Speed Training for Long Distance Runners

May 8, 2020 Stephanie Pi

Running a fast marathon takes more than just logging a bunch of miles day in and day out. It requires a thought-out plan that includes a long run, shorter easier runs, and faster-paced runs or interval training. Of course, other non-running components are also fixed into the equation such as strength training, stretching, and drills that mainly help with injury prevention, overall strength improvement, and running mechanics. Most runners will incorporate tempo runs as their form of faster-paced workouts, which is crucial for building the endurance needed to hold that faster goal pace for several miles at once. The problem with only using this form of speed work for marathon and half marathon training is that it does little to help improve running economy.

What is Running Economy?

In simple terms, running economy is defined as the relationship between oxygen consumption and running speed. Oxygen consumption is measured by VO2 max, which is the maximum amount of volume of oxygen used during intense exercise. Although VO2 max is often used as a true predictor of fitness, it does not always predict someone’s ability to run a fast marathon. Running economy, on the other hand, is a better indicator of distance running performance because it takes several other factors into consideration. It considers the maximum amount of oxygen consumed at a specific constant speed. Therefore a marathoner who is able to hold a five minute per mile pace for 26.2 miles has a better running economy than a short distance runner able to hold the same pace for only 400 meters.

Why is all of this important? Well, for a marathoner trying to improve their overall pace with every race they compete in, it will require them to incorporate specific speed workouts to improve their running economy. This is even more important as we age since the first thing to deteriorate with age is speed. Rather than focusing on improving specific physiological systems in the body such as VO2 max and lactate threshold, speed development workouts will focus on improving neuromuscular responses. This means improving the speed at which your brain sends signals to your muscles to fire by relying on fast twitch muscle fibers—possibly ones barely used for most recreational marathoners. This type of training will eventually lead to running at your marathon goal pace for longer with less effort. That X-minute mile pace will finally feel doable!

Sample Speed Workouts

Run 20-24 x 200-meter repeats at 5k to 10k effort with a 200-meter jog in between. This workout should not feel taxing at all since you are not supposed to be pushing the 200-meter repeats at an all-out effort. The pace should be controlled and faster than marathon pace—about 30 seconds per mile faster. The 200-meter recovery jog should not be a significantly slower pace either—think slowing your pace down by 2 minutes per mile than you ran the hard 200 meters.
Run 12-16 x 400-meter repeats at 5k to 10k pace with a 200-meter jog in between repetitions.
Run 8-10 x 800-meter repeats at 5k to 10k pace with a 400-meter jog in between repetitions.
Run 6-8 x 1000-meter repeats at 5k to 10k pace with a 400- to 600-meter jog in between repetitions.
Run 6-8 x one mile beginning with the first mile at half marathon pace and cutting down 10-15 seconds per mile with each repeat. Recover for one mile in between each repetition.

Each of these workouts should always include two to three miles for a warm-up followed by some dynamic stretching and drills. Always finish speed work with a cool-down of one to two miles. A good idea is to switch up the speed sessions each week but always come back to each after a few weeks to check your improvements. Since you are always trying to run at 5k to 10k pace, what you will see improving is your effort. Over time the repeats at your 5k or 10k pace should feel easier. As mentioned this pace should equate to 20 to 30 seconds per mile faster than your marathon goal pace.

As you can see marathon training can include a variety of speed workouts to choose from, unlike 5k or 10k training where you mostly focus on the shorter sessions of 100- to 400-meter repeats. These workouts used to improve running economy are more beneficial to marathoners looking to improve their sustained pace for a race. Most runners obsess over their VO2 max improvements but studies have shown that VO2 max may not be as reliable as running economy when determining marathon ability. Research states that running economy may vary by up to 30% in runners with similar VO2 max values. If incorporating these types of speed sessions throughout your training cycle, you should be able to hold that goal pace with less effort throughout your race. Once you accomplish this, your next race will require you to drop to a new 5k to 10k pace for these speed sessions and on you go with more PRs!

