CASE STUDY: YOU

Examine last year’s training log and plan how to run stronger this year

IF THE NEW YEAR has you dreaming of a fast finish, you are probably pondering which race you’ll run and how you’ll train. Start by analysing your past: ‘Your previous races and training cycles are filled with clues that can help you get to the next level,’ says Andrew Kastor, head coach of the California-based Mammoth Track Club. Kastor and fellow coach Lori Mcgee Koch can help you learn from past efforts to make your next races the best they can be.

LOOK AT MILEAGE

When it comes to performance at any distance, your weekly volume is the most important factor, says Koch. Every run you do increases your blood volume and the number of capillaries in your muscles, which improves aerobic capacity. The more miles you log, the greater your stamina. To assess if you’re running enough for your goals, compare the average weekly mileage you ran the last time you trained for your target distance against these minimums: 15-20 miles for 5K, 20-25 for 10K, 25-35 for a half marathon and 35 miles and above for a marathon. If you were below, bring your volume up to these baselines. If you were at or over the minimums, a small increase might still help, says Kastor. Do this by adding one 20-45-minute run to your week. If you run four or fewer days, add another day; if you run five or six days, make it a second run on an easy day. And be aware of grumpiness, excessive fatigue or recurring aches and pains – all potential signs that you need to back off.

LOOK AT PACES

Most of your mileage should be done at an easy pace, but each week should also include time at a comfortably hard (‘tempo’) pace as well as a hard (5K or faster) pace. ‘A variety of paces ensures you’re hitting the specific training zones that lead to you becoming faster,’ says Kastor. Fast intervals boost the cardiovascular system and tempo miles work the metabolic system. Both improve your biomechanics, while easy days allow recovery. If you weren’t doing any speed variation, start by adding four to six strides (30-sec accelerations) after easy runs for two to three weeks. Then, do a weekly workout of 6 x 400m at goal race pace with equal time for recovery. (If you’re aiming for an average of eightminute miles, run two mins for the 400s with a two-min recovery jog.) If you were logging speedy miles, hit all three paces. ‘Some marathoners miss tapping into a faster pace, while some 5K runners think all they need is intervals, but tempo work helps sustain 5K pace, too,’ says Kastor. The ideal week: one goal-specific workout (intervals like 8 to 16 x 400m at slightly faster than goal race pace for 5K or 10K runners; 30- 60-min tempo runs for half and full marathoners); one long run done at a comfortable pace; one workout that introduces the missing pace (3 x 5-min repeats at tempo effort for 5K or 10K runners; 800s at 5K pace or strides after an easy run for half and full marathoners); and a couple of short, easy runs.

LOOK AT RACES

Study past race splits to see if your pace was especially off in the early, middle or late miles, says Koch. Then address those issues in training. If fear of bonking made you start too slow, focus on getting on pace during the first repeat in workouts. If miles eight and nine in the half marathon were slow due to negative thoughts or a wandering mind, use long runs and tempo workouts to practise staying focused. Late-race fatigue? Try taking walk breaks to save energy.