runner's world run less, run faster: become a faster, stronger runner with the revolutionary...

CONTENTSForewordPreface

SECTIONI:TRAININGWITHPURPOSE

Chapter1:TheFIRST3Plus2TrainingProgram

Chapter2:RealisticGoals

Chapter3:FirstStepsfortheNewRunner

SECTIONII:HOWTOFOLLOWTHEFIRSTTRAININGPROGRAM

Chapter4:FIRSTFundamentals

Chapter5:ThreeQualityRuns

Chapter6:EssentialCross-Training

Chapter7:RestandRecovery

Chapter8:Year-RoundTraining

SECTIONIII:PERFORMANCEFACTORSChapter9:RunningHotandCold

Chapter10:RunningInjuries

Chapter11:RunningNutrition

SECTIONIV:SUPPLEMENTALTRAININGChapter12:StrengthTrainingforRunners

Chapter13:FlexibilityandForm

SECTIONV:BOSTONANDBEYOND

Chapter14:Triathlons,Trails,andUltras

Chapter15:TheRoadtoBostonIsSteeper

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSAPPENDIXA:HowtoCalculatePaces

APPENDIXB:RoadAgeStandardsWMA2010APPENDIXC:RoadAgeFactorsWMA2010

APPENDIXD:PaceTablesINDEX

FOREWORDIhavelongbeenafanoftheFIRST(FurmanInstituteofRunningandScientificTraining) training program, and the dedicated people who created it (andcontinuetoimproveit).Still,afterthefirsteditionofRunLess,RunFasterwaspublished,Istartedgettinglotsofquestionsfrompersonalandemailfriends.Inaddition, IheardsimilarquestionsoverandoveragainwhenIspokeatclinicsandrunners’expos.

DoestheFIRSTtrainingprogramwork?Howcouldit,giventhatitfocusesprimarilyonjustthreeworkoutsaweek?Seemstooeasytobelieve.

Werunnersareskeptical.Wedon’tbelieveinfreelunches,shoesguaranteedtopreventinjuries,orfoodsthat“meltaway”thepounds.

Webelieveinaconsistent,disciplinedworkethic.Weknowthat’sthewaytoimprove.HowcouldtheFIRSTpromiseoffewermilesandworkoutspossiblysucceed?Soundsshady.

Ifoundthequestionseasytoanswer.Tobegin,I toldeveryone,theFIRSTprogramisn’teasy.Justtryafewoftheworkouts—they’retough!Second,manyrunners fail to reach their running goals because they overtrain—they run toomanymediocreworkoutsandnotenoughtargetedworkouts.Asaresult,they’realways tired but haven’t necessarily boosted their fitness and their racingpotential.That’swheretheFIRSTapproachshines.

Happily,I’vebeenabletoconvinceafairnumberofrunnersthatlesscanbemore.Andalmostinvariably,therunnerswhotriedtheFIRSTtrainingprogramdescribedinRunLess,RunFasterreportedthatitwasagreatsuccess.

No,I’mnotgoingtoexaggerateandsaytheyallsetpersonalrecords.Manydid, but some didn’t. However, even those who failed to get faster said theylearned much about themselves and the best ways to train by following theprogram.Theyoftenrecommendedittofriends,whichexplainswhyRunLess,RunFasterhasbeenoneofRunner’sWorld’sbest-sellingbooksforthepast5years.

Nowhere’sthenewedition.It’sgotallthegreatworkoutsandschedulesofthefirstedition,alongwithnewfindingsBillPierce,ScottMurr,andRayMosshave gleaned from countless email exchanges with FIRST training programusersandfromannualrunningcampstheyhaveorganizedeachyearatFurmanUniversity.

BelowistheintroductiontoRunLess,RunFasterthatIwrote5yearsago.Ifeelevenmorepositiveabout theprogram today than Idid then,becausenowit’sbeenroad-testedbyliterallythousandsofrunners.

AmbyBurfootEditor-at-Large,Runner’sWorld

June2011

Giventhetime-stressedlivesthatwelead,allrunnershavethesamegoal:torunthe best we canwith the limited amount of time at our disposal. After work,family,dailyerrands,andkeepingupwithpilesoflaundry,howyagonnafitinenoughgoodworkouts to reachyour goals? It’s thebiggest running challengeweface.AndBillPierce,ScottMurr,andRayMosshave theanswerwith theFIRST training program. I knowno other training system that comes close toprovidingtheproven,efficientoneyou’lldiscoverinthisbook.

But I don’twant you to think that the FIRST training program is easy. Itisn’t.IlearnedthisthehardwayacoupleofAprilsagowhenIvisitedBillandhis colleagues at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, and spentseveral days trainingwith them. In particular, I ranwithBill and his brother,Don.Welearnedthatwe’reallaboutthesameageandabilityleveloveralow-fatItaliandinneronmyfirstnight in town.Thenextday,weranoneofBill’sfavoriteintervalworkouts,5x1000metersonagorgeouscurvingpathalongatree-lined lake on the Furman campus.Wewarmed upwith a relaxedmile ortwo,andthenbeganthe1000-meterrepeats,IthoughtIwasingoodshapeatthetime,butittookallmyresolvetomatchstrideswithBill.WhileIwouldn’tsayIwas running 100 percent, I certainlywasn’t lollygagging.Call it a 98 percenteffort.Iwaspooped.

Fortunately, the FIRST method conceived by the team of professors andcoaches at the Furman Institute of Running and Scientific Training (FIRST)providesplentyof recoverybetweenhardefforts. Iwashappy to take thenextdayoffandsimplystrollaroundcampusfor30minutes.Billplayedtennis.

Thatbroughtus toDayThree,a tempotrainingday.Afteranotherseveral-milewarmup,BillandScotttookoffonasteady4-milerunthatwassupposedtobe hard but controlled. For them, I think itwas. Forme, however, itwas toomuch.Ilaggedabout30secondsbehindBill,wonderinghowhecouldrunhardagainjust48hoursafterour1000-meterrepeats.Theobviousanswer:He’sbeentrainingthiswayfornearly20years.HehasadaptedtotheFIRSTprogramandgottenstrongerandfasterwithit.Ihadn’tbeenfollowingtheFIRSTprogram…

thoughitdidn’ttakemelongtodecidethatIshould.Whodoesn’twantthemostfuel-efficient car, or mortgage with the lowest interest rate, or the runners’training program that provides the best results in the least amount of time? ImostappreciatethattheFIRSTapproachisscientificallybasedandmeticulouslymeasured.Manycoachesandpersonaltrainersdeveloptheirplansaccordingtotheir “proven successes.”Unfortunately, they’ve got no scientific or statisticalanalysis to back up their claims. They might be good enough coaches, butthey’veneveractuallystudiedhowwelltheirplanswork.

Bill,Ray,andScotthave—extensively.ThemembersoftheFIRSTteamwerecollegeprofessorsbeforetheybecame

coaches and have always approached the FIRST system as a scientificexperiment.They’vemeasured all their runnersbefore and after beginning theFIRST program, and the results could very well have proven the system anabsolute bust. But that’s not what happened. Instead, the experiments haveproduced consistently spectacular outcomes. The runners train less than theyusedto,and16weekslaterthey’rerunningfaster.

Itsoundslikesnakeoil,butitisn’t.JustaskBillforapeekintohisbulgingfolder of thank-you letters and emails. A runner’s success can never beguaranteed. Life happens to us all—we have to change jobs, we get injured,we’rewaylaidbyafamilyhealthcrisis…thelistgoesonandon.ButtheFIRSTtraining program ismore closely studied andmore guaranteed than any otherrunningprogramIhaveeverseen.What’smore,you’llspendlesstimetrainingthanyouarerightnow.You’vegotnothingtolose.It’sawin-winprogramthathasworkedforhundredsofotherrunners,andthere’snoreasonitcan’tworkforyou.

PREFACEThe first edition ofRun Less, Run Faster elicited an overwhelming response:More than 7,500 messages from runners on six continents provided us withvaluable feedback to the FIRST (Furman Institute of Running and ScientificTraining) training programs. The daily messages from around the globe havegivenusinsightintothechallengesrunnersfacewhetherthey’retraininginthesweltering Philippines or South Florida, in subzero, snow-covered Canada orScandinavia, in the desert sandstorms of Iraq, or on an oscillating ship in thePersianGulf.Othershaveneededtodealwithlivinginatownwithnorunningtrack or traveling on business with access only to a hotel treadmill. Equallydaunting are the problems that face amother of fivewhomust train between4:00 and 5:30 a.m. or a second-shiftworkerwho begins training atmidnight.Many have special medical problems; others describe how professionalobligationshaveleft themsedentaryforyearsandotherswanttoknowhowtobegin or enhance their training. Runners faced with all of these specialchallenges have sought advice from us on how to use the FIRST trainingprogrameffectively.

We have responded to everymessage. In quite a few instances, an initialmessagehasresultedinexchangesofquestionsandadvicelastingseveralyears.Wehavefiledandkeptnotesonallof the inquiries.Thosemanyquestions,aswell as our readers’ reports of success and failure, provide the basis for thisrevisededition.

The popularity of the first edition gave usmany opportunities to speak atrace expos, clinics, and professional meetings. At those engagements we metmany midpack runners, as well as noted authors and elite runners. Theseinteractionsenabledustolearnmoreaboutwhatrunnersseekandhowwemightbettermeettheirneeds.

In 2003,when theRunning Institutewas established,we declared that ourmissionwas topromote lifelongparticipation in runningandphysical activity,while helping runners of all ages and abilities realize their potential throughindividually tailored training programs. Even though we had been providingsuchhelp to local runners foryears, itwas through thepress thatourmessagebecame global. Without a doubt, the article that Amby Burfoot wrote in theAugust 2005 edition ofRunner’sWorld ignited the interest of runners in theFIRSTTrainingPrograms.Runnersstillwritethattheybegantrainingwithour

program because of it. That article also appeared in multiple internationaleditionsofRunner’sWorld;thuswebeganhearingimmediatelyfromrunnersinAustralia,NewZealand, SouthernAfrica, theUnitedKingdom,Germany, andotherEuropeancountries.TheRunner’sWorldarticlespawnedaproliferationofarticles indailynewspapers across the country including theNewYorkTimes,the Chicago Tribune, the Wall Street Journal, and magazines includingBloombergBusinessweek,Men’sHealth,Women’sHealth,Parade,andNationalGeographicAdventurer,allofwhichmagnifiedinterestinFIRST.

An intriguing opportunity growing out of this exposure is FIRST’scollaborationwithRunningBuddySports inBangalore, India.RunningBuddySports is a venture established by Ashok Nath, Bhasker Sharma, and RajeshVetcha, all committed runners themselves,who came toFurmanUniversity inthesummerof2011andweretrainedinallaspectsoftheFIRSTprogram.UsingFIRSTtrainingprograms,thesesuccessfulbusinessexecutivesplantopromoterunninginIndiaandenableIndianrunnerstostaymotivated,active,andinjuryfree. Mass participation in competitive running is just beginning to grow inIndia,andFIRSTispleasedtohelpencourageit.

Weareexcitedabouttheopportunitytoupdateourfirsteditionbecauseweareeagertosharewhatwehavelearned.Fromthethousandsofemailmessages,fromthehundredsofrunnerswhohavetraveledtoGreenville,SouthCarolina,to visit us at Furman University, and from the hundreds of runners we havecoachedandthemanyconversationswe’vehadwithrunnersatraceexposandclinics,we realized that therewere important unanswered questions about theFIRST training programs in the first edition ofRun Less, Run Faster. In thiseditionweaddressthosequestions.Inaddition,wehavetweakedthetablesandtrainingprogramsbasedonrunners’reportsoftheirexperience.Becauseoftheinternational interest, we have also provided a metric version of all of ourprograms.

Don’tbesurprised ifyoufindrepeatedmentionof thekeyelementsof theprogram: the importance of intensity, the integral role of cross training, thecritical role that recovery plays, and the importance of pace selection and theavoidance of injuries.As anyonewho has played on a high school or collegeteamknows,that’swhatcoachesdo.Coacheswanttomakesurethatathletesaregettingthemessageandincorporatingitintheirtrainingonaroutinebasis.

ThecoreoftheFIRST3plus2TrainingProgramremainsunchangedfromthe first edition—quality over quantity with individualized training goals foreveryrun.Whilethefirsteditionofthebookfocusedontheresearchstudiesthatconvinced us of the program’s efficacy, this second edition is focused on the

practical aspects of using the workouts and reflects the thousands of successstoriesrunnershavesharedwithus.Nothingismoregratifyingthanreceivingaheartwarming message from a runner describing how the FIRST trainingprogramenabledhimorhertoachievealifelongdream.

As Idid in the first edition, Iwill representmycoauthors,ScottMurr andRay Moss, as the voice of the book. As narrator, I will share with you ourpersonalandprofessionalexperiencesinexploringhowtotrainefficiently.

BillPierceOctober2011

SECTIONITrainingwithPurpose

Chapter1THEFIRST3PLUS2TRAININGPROGRAM

InAugust2005,ScottInfangerandAaronColangelosimultaneouslyreadAmbyBurfoot’s article in Runner’s World about the FIRST training program. As aresult,theybothbecameinterestedinthe3plus2program.Ambychronicledthesuccessesofthe25participantsinthe2004FIRSTmarathonresearchstudyandprofiledsixrunnerswhohadachievedpersonalgoals in themarathonwith theprogram.InfangerandColangelobothaspiredtoqualifyforBostonbyrunninga3:10 marathon. Both submitted an application to be in our 2005 marathontrainingprogramstudy.SoonbothweretravelingfromtheirrespectivehomesinNashville, Tennessee, and Washington, DC, to Furman University for theirinitialtestingintheMolnarHumanPerformanceLaboratory.TheyfollowedtheFIRST 16-week marathon training program monitored by FIRST via email.After15weeksoffaithfullyfollowingtheprogramtheytraveledbacktoSouthCarolinafortheirposttrainingprogramlaboratoryassessments.Whatwouldthedatashow?Hadthetargetedworkoutsresultedinanimprovement?Would3:10beattainable?Becausethefastertimesthattheyhadseenintheirtrainingwereconsistent with their physiological test improvements, we told them that withsmartpacing,aBostonqualificationwaspossible,butitwouldrequireafocusedeffort.AlloftheparticipantsinthestudygroupparticipatedintheKiawahIslandMarathononthecoastofSouthCarolina.BothScottandAaronransmartracesandqualifiedforBoston.

