Friday, June 22, 2012

Train Less, Run Faster?


Train less and run faster? As the London Marathon looms, runners of all abilities are racking up the miles across Britain, but many could be working too hard, according to trainer George Anderson.

Traditional marathon-training programmes recommend five or more training sessions a week and focus on ever-increasing mileage. Anderson, however, says you can reach your personal peak using just three well-targeted sessions a week.

A long-time runner and fitness coach, he came up with his Intelligent Running programmes after speaking to people who dreamed of running marathons but felt they would never have the time to train for one. "I began wondering if there was a training sweet spot where you could squeeze maximum results out of less running," he explains.

Anderson subsequently ran his best-ever marathon on just two sessions a week, breaking the three-hour barrier in the process. With a little fine-tuning he developed a workable three-session programme he believes can apply to runners of all levels.

The biggest problem is falling into the "junk mileage" trap, where you run too hard for a significant aerobic benefit but too slowly for a decent threshold benefit that will improve your speed. You put the miles in, but reap little reward.

Anderson advises either slowing down into a steady aerobic pace – which means running at just below 70 per cent of your maximum heart rate, where you build the endurance crucial for any marathon – or speeding up to 80 per cent of your maximum heart rate or above to push your peak performance. This zone takes a little getting used to if you've not been there before. Anderson describes it as being "comfortably uncomfortable".

Another point he stresses is that running doesn't make you fitter, or faster. It's the body's adaptation after the stresses of training that works this magic, and for this to happen well, you need the right nutrition and the right rest – something which is in short supply for those on five or more runs a week.

Julie Giamettei, 46, started running two years ago. "I used to just go out for hours and hours. I was training way too hard but didn't know any different," she said. "Since working with George, I've learned the value of good recovery and good nutrition, and I've taken almost 20 minutes off my personal best at the half marathon."

"It takes days or even weeks for the body to recover from a marathon and it's the same in training. Run huge miles preparing for your race and you'll never recover, which will derail your progress."

Life's fitness guru Tony Gallagher warns there are some corners that can't be cut. "If you're planning on a marathon, then you must get your long runs in. If you arrive at the start line and suddenly ask your body to run a third more miles than ever before, you'll struggle." But he can see the benefits of Anderson's approach. "In theory, long runs are great, but in reality folks constantly injure themselves or the quality of their running diminishes."

Training smarter instead of harder could be the answer.

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