A variety of hill workouts would be beneficial for the mile runner, including lightning-quick repeats on a 200-meter hill with a modest incline of about 3 to 4 percent; recoveries would be accomplished by jogging back down the hill. The runner would start with 4 to 6 reps and progress to 12 over time. When a runner has access to a 100-meter hill with a steeper incline, say 8 to 10 percent or so, he or she can alternate workouts on separate days on this steeper grade with training on the 200-meter hill. Training on the steeper slope makes the runner work at intensities that are significantly greater than race pace on each climb, with downhill jogs for recoveries and quick turnarounds. The runner could begin with 6 to 8 reps and work up to 15 per session. This hill combo would help to optimize power for 1,500-meter and mile racing.
Shorter Races
Just as 10K runners use 5K races as tune-ups for important 10K competitions, it makes sense for 1,500-meter and mile competitors to compete in a couple of 800-meter races during the 6 to 8 weeks leading up to the most important 1,500-meter or mile competition of the season. The 800-meter racing will make the slower pace of the mile seem much easier to sustain. In addition, milers and 1,500-meter runners often get a big psychological boost out of a decently run 800 meters and begin to think that they are truly capable of running faster in the longer events.
Racing two 800s often puts a miler in a can’t-lose situation, too. The first 800 might be a somewhat novel experience, and a runner typically won’t do quite as well as expected. In the second 800 competition, the runner will be more familiar with how to run the event and will usually do significantly better. If the second race doesn’t go all that well, however, there is still no great loss. A runner can simply say, “These were good experiences for me, but this isn’t my best event. Let’s get back to what I’m really good at—the mile.” Even if the 800s are disappointing, it is good to remember that 800-meter racing helps improve raw running speed, which will pay dividends in the mile.
Lactate Stackers and Greyhound Sessions
Finally, two of the workouts described in chapter 32 on 800-meter training—lactate stackers and greyhound sessions—are also extremely good for 1,500-meter and mile race preparations because of their impacts on maximal running velocity and lactate-threshold speed.
Conclusion
Surprisingly, 1,500-meter and mile training are crafted in a manner similar to the preparation for longer races such as the 10K, half-marathon, and marathon. Intense running is emphasized, but that is also the case for the longer events. As is true for lengthier competitions, optimizing vO2max, running economy, lactate-threshold speed, resistance to fatigue, maximal running speed, and running-specific strength is paramount for the mile and the 1,500 meters. These two races also use the same overall periodization plan, with general-strength training paving the way for running-specific strengthening followed by hill work and then explosive training.
The unique feature of 1,500-meter and mile training is that the intense quality component of the running training has a faster average velocity, with a greater emphasis placed on 100-, 200-, and 400-meter speeds, and a weaker focus on 5K and 10K paced running. For example, a 10K runner would complete 1,600-meter (.99 mi) to 2K (1.24 mi) intervals at goal 10K speed fairly frequently in his or her preparations for an important competition, whereas a 1,500-meter runner would employ such a session much less often. Correspondingly, a 1,500-meter competitor would spend relatively more time running at 200-meter and 400-meter race pace. It is not that such training is bad for the longer-distance runner. Rather, the 10K runner must fit more preparations that are specific to 10K running into the overall pie of available training time, leaving fewer minutes available for the high-speed work.
Chapter 34
Training for 5Ks
Scientific research indicates that the variables that must be optimized for 5K racing are the same as those needed for competing at shorter distances: It is critically important to boost maximal running speed, vO2max, lactate-threshold velocity, and running economy in order for runners to reach their highest levels of 5K performance. In addition, preparing specifically for the 5K is very important, including workouts at both current and goal 5K velocities.
The use of the specificity of training principle introduces a potential problem since runners may not know their current 5K capability. It may be early in the season before any races have been completed, or a runner may have made a major move in fitness without doing any 5K racing, leading to a suspicion that 5K capacity might be much higher than before. Another possibility is that recent 5Ks have been completed on days when a runner didn’t feel good or on occasions when the weather was not conducive to top performance or the courses were unusually hilly and challenging.
Assessing 5K Capacity
There are various ways to estimate current 5K capacity, but one of the simplest methods, which also involves the completion of a great 5K workout, is to perform a 5K test on the track. To perform this test, which was developed by Charles Babineau and Luc Leger of the University of Moncton and the University of Montreal,1 runners can simply go to the track on a day when they feel great, warm up thoroughly, and then complete three 1,600-meter (.99 mi) work intervals with only 1-minute recoveries between intervals. It is important to run the intervals at the highest possible speed that can be sustained for the duration of the workout. One should not blister the first 1,600 to such an extent that the subsequent two intervals sag badly; the goal is to keep the three work intervals at a relatively uniform pace.
After the third 1,600 is completed, the average pace per 1,600 meters is calculated, and the result will be very close to the 1,600-meter splits in a 5K race. Let’s say that a runner completes the intervals in 6:19, 6:20, and 6:24. Thus, the average time for the three 1600-meter intervals is 6:21—the projected pace for a 5-K race.