Whatwehavelearnedoverthepastsevenyearsandthousandsofmessagesis that Scott’s and Aaron’s performances are not exceptional; rather, they areconsistentwiththesuccessesofmanyusingtheFIRSTtrainingprogram.Mostoftherunnersinourtrainingstudiesimprovedboththeirraceperformancesandtheir physiological profiles. Why do we think so many runners succeeded?Simplyput,theworkoutsaredesignedwiththepurposeofimprovingspeedandendurance.Itallgoesbacktotheconceptofqualityoverquantity.Mostrunnersmeasuretheir trainingbythenumberofmilesrun,ratherthanhow thosemileswererun.OurTrainingwithPurposeprogramprovidesstructureandspecificworkoutstailoredtotherunner’scurrentfitnesslevel.

Thebasis of theprogram,described later in this chapter, is groundedon a

sound philosophy and scientific principles. Is it for everyone?We don’t thinkthat any one training program is for everyone. Each individual respondsdifferentlytotrainingprograms(See“ThePrinciplesofTraining”).Historytellsus that even elite runners have achieved their greatness using vastly differenttrainingmethods. Is theFIRSTtrainingprogramtheoptimalway to train?Wehavenevermadethatclaim.Wehavesaidthatitisatrainingprogramthatworksfor many runners based on solid evidence. Not only from our studies thatcollectedandexaminedphysiologicaldata,butmoreimportant,fromthosewhohavefollowedthetrainingprogramstoracingsuccesses.

Runnerswho’vepostedmarathontimesrangingfrom2:40to6:00hourstellusthattheFIRSTtrainingprogramwascentraltotheirachievements.Manyofthe runners who say that they succeeded with the FIRST program had beeninjured in the past from programs that required running almost every day orfocusedonhighmileage.TheFIRSTprogramprovided themwith ameans toparticipateinjury-freeinthesportthathadbecomepainfuldrudgeryformany.Alarge number reported to us that they have busy professional lives that don’tpermitthemtorunmoreoftenthanthethreekeyrunworkouts(anessentialpartoftheFIRSTtrainingprogram)and,furthermore,thattheywereabletoachievetheir goals—typically, a Boston qualification—with the FIRST marathontrainingprogram.Numerousclubsaroundthecountryhavewrittenustosaythattheirclubsusethisprogrambecausethespecificstructureoftheworkoutsmakesit easy to provide each club member with an individualized goal for eachworkout.We have learned that runners are disciplined and dedicated and likestructure and accountability.TheFIRST trainingprogramgivesyou a specificdistance and pace for each workout based on your current level of runningfitness.

The FIRST training program is designed to produce optimal results withlimitedrunning.Wehavecompressedourcollectiveknowledge,experience,andresearch into amethod that provides specificworkouts laid out in 12-and 16-weektrainingschedulesforracesfrom5Kstomarathons(seeTables5.1–5.5inChapter5).Theseefficientandeffectivescheduleshavebeentestedwithrunnersofwide-rangingabilities.Alongwiththetrainingschedules,weincludeanswersto many of the most frequently asked questions that we have received fromrunnersaroundtheworld.

ThisbookisdesignedwithaphilosophysimilartothatoftheFIRSTtrainingprogram.Thechaptersprovidetheessentialsforbecomingfitterandfaster.Werealizethatitisunlikelythatanyonehastimetodevotetoanextensiveregimenof strength training, flexibility, and cross-training. Likewise, we know that

lengthychaptersonthecomplextopicsofnutrition,environmentalfactors,andinjuriescanbemoredauntingtothereaderthanhelpful.Wehaveattemptedtogive you a practical number of important exercises thatwill keep you strong,flexible, and fit while not requiring much time. These basic exercises willenhanceyourrunningandcontributetokeepingyouhealthyandinjuryfree.Byparingtheinformationaboutnutritiontosimpleguidelines,webelievethatyoucanbecome a healthy eater and awell-fueled runner by followingour advice.Similarly,theinformationabouthowtocopewiththeheatandcoldcanaidyourtraining.Mostimportant,wewishtohelpyoustayhealthy.Allofourworkoutsand exercises are designed to help you avoid injury while recognizing thatrunningisaphysicalactivity that requiresrepetitivemovementsof impact thatcontributetooveruse.

WHATISTHEFIRSTPHILOSOPHY?AttheheartoftheFIRSTphilosophyisthebeliefthatmostrunnersdonottrainwithpurpose.Whenweaskrunnerstosharetheirtypicaltrainingweekandtheobjectiveofeachrun,theycan’texplainwhytheydowhattheydo.Whentheydon’t have a training plan that incorporates different distances, paces, andrecoveries, they don’t reach their potential. Nor do they garner maximumbenefits from their investment in training time. The FIRST program makesrunning easier and more accessible, limits overtraining and burnout, andsubstantially cuts the risk of injury while producing faster race times. Byfocusingonefficient,purposefultraining,theFIRSTprogramenablesrunnerstomeet their goal of running faster without sacrificing job, health, family, andfriends.

THEFIRST3PLUS2TRAININGPROGRAMANDITSCOMPONENTSThree quality runs each week plus two cross-training workouts are thefoundation of the breakthrough FIRST approach. The three runs—the trackrepeats, the tempo run, and the long run—are designed to work together toimproveendurance,lactate-thresholdrunningpace,andlegspeed.Foreachrun,theFIRSTprogramprescribesspecificpacesanddistances thatarebasedonarunner’s current level of running fitness. The three quality runs includingprescribedpacesanddistancesaredescribedindetailinChapter5.

Having a specific goal for each training run is another of the program’s

innovations—whenweaskmostrunnerswhatthey’rehopingtoaccomplishonagiven run, they answer with a blank stare. If you don’t know what you’retrainingtoward,howcanyoupossiblygetthere?

The FIRST program’s prescribed paces are usually reported by runners asbeing faster than their normal running speed. Generally, this is because ourTrainingwithPurposephilosophyfavorsqualityoverquantity, intensityoverfrequency,fastrunningovertheaccumulationofmiles.Ifyouwanttorunfaster,youneedtotrainfaster.Inadditiontorunningless,whatsetstheFIRSTprogramapartfromothertrainingprogramsisthatitemphasizesafasterpaceforthelongruns.Inourstudies,we’vediscoveredthatfocusingonadesignated,demandingpaceforthelongrunspreparesrunnersphysiologicallyandmentallyforracing,particularly for themarathon. Studies in various sports show that competitivepractices produce more focused competitors in games and competitions. Thefocus necessary to complete each FIRST key run workout makes runnersmentallystrongerinraces.

Thephysiologicalvalueofthisfasterrunningisthatitincreasesthemuscles’abilitytometabolizelactate.Whyisthisimportant?Theprocessassociatedwiththe accumulation of excess lactate inhibits aerobic energy availability formuscular action. By training at a higher intensity, the muscle adapts to theincreasedenergydemandbydeveloping theability touse lactate as anenergysource,ratherthanhaveitaccumulateinthemusclesandblood.

TheFIRSTTrainingProgramdiffers from the typical runningprogramnotonly by its emphasis on intensity but also by building inmore recovery timebetweenrunningworkouts.Withoutsufficientrecovery,you’llfinditdifficulttohave quality workouts.Muscles need time to recover from the stress of hardworkouts.Stressingspecificmusclefibersrepeatedly,dayafterday,inthesamepattern causes accumulated fatigue. In other words, running 6miles 5 days aweekresultsinmuscularfatigue,notmuscularadaptation.However,usingthosesame muscle fibers for a different type of activity will permit recovery andrechargingofthemuscle’senergystores(glycogen).Youcanengageinanotheraerobicactivityand reap thecardiorespiratorybenefitswhile themuscle fibersused in running are recharging for the next hard running workout. Chapter 7explainsfurthertheimportanceofrestandrecovery.

Mostotherrunningprogramsignorethebenefitsofcross-traininginfavorofrunningmoremiles.FIRST’s cross-trainingworkoutsnotonly enhance fitnessbutalsoaddvariety,whichultimatelyreducesvulnerabilitytooveruseinjuries.Plus, your training will be more interesting. Cross-training workouts atprescribed intensities increase blood flow around muscles, which in turn

increases the muscles’ ability to utilize oxygen and fat as energy sources forexercise.Usingfatasanenergysourcesparesthelimitedstoresofcarbohydrates(glycogen).Therefore,cross-trainingprovidesthesamebenefitastheadditionalrunning miles of other typical running programs. In Chapter 6, the 3plus2trainingprogram’scross-trainingworkoutsaredescribedindetail.

WHERE’STHEPROOF?In 2003,whenwe established theRunning Institute,wewere convinced fromourownexperiences that these three runningworkouts, coupledwithvigorouscross-training, would help runners improve both their race times and overallfitness.Wewereeager toconduct training studieswithavarietyof runners toevaluateourTrainingwithPurposerunningphilosophybytestingour3plus2program.We had designed the programs to help runners train effectively andefficiently and to avoid overtraining and injury.But couldwe prove that theywere,infact,doingallthesethings?

Exercise science studies testing the effectiveness of training regimenstypicallyareconducted in laboratorieswherepotentiallyconfoundingvariablescanbecontrolled.Westewedoverhowtodesignourstudies.Ourgoalwas tofind a program that would enable us to generalize the results to the typicalrunner,notjustmalecollegefreshmen.Manyresearchstudiesusemalecollegefreshmenassubjectsbecauseprofessorshaveeasyaccesstothem.Wewantedtotest our programs on “real” runners-fast, slow, male, female, young, old,novices,orraceveterans—performingtheir trainingwithoutdirectsupervision.Thatrequiredourgivingupcontrol.Wealsowantedtofindoutifourprogramworked for real runners in spite of the program’s restrictions: finding anaccessiblerunningtrack,havingameasuredrunningcoursefortempoandlongruns,andbeingabletomaintainaspecificpaceforaworkout.

For3consecutiveyearsweconductedstudieseachwith25participants,menandwomenfromalloverthecountryranginginagesfrom23to63,whoagreedtofollowtheFIRSTtrainingprogramfor16weeks.Eachstudybeganwiththeparticipantsbeingtestedinthelaboratorytoassesstheirfitness.Afterfollowingthe16-weektrainingprogram,theyreturnedforrepeattesting.Inadditiontothelaboratory assessments, in the latter two studies, the participants also ran amarathon.Inallthreestudies,therunnersshowedsignificantimprovementoverthe 16 weeks of training. All three variables—maximal oxygen consumption,running speed at lactate threshold, and running speed at peak oxygenconsumption—criticaltorunningperformancehadbeenenhancedbyfollowing

athree-quality-runs-per-weektrainingprogram.Wenowhaddatatosupportourpersonal experiences. And most important to the runners themselves, eachimprovedonat leastoneof the runningperformancevariables.Asummaryofthestudies’resultsisreportedlaterinthischapter.

The three-quality-runs-per-week training program enabled all of the first-timemarathoners to finish, verymuch satisfiedwith their performance times.Moreimpressivewerethepersonalbesttimesrecordedbymorethan70percentof the veteran marathoners. Running only 3 days a week, coupled with twocross-training workouts, enabled even veteran marathoners who wereaccustomedtorunning5or6daysaweektoimprovetheirphysiologicalprofilesfrom the laboratory assessment, as well as to improve their marathonperformances.

Thestudies suppliedstrongproof that the trainingprogramswereeffectiveand led us to write Run Less, Run Faster. Yet we believe that the evidenceprovidedbythemanysuccessesreportedoverthepast5yearsisevenstrongerproof that theFIRST trainingapproach iseffective.Having runners follow theprogramon theirown, rather thanhaveusmonitor theirworkoutsandprovidethem feedback, is a strong endorsement that the program can be usedwithoutdirectcoaching.The reports from thosewhousedourprogramandachievedapersonal best or a Boston qualifying time indicate that runners across a widerangeof abilities, ages, experience, both female andmale, fromsix continentsgotfitterandfaster.

Training with Purpose means having workouts designed to specificallytargetthedeterminantsofrunningperformance.Thesestudiesandthecountlesssuccess stories indicate that our 3plus2 training program is not an emptypromise.Runners tend to havemore confidence inmethods that other runnershaveusedsuccessfully.TheFIRSTtrainingprogramalsoprovidesthestructureand accountability that runners like by specifying both distance and pace foreachworkout,sothereisaclearmeasureofperformanceforeachtrainingrun.Running6milesisonething,running6milesonly30secondsslowerthan10Kpaceisquiteanother.

CANALLRUNNERSBENEFITFROMTHEFIRSTTRAININGPROGRAM?Ourresearchstudiessayyesforage-grouprunners;however,wehavenottesteditwithnationalandworld-classrunners.Thistrainingprogramwasdesignedforregularrunnersaspiringtoimprovetheirrunning.TheFIRSTtrainingprogram

hasbeenused to improveperformancesby5-hourmarathonersandsub-3-hourmarathoners,bythosepreparingfortheirfirst5Kormarathon,andbybeginnersintheirearly20saswellasveteransintheir70sand80s.Inaddition,the3plus2trainingprogramisextremelyflexibleandcanbeadjustedtofittheneedsofalltypesofrunners,fromthosewhohavelimitedtimetotraintothosewhomaketrainingamajorfocusintheirlives.

ResultsoftheThreeStudiesPre-andposttraining, threevariableswerecomparedtodeterminetheeffectsofthe 16-week training program: (1) VO2max, (2) running speed at lactatethreshold,and (3) runningspeedatpeakVO2.The resultsaredisplayed in thesummarytable(Table1.1).Youcanseethatasagroupinallthreestudies,therunnersshowedimprovementoverthe16weeksoftrainingonallthreevariablesrelated to running performance, all statistically significant. Individually, everyrunnerimprovedonatleastoneoftherunningperformancevariables.