Sources

Kyle R Barnes and Andrew E Kilding, Running Economy: Measurement, Norms, and Determining Factors, Journal, May 8, 2020.

Mobility Exercises Every Runner Should Be Doing

March 16, 2020 Stephanie Pi

If you are a runner, then you have probably been told about how important it is to warm up before heading out for your workout. Some of us get a few stretches in and go straight to the run and others are usually short on time so skip it all together. You have probably heard static stretching, such as a prolonged quad pull, is not a good idea before running. This usually elongates and relaxes your muscles, which is something you do not want when you are getting ready to run fast. Instead, we are told to incorporate dynamic stretching, which is actually a mobility exercise rather than a flexibility exercise.

Having good flexibility means you can passively move your joints and muscles through a wide range of motion—passively meaning ‘in a relaxed state’. Having good mobility, on the other hand, means you can actively move your muscles and joints through a normal range of motion, but with proper form and strength. Many runners incorporate stretching before or after runs to treat or prevent tightness in the muscles, which is common in the hamstrings, hip flexors, and calves for the most part. Although tightness can relieve, the actual joint can remain stiff, causing poor running mechanics, which affects stride length, push-off, and torso rotation. All of these outcomes will create inefficient running limiting you from reaching faster paces, as well as increasing the risk of injury.

Ankle Mobility

It is best to include a 10 to 15-minute mobility warm-up routine before every run. This will assure you are properly warm and ready to hit the road (or trails or track). A good plan is to begin with the lower, smaller joints and work your way up. The following ankle mobility drills will get you ready to push off the ground with your full range of motion and keep your calves from overworking.

Rocking

Forward and backward ankle rocking involves the dorsiflexors and plantarflexors of the ankle. While standing, lift the forefoot and toes as high as you can and rock forward to lift the heels. Continue rocking forward and backward for 15 reps or 30 seconds. Rocking with lateral movements will involve the invertors and evertors of the ankle/foot joint. Lift the inner part of the foot while weight bearing on the outer edge and rock the ankles to switch and weight bear on the inner foot.

Rolling

In a seated or lying position with feet unsupported, roll the ankles making circles in both directions—clockwise and counterclockwise. This is a great exercise to do before getting out of bed in the morning, especially if you have issues such as plantar fasciitis. Besides making circles, you can also try writing out the alphabet with your ankles and toes.

Knee Mobility

Circles

Stiffness in the knees is a common complaint from runners. Mobility exercises can help ease this stiffness and create more efficient running mechanics so that the knees do not bear too much pressure during the run. While standing bend your upper body forward and place your hands on your knees. Rock the knees in small circles in both directions for a maximum of 30 seconds.

Quad Pulls

Just like a regular static quad pull stretch in standing, you can incorporate a dynamic version for mobility. Grab your right foot with your right hand behind your back and hold for two to three seconds. Alternate legs until you reach 30 seconds.

Hip Mobility

Glute Pulls

The hips are probably the biggest problem area for runners when it comes to proper mobility. Hip Stiffness and lack of mobility is the cause of short strides, decreased upward knee drive after push-off, and limited torso rotation. Glute pulls, similar to the quad pulls for the knees, will help mobilize the back side of the hips. While standing, lift your knee to your chest and hug tightly for two to three seconds. Alternates sides for 30 seconds total.

Military March

Tightness in the hamstrings’ connections to the hip and knee joint can cause stiffness that limits stride length and upward knee drive as well. Kick up the right leg as high as you can and reach your left hand to the right foot. Switch kicks for 30 seconds.

The Rest of the Body

The legs aren’t the only parts that need to move while running. The arms and trunk need their proper mobility, as they help propel the body forward and stabilize the hips, respectively. Arm swings are easy to do during your walk towards your starting point. Standing upper trunk rotations for a few seconds mobilizes your hips and spine. Lastly, neck mobility can be incorporated for a few seconds as well such as with clockwise and counterclockwise circles. As mentioned, these warm-up exercises will take 10 to 15 minutes and can also be done at other times during the day. After just a few weeks of consistent mobility work, you will notice the improvements in not only your stiffness but also your running form!

