We make running too difficult sometimes. It really is rather simple compared to other sports, which is part of the reason for its popularity. Let’s start with what it takes to be a successful marathon runner and back our way into what makes for successful training. I will break down each of these, including how we get the desired effect in training:
- Muscle Fibers
- Lactate Threshold
- Glycogen Storage
- Running Economy
- Recovery
You will quickly see how these building blocks apply to ALL DISTANCES in some way.
This list is adapted from Pete Pfitzinger and Scott Douglas’s ever-popular book, “Advanced Marathoning.”
MUSCLE FIBERS
WHAT DO WE WANT? A high proportion of slow twitch muscle fibers and fast twitch fibers that are adapted to act like slow twitch fibers.
WHY? Humans have three types of muscle fibers: slow twitch, fast twitch A and fast twitch B. The proportion of slow twitch fibers we have is determined genetically and is difficult to change with training. Slow twitch fibers are more fatigue resistant and are more suited for aerobic running. The longer the race, the more desirable it is to have slow twitch fibers.
The average person has a 50/50 mix of slow/fast twitch fibers. Alberto Salazar had an astounding 93% slow twitch fibers! Obviously, the more of these fibers you have, the better marathon runner you will be. One might ask why train at all if we cannot increase the amount of slow twitch fibers? Well, the part we CAN change with training is the fast twitch fibers, particularly fast twitch A fibers. We can train these fibers to take on the properties of slow twitch fibers, which is awesome when you think about it!
HOW DO WE GET IT? General endurance training will improve this over time, particularly aerobic running at an easy pace (think conversational pace or 76% of Max Heart Rate).
LACTATE THRESHOLD
WHAT DO WE WANT? A high lactate threshold.
WHY? Pfitzinger calls this the most important physiological variable for endurance athletes. It is crucial in races 10K and greater. Our muscles are always producing lacattle. When effort increases, more lactate is produced and consumed such that the level in your blood remains pretty even. No big deal, right?
Here’s the kicker – when you run FASTER than your lactate threshold, your body produces more lactate than it can consume. When this happens, the body is limited in how much energy it can produce, which leads to slowing down in a race. Successful marathon runners run just below their threshold to avoid this.
HOW DO WE GET IT? We can raise our lactate threshold by training at our current threshold pace or just over it. This can be done for shorter intervals (ie: 3×2 miles) or longer runs of 3-7 miles. The pace should be one that you could sustain in a race of one hour, which is usually between 10K and half-marathon pace. Note – running at a pace too fast for these workouts will not affect one’s lactate threshold.
GLYCOGEN STORAGE
WHAT DO WE WANT? To be able to store a large amount of glycogen in our muscles and train our body to make it last.
WHY? Glycogen is a type of carbohydrate and the primary source of energy in a marathon. You can also convert fat to energy, but since that process is inefficient, you can’t run as fast when relying on fat for energy.
Put another way, we want our glycogen to last the full marathon. This is what happens when a runner hits the dreaded “wall” sometimes in the later part of a race. It is because they have run out of glycogen, forcing the muscles to use fat for energy, which slows the body down.
HOW DO WE GET IT? The total volume of training will improve this building block, particularly runs lasting at least 90 minutes. On a long run, the body is forced to get to a state where it is running low on glycogen and will have to rely on fat. Furthermore, consuming carbohydrates within 30 minutes of these runs will teach the body to store more of it.
RUNNING ECONOMY/OXYGEN USAGE
WHAT DO WE WANT? To get the most amount of oxygen possible to our muscles (high VO2 max) and use as little possible while running (running economy).
WHY? Simply put – we want a fuel efficient car with access to a lot of fuel! Oxygen (fuel) is in high demand during a marathon. If we train our muscles to function on very little of it, we will be more successful.
HOW DO WE GET IT? To train our body to use MORE oxygen, and thus, improve our VO2 Max, we need to run at a pace that demands the max amount of oxygen (ie: our VO2 Max pace). As you might imagine, this is a fast pace generally assumed to be 5K pace and faster. This is the pace used for interval training. Intervals of 2-6 minutes are ideal for marathon runners according to Pfitzinger.
RECOVERY
WHAT DO WE WANT? The ability to recover quickly from hard workouts and heavy mileage.
WHY? Quite simply, if we recover better, we can handle a bigger training load. 3 workouts a week is greater than 2 workouts a week! Though there is expected to be fatigue with marathon training, a certain degree of freshness is required for workouts to be effective and to avoid injury.
HOW DO WE GET IT? Several factors contribute to the ability to recover, including a well-structured training plan, diet, sleep, and experience of the runner. Other factors are uncontrollable such as age and genetics.
Like any healthy diet, a good training plan will have variety. The variety addresses the different adaptations that are necessary for a successful marathon. If all of these building blocks are addressed, you can be sure that a runner will run to his or her potential.