Table1.1SummaryofResultsfromThreeFIRSTStudies(Runnersinthe2003studydidnotrunamarathonattheendofthestudy.Theywereassessedonlyinourlab.)

2003 2004 2005Females 7 10 8Males 15 12 9Ages 23-63years 25-56years 24-52years

AverageAge F=41.7M=40.1

F=34.8M=36.7

F=35M=35.4

%ImprovementofVO2max 4.8 4.2 5.4%ImprovementofRunningSpeedat

LactateThreshold 4.4 2.3 5.6

%ImprovementofRunningSpeedatPeakVO2

7.9 2.4 2.1

RangeofMarathonFinishTimesforFemales 3:56-4:44 3:41-4:49

AverageMarathonFinishTimesforFemales Median=4:17:02

Mean=4:20:42Median=3:56:18Mean=4:02:22

RangeofMarathonFinishTimesforMales 2:56-4:51 2:57-4:19

AverageMarathonFinishTimesforMales Median=3:46:19

Mean=3:49:23Median=3:42:51Mean=3:35:24

NumberofFirst-TimeMarathonFinishers 8(3F,5M) 3(2M,1F)

AverageTimeofFirst-TimeMarathoners F(3)=4:03:07M(5)=3:48:49

F(1)=4:03:34M(2)=3:46:22

NumberofPersonalBestTimes(forthosewhohadrunamarathon

previously) 7of13(53.8%) 12of14(85.7%)

THEPRINCIPLESOFTRAININGThere are five primary principles of training that apply to runners. These fiveprinciples should be incorporated into any training program. FIRST trainingprogramsadheretothesefivebasictrainingprinciples:

Principle#1Progressive Overload: The gradual increase of training stress will cause the

body to adapt in response to that overload. These adaptations occur at thecellular level,andthisadaptationprocesswillcontinueas longas theoverloaddoesn’t overwhelm the system. That is why the additional stress-increasedexercisetimeandintensity—mustincreasegradually.

Principle#2Specificity: The improvement from training will be specific to the type oftraining.Specificity applies to themode (type) of exercise, intensity (speedorpace), and duration (distance or total time run).Obviously, to become a goodrunneryouneedtorun.Thequestionishowmuchofyourtrainingneedstobemode-specific.TheFIRSTprogramrequiresasmallerpercentageofyour totaltraining tobe running thanother runningprograms.Asweexplain throughoutthe book, our experience and research show that a high level of fitness andrunningsuccesscanbeachievedwithrunningthreetimesaweek.

The FIRST training approach adheres to the principle of specificity forintensity.We advocate that to run faster, youmust incorporate faster runningintoyourtraining.RunnersreportthattheFIRSTtrainingpacesarechallenging.Runnersalsoreportthattraininghardhelpsthemracefasterthanrunningmorefrequently in training. Pace-specific training is the primary basis of FIRSTtraining.

Principle#3Individual Differences: Runners will soon find that theymay improvemorethan their training partners and that others improve faster than they do.Individualsaredifferentintheiranatomiesandphysiologies.Individualsresponddifferentlytothesametrainingregimen.Itisimportantthatyourealizethatthemost important factor that you consider is your ownprogress—where you arenow,asopposedtowhereyouwereorwhereyouwillbe3monthsfromnow.Therewillalwaysbeotherswhoarefitterandfasterandotherswhoarelessfitand slower. The principle of individual differences also applies to rest andrecovery.

Principle#4LawofDiminishingReturns:Oneofthebenefitsofbeinganoviceisthatyourearlyprogressissubstantial.Asyouprogressthroughthetrainingprogramsandyougetfitterandfaster,youareapproachingyouroptimalperformance.Asyounearthatpoint,smallimprovementscomefromlotsofhardtraining,asopposed

tothelargeimprovementsthatcamefrommoderatetrainingwhenyouwerefirstbeginning.

Principle#5Reversibility:Useitorloseit!Thegainsthatyoumakecanbelostifyoustoptraining.Consistencyisthekeytofitness.

TheFIRSTprogramencouragesregularyear-round training.That isoneofthe attractive features of running three times per week. Runners do not feeloverwhelmed and overstressedwith the rigors of daily running, which causessometostoprunningforlongperiods.Interruptionsinregularphysicalactivitycausea lossof fitness that leadsus to try tomakeup for those losses too fastoncewereturntotraining.Thetrainingdoesnothavetobeatfullintensityyear-round; low to moderate intensity can help you maintain fitness and not besusceptibletothestressandinjuriesthatcomefromsuddenincreasesinphysicalactivity.

REALRUNNERREPORT

DearBillPierce,

Iwouldliketothankyoufortheamazingtrainingprogramthatyouhavedeveloped.

LastJuneIranmyfirstmarathoninSouthBend,Indiana,andIwasabletoachievemygoaloffinishingunder4hours.Ifinishedat3:55:03.

Theproblemwas thatby theendofmy training Iwas feeling tired,and2weeksbefore therace,bothofmykneeswerekillingme.Myorthopedicspecialist toldme to forgetabout themarathonandtakesometimeofffromrunning.Iwasdevastated.Iwasrunninganaverageof40-46milesaweek.Iguessattheageof36,mybodycouldn’thandleallthosemileswell.IknewthatIhadtofollowadifferentprogramformysecondmarathon.

Mygoalwastoqualify forBoston.Thatmeant that Ihadtoshave10minutesoffmytime. Icameacrossyourprogram,andafterreadingthebook,Idecidedthatitmadecompletesense.Ifolloweditreligiously.Neverskippedarunorcross-trainingworkout.Ididallthestretchandstrength exercises that you have in the book. I was on a mission. The week before mymarathon,Ifeltready,butalsotheweirdthingwasthatnothingwashurtingme.Ifeltaslightasafeather.

OnJanuary17th,2010,IrantheP.F.Chang’sRockandRollMarathoninArizona.I’mproudtoannouncethatmytimewas3:43:09.IqualifiedforBoston,butmybiggestaccomplishmentwasthatIranalmostidenticalsplits.Myfirsthalfwas9secondsfasterthanthesecondhalfoftherace.Ifeltstrongthroughoutthewholemarathon.IthasbeenalmostaweekandIfeelfullyrecovered.Nothingishurting,nothingissore,andIcan’twaittostartrunningagain.

Itelleverybodyaboutyourbook,andalotofmyfriendshavebeeninspiredbymysuccess.Icouldn’thavedoneitwithoutyou.

Thankyoufromthebottomofmyheart.

ChristinaKostourosPersonalTrainer

CrownPoint,Indiana

FOLLOW-UPMESSAGE:

YourbookisliketheBibleinmyhouse.

I just completed theBostonMarathon. I felt strong throughout thewhole race.My timewas3:38:37,andIwasextremelyhappytoqualifyforBostoninBoston.

Thanksagain.

Chapter2REALISTICGOALS

RunnerswhoattendFIRSTRetreatsandthosewhowritetouswanttoknowiftheir goals are realistic. They want us to tell them what race times they arecapableofrunningnowandwhatracetimestheycanexpecttoruninthefuture.Based on their training times and, in the case of those who have visited ourlaboratory,theirphysiologicalprofile,wecangiveafairlyaccurateestimateoftheirracefinishtimes.However,wedon’thaveacrystalballandcannotprovideafuturepredictionwithcertainty.That’swhyyouenterraces.

Therearemanyvariablesthatdetermineraceperformances;notallofthemarenicelyquantifiedonacomputerprintoutfromametabolicsystem.However,themoredatafrombothlabandfieldtestswehavetoconsider,thebetterwecanhelptherunnersetrealisticgoals.

In particular, marathon time prediction is difficult. Time prediction forshorterraces,from5Kstohalf-marathons,isfairlypredictable,assumingthattherunnerchoosesarealisticpaceandhaspreparedappropriatelyfor thedistance.Perhaps theallureof themarathonis related to itsuncertainty.Welovegamesthat go down to the final minute of play with the outcome undetermined.Uncertainty is the element of sport that contributes to its popularity. I believethat the same is true of the marathon. I am seldom, if ever, surprised by theoutcome of a 5K, 8K, 10K, 10 mile, or half-marathon race. I know withinseconds what I will be able to run.With the marathon, it’s a mystery. Evenduring the race,whether you are halfway, at 20 or 24miles, youwon’t knowwhatisgoingtohappennext.

There are many variables that affect marathon performance. You battlephysical challenges such as maintaining core temperature and fuel stores,muscularfatigue,andorthopedicstressallthewaytothefinishline.Anyoneofthose factors can undermine great preparation and a good performance overmany miles. Changes in environmental conditions, such as temperature,headwindsorhumidity,alsomayspoilyourbestlaidplans.

Marathonerswhofailtoachievetheirgoalfinishtimesimmediatelybegintoquestion their preparation and training. In many cases, their preparation was

goodandappropriate,buttheymayhavebeenunluckybecauseoneofthemanyvariablesnotedabovewasnotrightonthatday.However,settinganunrealisticfinish-time goal that is just a couple of minutes too fast, particularly in themarathon,willleadtoatoofastearlypacethatwillunderminegoodpreparationandagreateffort.

Whyisitthatrunnersaredisappointedwithracefinishtimes?Oftenitisnotbecauseofapoorperformance,butit’stheresultoftheirhavingsetunrealisticgoals. For example, a runner who just finished a 10K in 40:30 might bedespondentbecauseshehadhopedtorununder40:00.Itmaybethatshejustranasuperbrace.That is,basedonher5Kandhalf-marathontimes,herpredicted10Ktimewas41:00,whichmeanssheran5secondspermilefasterthanwhatwas predicted. She just had a remarkable performance fromwhat had to be agreateffort,butherexpectationspreventedherfromenjoyingandappreciatingit.

The question is:Why and howdid she establish 40:00 as her target finishtimeforthe10K?Mostlikelyherdisappointmentisaresultofwantingtobea“30 something”10K runner, just as runnerswant tobe a “3 something”or “2something”marathoner. If Ihadbeencoachingher, Iwouldhave toldher thatbased on her recent performances at these other race distances and on hertrainingpaces,thatrunning10secondspermilefasterthanwhatwaspredictedwasunlikelyandtrying todosowould likelyresult inherfadingover the lastcoupleofmiles.Iwouldhavesaidlet’ssetthreegoalsforyour10K:(1)41:15,an acceptable run representing a good effort; (2) under 41:00, a very goodperformanceandfasterthanpredicted;and(3)under40:45,anoutstandingeffortandperformance.

As it was, she had an outstanding effort and performance, but wasdisappointedbecauseshedidnothavearealisticgoal.Shecouldhavebenefitedfromgoodcoachingadvice.That’swhywehaveplacedthisimportanttopicsoearlyinthisbook.

Of course, we want to encourage runners to challenge themselves andidentifyambitiousgoals.However,runningtoofastearlyintheracebecauseyouchose an overly ambitious, unrealistic goal almost always leads to direconsequences in the second half of the race. You’ll be disheartened when anoutstanding performance is unsatisfying because you chose an arbitrary andunrealisticgoal.

I find that many of the runners applying to FIRST for coaching haveunrealistic goals.At least, they are unrealistic in the short term.Theymay be

abletoreachtheirgoalswithsteadyandwisetrainingoveraperiodoftwoyears.Many expect miracles in 16 weeks. These unrealistic goal times result whenrunners select them arbitrarily, usually round numbers, or in many cases, aqualifyingtimesuchasthatfortheBostonMarathon.ThewayinwhichFIRSThelps runners set realistic goals is just as valuable as our individually tailoredtrainingprograms.

Howdorunnersunderminetheirownperformance?Considerthisexample.Arunnerwitha5Kracefinishtimeof22:00hasapredictedmarathontimeof3:34:05(usingTable2.1).Iftherunnersets3:30asagoal,heorshewillneedtorunnearly 10 seconds faster permile than the pace required to run a 3:34:05.Attempting to run 10 seconds per mile faster for 26.2 miles than what yourcurrent fitness level indicates will most likely result in a disappointing finishwithyourquestioningwhatelementwasmissinginyourtrainingprogram.Theonlythingmissingwasarealisticgoal.

REALISTICGOALS:THEESSENTIALS

HowtoSelectYourGoalFinishTime

• Use the time from your most recent race (5K, 10K, half-marathon ormarathon) to determine a reasonable estimate or target time for oneof theotherdistances(useTable2.1).

• For marathoners, go to the Boston tables in Chapter 15 and review thecriteria that indicate if each qualifying time is realistic for you. Thosetrainingtimesaregoodpredictorsofraceperformance.

• Know when it is wise to redefine your goals in either direction. Beobjective about your training progress and apply all of the above criteria,including your ability to attain the target training paces for your key runworkoutsandracestodetermineifyourgoalisrealistic.

REALISTICGOALS:QANDA

Q.HOWdoestheselectionofthegoalfinishtimeaffectyourperformance?A.Selectingagoalfinishtimethat’stooambitiouswillcauseyoutoruntoofastat thestart.Thatfaststartwilllikelyresultinaslowerpaceinthelatterpartoftheraceandadisappointingfinishtime.

Q.Ifmy10Ktimepredictsa3:13marathon,isitokaytoset3:10asmygoal?

A. Running 3 minutes faster than your predicted marathon finish time means running 7secondsfasterpermilethanthepacethatispresumablyrepresentativeofyourcurrentfitnesslevel.Formostmarathoners,running7secondspermilefaster for theentiredistancewouldbechallengingandmostlikelynotrealistic.Tryingtodosocouldleadtoadisappointingfinishtime.

Q. Would it be reasonable to expect an improvement over a 16-to 18-week trainingperiodthatwouldmakethe3:10inthepreviousquestionpossible?A.Absolutely,that’swhywetrain.Whiletherearenoguarantees,duetonumerousvariables(weather,course,personalhealth,etc.),agoodmarathontrainingprogramcanproducethatresult.Wehavehadrunners inour trainingprogramsmakemuchbigger improvements.Forthepurposeof settinga revisedgoal, don’t assume that improvementhasoccurredwithoutconfirmationfromashorterraceorimprovedtrainingtimes.Inparticular,werelyonlongruntrainingtimestojudgearunner’simprovementandhisorherpotentialmarathonperformance;weusetempotrainingtimestodeterminearunner’simprovementandhisorherpotential5Kand10Kgoaltimes.Yourimprovementwilldependonthetypeoftrainingthatyouhavedoneinthepast.

