Workout of the Day: 10 Miles Steady + 3 x 1 Mile
10 Miles Steady + 3 x 1 Mile
Intensity — 10 Miles @ 97% HM pace, 1M reps @ 103% HM pace
Recovery — 5 minutes after 10M, 400m after 1M reps
Exertion — 9/10
Context & Details
The distance runner has a simple problem they need to overcome on race day:
Run fast in the presence of fatigue.
Popular thought, promoted by Authur Lydiard, is that what runners lack is not speed, but stamina (which some mistakenly call endurance). The thought process is the limiting performance factor is fatigue, so focus all your training to elevate your resistance to fatigue.
Like all half-truths, there is an element of correctness to it, but it’s an incomplete interpretation. The limitations of race-day performance are multi-factorial. But it’s a lot easier to focus on upgrading only one performance variable than many.
But let’s consider another important performance variable: a runner’s max sprinting velocity.
You may ask, how can a marathoner’s sprinting ability influence how quickly they can cover 26.2 miles?
Answer: force.
Physics influences running performance far more than many coaches and runners appreciate. And it’s worth considering here.
If your body can produce a higher absolute force (measured as max sprinting velocity) then it has an elevated potential to sustain higher forces (read: speeds) over a given race distance, provided other performance variables, like resistance to fatigue, are adequately upgraded.
So runners must be both fast and fatigue resistant.
One unique characteristic that separates distance runners from sprinters, is runners must produce relatively high forces (read: race speeds) in the presence of fatigue. Sprinters produce high forces in a state of little to no fatigue.
How to train in the face of fatigue is important for runners and coaches to understand in-depth.
Today’s workout is a session that seeks to advance relatively high forces (103% of Half Marathon speed) specific to half marathoners in a relatively fatigued state (after 10 Miles at close to half-marathon pace).
This is why cutdown style workouts are so common for distance runners, but not sprinters:
Runners need to condition their bodies to run fast when tired, which will only be a percentage of their absolute maximum speed. Sprinters, on the other hand, are trying to raise their absolute maximum velocity with little to no fatigue considerations.
It’s easy for runners to obsess about improving endurance, or stamina, at the cost of neglecting improving speed.
But that’s a mistake.
If you don’t elevate your body’s ability to produce higher forces while running — through regular sprinting, plyometric, med ball, and weight training exercises — you’ll eventually reach a pace plateau. Making those activities a regular part of your training diet will complement your training efforts towards upgrading your fatigue resistance.
And once you’ve achieved higher running forces and more fatigue resistance capabilities, doing workouts similar in construction to today’s WOTD will help transfer those higher absolute running forces to higher relative forces (faster speeds) when tired. Resulting on race day in running fast in the presence of fatigue.