Another option is to complete a simulated 5K, which is not a far-fetched idea since the runner is already covering 3 × 1,600 meters in the Babineau-Leger test. But it is simply easier to perform at one’s best during training when the approximately 5K distance is divided into three segments with two short rests. Thus, the Babineau-Leger test gives a better read on current 5K ability.
The research of Babineau and Leger revealed that two other straightforward workouts also have good predictive power for the 5K. These include 6 × 800 meters with 30-second rest intervals and 12 × 400 meters with 15-second rests. In both of these workouts, the 23 well-trained runners studied by the two Canadian researchers tried to attain the maximal training pace they could sustain for the entire workout. The runners were not always successful in doing so. Pace tended to fall by about 8 percent after approximately eight 400s, for example, only to shoot back up for the final interval; in contrast, 800- and 1,600-meter paces were remarkably steady. The runners’ average speeds during the sessions were highly predictive of 5K finishing time.
Generally, the average pace established in the six 800s was about 2.5 percent faster than the speed attainable during a 5K race, and the average tempo of the 400s was 3.7 percent quicker. For example, if a runner completed the 800s in about 3:00 each, the 5K tempo would be approximately 3:04 to 3:05 per 800 meters (or about 6:09 per mile). If a runner completed the 400s in 80 seconds each, the 5K tempo would be around 83 seconds per 400 meters.
5K Workouts
All three of these tests discussed (3 × 1,600 with 1-minute recoveries, 6 × 800 with 30-second recoveries, and 12 × 400 with 15-second recoveries) would actually be great 5K workouts. Runners and coaches may wonder which one will have the most beneficial effect on 5K performance.
One might argue that the 1,600-meter (.99 mi) session would be most specific to the 5K with only two rest periods and an average pace that is extremely close to actual 5K pacing. Total rest on the way to covering 4,800 meters (2.98 mi) is also reduced the most in the 1,600-meter workout: just 2 minutes compared with 2.5 minutes during the six 800s and 2.75 minutes with the dozen 400s. There is not much doubt, too, that the 3 × 1,600 session would b
e best for building mental toughness. However, one might also make a case in this regard for the 400s since the paltry 15 seconds were closer to the 0-second rests associated with racing. The pace of the 400s at almost 4 percent faster than current 5K tempo would also allow a runner to step more easily into a faster pace for future 5Ks.
In addition, Babineau and Leger found that lactate levels were significantly higher during the 400 workout compared with both the 800 and 1,600 sessions. This is actually a good thing since high lactate levels are a potent stimulus for the improvement of lactate-threshold running velocity, a good predictor of 5K success. Blood lactate concentrations during the 400-meter interval workout were the closest to those in a real 5K race.
The bottom line is that all three workouts would be good for a 5K runner. The 1,600-meter session is fine for predicting what a runner would do in a real race and for building economy at race speed; it would have a positive effect on lactate threshold and vO2max, too. However, the 400-meter interval workout would have a greater impact on lactate threshold and would be superior for upgrading maximal running speed and the ability to run a 5K at goal speed.
A key is to make sure each 400-meter interval is completed as fast as reasonably possible. This pace will probably be about 4 percent faster than the tempo a runner would obtain in a 1,600-meter interval workout. For example, if the 1,600-meter session were completed at a tempo of 90 seconds per 400 meters, the 400-meter workout would probably be struck at 86 seconds per 400, about 4 seconds per 400 faster than current 5K ability. This is in effect a goal-pace session since it is usually reasonable to choose a goal pace for the 5K that is 16 seconds per 1,600 meters faster than current 5K speed.
In addition to these sizzling 1,600-, 800-, and 400-meter interval sessions, other workouts are very productive for 5K runners and help to round out and balance training. Superset training builds fatigue resistance, and circuit training builds ample amounts of whole-body strength and coordination, both of which consequently enhance running economy. Extended runs build stamina at quality speeds, and explosive drills supplement the 400-meter intervals by improving maximal speed and running economy. These sessions are described in detail later in the chapter. In addition, the basic workouts recommended for 800-meter and 1,500-meter training—the vO2max session, greyhound runs, hill training, and lactate stackers—are also excellent for preparing for a best possible 5K.
Superset Training
Superset training is beneficial for 5K runners just as it is for 1,500-meter and 800-meter competitors. A good superset workout for 5K racers involves running 600 meters (.37 mi) at almost maximal intensity followed by 1,000 meters (.62 mi) at current 5K race pace with no recovery between the two. That combination constitutes the first super set. After about a 4-minute jog recovery, which can be abbreviated over time, the runner then repeats that super set of a 600-meter run (.37 mi) followed without recovery by the 1,000-meter run, jogs for four more minutes, and then closes the workout with one final superset combo followed by cool-down jogging. Elite runners and athletes with outstanding running-specific strength as well as individuals who no longer find three super sets to be challenging can perform four sets per workout. It is important to stay relaxed at all times as the sets are completed. Basic running form, including cadence, foot-strike pattern, shank angle, and postural elements, needs to be maintained no matter how tired the runner feels.