Q. What distance is the best predictor? What if the 5K and 10K predict differentmarathonfinishtimes?A. The distance closest to the planned race distance is going to be the better predictor,assumingthattheraceswererunundersimilarconditions.Thatis,a10Kisabetterpredictorofyourmarathonfinishtimethana5Kracefinishtimeandahalf-marathonfinishtimewillbeabettermarathonpredictorthanthe10Ktime.

Ifyour5Kpredictsafastermarathontimethanwhatyouareabletorun,itisanindicationthatyou have more speed than endurance and you need to concentrate on your longer runs.Conversely, if yourmarathon finish timepredictsa faster5K time thanyouareable to run,thenyouneedtoworkonspeedandlegturnover.

Q.Arethepredictiontablesaccurateforeveryone?A.Individualsdifferintheirabilities.Somerunnershavemorespeedthanenduranceandviceversa.Forsomerunnerstheir5Kfinishtimeswillpredictafastermarathonthanwhattheycanrun,whileforothers,theirmarathontimesarefasterthanwhattheir5Ktimespredict.

Q.Aretheredifferencesinthetablesformenandwomen?A.Generally,womenwillrunfasterforlongerdistancesandmenfasterforshorterdistances.That is, ifyouhaveamaleanda femalewith thesame5Ktime, the femalewill likely runafastermarathon than themale.Conversely, ifyouhaveamaleanda femalewith thesamemarathontime,themalewilllikelyrunafaster5Kthanthefemale.Fromreviewingraceresultsandsingle-ageworldrecords,wehavefoundthatolderwomen(55andolder)tendtoslowatanacceleratedrateascomparedtothatformen.Isthisinherentforfemalesorisitamatterofculture?Will theseraceresultsandrecordschangeasmorewomenwitha longerhistoryofcompetingbecomeolder?

Q.Doesagemakeadifferenceinthepredictiontables?A.Aging runnersusuallyhavemoreendurance thanspeed. Ifa55-year-old runnerand20-

year-old runnerhave thesame5K time, it is likely that the55-year-oldwould run the fasterhalf-or full marathon. Conversely, if the 55-year-old and the 20-year-old had the samemarathon time, the20-year-oldwould likelyhavea faster5K time.Older runners tend tobemoreeconomicalandyoungerrunnershavemorespeed.

Q.Howdoesthecourseprofileaffectthegoalfinishtime?A.Thefastestroadracingtimesintheworldatalldistanceshavebeensetonflatcourseswithfewturns(Berlin,Rotterdam,Chicago).Hills,turns,roughorunevensurfacesalltendtoslowthepace.Whilemany runnerswill say thata flat course isboringand that theywelcomeachange to the repetitive, concentratedmuscular contractions, there is a time cost for thosechanges. There are no clear measures to determine the time cost of specific elevationchanges. Rolling hills may make the course more interesting and fun to run; they will notcontributetoafasterfinishtime.Often,thereareWebsiteforumswhereveteranrunnersofaracewillestimatewhatthetimedifferenceisforaspecificracecourseascomparedtothatforaflatcourse.Thosepostingsbypastparticipantsintheraceusuallyprovidemorehelpfulandaccuratedescriptionsofaracecourseanditsdifficultythantherace’sWebsite.

Q. Does my predicted finish time from the tables assume that there will be someelevationchangesintherace?A.Assumethatthefinishtimepredictionisvalidiftheracethatyouareusingtopredictyourfinishtimeatanotherdistanceissimilarinterraintothatrace.Thatis,ifyouranahilly5Kandyouareusingthatracetimetopredictyourhalf-marathontimeonahillycourse,itislikelytobeareasonablepredictor.However,ifyouranaperfectlyflat10Kandareusingthattimetopredictyourfinishtimeonahillymarathoncourse,thenyoushouldaddtimetothatpredictiontocompensate for theadditional timerequired for running thehills,dependingon the lengthandsteepness.

Q.Howdoenvironmentalconditionsinfluencegoalfinishtime?A.Idealracingtemperaturesformostrunnersrangefrom40to60degreesFahrenheit(5to16degreesCelsius). A general estimate is that for every degree above 60 degreesF youwillslow by 1 second permile in themarathon.Of course, there arewide individual variationsbasedonsweat ratesandbodysize.Smaller runners,whoareable todissipateheatbetterthan larger runners, have the advantage in the heat, but are disadvantaged in coldertemperatures.Theextraenergycostofmaintainingbodytemperaturedependsonthelengthoftheraceandone’sbodysize.Evenlightwindsonacoolday(lessthan60degreesFor15degrees C) can increase demands on the body for maintaining normal body temperature.Needlesstosay,havingaracedaywiththeidealtemperature,humidity,andwindsisararetreatfortherunner.Lookwhatthoseonce-in-a-centuryidealconditionsproducedatthe2011BostonMarathon.Unpredictable environmental conditions are just oneadditional factor thatmakesdetermining realistic goals a challenge.Donot fool yourself by thinking that youwilldefyenvironmentalconditionsandtheireffectsonphysiology;youwon’t.

Q. As I get oldermy race times are slower. Is there away to determine comparabletimesatmypresentagetothosethatIranwhenIwasyounger?A. Yes,WorldMasters Athletics (WMA) has developed tables that adjust performances foraging.Theage-gradedfactorsandstandardsweredevelopedbasedontheworldrecordsforthatsingleyearage.Lookat theresults fromtheSt.GeorgeMarathonandyouwillseenotonly runners’ finish clock times and chip times, but also their age-graded percentage. This

percentage represents a comparison of an individual’s performance to the world recordperformance by a runner of that age. By using this method, runners can compare theirperformances, or percentages, to other runners or to their own performances at a youngerage.Itisamethodforagingrunnerstosetrealisticgoals.

Forexample,a50-year-oldfemalewithamarathontimeof3:55cangotoAppendixC(RoadAgeFactorsWMA2010)andconvert that 3:55 toanequivalent time for amarathon runatprimemarathonage(21-29)forfemalesbymultiplyingher3:55(235minutes)bythe0.8420factorfor50-year-oldfemalemarathoners.Thatproducesa3:17:52age-adjustedperformancetime.

Some raceshavebegun toprovideage-gradedperformancestandards.What thismeans isthatfinishtimesareadjustedfortheassumedperformancedecrement(percentageofincreasein race time) based on age. Some races even present awards based on age-adjustedperformance times. Younger runners no doubt see this method of adjusting times asnoncompetitive,whileolderrunnersseeitaseminentlyfair!

Q.HowdoIdeterminemyage-gradedperformancelevelpercentage?A.UsetheRoadAgeStandardsWMA2010inAppendixBtofindyourage-gradedstandardand thendivide thestandardbyyour race time.Forexample,a60-year-oldmalewitha5Ktimeof20:00woulddividethestandardof16:02fora60-year-oldmaleby20:00.Theresult(962seconds/1200seconds)wouldbe80.2percent.Thatpercentagecouldbecomparedtothe age-graded percentages of performances run at earlier ages or with other runners ofdifferentages.

Q.HowdoIconvertmycurrentracetimetoanequivalentracetimeatanearlierage?A.UseRoadAgeFactorsWMA2010inAppendixCformalestofindyouragefactor.Multiplythatagefactorbyyourcurrentracetimetodetermineyourequivalentracetimeatyourprime-age time.Forexample, that60-year-oldmalewhose time is20:00 for the5Kwouldmultiplythat20:00bytheagefactorof .8043andseethathis20:005Katage60 isequivalent toa16:05atprime5Kperformanceageformales,whichisthe22-to28-yearoldagegroup.

Q.Whatistheprimeperformanceage?A.YoucanseeinRoadAgeFactorsWMA2010inAppendixCthattheprimeageforrunningperformancesvariesformalesandfemales,aswellasvaryingforthedifferentdistances.Theage-adjustedtimesarebasedonworldrecordsforasingleage.Malestendtorunworld-classtimesatanolderagethanfemales.Malerunnersalsoperformattheirprimeatanolderageforlongerdistances.Therearenoadjustmentsinfinishtimesformalemarathonersuntilage36, but 5K and 10K runners have finish times adjusted for age beginning at 29 and half-marathonersatage32.Femalesbeginreceivingageadjustmentsforalldistancesbeginningataroundage30.

REALISTICGOALS:THESCIENCEIntheseminalbookTheLoreofRunning,TimNoakes,MD,claimsthatthebestpredictor of runningperformance at anydistance is a running time test, ratherthanalaboratoryassessmentofphysiologicalmeasures.Marathonerscanutilize

various prediction formulas based on their race times at shorter distances.Numerous prediction tables for distances from 800 meters to ultramarathonsexist.Allofthesetablesassumeappropriaterace-specifictrainingonthepartoftherunner.Thetableattheendofthischapter(Table2.1)providescomparableracetimesforfourpopularracedistances.Theseequivalentperformancesweredevelopedbycalculatingracefinishtimesaspercentagesoftheworldrecords.

AnEarlyFastPaceHasConsequencesRunning authors Bob Glover and Pete Schuder cautioned that if marathonrunnersaremorethan2minutesfasterthantheirtargethalf-marathonsplit,thenthey have blown theirmarathon andwill suffer for it over the last fewmiles.Marathonerscommonlyrefer toadramaticslowingofpace in themarathonas“hitting thewall.” Speculations about the causes of hitting thewall include avarietyofphysiologicalexplanations.Throughmarathonpreparationandpropernutrition, you can increase your muscle’s glycogen stores to high levels. Mycoauthor Ray Moss reminds runners that the amount of glycogen you havestoredisallthatthemuscleshaveavailabletousethroughouttherace.Improperpacingwilldepleteglycogenstoresandyou’llhitthewallbeforeyoufinishthemarathon. David Costill, noted exercise physiologist and running researcher,statedthathittingthewallissimplyamatterofpoorpacing.Itshouldbenotedthat Stephen Seiler, an exercise scientist at the Institute for Sport at AgderCollegeinNorway,explainsthat“Anearlymisuseofpaceresultsinalacticacidaccumulationthatcannotbeeliminatedwithoutasubsequentdecreaseinspeed.”Furthermore, he reported that for each second gained by going under optimalpace in the first half of a race, 2 seconds are lost in the second half due toprematurefatigue.

Nomatterhowstronglyweadvocatenotrunningthefirsthalfoftheracetoofast,most runners fail to follow that advice. There are good reasons for theirfailure: (1) the excitement of race day causes the adrenaline to flow and thatexuberance causes the runner to lose the ability to judge pacing, (2) havingrunnerssurroundyouatthestartoftheracealsodistortspacing,thatis,youarejustrunningwith thecrowdsoitdoesn’tfeel toofast, (3)whenyouarerestedfromyourpreracetaper,yourtargetpacefeelseasierintheearlypartoftheracethanintraining,and(4)forreasons1,2,and3yougetthesensethatthisismydayandyoubeginmentallyrevisingyourgoalfinishtimedownward.However,during thesecondhalfyoubegin to feel fatiguedbecauseyouhavewithdrawnyourstoredenergyinthemusclecellstoorapidlyandyoubeginmileaftermilerevising your goal finish time upward. Your marathoning experience will be

muchmoresatisfyingandpleasant ifyouhaveastrongfinish than ifyoufadeoverthelastfewmiles,evenifyouweretoachievethesamefinishtimeinthetwodifferentscenarios.

Wehaveanalyzedtensofthousandsofracefinishtimesandfoundthatonlyabout2percentofrunnersrunthesecondhalfoftheraceinthesametimeasthefirsthalf.Runthefirsthalftoofastandyouslowdownatamuchfasterrateinthesecondhalf.Runthefirsthalftooslowlyandyoucan’tmakeupthetimeinthesecondhalf.Westronglybelievethatrunningevensplitsisadesirablegoalandarealisticonefor5Ks,10Ks,andhalf-marathons.Itisfarmoredifficulttomaintainaconstantpaceover26.2miles.Forthemarathon,youshouldstrivetokeep the time disparity between the two halves less than 2 minutes, but adisparityof5minutes iscommonandcanstillproduceasuccessfulmarathon.For example, 1:32 for the first half and around 1:35-1:37 for the second half.Whenthedisparitybetweenthetwohalvesbecomesgreaterthan5minutes,themarathonerhas failed to achieve thenear-optimal finish timeand reachherorhispotential.

AGINGANDFIRSTTRAININGWhile theFIRSTtrainingprogramsweredesignedandhavebeeneffectiveforrunnersofall ages, theyhavebeenparticularlypopularwitholder runners.Asrunnersagetheyneedmorerecoveryandthattypicallyleadstoreducedtrainingvolume. Much research is being conducted on older runners. Whether theresearch is focusedonmentalorphysical functioning, theresultsareclear thatthe key to good health and performance is to stay active and to do soconsistently,soastostaveoffthedeteriorationthatweoncethoughtinevitable.Letmebeclearthatrunningperformancewilldeclinewithaging,saveforthosewhobeginrunninglateinlife.However,theperformancereductionspredictedinthe literaturearebeingdefiedbyagenerationof runnerswhohavemaintainedtheirintensetrainingfordecades.

Aging runners rarely escapewithout injury.As connective tissue becomesless supple and more susceptible to injury, tendinitis from inflammation is acommon occurrence. After an injury that might sideline the older runner forweeks or months, fitness is lost and the attempt to regain it too fast leads toanotherinjuryandaviciouscycleofinjuryandrecoverydevelops.Thiscanleadtoamoreseriousinjuryoralossofmotivation,bothofwhichcanleadtoone’sbecoming a former runner. That status contributes to weight gain andaccompanying medical conditions associated with being sedentary. It’s

important to find a way through treatment and rehabilitation of an injury tomaintainyourfitness.

