Better Thinking About Running

Technique, Core Program, Zones & Race Preparation

Regardless of your background, or goal event, this chapter will help you think better about your running.

We are going to explore five topics:

1. What Is Running Well?

2. Frequency, Duration and Intensity.

3. The Concept of Core Pace.

4. Red Zone & Sustained Speed Training.

5. Benchmarking.

The discussion will center around the needs of three types of athletes:

• Novice

• Recreational (Health & Fitness)

• Competitive

Novice - an athlete who needs to learn the basic principles of getting run fit.

Recreational - an athlete who needs to learn the principles of using running for optimal health and fitness.

Competitive - an athlete who needs to learn: (a) how to progress their training to become competitive; (b) how to compete; and (c) how to win. By winning, we are referring to reaching the athlete’s maximum potential.

Elites need to go through the cycle of training to train, training to compete, training to win, each time they move up a competitive tier. From regional to national to international competition, the requirements at each level change.

Typically, what amateur athletes have in common is:

• An on-going need for aerobic conditioning.

• Lower skill, technique and economy => as compared to an elite.

Like training zones, there’s overlap between these categories. Also like training zones, be aware of the temptation to creep upwards in the classification table.

It takes unusual humility to train in the style of a “lower” athlete category. If we can rein in our egos and persist, then the results can be exceptional.

Let’s dig in…