Training
The Long & The Short of It By Ray Orchison
In a world where mileage is king , always remember the short guys : The recovery run , the easy run and the high intensity workout .
A week of training should be made up of far more than just long slow running , or LSD as it is known . LSD has many benefits , such as developing aerobic capacity and endurance , and it also prepares the mind to go the distance come race day , but this is where runners go wrong . The focus tends to shift entirely to LSD with not much room for anything else in the week .
You don ’ t get fast by only running LSD – there ’ s a reason the middle word of LSD is slow . LSD 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 ( if you ’ re training for the big ultras ), it takes 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 that supplement LSD ’ s :
• They teach the body to run in a fatigued state .
• They add bulk to the overall mileage of the week .
• They enable speed maintenance .
Go Short
There are three types of Short Runs , as the intro of this article describes :
1 . The Recovery Run : This easy run is usually done the day after a hard workout or long run , and the purpose behind it 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 building week , running consecutively for six days , and you ’ ve had two hard days and a long run on Sunday . Instead of taking your normal rest day on Monday , you get up and head out for a short ‘ recovery ’ run of 30 minutes . You will be doing this run 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 in the big ultras .
Limit the recovery run to between 15 and 45 minutes . Doing it without a watch will help you avoid the temptation of running too fast , and be careful not to push your body too far and end up injured or sick ! Make sure that you still allow yourself adequate recovery on a weekly basis .
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 – in other words , a pace that feels like you could run all day .
3 . The High Intensity Workout : This is usually a short but hard effort workout , and is taxing on the body . 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 , and then build from there . I suggest you always keep a light session of high intensity work in your week , so that you maintain the speed developed in preceding months .
Keep It Balanced
Each short run has its place in training , depending on season and upcoming races . That said , my advice is to avoid trying to find that one ‘ magical ’ workout , and rather keep a balance of training types as you progress .
Ray Orchison is a South African-born running coach and therapist . He has completed the Comrades Marathon multiple times and also boasts personal bests of 33:55 for 10km and 2:48:00 for the marathon . He has completed USATF and NAASFP coaching courses , and provides personalised training programmes to his clients . Now based in Perth , Australia , you can find him at https :// runetics . com . au .
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