Ron Morrison Coach Fife Athletic Club · 2016. 11. 30. · large aerobic metabolic component –Anaerobic exercise uses ... »Glucose and fast Glycolysis Fife AC 2016-11-10 Slide

Fife AC 2016-11-10 Slide 1

Training Principles & Preparing Schedules

Ron MorrisonCoach

Fife Athletic Club

A Quick Recap• We have looked at

– Respiratory (oxygen) and digestive (food/energy) systems– Heart & Lungs– Blood - Oxygen & energy transport through blood– Energy stores – PCr, carbohydrate, fat, protein– ATP replacement systems PCr, Glycolysis, Oxidative

• Power output– ATP-PCr at about 36 kcal per minute– Glycolysis at about 16 kcal per minute– Oxidative system at about 10 kcal per minute

• Change with training– ATP-PCr & glycolytic by 10-20%, oxidative by 50%


Why Train?• The body responds to exercise by

– Creating more tissue (muscle, connective tissue (tendon, ligament), bone …)

– If you stop exercising it will lose tissue unless you overeat • The purpose of training is to bring about adaptations in the

body the that will be beneficial to performance• The improvements in performance come from changes in the

– Lungs – ventilation & diffusion between alveolus & blood– Heart – stroke volume– Blood vessels – increase in blood volume– Muscles – size, more capillaries for better blood flow– …


Muscle Growth• The are about 650 skeletal muscles in the human body

– They contract by receiving signals from motor neurons– The better the muscles become at responding to those

signals the stronger you can get• After training

– The body repairs or replaces damaged muscle fibers– The repaired fibers increase in thickness and number to

create muscle growth• Muscle growth occurs whenever the rate of muscle protein

synthesis is greater than the rate of protein breakdown– The adaption does not happen during exercise– It occurs while you rest


How do you Train the Energy Systems?• ATP-PCr system

– Sprinting with a short recovery»6*50m with walk recovery

• Glycolysis– Short distances with long intervals for the fast glycolysis

»200m [2’]– Long distances with long intervals

»6*600m [3’]• The oxidative system

»5*2K [5’] – longer distances and longer recovery• Of course you need them all

– They can even be in the single session – 8*800 [1’]+6*50m


Thresholds• Anaerobic threshold is the point above which the body can no

longer sustain aerobic exercise– An oxygen deficit builds up that will lead to slowing down– An estimate is no greater than 90% maximal heart rate

• Aerobic threshold is the point below which there is insufficient stimulus to the cardiovascular system to bring improvement– Aerobic threshold occurs at different heart rates for

different people and varies with age and fitness– A good estimate is 60% of maximal heart rate (212 – age)


Anaerobic Training• Anaerobic exercise is intense enough to cause lactate to form

– It is used in non-endurance sports to promote strength, speed, power and muscle mass

– Muscle energy systems trained using anaerobic exercise develop differently compared to aerobic exercise

– It yields greater performance in short duration, high intensity activities - seconds to up to about 2 minutes

»Any activity lasting longer than about two minutes has a large aerobic metabolic component

– Anaerobic exercise uses »High energy phosphates – ATP & PCr»Glucose and fast Glycolysis


Aerobic Training• The Principles of training apply to all forms of training but

some are more important than others depending on the event– The energy systems are mostly slow glycolysis and oxidative

• The key elements of aerobic training are– Overload– Progression– Recovery– Specificity

• It is important to look at the specific aerobic demands of the event

• How would you measure that the aerobic training is working –oxygen?


Overload• Aerobic overload can be achieved by

– Exercising at just below the anaerobic threshold»This can be measured by the blood lactate level and is

sometimes called the lactate threshold– Exercising at a lower level but still well above the aerobic

threshold for a longer time»There are papers that suggest that training at this lower

level requires at least 35 mins of exercise»Do I believe this?

