-term rewards may be not worth the risk so patience is vital in order to eventually come out on top.

That’s the way I played the game and that’s the way I coach. Sam has a training age of just 3 years but in that time she’s never been injured because the way progression runs are used minimises the risk when transitioning between aerobic base building and speed endurance- so its like playing a good hand at poker if used wisely”.

This leaves us with the following questions for self-reflection:

1. What value do progression runs offer my training plan?
2. How might progression runs help me transition from aerobic base building to speed endurance work whilst minimising the risk of injury?
3. What modes of progression run (short, medium or long) should I undertake?
4. When should I utilise progression runs in different ways at various points if my macrocycle of training?

Vince Wilson can be contacted through http://runningonlinecoach.co.uk/ or vincewilson800m@yahoo.co.uk
Matt Long has served as both an England Team Manager and Coach and welcomes contact for coaching support at mattlongcoach@gmail.com

References

Arceli, E. and Canova, R. (1999) ‘IAF Marathon Training. A Scientific Approach’. International Athletic Foundation.

The post Making Canova Progress appeared first on Fast Running.