Asrunners’ timesbegin toslow, theremaybea lossofmotivation to trainintensely. Dr. Hirofumi Tanaka, an exercise physiologist at the University ofTexas,inaNewYorkTimesarticleaboutagingrecommendedtrainingintenselytoimproveoxygenconsumption.InthesameTimesarticlebyGinaKolata,Dr.Steven Hawkins, an exercise physiologist at the University of SouthernCalifornia, said thatwhenyouhave tochoosebetweenhardandoften, choosehard.He added that “high performance is really determinedmore by intensitythanvolume.Sometimeswhenyou’reolder, somethinghas togive.Youcan’thaveboth soyouhave to cut backon thevolume.Youneedmore rest days.”These two exercise physiologists’ advice echo the philosophy central to theFIRSTtrainingprogram.

Trainingconsistentlyisthekeyforagingrunnersbecauseitismucheasiertomaintain fitness than to get fit as you age.While the times on thewatchmayrepresentslowerperformances,itistheintensityoftheeffortthatmatters.Yes,performances will decline, but serious training will reduce these inevitabledecrementsby50percentormore.Runnerswhocontinuetotrainseriouslywilltypically experience racing decrements less than 1 percent per year from theirlatethirtiestomid-forties.Theslowerperformancetimeswillmostlikelyoccursoonerintheshorterraces—5Kto10K—thaninthelongerraces.Marathonerscan still run their best times in their late 30s and early 40s. For runnerswhosustain their training, performance losses in the0.5percent to1percent rangecanbeexpectedfromthemid-fortiestomid-fifties.Theslowingofperformancetimesacceleratesafterage55withannualperformancedecrementsrangingfrom1percentto2.5percent.

BobDylanhaditright—“thetimestheyarea-changin’.”Wesuspectthattheagingliteratureaboutrunnerswillbecompletelyrewrittenasthebabyboomersmarch intoold age.FIRST isproud that its programshave enabled runners intheir sixties, seventies, and eighties, whose old ways of training had led toslowertimesandalossofmotivation,toreportarenewedexcitementwiththeirtrainingalongwith improvedage-grouptimes.Themastersage-adjusted tablesin Appendices B and C provide age-adjusted times so that older runners candeterminetheirrunningtimes’equivalencestothoserunatayoungerage.Thesetablescanbevaluableinhelpingtosetrealisticgoals.

Table2.1RacePredictionTable(EquivalentPerformances)Use the table to determine comparable performance times for four popularracing distances. The comparability assumes that you are properly trained forthatdistance.

5K 10K HALFMARATHON MARATHON0:16:00 0:33:29 1:14:10 2:35:420:16:10 0:33:49 1:14:56 2:37:190:16:20 0:34:10 1:15:42 2:38:570:16:30 0:34:31 1:16:29 2:40:340:16:40 0:34:52 1:17:15 2:42:110:16:50 0:35:13 1:18:01 2:43:480:17:00 0:35:34 1:18:48 2:45:260:17:10 0:35:55 1:19:34 2:47:030:17:20 0:36:16 1:20:20 2:48:400:17:30 0:36:37 1:21:07 2:50:180:17:40 0:36:58 1:21:53 2:51:550:17:50 0:37:19 1:22:40 2:53:320:18:00 0:37:40 1:23:26 2:55:100:18:10 0:38:01 1:24:12 2:56:470:18:20 0:38:21 1:24:59 2:58:240:18:30 0:38:42 1:25:45 3:00:020:18:40 0:39:03 1:26:31 3:01:390:18:50 0:39:24 1:27:18 3:03:160:19:00 0:39:45 1:28:04 3:04:540:19:10 0:40:06 1:28:50 3:06:310:19:20 0:40:27 1:29:37 3:08:080:19:30 0:40:48 1:30:23 3:09:450:19:40 0:41:09 1:31:09 3:11:230:19:50 0:41:30 1:31:56 3:13:000:20:00 0:41:51 1:32:42 3:14:370:20:10 0:42:12 1:33:28 3:16:150:20:20 0:42:32 1:34:15 3:17:520:20:30 0:42:53 1:35:01 3:19:290:20:40 0:43:14 1:35:47 3:21:070:20:50 0:43:35 1:36:34 3:22:440:21:00 0:43:56 1:37:20 3:24:210:21:10 0:44:17 1:38:07 3:25:59

0:44:38 1:38:53 3:27:36

0:21:20 0:44:38 1:38:53 3:27:360:21:30 0:44:59 1:39:39 3:29:130:21:40 0:45:20 1:40:26 3:30:510:21:50 0:45:41 1:41:12 3:32:280:22:00 0:46:02 1:41:58 3:34:050:22:10 0:46:23 1:42:45 3:35:420:22:20 0:46:44 1:43:31 3:37:200:22:30 0:47:04 1:44:17 3:38:570:22:40 0:47:25 1:45:04 3:40:340:22:50 0:47:46 1:45:50 3:42:120:23:00 0:48:07 1:46:36 3:43:490:23:10 0:48:28 1:47:23 3:45:260:23:20 0:48:49 1:48:09 3:47:040:23:30 0:49:10 1:48:55 3:48:410:23:40 0:49:31 1:49:42 3:50:180:23:50 0:49:52 1:50:28 3:51:560:24:00 0:50:13 1:51:14 3:53:330:24:10 0:50:34 1:52:01 3:55:100:24:20 0:50:55 1:52:47 3:56:480:24:30 0:51:16 1:53:34 3:58:250:24:40 0:51:36 1:54:20 4:00:020:24:50 0:51:57 1:55:06 4:01:390:25:00 0:52:18 1:55:53 4:03:170:25:10 0:52:39 1:56:39 4:04:540:25:20 0:53:00 1:57:25 4:06:310:25:30 0:53:21 1:58:12 4:08:090:25:40 0:53:42 1:58:58 4:09:460:25:50 0:54:03 1:59:44 4:11:230:26:00 0:54:24 2:00:31 4:13:010:26:10 0:54:45 2:01:17 4:14:380:26:20 0:55:06 2:02:03 4:16:150:26:30 0:55:27 2:02:50 4:17:530:26:40 0:55:48 2:03:36 4:19:300:26:50 0:56:08 2:04:22 4:21:070:27:00 0:56:29 2:05:09 4:22:440:27:10 0:56:50 2:05:55 4:24:220:27:20 0:57:11 2:06:42 4:25:590:27:30 0:57:32 2:07:28 4:27:360:27:40 0:57:53 2:08:14 4:29:140:27:50 0:58:14 2:09:01 4:30:510:28:00 0:58:35 2:09:47 4:32:28

0:28:10 0:58:56 2:10:33 4:34:060:28:20 0:59:17 2:11:20 4:35:430:28:30 0:59:38 2:12:06 4:37:200:28:40 0:59:59 2:12:52 4:38:580:28:50 1:00:20 2:13:39 4:40:350:29:00 1:00:40 2:14:25 4:42:120:29:10 1:01:01 2:15:11 4:43:500:29:20 1:01:22 2:15:58 4:45:270:29:30 1:01:43 2:16:44 4:47:040:29:40 1:02:04 2:17:30 4:48:410:29:50 1:02:25 2:18:17 4:50:190:30:00 1:02:46 2:19:03 4:51:560:30:10 1:03:07 2:19:49 4:53:330:30:20 1:03:28 2:20:36 4:55:110:30:30 1:03:49 2:21:22 4:56:480:30:40 1:04:10 2:22:09 4:58:250:30:50 1:04:31 2:22:55 5:00:030:31:00 1:04:52 2:23:41 5:01:400:31:10 1:05:12 2:24:28 5:03:170:31:20 1:05:33 2:25:14 5:04:550:31:30 1:05:54 2:26:00 5:06:320:31:40 1:06:15 2:26:47 5:08:090:31:50 1:06:36 2:27:33 5:09:470:32:00 1:06:57 2:28:19 5:11:240:32:10 1:07:18 2:29:06 5:13:010:32:20 1:07:39 2:29:52 5:14:380:32:30 1:08:00 2:30:38 5:16:160:32:40 1:08:21 2:31:25 5:17:530:32:50 1:08:42 2:32:11 5:19:300:33:00 1:09:03 2:32:57 5:21:080:33:10 1:09:23 2:33:44 5:22:450:33:20 1:09:44 2:34:30 5:24:220:33:30 1:10:05 2:35:16 5:26:000:33:40 1:10:26 2:36:03 5:27:370:33:50 1:10:47 2:36:49 5:29:140:34:00 1:11:08 2:37:36 5:30:520:34:10 1:11:29 2:38:22 5:32:290:34:20 1:11:50 2:39:08 5:34:060:34:30 1:12:11 2:39:55 5:35:440:34:40 1:12:32 2:40:41 5:37:210:34:50 1:12:53 2:41:27 5:38:58

0:34:50 1:12:53 2:41:27 5:38:580:35:00 1:13:14 2:42:14 5:40:350:35:10 1:13:35 2:43:00 5:42:130:35:20 1:13:55 2:43:46 5:43:500:35:30 1:14:16 2:44:33 5:45:270:35:40 1:14:37 2:45:19 5:47:050:35:50 1:14:58 2:46:05 5:48:420:36:00 1:15:19 2:46:52 5:50:190:36:10 1:15:40 2:47:38 5:51:570:36:20 1:16:01 2:48:24 5:53:340:36:30 1:16:22 2:49:11 5:55:110:36:40 1:16:43 2:49:57 5:56:490:36:50 1:17:04 2:50:43 5:58:260:37:00 1:17:25 2:51:30 6:00:030:37:10 1:17:46 2:52:16 6:01:410:37:20 1:18:07 2:53:03 6:03:180:37:30 1:18:27 2:53:49 6:04:550:37:40 1:18:48 2:54:35 6:06:320:37:50 1:19:09 2:55:22 6:08:100:38:00 1:19:30 2:56:08 6:09:470:38:10 1:19:51 2:56:54 6:11:240:38:20 1:20:12 2:57:41 6:13:020:38:30 1:20:33 2:58:27 6:14:390:38:40 1:20:54 2:59:13 6:16:160:38:50 1:21:15 3:00:00 6:17:540:39:00 1:21:36 3:00:46 6:19:310:39:10 1:21:57 3:01:32 6:21:080:39:20 1:22:18 3:02:19 6:22:460:39:30 1:22:39 3:03:05 6:24:230:39:40 1:22:59 3:03:51 6:26:000:39:50 1:23:20 3:04:38 6:27:370:40:00 1:23:41 3:05:24 6:29:15

REALRUNNERREPORT

Dearall,

Iwishtocongratulateyouonyourgreattrainingplans.IhavereadyourbookRunLess,RunFasterandwasconvincedthatthisisthethingIwaslookingfor.Foryears,Ihavefailedtoruna marathon below 3 hours since my first attempt in Berlin 2004 (3:02:11) until my last inHamburginApril2008(3:00:59).Ihavestartedtrainingwithyourplans5weeksagoandmustadmitthatthekeyrunsareharderthaneverythingIdidbefore,butIfeelmorerelaxedoverall,mainly by replacing junkmileswith cycling. I feel improvementsweek afterweek and I amreally looking forward to the target race (EssenMarathon) this spring. I will keep you guyspostedontheresult,ofcourse!Anyway,whenaskedforaclubIamrunningforIalwaysfillinFIRSTnow.

Thanksalotinadvance,

Yourssincerely,

Dr.ThomasAlderOperationsGeneralManager,Biolitec

Bonn,Germany

FOLLOW-UPMESSAGE:

Bill,Scott-

IampleasedtoinformyouthatIhavefinishedtheEssenMarathonin2:58onSundaythankstoyourgreat trainingschedules.Thiswasmy fifth try tobreak through the3:00wallhavingworkedwithdifferentprogramssince theBerlinMarathon in2004.As Iavoided to takeanyrisktonotfinishinsub-3butkeepingmyheartratelow,IamstronglyconvincedthatIcouldhavefinishedinanevenfastertime(myaverageheartrateduringtheracewas156).

Chapter3FIRSTSTEPSFORTHENEWRUNNER

CantheFIRSTprogrambeusedbythenonrunner?Absolutely.Aslongasyoudon’ttrytoruntoooften,toolongortoofast,toosoon.Wewantnewrunnerstoenjoy their activity and keep enjoying it for a long time. That requiresprogressing slowly and not becoming a running dropout because of burnout,overtraining,orinjury.

Injury, inparticular, iscommonamongnovicesbecausetheyaremotivatedandexcitedtogofartherandfaster.Thatzealisreinforcedbecausethegainsasyoubeginanexerciseprogramaresignificant.Thosebiggainsencourageyoutodomoreandmore.Wepointouttobeginnersthatsmallgainsthatseemsubtlefromdaytodaybecomedramaticoverseveralmonthsandyears.Weencourageall new runners to develop a solid base before tackling lofty goals, such asmarathons.Usethisbooktohelppaceyourself.

We regularly hear from new runners who have never run a race of anydistance; they often ask whether we have a marathon schedule for the newrunner.Frequently,thepersonwhocontactsusishopingtorunamarathoninthenext6months.Whileitispossibletosurvivethemarathondistancebywalkingand running, we advise against attempting such a challenge without adequatepreparation.Think5Kor10K.Itismuchmoreenjoyableandhealthiertotrainproperlyandstillsatisfysomereasonableintermediategoalspriortoattemptingthechallengeof26.2miles.

In this chapter, you will find beginning runner training programs thatprogress conservatively, starting with a combination of walking and running.Follow the programs as designed, even if it feels too easy at first.Your bodyneeds to adapt to the new stresses associated with running. Even if yourcardiorespiratorysystemisnotbeingstressed,theanatomicalstructuresmaybeovertaxed andweakened due to your newfound activity. Gradually building asolid base from which to progress will ensure safe training and positivemovementtowardyourgoals.

At some point, your progress may become interrupted from fatigue. Payattentiontoyourbodyandrecognizethesignsofprolongedfatigue.Individuals

varyconsiderablyinhowmuchtrainingtheycantolerate.Knowyourthresholdof training. Insert a rest and recovery day regularly to prevent an overtrainedcondition. Sometimes it takes more than a day—it might take a very easytrainingweek.