Finding the Right Running Shoe for You

August 21, 2019 Stephanie Pi

Finding the right running shoe can get tricky. We all want to go for the most stylish pair with attractive colors and designs, but many times these nice-looking kicks end up destroying our feet. As a runner and physical therapist I have learned along the way that the single most important gear to be picky about for running (or really any activity that has you standing or walking for long periods of time) are shoes. If you are an occasional runner who gets in a few miles every week just to stay active, one pair at a time is sufficient. But runners training for a distance event, especially those who incorporate different types of runs require a couple of pairs to rotate through. And it involves more than just “cushioned” or “light” when shopping around.

Know Your Foot Type

The first thing every runner should do when selecting shoes is figure out their foot type. Are you a pronator? Do you excessively supinate when you land? Do you have high arches? What does this all mean anyway?!

Pronator: This is when you land on the inner part of your foot when running. Most of the time runners initially land on the outer border of the foot, but quickly roll inward excessively. Those with low arches usually fall in this category.

Supinator: This is when you land on the outer border of the foot and remain with the majority of the pressure on this area throughout the midstance and even into the push-off phase of running. Those with high arches will fall into this category.

There are several running shoe stores that offer a gait analysis that can give you an idea of your foot type, but the best analysis would be by a podiatrist or sports medicine professional that specializes in gait and has access to the technology. A great way to analyze your foot type that can be done at home is checking the wear on your current or an old pair of running shoes. If you notice the wearing is excessive on the outer border, you can assume you are a supinator and you underpronate when you land. A pronator would have excessive wear on the inner border. If your shoes have even wear, you most likely have a neutral arch and pronate a normal amount.

Next Step: Shoe Type

Cushioned: Supinators should opt for cushioned shoes (at least for the majority of their runs). They provide optimal comfort (cushioning) with the least amount of firmness in order to promote a bit more pronation when landing. Cushioned shoes are made to be more flexible, but not all flexible shoes are cushioned! Some cushioned shoe examples are New Balance Fresh Foam, Brooks Adrenaline, and Saucony Omni.

Motion Control: This shoe type is made with more rigid materials in order to control the foot from rolling inward too much. Overpronators or runners with flat feet will benefit from motion control shoes since they include a more dense midsole, which helps raise the arch of the foot. Saucony Kinvara, New Balance 1540, and Brooks Ravena are all great shoes for low arches.

Stability: If you are a neutral runner, then stability shoes are your go-to. Most will have a firm rear and flexible forefoot with a moderate amount of cushioning. Some examples are the Saucony Guide Iso 2 (one of my favorites!), Adidas Ultraboost, and Nike Air Zoom Pegasus.

Shoe Rotation

If you are an everyday runner, alternating between faster paced running, track sessions, and easy runs, it is best to rotate between two or three pairs. Opting for lightweight, flexible shoes are best for speed sessions. Shoes made for the track or even most “racing” shoes such as the Nike Vaporfly 4%, generally do not have much cushioning. As long as you limit the use of this type of shoe to short track repeats and racing, your feet won’t be affected too much. For the majority of your weekly runs (which should be at a conversational/easy pace), it is ideal to use the shoes that are best for your foot type as explained above.

Everyone has different feet and running form varies greatly, so what works for one person may not work for another. Just because you see a “fast” runner using a pair of the brand new Nikes does not mean you should go out and spend the money to use the same style. Well, first of all, a shoe does not necessarily make you faster. If you find you run faster in a given pair of shoes it is your better foot mechanics that are making you faster, not the actual shoe. The best advice if you are having any foot, knee, hip, or back pain during or after running, is to definitely evaluate your running mechanics and foot type. Switching to the right shoe for you can be a simple fix to a nagging problem.

