Speed Training is the "roof" of the "training house". Keep this part to about 15 per cent. When designing your schedule, keep speed to the end.
It hones your progress to date.
This is the last phase of the training program but don't be deceived by the "short" workouts.
Like hills, you'll only be running hard for short periods of time, the intensity will add up.
A few key things to keep in mind for speed training:
1. Always run a light warm-up and cool-down.
2. Don't increase the distance or intensity of a speed workout too quickly.
3. Listen to any warning signs from your body - your goal race is fast approaching and you don't want to be nursing an injury.
Speed training not for everyone. It is a big help but don't push it.
The goal of speed training is to teach your body to go faster. It simulates race conditions.
Lactate acid: Lactic acid is a by-product of anaerobic glycolysis. If enough oxygen is not available, lactic acid is produced and begins to accumulate in the muscles. Lactic acid causes the "burning" sensation felt in muscles during high intensity exercise and also prevents muscles from working their best. This burning sensation is the result of a change in muscular acidity.
The point at which lactic acid begins to quickly accumulate in the blood is known as the anaerobic threshold or Lactic Threshold
Studies indicate that the best predictor of distance-running performance is your lactate threshold, which is the speed you are able to run before lactic acid begins to accumulate in the blood. By regularly including tempo runs in your training schedule, you will increase the speed that you can run before lactic acid begins to slow you down. To use a car analogy, tempo runs will allow your engine to rev faster without red-lining. Before tempo training, you may have red-lined at a 5:30-minute-per-KM pace. After a few months of tempo runs, you won't red-line until you reach a 5 min-per-KM pace.
Not only will running at LT pace push your body to increase how fast it can remove lactate acid from your muscles and blood, it also will help you overcome that huge mental block of hitting the wall in a race.
What is a tempo run?
Short but intense run.
For those with HRs, 80 to 90 per cent of Max HR.
Essentially a pace you could hold for one hour consistently. For those without HRs, think of a 10K race pace. You want to be hard but not totally uncomfortable. So you can utter words but not sentences.
Start at lower end and move up.
Tempo runs:
15- to 25-minute; 10-15 seconds faster than LT
25- to 40-minute; at LT
How to do tempo runs:
Don't need to go to track. Track workouts are for later.
Tracks are great for short intervals but for road running they are rather pointless because it does not mirror your race terrain.
Beware of the surface: I do my tempo largely on trails but I don't do at night for fear of rolling an ankle at faster pace
The Top Seven reasons for speed injuries:
1. Inadequate warmup or warm down.
2. Running Too Hard on Easy Days.
3. Sprinting.
4. Too Many Weeks of Speed.
5. Too Many Hard Days.
6. Inadequate Transition.
7. On A Bad Day.
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