Manywhodecidetostartrunningdosoforweightloss.Becarefulifyouareoverweight,because running isaweight-bearingactivityandextrapoundsaddstress to the joints,muscles, bones, and connective tissue.Non-weight-bearingcross-trainingisespeciallyvaluableforlosingweightwithoutelevatingyourriskofinjury.

BECOMINGARUNNER:THEFIRSTSTEPS•Committoa5Krace3monthsinadvance.

•Scheduleyourworkoutsinadvance.

•Getpropershoes.

•Getatrainingpartner.

•Maketrainingahabit.

•Cross-train(seeChapter6).

•DotheFIRSTstretches,drills,andstrengthtraining(seeChapters12and13).

ACOACH’SREPORT

FrankiePainter,apersonal trainer inDeland,Florida,sharedwithushersuccessusing theFIRST Novice 5K Program with her clients. Frankie reported that she has a 100 percentsuccess rate with getting beginning runners to complete a 5K in 12 weeks following theTrainingPrograminTable3.1.Shesaidthat“noonehasevertrieditandnotlikedit.”Frankiesaid the fact that theprogram isbasedon timeandnotspeed isvery important to them. Inaddition to following theNoviceProgram, she stresses the importanceof the stretches andstrength exercises found in Chapters 12 and 13. She reported that some of her clientsprogressedtotheIntermediatePrograminTable3.2andtheevenmoreadvancedprograminTable5.1.FollowingbelowisareportthatFrankieforwardedtoFIRSTfromoneofherclients,DonnaNassick.

For years I watched runners as they ran; through my neighborhood, on the beach, orthrough the park. They all made it look so easy. Oh, how I wished that I had that sort ofdetermination,discipline,andstamina.Itriedonceortwice.Gotupinthemorningdecidingtogive it a try… how hard could it be? I would run for as long as I could. Then practically

collapsewithmyheartfeelinglikeitwouldpopoutofmychest.IjustknewIwouldneverbearunner.

ThenonedayIheardaboutarun/walkprogramthatwasbeingoffered,withthegoalbeinga5K. Iput the thoughtof itaside.Howcould Ipossiblystart torun?Afterall, Iwasnow48yearsold!Butmyinterestwaspiqued.Iwenttotheinformationsessiontoseewhatitwasallabout. The trainer, Frankie, made us believe that it was possible with the FIRST run/walkprogram,soIsignedup.

After the first coupleofweeks I couldnotbelieve Iwas runningahalfamile…withoutstopping!!! Then the half-mile turned into amile, then 2miles. How did running such shortdistancesinthebeginningturnintomiles?AstheweekswentbyandIgotclosertomygoalIknew that there was no other way that I could have accomplished it without the run/walkprogramandthemotivationfrommytrainer.Iamthankfulforboth.

Idid runmygoal race,3.1miles,withoutstopping!Youwouldhave thought Ihad runamarathon!!Iwasthathappy!!

BECOMINGARUNNER:QANDAQ.HowdoIgetstarted?A.First,makesurethatyoudon’thaveanyhealthproblemsthatwouldpreventyourstartinganexerciseprogram.Ifyouhaveanyexistingmedicalproblemsorifyouareover40yearsofage,werecommendthatyougetclearancetobeginanexerciseprogramfromyourphysician.

Q.Whataboutshoes?A.Getpropershoesandclothingforexercise.Therearemanygoodrunningshoesavailable,each with different features. Find someone who is knowledgeable about running shoes toassist you in choosing a shoe that fits you properly. Try visiting several running specialtystoresandseekadvicefromtheknowledgeablesalesassistants.Itwilltakeonlytwoorthreevisitsbeforeyouseetrendsinrecommendations.

Q.WhenandwhereshouldIrun?A.Whetheryouruninthemorning,atnoon,orintheeveningislargelyapersonalpreference.Berealistic indecidingwhat regularscheduleyouaremost likely to followconsistently.Youdon’t have to work out at the same time each day. Plan ahead and consider your otherobligations.Scheduleatimeforyourrunandconsideritapriority.Consistencyisessentialinestablishingahabit.

Chooseaplacethatissafetorun.Atrackisagoodplacetostart.Preferably,runindaylight.Ifyoumustruninthedark,chooseaplacethatiswelllit.Youmustbemindfulofsafetyandsecurity.Manyrunnershavesprainedananklesteppingoffthecurbinthedark.Itmaybeagoodideatoinvestinsomereflectivegearwhileyou’reattherunningspecialtystore.

Q.HowmuchshouldIdoatfirst?A. The FIRST program has three 12-week schedules that progress very gradually. Followtheseschedulescarefullyandyouwillenjoythebenefitsofimprovedfitnessandhealth,alongwiththeexhilarationofcompletinga5Krace.It’s importantthatyoudon’ttrytodotoomuch

too soon. It’s equally as important that you are faithful to the program and establishconsistencyinyourtraining.

If you have done some running in your past or you regularly play other sports-basketball,tennis,cycling,etc.—andarenotoverweight,youmaybeabletobeginwiththeintermediateprogram (Table 3.2) rather than the novice program (Table 3.1). The novice program is forsomeonewhohasbeeninactiveandisjustbeginningtoexercise.

Q.WhatifIamoverweight?A. The FIRST program is not a weight management program. However, regular physicalactivity expends energy and can assist you in weight loss. You must also be mindful thatexcessweightcanbestressfultoyourjointsandconnectivetissue.Combiningasensibledietwithexerciseisthesafestandmosteffectivewaytoreachahealthierweight.

Ifyouaremorethan30poundsoverweight,walkingratherthanrunningisadvisableuntilyouhavereducedyourexcessweight.Tohelpreducestressonyourjoints,cross-trainingonnon-weight-bearingexercisemachines isalsorecommendeduntilyouhavereducedyourexcessweight.

Q.ShouldIgetapartnertotrainwithorjoinagroup?A.Yes!Researchshowsclearlythatthosewhotrainwithapartnerorwitharegularrunninggroup complybetterwithanexercise schedule.The commitment toothersappears tobeapowerfulmotivator.

Q.WhydoesFIRSTrecommendstartingwitha5K?Manypeoplearejoiningmarathontraininggroupseventhoughtheyhavenorunningexperience.A.FIRSTbelievesthatyouneedtoestablishasolidfitnessbasegraduallybeforeattemptingalongracetoosoon;thatcanresultinaninjury.Theexhilarationofrunninga5Kcanbeequaltoorbetterthanthatofwalkingandrunningalongerrace.

As health educators, we are interested in promoting running as a healthy, lifelong physicalactivity. Progressing gradually and developing the fitness and endurance for a 5K beforemoving on to a 10K, half-marathon, or marathon is a healthy approach. The physiologicaldevelopment for running peaks after about 8 to 10 years of training.Why not tackle theselongerraceswhenyouarebetterpreparedphysicallytodoso?

Youwillhaveamuchbetterrunningexperienceattheselongerdistancesbyrunningshorterraces first. Many people join a charity training group without any running experience andcomplete the longer race—half-marathon or marathon—in survival mode. FIRST wantsrunnersfullypreparedfortheracedistancethattheyattempt.

Q:Asanovice,canIuseanyoftherestofthismanual?A:Yes,onceyoucompletethenovicerunningprogram(Table3.1)andcompleteyourfirst5K,thenyoucanrefertothepacesprovidedinthetablesfortheintermediateprogram(Table3.2).After completing the intermediate trainingprogram, youwill be ready touse the5K trainingprogram(Table5.1)foundinChapter5.

Table3.15KNoviceTrainingProgramTheprogramisdesignedtograduallymovetheinactiveindividualfromwalkerto runner. It beginsprimarilywithwalking interspersedwith short intervalsofrunning during a half-hour workout. The first workout in Week #1 includeswalkingfor10minutes.Followingthat10minutesofwalking,youwillrunfor1minute and thenwalk for 2minutes,whichwill be repeated four times.Aftercompletingthefourthrepetitionof1minuteofrunning,walkfor10minutestocompletetheworkout.Runatacomfortablepace.

W=WalkR=RunWEEK WORKOUT#1 WORKOUT#2 WORKOUT#3

#1W:10min

(R:1min,W:2min)X4W:10min

W:10min(R:1min,W:2min)X4

W:10min


W:10min

#2W:10min



W:10min


W:10min

#3W:10min



W:10min


W:10min

#4W:10min



W:10min


W:10min

#5W:10min



W:10min


W:10min

#6W:10min



W:10min


W:10min

#7W:10min



W:10min


W:10min

#8

W:10minR:1mileW:5min


W:10minR:1mileW:5min


W:10minR:1mileW:5minR:1mileW:10min

#9W:10minR:1.5milesW:10min

W:10minR:1.5milesW:5minR:.5mileW:5min

W:10minR:2milesW:5min

W:5min

#10W:10minR:2milesW:5min


W:10minR:2.5milesW:5min






W:10minR:3.1miles(5K)RaceW:5min

Table3.25KIntermediateTrainingProgramThis trainingschedule is for the runnerwhohascompleted thenovice trainingprogramorwho can run 5 kilometers. Theworkouts include the basic FIRSTkeyrunsdescribedinChapter5.ThepacesfortheintermediateprogramcanbefoundinChapter5(Tables5.6and5.7).

RI=RecoveryIntervalof400meterwalk/jogaftereachrepeat.WEEK KEYRUN#1 KEYRUN#2 KEYRUN#3

#110minwarmuprun

2X400(RI)10mincooldownrun

1milewarmuprun1mileshorttempo1milecooldownrun

3miles@mid-tempopace

#210minwarmuprun




#310minwarmuprun



3.5miles@mid-tempopace

#410minwarmuprun2X400,1X800(RI)10mincooldownrun

1milewarmuprun1.5mileshorttempo1milecooldownrun


#510minwarmuprun400,600,800(RI)

10mincooldownrun



#610minwarmuprun




#710minwarmuprun400,2X800(RI)

10mincooldownrun



#810minwarmuprun




#910minwarmuprun



5miles@longtempopace

#1010minwarmuprun




#1110minwarmuprun

200,400,600,800(RI)10mincooldownrun



10minwarmuprun 2mileseasy

#1210minwarmuprun


2mileseasy10minwalk 5KRace

REALRUNNERREPORT

I’ve been following your program for the last 2½ years—the total of my running career. Irecently used the marathon plan to train for the Detroit Free Press Marathon a couple ofweeksago.IneverwouldhavethoughtthatIcoulddofive20-milerunsANDtrainintheheatofsummer,butIdid.Itwasanexerciseinmentaltoughnessjustasmuchasphysical.

Thestarsalignedon raceday—beautiful 50degreeweather,well-trained,well-rested,goodhydration and fuel strategy in place, and no nagging injuries (which I attribute to my nowregularyogapractice).MygoalwasaBQtimeof4:05.Myfirstmarathon,inJanuary,wasamixedbag, but I hada timeof 4:09, so I thought thiswasdoable.My real goal—I have toadmit—wastorunsub-4:00.Ihadtrainedatpacesbasedonagreathalf-marathonand10KthatIraninthespring,andwastargeting8:50pace.

Theresult?3:53:34,neverhadamileworsethan9:05,neverfeltasthoughIhita“wall”(notthe same as being fatigued, which I was!), and felt good afterwards. Bonus… I came insecond inmyage-group(itwasaslowfield)!Mypost-raceweek, I feltmuchbetter thanmyfirstmarathon,andbyWednesday/ThursdayIwasreadytorunagain(whichIdidn’t—tookabreakinstead).

SothenextdayIjoinedthehordesonlineandamnowofficiallyregisteredtorunBoston!Thisyearhasbeenagreatrunningexperienceforme.Sub-2:00half-marathon,sub-5010K,andnowBostonbound.I’mnotsureIcantopitforspeed—butthereareothergoalsoutthere.

Sothanksfromahappycustomerandherdog-earedcopyofyourbook.

MauraGatowskiBeverlyHills,Michigan

REALRUNNERREPORT

HeardaboutyourprogramlastfallandboughtthebooktotrainforGrandma’s2011withthegoalofqualifyingforBoston2012.IhadrunahalfdozenmarathonspriortousingtheFIRSTtrainingmethods,withaPRof3:13whenIwas28.Iam37andhavesevenkidsandafull-timejob,sotimefortrainingisatapremium.TheFIRSTprogramreallyappealedtomefromatime-managementstandpointanddiversity-in-activityperspective.Ifollowedtheprogramfairlycloselyandwasgenerallyabletoruneachsessionattheprescribedpace.Cross-trainedonthebike,rowingmachine,swimming,andcardiobootcamps.NomajorinjurysetbacksduringtrainingandallsystemsweregolastSaturdayinDuluth.Raceconditionswereveryfavorable,but intheend,thetrainingmethodsdescribedinyourbookarewhatIbelievehelpedpropelme to a PR of 3:08 and a trip to Boston next year. Thanks for putting such a nice booktogether.Itwasaconstantpresenceatmysidethroughoutthemonthsoftraining,andwasagreatresourceforplanningandtrackingprogressagainsttheplan.

Regards,

DennisLoperfido,CFASeniorInvestmentAnalyst

St.Paul,Minnesota

SECTIONIIHowtoFollowtheFIRSTTrainingProgram

Chapter4FIRSTFUNDAMENTALS

Tobenefit fullyfromtheFIRST3plus2 trainingprogramyouneed toperformallfiveworkoutseachweek.WhiletheFIRST3plus2trainingprogramreducestheamountof running thatyoudoweekly, itdoesnot limityour training to3daysperweek.The total trainingvolume includes threekey runningworkoutsand a minimum of two key cross-training workouts. The cumulative trainingeffectoftheworkoutsover12to16weekstranslatesintoimprovedfitness,morespeed,andbetterendurance.Wehavelearnedthatmostrunnersdonotfocusonspeed and getting faster; their workouts lack variety; they do not allow forsufficientrecovery;andtheydonotrealizethevalueofcross-training.

WealsohearfromrunnersusingourprogramthatoncetheybegintofollowaFIRSTtrainingscheduletheyfindthepaceschallenging,butsurprisinglymeetthose targets with serious efforts and proper recoveries. The FIRST trainingprogram is designed to gradually take runners toward more demandingworkouts. The gradual progression of stress and overload stimulatesimprovementinthecardiorespiratorysystemandmusculartissueresponsibleforrunningperformance.