Such 5K super sets are great for vO2max, lactate-threshold speed, running economy, and maximal running speed, and they are terrific preparation for 5K competitions. These 5K super sets decrease the perceived effort associated with running at 5K pace, and they help runners handle surges in intensity within 5K races; they are also great tools for surviving overly fast starts in 5K competitions—and for opening up a big gap early in the race on an opponent who has been highly competitive in previous competitions.
Circuit Training
Circuit training also constitutes excellent 5K preparation since it vaults lactate threshold upward, improves coordination and thus economy, and heightens the ability to run at 5K intensity despite significant fatigue. To carry out a 5K preparatory circuit session, a runner warms up with about 12 minutes of light jogging followed by various dynamic mobility routines. The runner then completes 4 × 100 meters at a brisk pace, faster than he or she would usually run during a 5K.
The activities that follow create a 5K performance-enhancing circuit session. Perform the activities in order, moving quickly from exercise to exercise. The exercises themselves should not be performed overly quickly, at least at first. Runners should never sacrifice good form just to get the exertions done in a hurry. The idea is to carry out each activity methodically and efficiently and then almost immediately start on the next drill or exercise. Some of the exercises indicated are presented in detail in chapters 13 and 14. The proper form required for any new exercise is presented after the circuit.
Run 400 meters at what feels like 5K race pace: On a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being the easiest possible exertion and 10 being maximal running, this should feel like 8.5 or 9.
Complete 20 six-count squat thrusts with jumps (chapter 13).
Do 15 side sit-ups on one side and then 15 on the other side.
Perform 20 high lunges with each leg.
Run 400 meters at what feels like 5K pace.
Do 15 feet-elevated push-ups (chapter 13).
Perform 30 low-back extensions with a twisting motion.
Complete 15 one-leg squats with one leg and then 15 more with the other leg (chapter 14).
Run 400 meters at 5K speed.
Carry out 20 bench dips (chapter 13).
Complete 15 high-bench step-ups with each leg (chapter 14).
Hop on one foot, taking quick steps instead of long, elaborate bounces; rely on the springy action of the supporting ankle to provide most of the required propulsive force and cover 20 meters (66 ft) as fast as possible. Then, do the same on the other foot. Rest for a moment and repeat.
Run 1,200 meters (.75 mi) at 5K velocity.
Repeat steps 2-13 for two circuits in all; then cool down with about 3K (1.86 mi) of light jogging.
This circuit workout contains 4,400 meters (2.73 mi) of 5K pace running, 400 meters of power running at faster than 5K speed, and a variety of beneficial strengthening activities. The circuits enhance resistance to fatigue, whole-body strength and coordination, running economy, lactate threshold, and probably vO2max—not a bad combination of benefits! Many 5K runners report that once they can actually complete the running intervals within the circuits at current 5K pace, moving up to a faster pace during 5K races is a relatively straightforward matter.
Side Sit-up
Lie on one side with the both legs extended and raised slightly off the floor. The side of the upper torso in contact with the floor should lie relaxed on the floor. Place the hand of the bottom arm on the floor to the front so that the arm is perpendicular to the body. Place the hand of the top arm lightly on the back of the head. (Do not pull on the head or neck during the exercise.) Slowly raise the torso, contracting the abdominal muscles on the top side of the trunk and raising the legs at the same time (figure 34.1). Slowly lower the upper torso and the legs back to the starting position on the floor to complete one rep. Don’t let the upper body fall to the floor in an uncontrolled manner. Complete 15 reps on one side and then 15 on the other.
Figure 34.1 Side sit-up.
High Lunge
These are similar to the lunge squats in chapter 13. For this version, stand on a 6-inch (15 cm) platform or step so that the forward, lunging foot will undergo an exaggerated downward acceleration. Start with erect posture and feet directly under the shoulders; step down and forward with one foot. After the forward foot makes contact with the ground, move into a squat position so that the thigh of the forward leg becomes almost parallel with the ground (figure 34.2). The upper body may incline forward slightly as this happens. Emphasize action of the gluteal muscles and hamstrings to reverse the squ
at and return the forward leg onto the platform, under the trunk. Complete one rep by returning to the start position.
Figure 34.2 High lunge squat position.
Low-Back Extension With a Twist
These are a variation on the low-back extensions in chapter 13. Lie on the stomach with arms by the sides, hands extended toward feet, and palms touching the floor. Contract the back muscles to lift and twist the upper body to one side during the first rep (see figure 34.3). Return to the starting position and then lift and twist the torso to the other side during the second rep. Continue alternating sides for the desired number of repetitions. Be sure to fully untwist the upper body each time the trunk moves back toward the ground so that the stomach and chest—not the sides—touch the ground. Perform these movements rhythmically and smoothly while maintaining good control.
Figure 34.3 Low back extension with a twist.
Extended Runs
Since 5Ks involve from 12.5 to ~30 minutes of continuous running, depending on ability, carrying out extended quality runs is also a good idea during 5K preparations. Endurance athletes tend to like extended runs a lot, and for good reason: The workouts are simple to carry out, don’t take too much time, and are specific to 5K racing. All a runner needs to do is warm up thoroughly and then complete a hard 20-minute run over a favorite training route without any breaks, rests, or recoveries of any kind. The running itself should feel as though it is being conducted at about 10K pace.
Running Science Page 48