Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 104, March 2018 | Page 36

COACHING
The Long and Short of it…
In a country where long mileage is king, thanks to the focus on ultra-marathons,
always remember that short runs are just as important. – BY RAY ORCHISON,
REGISTERED COACH
A
week of training should be made up of far more than just long slow distance running, or LSD. While LSD
has many benefits, such as developing aerobic capacity and endurance, and preparing the mind to go
the distance come race day, many runners go wrong by focusing entirely on LSD, with not much room
for anything. The problem is, you don’t get fast by only running LSD, because these runs should be done at Two
Oceans and Comrades race pace, which will be slower than your marathon pace, and after two or three months of
this, it will take a notable effort to get some speed back into your legs.
The good news is that shorter runs will help you rediscover your speed, and they have a number of benefits which
supplement LSD: They teach the body to run in a fatigued state and enable speed maintenance, and there are three
types of short runs, each with its place in a training programme, depending on your upcoming racing plans, so try
to include a balanced mix of these training runs.
1. The Recovery Run: Usually done the day after a hard workout or long run, the purpose of this easy run
is not always recovery. It can certainly aid recovery by relieving stiffness, but the real benefit is teaching the body
to run in a state of depletion. Imagine you’re in a peak mileage-building week, running consecutively for six days,
including two hard days and a long run on Sunday. Instead of taking your normal rest day on Monday, you head out
for a short ‘recovery’ run of 30 minutes.
You will be doing this on tired legs and with low energy reserves. This will teach your body to run through fatigue,
something you’re sure to experience as you make your way up Constantia Nek or Polly Shortts. However, make
sure that you still allow yourself adequate recovery on a weekly basis, so limit the recovery run to between 15 and
45 minutes, avoid the temptation of running too fast, and be careful not to push your body too far and end up
injured or ill!
2. The Easy Run: When it comes to Two Oceans and Comrades, the easy run makes up the bulk of the
weekly training and should be done at Two Oceans and Comrades race pace – a pace that feels like you could run
all day.
3. The High Intensity Workout: This is usually a short but hard workout, and if you have never done
these types of workouts, do not add them to your training just before a major race. Once you’ve recovered from
your race, you can then reduce overall mileage and gradually introduce one light session of high intensity a week,
then build from there. I suggest you always include a high intensity work in your week, so that you maintain the
speed developed in preceding months.
About the Author:
Ray Orchison is a USATF and NAASFP certified
coach. Find him at www.runetics.com.
36
ISSUE 104 MARCH 2018 / www.modernathlete.co.za
Take note of these common pre-race
nutritional mistakes and fix them
before they slow you down. – BY
ESMÉ MARÉ, REGISTERED DIETICIAN
T
he week leading up to your big race can be
overwhelming and the last thing you want
to do is eat too much of the wrong foods,
and too little of the right foods, or at the wrong
times. Here’s what you need to know.
1 Improper carbo-loading
Many athletes eat large portions of carbohydrates,
especially pasta, the night before a race, to top
up their glycogen stores. However, this could lead
to digestive problems on race day. Rather start
a week prior to race day, gradually increasing
carbohydrate and fluid intake each day. This will
maximise glycogen storage.
2 Too much fibre
It’s important for athletes to consume a healthy,
balanced diet with adequate amounts of fibre,
which aids in the maintenance of normal blood
sugar levels, reduces risk of heart disease and
reduces the risk of constipation. Consuming
The
Warm-up
Routine
TRAINING
Get it Right
Before Racing