InadditiontothethreekeyrunsperweekdescribedinChapter5,anintegralpartofthe3plus2TrainingProgramistheaerobiccross-training.Theprogramincludes aminimum of two cross-trainingworkouts eachweek. InChapter 6,there are descriptions of specific cross-trainingworkouts that complement thethreekey runningworkouts.Youmaychoose fromamong thedifferent cross-trainingworkoutsthosewhichyouwishtousetosupplementyourrunning.

Isitpossibletobefitandracesuccessfullybycompletingthethreekeyrunswithout doing the cross-training?By this point in the book, you should knowthatwebelievestronglythatcross-trainingisvaluableandessentialforoptimalperformance.However,wehavereportsofsuccess-personalbest times,Bostonqualification—fromrunnerswhosaid that theydidonly thekey runworkouts.That being said, they likelywould have run even faster had they included thecross-trainingintheirweeklyplan.

We recognize that most training books have chapters with comprehensive

regimens for stretching, strength training, and formdrills. Inkeepingwithourphilosophyofgettingtheoptimalbenefitsfromaminimaltimecommitment,wehave selected what we consider the most beneficial and essential resistancetraining exercises (Chapter 12), stretches (Chapter 13), and running drills(Chapter13)foryoutoincludeinyourprogram.Onceyoubecomefamiliarwiththem, these 9 stretches and 11 strength training exercises will only take 30minutesorlessoutofyourday,threetimeseachweek,whilethereturnonyourtime investment in terms of performance and reduced risk of injury issignificant.

We, as runners, arewell aware that stretching, strength training, and formdrillsaretypicallyneglected.Runnersassumethatmoretimespentrunningwillbe more beneficial than devoting some of their limited time to thesesupplementaltrainingexercises.Successfulenduranceperformanceismorethanjustrunning.Ifrunnerswoulddevotejust5to10percentofthetimetheyspendrunning to these often overlooked, but important, aspects of their preparation,theirrunningwouldimprove.

Often, runners, in theirzeal toget faster,engage in risky training thatmaynot contribute to being healthier. Through repetition,many runners will incuroveruse injuries and createmuscular imbalances.Wewant to promote a fitterandhealthierrunner,justnotafasterone.Smarttrainingcanhelptherunnerbefaster,fitter,andhealthier.Chapters5and6providetheessentialsoftheFIRSTtrainingprogramdesignedtopromotefasterrunning,whilecontributingtoone’soverallhealthandprolongingone’srunningcareer.Theinformationinthelaterchapters about stretching, strength training, form, year-round training, andnutritionareessentialforbecomingawell-balancedrunner.

HOWTOSTARTUSINGTHETRAININGPROGRAMSAll of the training target times and paces for all of the key runs in the nextchapter are based on your current fitness level as represented by your mostrecent5Kracetimeoranestimateofyour5Kracetime.Ifyouhavea5Kracetimethatisrepresentativeofyourcurrentfitnesslevel,useitforselectingyourtarget times fromTable 5.6 and for determining yourmile or kilometer pacesfromTables5.7and5.8.Ifyoudonothavea5Ktimethatreflectsyourcurrentfitness,butyouhavearecent10Ktimethatisindicativeofyourcurrentfitness,gotoTable2.1andfindthe5Ktimeequivalenttoyour10KtimeanduseitforselectingtargettimesandpacesfromTables5.6,5.7and5.8.

If you do not have a 5K or 10K race finish time that represents your

currentfitnesslevel,gotoa400-metertrackandrun3x1600meters(fourlapsaroundthetrack)with1-minuterecoverybetweeneach1600meters.Duringthe1-minuterecovery,youcanwalk,butdon’tjog.Trytorunthefastesttimethatyoucanmaintainforallthree1600meters.Thegoalistohavelittlevariationinthe times for the three1600s.Afteryouhave finished,average the timeof thethree1600repeatsandadd15secondstotheaverageforapredictionofyour5Kper-mileracepace.Forexample,ifyouraverage1600-metertimeis7:20,add15secondsanduse7:35/mileasyourpredicted5Kracepace.

To findyourmetric equivalent,multiply your average1600-meter timeby.62andadd9seconds.Forexample,ifyouraverage1600-metertimeis7:20,or440 seconds, multiply by .62, which equals 272.8 seconds, or 4:32.8. Add 9secondsanduse4:41.8,or4:42/kilometerasyourpredicted5Kracepace.

Now thatyouhaveyour5Kracepace,ascalculatedabove,go to thepacetables inAppendixDand findyourpredicted5K timeof23:34.Youwill usethat5KtimeforselectingyourtrainingtargettimesandpacesforthethreeKeyRunsinChapter5.

If you do not have a 5K or 10K race finish time that represents yourcurrent fitness level and you do not do any speedwork—you do onlydistancerunningandyouneverrunfastquarter-miles,half-miles,ormiles—don’t attempt to do the 3 x 1600-meter workout to determine yourpredicted5Krace timeuntil you experience some speed trainingover thenext2weeks.

Inweekone,gotothetrackanddo4x800meterswitha400-meterjoginbetween 800 repeats. Try to run a pace that you canmaintain throughout thefour-repeat workout. Check your times for each repeat. The purpose of thisworkoutistoaccustomyoutorunningfasterthanyounormallyrunandtogetasenseofpaceforeventuallyperformingthe3x1600-meterworkoutdescribedintheprevioussection.

Inthenextweek,gotothetrackandrun1x800metersfollowedbya400-meterjogrecovery,followedby1x1600meterswitha400-meterjogrecovery,andfinishtheworkoutwithanother800meters.Again,youshouldtrytoholdanevenpacethroughouttheworkoutandrecordyourtimes.Thatway,you’llhaveasenseofwhatyoucanmaintainduringthenextweekwhenyouperformthe3x1600-meterworkouttogetyour5Kpredictedracetime.You’lluseittoselectyourtrainingtargettimesandpacesfromTables5.6,5.7and5.8.

In the first edition of this book, we indicated that you could use yourhalfmarathon or marathon race finish times to predict your 5K race time by

using Table 2.1. We found this approach is not a good predictor for manyrunners because it has become increasingly common for runners to race onlyhalfmarathonsandmarathons.Oftentheydonospeedtrainingandtheirtrainingislimitedtolong,slowruns.Forthatreason,theirpredicted5KracetimeusingTable2.1wouldnotbeavalidpredictoroftheir5Kraceperformance.Simply,theyhavefocusedonlyonenduranceandnotonspeed.Therefore, ifyouhaveracedonlyhalfmarathonsandmarathonsandhavenotincludedspeedtraining—track repeats/interval training—you need to follow the instructions above todetermineyourcurrent5Kfitnesslevel.

Whyishavingacurrent,valid5Kracetimeimportant?TheFIRSTthreekeyrunsallspecifya target timeorpaceforeachrunworkout.Toget thefullbenefits from eachworkout, you need to train at the appropriate intensity forproducing a physiological adaptation that improves your fitness.Thousandsofrunners have reported that the training targets based on their 5K race timesremarkablymatchtheirabilities.Thecommonphrasereportedintheirmessagesto us is that the training targets are “challenging, but doable.” Once youdetermine the 5K race time that represents your current fitness status, go toChapter5andreadaboutthethreekeyruns.

Hereisanexampleofa3plus2trainingweek.Itcanbemodifiedaslongasthekeyrunsarenotperformedonconsecutivedays.Chapter5describesindetailthethreekeyrunsandChapter6,thecross-trainingworkouts.

The3plus2TrainingWeek

Day1Cross-TrainingWorkout#1 (For5Kand10K training, seeTables6.1and6.2;forhalfmarathonandmarathontraining,seeTables6.3and6.4.)

Day 2 Key Run #1: Track Repeats (See Tables 5.1–5.5 for trainingschedulesandTable5.6fortrainingtargettimes.)

Day3Cross-TrainingWorkout#2 (For5Kand10K training, seeTables6.1and6.2,forhalfmarathonandmarathontraining,seeTables6.3and6.4.)

Day4KeyRun#2:TempoRun(SeeTables5.1–5.5fortrainingschedulesandTable5.7forpaces.)

Day5RestDay

Day6KeyRun#3:LongRun (SeeTables 5.1–5.5 for training schedulesandTable5.8forpaces.)

Day7RestDayorOptionalCross-Training

TRAININGSUMMARYFOR5K,10K,HALFMARATHONANDMARATHON

Trainingfora5K:CompletethreekeyrunsfromTable5.1andtwocross-training workouts from Tables 6.1 and 6.2. Paces for the key runs are inTables5.6,5.7and5.8.

Trainingfora10K:CompletethreekeyrunsfromTable5.2andtwocross-training workouts from Tables 6.1 and 6.2. Paces for the key runs are inTables5.6,5.7and5.8.

TrainingforaHalfMarathon:CompletethreekeyrunsfromTable5.3andtwocross-trainingworkoutsfromTables6.3and6.4.PacesforthekeyrunsareinTables5.6,5.7and5.8.

TrainingforaMarathon:CompletethreekeyrunsfromeitherTable5.4or5.5andtwocross-trainingworkoutsfromTables6.3and6.4.Pacesfor thekeyrunsareinTables5.6,5.7and5.8.

REALRUNNERREPORT

DearFIRST,

Afterbeinganon-offrunnerforseveralyears,Itookamoreseriousapproach2yearsagoandcompleted somehalfmarathons in the 2:30 range.Then I succumbed to peer pressure andtriedmyfirstfullmarathon,managingitin5:08,thoughthisattemptleftmewithapainfulcalfinjury.

Inhindsight,IrealizedthatIhadrampeduptoosoon,andIdecidedtore-evaluatemyrunninggoals.ThefactisthatinIndia,runningisstillinitsinfancy,andthegeneralperceptionisthatto improve your timing, you have to run more. But this seemed to me to be a recipe fordisaster—increased likelihood of injuries due to tired muscles, mental and physical fatiguefromexcessiverunning,aswellasastrainonmanagingmyotherresponsibilitiesinlife.

Myinnervoicetoldmetosettleonastronghalfbeforelookingatthefullagain.Itdidn’thelpthatIalsohadlimitedtimegiventhatIhadjustchangedtoamoredemandingjob.

Around this time,a fellow runner introducedme toyourbook,RunLess.RunFaster,and itseemed to be the perfect answer formynext halfmarathon later this year.As a systematicperson,Iamapproachingmytrainingveryseriously,maintainingapreciselogofeachrunwithpoweryoga,swimming,andstrengthtrainingservingasthestipulatedcrosstraining.

Whatespeciallyimpressesmeisthateachrunneedstobepurposeful.Ilikethateachtrainingrunhasamileageandpacetargetcalculatedbasedonmybest5Ktime.Yes,theinitialweeksweredifficult,andIparticularlystruggledwiththeintervalrepeats.ButIcansenseachangeinmyrunningasmybodyadaptso theprogressivestress,and,with the intermittent restdaysfromrunning,Icomebackhungrytorun.

The results are amazing. Earlier, my best half marathon pace was 6:16 min/K, but just 8weeks into theFIRSTprogram, Iamrunningata tempopaceof5:11and long runpaceof5:28.Iamalsorelativelyinjury-freenow.

My goal using your FIRST program is to finishmy next halfmarathon under 2 hours. And,giventhatonarecent long20KtrainingrunIclocked1:49,I feelveryconfidentofachievingmyimmediaterunninggoal.Andthiswillgivemethatessentialmentalstrengthtotargetyetmoreaggressivetimingsintheyearsahead.

I am sure you get many such letters, but possibly I am the first writer from India. But therunning space here is growing fast and I am sure that your FIRST programwill findmanytakersheresoon,astheresultsspeakforthemselves.

Ms.VaishaliKastureSeniorCorporateBangalore,India

REALRUNNERREPORT

DearSirs,

Iwroteyouamessageabout3yearsagowhenIfinishedmysecondmarathonin2:59,havingtrained according to your great program. (First marathon, I did 3:18 in 2007—following adifferentplanwithfivetosixrunsperweek.BytrainingsomuchIgotashinsplitandthedoctoldme that I’d either have to undergo surgery or reducemymileage. That’s how I cameacrossyourconcept.)

IjustwantedtoletyouknowthatI’mmorethanhappy:Icontinuedtodoafewracesperyear(two10Ks,onehalfmarathon),alwaystrainingaccordingtotheFIRSTprinciple.LastSundayIdid my third marathon (Berlin) after a 3-year break and I enjoyedmyself while finishing in2:49:12—attheageof41!

It’sjustunbelievable.AbouteveryamateurrunnerIknowkeepstellingmethatyoucan’trununder3hourswithonlythreerunsperweek.I’mreallylookingforwardtowhattheseguyswilltellmenow.

Formeit’stheperfectmatch—that’sforsure.Sothanksagainforsharingthesegreattraininginsights—youmadeareallyhappymanoutofme!

DanielLippSeniorSoftwareDeveloper

Rheinfelden,Germany

Chapter5THREEQUALITYRUNS

The“3”ofthe3plus2TrainingProgram

“I was skeptical when I started your training program, but I found that thechallenging,butdoable, threekeyrunworkoutscausedme togetstrongerandfaster week after week.” That’s the most common refrain from readers whoadheretotheFIRSTtrainingprograms.Thethree-runs-per-weekscheduledefiesconventionalthinkingaboutthenecessityofpilingonthemiles.

Most runnerswho incorporate the three quality runs find that their fitnessimprovesasdotheirracetimes.Whatexplainsthis?Mostrunnersfocusonthefrequencyanddurationof their training.Their conversationsbeginwith“Howmany times did you run” and end with “How many miles did you log thisweek?”Theyneglecttheimportanceofintensity—thepaceofeachworkout.Tryrunning the paces designated in the tables provided in this chapter andwatchyourracetimesimprove.

While a certain fitness base is necessary, quality performances aredeterminedmore by intensity than by volume.Workouts that cause you to goreallyhard, recover, andgohardagainhave significantphysiologicalbenefits.Workoutssustainedatamoderatelyhardeffort for20 to30minutesalso trainyourbody toexercise for longperiodsnearyourmaximumeffort.Doing longrunsatspeedsprogressivelyclosertoyourmarathonpacecausesyoutoadapttothestressofrunninghardforseveralhourstoprepareforamarathon.

