OUT OF
THE BOX
By Norrie Williamson
COUNTDOWN TO YOUR MARATHON
South African runners are striding into the marathon and ultra season , but how do you make the most of the long runs to maximise the training , yet still walk away with a good time ? Take my advice and you will be running faster at the finish than you were at the start ! It ’ s as easy as 1-2-3 .
Since my very first Comrades Panel Talk in 1986 , I have promoted a mix of running and walking , and have used this myself in many of the 100- mile , multi-day and ultra races I ’ ve run . As a coach , I have also used it with Comrades gold medallists , 100km and 24-hour athletes as well as international and provincials level athletes , some of whom have earned podium places as individuals or teams at World , National or Provincial Champs .
The list of runners and triathletes who have benefited from the run and walk mix is considerable . Even sub-20 minute 5km runners have recorded PB ’ s with a walk at 3km ! Basically , splitting a distance up with periods of running mixed with short , determined , planned walk breaks will extend your endurance capability , improve overall pacing , make for better hydration and energy intake , psychologically reduce the distance into bite-sized sections , and , importantly , result in faster overall times .
LIMITED MOVEMENT
As a species , we have significantly reduced the amount of movement in our lower back and this has a ‘ trickle down ’ effect on the glutes , hamstrings , calves and Achilles . In my case , the amount of travelling I do increased dramatically since 2004 , resulting in hours of cramped travel , both local and international , and sitting behind a screen . As a result , I was losing my flexibility and functionality in three key ‘ hinges ,’ the ankles , the knees ( also affected by shortened hamstrings and tight calves ), and vitally , the hips and lower back , while travel fatigue reduced circulation and the ability to get into a fluent running style on arrival .
However , not only did I find that a basic set of yogabased movements provided relief , but also that by mixing running and walking in a gradual escalation of distance , my warm-up and ‘ body release ’ was smoother and more effective . As a result , my training , particularly the day after intercontinental travel , began with yoga , then run one minute , walk one minute , run two , walk one , run three , walk one , run four , walk one , and then only moving to the actual long run . I noticed that this brought my heart rate up in a more controlled fashion , and my core running time was of higher quality , with a stronger finish .
NEW DISCOVERY
On one particular morning , I commenced as usual , but instead of just getting to four minutes , I continued counting up : Run five , walk one , run six , walk one , and soon I was at 10 minutes , when I noticed I had already covered 65 minutes at virtually the same pace that I would have done if I had commenced a non-stop run and kept my heart rate low into my fat metabolising level ( 180-age + 5 ). I hadn ’ t planned to go over 90 minutes , but the slower start had me now running with good rhythm and it felt as though I hadn ’ t done anything , so I put in two minutes of walking after the 10-minute run and started to count down : Run nine , walk one , run eight , walk one , and so on …
As I reduced the run intervals , my heart rate took longer to get to the limit , but my pace was able to increase . Of course , this resulted in a positive mindset , which resulted in a faster pace , resulting in a still more positive mindset … an upward spiral of performance enhancement ! And from being tired , tight and limited in pace two hours earlier , I was fluid and flying at the end of two hours 10 minutes of running , and had covered more in the second hour than the first . That final 3-2-1 was almost sprinting !
PUT TO THE TEST
I shared this process with a number of runners I assist and most reported similar experiences . Then it was time to test it on a marathon and similar results were experienced . For example , if you want to break four hours for a marathon , you simply use the count-up from one minute to 14 minutes running , have 2 minutes of walking , and count down from 14 minutes to 1 minute running . And you can also run the last minute of walking – in all likelihood you will be flying !
If you consider pace , to run a four-hour marathon requires an average pace of 5:40 / km , whereas this system requires a pace of 5:17 / km , but provides 28 minutes of walking at an easily achieved stride . Even if you are targeting a PB at four hours , you need to be capable of a 50:30 for 10km , which is a 5:03 / km pace . That ’ s 14 seconds per kilometre faster than you require in this marathon , and yet you only ever run for 14 minutes twice without a break ! It gets even better for ultras : A sub-6-hour Two Oceans requires you only to count to 17 and a 10-hour Comrades is in your grasp by counting to 23 and back ! It brings new meaning to ‘ The countdown to Race day .’
36 ISSUE 103 FEBRUARY 2018 / www . modernathlete . co . za
ABOUT THE AUTHOR : Norrie has represented Scotland , Great Britain and later his adopted South Africa in ultra-distance running and triathlon . He is an IAAF-accredited coach and course measurer , has authored two books on running , and counts 21 Comrades medals amongst his more than 150 ultra-marathon medals . You can read more from him at www . coachnorrie . co . za .
Images : Fotolia & Jetline Action Photo