• A guide for middle distance runners is that about 15% of training should be at anaerobic threshold pre-season rising to 25% in season


Progression• As the athlete improves the effect of the training will tail off

unless it is adapted to the new level of fitness• Overload has to be increased for continuous improvement by

– Increasing the intensity– Increasing the duration– Increasing the frequency

• Individuals react differently to the variations and indeed lifestyle considerations impinge on this

• Part of the coach’s job is to guide this black art– Be very careful that the overload change does not lead to

injuryFife AC 2016-11-10 Slide 10

Recovery• Recovery is used to balance out the intensity of the overload

• Active recovery– Is low intensity (jogging, looking over the hedges cycling)

and helps repair the rebuilding mechanisms and speeds up the refueling of the energy stores

• Rest recovery– Is important prior to competition to ensure the energy

levels are full

• Some old rules– Never train hard 3 days in a row


Specificity• Aerobic conditioning is not only important to the

cardiovascular system but also to the aerobic aspects of muscle

• Thus the degree of specificity of aerobic conditioning must take into account the need for the specific muscle groups used in the sport– Even parts of the same sport -1500m, hill running, marathon

etc. require different balances in the aerobic conditioning


Developing all-round Endurance• Generic Endurance

– Good endurance runners can run well at most distances if they train correctly

– Lasse Viren, Emile Zatopek, Liz McColgan, Mo Farah

• It is done by varying the training slightly (specificity)– This is especially true in specialist events such as

»Marathon (glycogen burn out)»Steeplechase (barriers)»Hill running (different muscle groups)


A Bit of History• How did training methods develop?


Arthur Newton 20/5/1883 – 7/9/1959• Comrades Marathon

– 1st 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1927

• Books

• Running in three continents, H. F. & G. Witherby, London, 1940• Running H. F. & G. Witherby, London, 1935• Commonsense athletics, 1947• Racing and training, George Berridge, 1949

Slide 15

Newton’s 9 Rules of Training• Train frequently year-round

– This is commonplace now but before him– Walter George– Harry Andrews– Alfred Shrubb– Sam Mussabini

• All advocated walking as the basis of training with short running build ups– Dunky Wright and Lydiard

Slide 16

Newton’s 9 Rules of Training• Start gradually and train gently

– Run gently at a comfortable pace – LSD Joe Henderson 60s• Train first for distance only later for speed

– It is the speed that kills not the distance– Humans have sufficient speed not endurance– Suggested 100 mile a week – later by Lydiard

• Don’t race when you are training– Only time trials– Race over 16K infrequently

• Don’t set a daily schedule– Listen to your body– Use a weekly schedule and adapt it to how you feel

Slide 17

Newton’s 9 Rules of Training+• Alternate hard and easy training

– Bowerman, Dillinger & Lydiard – Macgregor (3 days in a row)• Specialise

– To be world class you can only do one event• Do not overtrain

– This is listening to you body again and includes rest• Train the mind

– Can you think your way through it• Rest before the racing

– But for how long

Slide 18

Tim Noakes’ Additional Rules• At first try to achieve as much as possible on minimum

training– Before doing huge mileage find out what happens without

• Incorporate base training and peaking– This implies that peak racing performance comes after a

period of high–intensity, low volume training that builds upon the opposite

• Train with a coach– Of course – wonderful people

• Keep a detailed log– What do you put in it

• Understand the holism of training– How does it fit into your life

Slide 19

Zatopek and the Finns• After Newton and his followers the world got mesmerised

with the success of Zatopek, Kuts etc and started variations of interval training– However Zatopek’s intervals like 40*400 had huge amounts

of aerobic running in them– A lot of acolytes turned this into shorter anaerobic running

like 10*400(60’)[1’] – Bannister, Chataway

Slide 20

Arthur Lydiard• Endurance – Conditioning (as long as possible)

– 70-100% of maximum aerobic effort – not LSD– Conditioning starts with only aerobic mileage (flats and

hills) to increase the aerobic threshold– Then include a day easy fartlek and strong runs over about

5K and 10K. The 10K only once every two weeks and the 5K three times every two weeks

• Strength Endurance – Hill Resistance (4 weeks)– Hill resistance training– Hill training two or three days weekly. One day long aerobic

run. Some wind sprints every 15 minutes during hill training Other days leg speed and fast relaxed runs

Slide 21

Arthur Lydiard• Speed Endurance – Anaerobic Training (4 weeks)

– Anaerobic training– Anaerobic training two or three days weekly. One day long

aerobic run. Other days sprint training of sorts and easy running

• Speed – Sharpening (4 weeks)– Co–ordination and sharpening– Sharpeners, trials, development races (under and over-

distances). Pace judgment training. Fast relaxed striding. If needed, 300 and 500 meters of fast anaerobic work

• Taper – Freshening up (10 days)– Freshening up– Rest

Slide 22

Other Considerations• Continuation of racing

– Non-race week / Race week scheduleThese schedules allow a runner to compete often and to keep improving, as long as the races are not run every week. It is usually best to race every three weeks

Slide 23

Classic Lydiard• Pure Newton–Lydiard• There is a basic endurance phase followed by strength

endurance (hills), speed endurance, speed, taper & competition– I find that kind of boring as it does not prepare an athlete

for intermediate races and puts all the eggs in one basket– That can go very wrong with illness and injury whereupon

you are left with nothing

Slide 24

Lydiard Variations?• Lydiard gives many examples of specific training schedules

– However they have enough scope to vary their application

– The variables include»Distance»Speed»Aerobic content»Anaerobic content»Short, long, mixed interval distances, speed with varied

recoveries

Slide 25

How do we measure success?