A Stronger Upper Body for Better Running

August 19, 2019 Stephanie Pi

The upper body plays an important role in our everyday activities. We would not be able to perform tasks such as reaching, pushing, lifting, pulling, and grasping objects without sufficient upper body strength. During walking and running, our arms help propel us forward by the act of swinging in coordination with the opposite lower limb. The arm swing is what aids in controlling the upward force developed by the leg swing, keeping us moving horizontally, either forward or backward.

The arm swing in running is driven by the shoulder muscles. Even when we try to restrict our arms from swinging, our shoulder muscles are still contracting. While our legs swing during this motion, our torso rotates. The remainder of our upper body muscles, including the abdominals, entire back and chest, and even the neck muscles, control this rotation.

Weak Arms = Fatigue

Runners with poor upper body strength will fatigue much quicker in longer runs. As mentioned above, the biomechanics of running involve the entire body working together to create the running movements of leg and arm swing, pelvic stabilization, and torso rotation. Since the arms contain smaller muscle groups than most of the rest of the body, if they do not have sufficient strength to begin with, once they tire during running, the other muscle groups must begin to work harder throughout the remainder of the run. The shoulder muscles will need to work harder to continue propelling the weak arms, which will cause them to fatigue and then limit the amount of arm motion. At this point the core and torso muscles will need to create a stronger rotation to counteract the leg swing. The pattern will continue the fatigue downwards to the legs. In this case, for whole body endurance purposes, having a stronger upper body will help a runner last much longer.

The Purpose of Good Posture

A component to proper running form is good posture. Running with a forward head posture or rounded shoulders will make it more difficult to swing the arms and rotate the torso efficiently. This may lead to similar fatigue as described above or even injury to other joints below and most likely back pain.

Run Tall Proper posture begins with making sure to run tall—basically keeping the head facing forward with the chin parallel to the ground and keeping the shoulders back. This will help open up the chest and ensure more efficient breathing, improving endurance. Keeping the head in the appropriate position and shoulders back to create this tall posture requires strong upper back muscles. These muscles will pull the shoulders back by squeezing the shoulder blades together. Effective exercises to help achieve this strength are upper back rowing and reverse fly exercises. It is important to also include stretching for the chest and shoulder muscles, as having tightness in these areas will contribute to rounding out the shoulders and preventing a tall posture.

Arm Swing Overall shoulder strength is beneficial since the shoulders are the driving force to the arm swing. Deltoid exercises such as straight-elbow forward and side raises are examples of simple strengthening exercises. Proper running form also includes elbows bent as close to a 90-degree angle as possible and limiting the arms and hands from angling in front of the body. This bent position is the job of the bicep muscles; therefore adding in a few variations of arm curls will help achieve this strength. Another effective way to strengthen all components of the arm swing is mimicking this motion with a pair of light dumbbells while performing a leg exercise such as walking lunges or step-ups.

Stable hips The rest of the upper body, from the mid-back to the lower abdominals, is the main component for the torso rotation and pelvic stabilization in running. The torso should mostly be kept as stable as possible with a rotation that flows with the amount of leg swing. Deep core muscles that connect to the spine are in charge of keeping this stability. Most abdominal exercises such as leg raises, crunches, and planks, should be performed with the pelvis rotated slightly backward as to limit arching the back. This posterior pelvic position will contract these deep core muscles.
Trunk Rotation Rotation is achieved mostly by the obliques in the core, which can be strengthened by floor exercises such as the dead bug and Russian twist exercises. Performing walking lunges with a torso twist to the side of the stepping leg is a great combination exercise for the obliques, as well.

If you are looking to improve running form, endurance, or even set a PR, consider including several exercises for the upper body. Although this means you have to set aside a bit more time for exercise, it will be well worth it. A stronger upper body means more efficient breathing, better posture, and improved biomechanics with every step of running. All of these outcomes will lead to lasting longer while running and decreasing your risk of injury and pain along the way.