• The variation defines a multi–dimensional space where you need some multi–variate analysis to make sense of it

• Add to that the variation of the physiology of the athletes – The complexity means you cannot do individual control

experiments– Medical blind testing and non–linear, statistical mechanics

on mass populations may be a productive approach»Who has a mass population?»Hari Seldon’s Theory of Mass population (Asimov -

Foundation)

Slide 26

Newton–Lydiard with a Twist• This complexity is good new for coaches

– You cannot be found out

• Based on Newton–Lydiard make up you own twist hypotheses and declare them as theories (no proof needed)– With this start a new religion – the XYZ method– Recruit believers and start coaching– Try to recruit a great athlete for legitimacy– Write books and set up on–line coaching– Get rich!

Slide 27


How do we step on the shoulders of others?• Newton

– Train frequently year-round– Train first for distance only later for speed– Do not overtrain– Train the mind– Use hard and easy training– Rest before races

• Lydiard– The phasing concept– Example schedules that demonstrate how it is done

Slide 29

What do coaches do?• The coach is there to

– Inspire– Encourage– Organise

• Modern athletes– Over coached and under trained– They have to do the work

Slide 30

Typical Sessions to Train the Energy Systems• Roughly• Sprinting 100-400m

– Short distances with long rests• Middle Distance 800m-5K

– Up to 800m with short rests• 10K-Marathon

– Running above the aerobic threshold but as close as you can get to the anaerobic threshold

• Remember you need them all but the mix determines the outcome


Typical Sessions• See Spreadsheet


Our Lydiard Twist• What do we emphasise?

– Everyone is different– There are no secret sessions (only hard work)– The athlete has to listen to their body

»Managing injury is as important as managing training•Err on the side of caution

– Plan rest and recovery in the schedule– Use parallel phasing– Keep a training log– Study the individual holism of training

– The schedules are not written by God

Slide 33

Phasing• The phases of the training are as per Lydiard

– The difference is that all the phases are present at the same time within a 4 week block

– The phase intensity in a week can be varied• The 4 week blocks are phased into weeks that are

– easy, very hard, moderate and hard– This lets the athlete rest as well as peak– Races are used rather than time trials as minor goals in the

build up to the major targets

Slide 34

A typical 4 Week Block

Slide 35

Training Rules• Do not train if you are ill or injured

• All sessions start with a 10/15’ run followed by a dynamic warm up

• All sessions end with a warm down and possible stretching– Core work is done separately

•• Keep a diary in the comments tab and send to the coach

Slide 36

Important parts• I consider the backbone of this schedule to be

– Speed interval sessions– Fartleks– Long Sunday runs

• All the rest is background but necessary and depends on the major target– For example if you are training for a marathon the it is wise

to practise being on your feet for a long time

Slide 37

Targets

• The basic schedule can be used all year around to good effect– It allows lots of racing– It can be varied for semi-major goals

• Almost every week has a complete rest day to allow recovery from intense training

• For a major target I usually select a– 13 or 17 week build up– broken down into 3 or 4, 4 week blocks with a week's taper– Last year we ran a 10 week build up and it worked better

• The weekly mileage varies week to week and per athlete

Slide 38

What is being Balanced?• Week

– Has correct amount of variation – rest, speed easy running, distance - race preparation if necessary – interesting?

• 4 week block– The integration of the 4 weeks with all phases – recovery is

very important here and trying to avoid duplication• The major event preparation

– Balancing the overload and recovery through the phases– The weekly mileage and intensity goes up and down

• Juggling the sessions– Is not static but dynamic– Itneeds feedback from the athlete


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Ron Morrison Coach Fife Athletic Club · 2016. 11. 30. · large aerobic metabolic component –Anaerobic exercise uses ... »Glucose and fast Glycolysis Fife AC 2016-11-10 Slide