Thischaptersuppliesyouwiththetrainingpacesappropriateforyourcurrentfitness level—paces that will lead to improvements in your fitness level andfuturerunningperformances.Italsoprovidesthenuts-and-boltsdescriptionsforyourthreequalityrunsperweek,theheartofthe3plus2trainingprogram.Youwillfindallofthedetailsnecessaryforperformingthethreeweeklyqualityruns.Following the breakdown of the overall design of the program are tables thatshowyouhowtodetermineyourtargettimeandpaceforeachrun(seeTables5.6, 5.7 and 5.8) and the training schedules for 5K, 10K, half-marathon andmarathonraces(seeTables5.1,5.2,5.3,5.4,and5.5).First,however,wepresent

abriefdiscussionofthescienceunderlyingtheFIRSTprogram.

THREEQUALITYRUNS:THESCIENCEThetheoreticalconceptunderlyingtheFIRSTtrainingregimenisthateachrunbe performed with a goal of improving one of the primary physiologicalprocesses and running performance variables. The training programs aredesigned to help runners train effectively and efficiently while avoidingovertrainingandinjury.

Maximaloxygenconsumption(VO2max)isameasureoftheabilityofanathlete to produce energy aerobically. One might say that maximal oxygenconsumptiongivesarunneranideaofhowlargeanengineheorshehastoworkwith.Normally,ahigherVO2maxindicatesmoreworkcanbeperformedduringa given time period. This simplymeans that an individualwith a higherVO2max should be able to run faster than an otherwise comparable runnerwith alowerVO2max.Ahighmaximal capacity to deliver oxygenatedbloodmeansthere is the potential for more muscles to be active simultaneously duringexercise.Values forVO2max typically rangebetween40and80millilitersofoxygenperkilogramofbodyweight.ResearchhasshownVO2maxtoincreaseasmuchas20percentthroughacombinationofenduranceandintervaltraining.VO2 max and submaximal exercise capacity are limited by differentmechanisms.VO2maxappearstoberelatedmoretocardiovascularfactors,suchasmaximalcardiacoutput,whereasskeletalmusclemetabolicfactors,includingrespiratory enzyme activity, play more of a role in determining submaximalexercisecapacity.

Lactate threshold (LT) is a measure of metabolic fitness. Lactate is anorganicby-productofanaerobicmetabolism,anditsaccumulationinthebloodisusedtoevaluatetheintensitythatarunnercanmaintainforextendedperiodsoftime—usually30minutesormore.Lactate thresholdandmaximalsteadystatelactate levels are indications of how well one’s muscles are trained to doendurance-typework.Mostpeople,except themosthighly trainedathletes,arelimited by metabolic fitness rather than cardiovascular fitness. Highly trainedendurance athletes become “centrally limited,” meaning they can work atextremeheartrateswithoutseveremusclefatigue.AnuntrainedindividualmightreachLTatabout50to60percentofhisorhermaximumheartrate,whereasawell-trainedrunnerwon’treachlactatethresholduntilabout80to95percentofhisorhermaximumheartrate.

Runningeconomyistheamountofoxygenbeingconsumedrelativetotherunner’s body weight and the speed at which the runner is traveling.Unnecessarybodymotionresultsinanincreaseinoxygenconsumptionandthusadecreaseinrunningeconomy.RunningeconomycanbeexpressedeitherasthevelocityachievedforagivenrateofoxygenconsumptionortheVO2neededtomaintainagivenrunningspeed.Runningatagivensubmaximalpaceandusinglessoxygenindicatethatarunnerismoreeconomicalorhasimprovedhisorherrunningeconomy.Thisdeterminantofrunningperformancegenerallytakesthelongestperiodoftrainingformeasurableimprovements.

Training at the appropriate intensity is generally recognized as the mostimportantfactorforimprovingeachofthethreeelements.Forthatreason,eachworkoutneedstohavetheappropriateintensity,orrunningpace,thatstimulatesthephysiologicaladaptationneededforimproving.

THREEQUALITYRUNS:THEESSENTIALSTypesofTraining

ELEMENTS KEYRUN#1:TRACKREPEATS

KEYRUN#2:TEMPORUN

KEYRUN#3:LONGRUN

PurposeImproveVO2maxrunningspeed,andrunningeconomy

Improveendurancebyraisinglactatethreshold

Improveendurancebyraisingaerobicmetabolism

Intensity 5Kracepaceorslightlyfaster

Comfortablyhard;15to45secslowerthan5K

racepace

Approximately30secslowerthangoalmarathonpace

DurationofEachRun 10minutesorless 20to45minattempopace 60to180min

FrequencyRepeatshortersegmentsuntilqualityworktotalsabout5Kpersession

Onetemporunperweek Onelongrunperweek

KEYRUN#1:TRACKREPEATS

Warmup

Warm up for 10 to 20 minutes of easy jogging followed by four 100-meterstrides.Completionofthestrideswillmaketheinitialtrackrepeatsmucheasierandreducetheshockofgoingfromaneasywarmupjogtoanearall-outeffortontherepeats.Staycomfortablewith thestridesandfocusongoodform.You

shouldn’tbestrainingduringthestrides.Graduallyacceleratefor80metersuntilyoureachapproximately90percentof fullspeed,and thendecelerateover thefinal20meters.Recoverfor30secondsorlessandrepeat.

In Chapter 13, two key drills that will help your form are described andillustratedonpages179–182.Thesetwokeydrillscanbeincorporatedintoyourwarmup strides. After completing two 100-meter strides, begin the third 100metersbydoingbuttkicksfor20metersandthengraduallyacceleratingfor60metersanddeceleratefor20meters.Recoverfor30seconds,beginthenext100meters,anddohighkneeliftsfor20meters,andthengraduallyacceleratefor60metersanddeceleratefor20meters.

TheTrackRepeatsThe track repeats include running relatively short distances of 400 meters to2000 meters, interspersed with brief recovery intervals on a repeated basis.Track repeats are designed to improvemaximal oxygen consumption, runningeconomy, and speed.Most of these workouts total about 5000meters of fastrunning per session. Including warmup and cooldown, Key Run #1 typicallytotals5to6milesor8to10kilometers.

Caution:Mostrunnerscanrunthefirstfewrepeatsfasterthanthespecifiedtargettime.However,thechallengeistoruntheentireworkoutatthetargettimewithlittleornodeviationinthetimesforeachrepeat.Also,theobjectiveisnottoruntherepeatsasfastasyoucan;youhavetwootherkeyrunstoperformfortheweek.Donotsacrificemeetingthetargettimesforthetempoandlongrunsby running the repeats at an exhausting speed that does not provide sufficientrecoveryforKeyRuns#2and#3.

CooldownAfter a challengingworkout of repeats on the track, a cooldown is important.Jogslowlyfor10to15minutes.

TrackRepeatExample1:6x800(90secRI)Repeatan800-meterrunsixtimes,witharecoveryinterval(RI)of90seconds.Inbetweentherepeats,yourecoverbywalking/joggingfor90seconds.Afterthe90secondsofrecovery,youwillstartthenext800-meterrun.Yourunallofthe800metersatthesameprescribedtargettime,whichisfoundinTable5.6.Thegoal of theworkout is to keep a small rangeof times for the 800meters. Forexample,ratherthanasetlike3:00,2:58,3:04,3:08,3:09,3:02,shootforamore

consistent range of times, such as 3:02, 3:01, 3:02, 3:02, 3:03, 3:02. Thereshouldnotbemore than a coupleof seconds’difference inyour times for therepeats.

TrackRepeatExample2:5x1000(400mRI)Repeatrunsof1000meters(2.5timesarounda400-metertrack)fivetimeswitha400-meterwalk/jogasarecoverybetweenrepeatruns.Usingyourprescribedtraining pace for 1000 meters, try running the first repeat at the target time(foundinTable5.6).Checkyourtimeafterfinishingthefirstrepeattomakesureyouaren’trunningtoofastortooslowly.Jog400metersatacomfortablepaceforyourrecovery(formostpeople,thislapwilltake2to4minutes).Attheendof the jog recovery, begin the second repeat, concentratingonmaintaining theprescribedpace.Thetimesforrunningthefive1000-meterrepeatsshouldvarynomorethanafewseconds.

TheFIRST trainingprogramemphasizes the importanceofkeepingaverysmallrangeoftimesfortheentireworkout.Thetargetpacesshouldberealisticandchallenging,butnotsodifficultthatyouareunabletorecoverforKeyRun#2.Ouremphasis that theentiresetof repeatsbe runwithina rangeofonlyacoupleofsecondsprettymuchensuresthatyouwon’toverdoit.

KEYRUN#2:TEMPORUN

Warmup

Temporunsbeginwitheasyrunningfor1or2milesprior to thefaster tempophaseoftheworkout.Aswiththestridesonthetrack,thepaceshouldgraduallyincreaseduringtheeasymiles,sothatyouareclosetotempopacebytheendofthewarmup.

TheTempoRunThe tempo portion of the workout is typically 3 to 5 miles at 10K pace orslightlyslower.Formarathontraining,thetempoportionisextendedto8to10milesatplannedmarathonpace.

CooldownAmileor10minutesofeasyrunningisrecommendedforacooldownafterthetempophaseoftherun.

Example:1milewarmup,2milesatSTand1milecooldownStart slowly and gradually pick up the pace, and after 1mile, run the next 2milesat thedesignatedpacebasedonyour5Kracepace (seeTable5.7).Thisshort-tempopace (ST) is approximately 15 seconds slower than your per-mile5K racepaceand9 seconds slower thanyourper-kilometerpace.After the2-mile tempo run, slow down and run an easy cooldownmile. In this example,KeyRun#2isacontinuous4-milerun.

KEYRUN#3:LONGRUN

Warmup

Whilethereisnotaspecificwarmupforyourlongrun,theearlypartofthelongrun can serve as the warmup. The recommended long run pace need not beachievedduringthefirstcoupleofmilesorkilometers.

TheLongRunThelongrun(relativetoyourgoalsandpresenttrainingmileage)requiressteadyrunningfrom6to20milesatapaceequaltoone’s5Kpaceplus45secondsforthe5Kand10K long runs.For thehalf-marathonandmarathon long runs, thelong run pace is equal to one’s 5K pace plus 75 to 90 seconds, or 15 to 30secondspermileor9to19secondsperkilometerslowerthanplannedmarathonpace.

Trystartingyourtrainingrunsabitslowerthantheprescribedpaceandthenpickupthepaceinthemiddlesectionofyourtrainingrun.Trytohaveastrongfinishoverthelastcoupleofmiles(kilometers)ofyourlongtrainingruns.Ifyourun faster than recommendedpaceduring themiddle phaseof the long run, itcanoffsettheearlierslowerpacesoyoucanmeettheaveragetargetedpacefortheentirerun.

CooldownTen minutes of easy walking after a long run serves as a good cooldown.Drinkingasportsdrinkorrecoverydrinkduringthese10minuteswillaidyourrecovery(seeChapter7).Doingsomeof thebasicstaticstretchesdescribed inChapter13isvaluable.

Example:15milesatMP+30

Run15miles, 30 seconds permile slower than plannedmarathon pace. For arunner with a target marathon time of 3:10, or 7:15/mile pace, this long runmight begin with a 7:55 mile followed by a 7:40 mile before settling into a7:45/milepace.After5milesof runningata7:45/milepace,youmaywant totrythenext3or4milesat7:35-40pacebeforerunningthelastfewmilesata7:45/mile pace. Or youmay want to hold the 7:45/ mile pace up through 12milesandthentrytorunthelast3milesfaster.Youcanalternatestrategiesfromonelongtrainingruntothenext.Themetricversionof thisworkout is24KatMP + 19. Run 24 kilometers 19 seconds per kilometer slower than plannedmarathon pace. For a runner with a target marathon time of 3:10 or4:30/kilometerpace, this longrunmightbeginwitha4:55pace followedbya4:45kilometerbeforesettlingintoa4:49/kilometerpace.After8kilometersofrunningata4:49/kilometerpace,youmaywanttotrythenext5to7kilometersata4:40to4:45pacebeforerunningthelastfewkilometersata4:49/kilometerpace.Or youmaywant to hold the 4:49/ kilometer pace up through 20K andthentrytorunthelast4Kfaster.

DetailedTrainingSchedulesforFourPopularRaceDistancesandTrainingPacesFIRST’Sthreekeyrunschedulesfordistancesof5K,10K,half-marathon,andmarathon follow in Tables 5.1 through 5.5. To find the appropriate trainingtargettimeorpaceforaspecificdistance,refertoTables5.6to5.8.Ifyouhavenotrunarecent5K,refertotheinstructionsonpage45.

Table5.15KTrainingProgram:TheThreeQualityRunsRI=Recovery Interval;whichmaybea timed recovery intervaloradistancethatyouwalk/jog.Paces:ST=ShortTempo;MT=Mid-Tempo;LT=LongTempo.SeeTable5.7.KeyRun #1 (TrackRepeats) beginswith 10-to 20-minutewarmup; endswith10-minutecooldown.SeeTable5.6fortargettimes.KeyRun#2(TempoRun)beginswith1-mile(1.5K)warmup;endswith1-mile(1.5K)cooldown.SeeTable5.7.Metricequivalentsappearinbolditalics.

WEEK KEYRUN#1(TRACKREPEATS)

KEYRUN#2(TEMPORUN)

KEYRUN#3(LONGRUN)

12 8x400(400RI) 2miles(3K)atST 5miles(8K)atLT11 5x800(400RI) 3miles(5K)atST 6miles(10K)atLT

10 2x1600(400RI)1x800(400RI)

2miles(3K)atST1mile(1.5K)easy2miles(3K)atST

5miles(8K)atLT

9 400,600,800,800,600,400(400RI) 4milesCS.5K)atMT 6miles(10K)atLT

8 4x1000(400RI) 3miles(5K)atST 7miles(11K)atLT

7 1600,1200,800,400(400RI)

1mile(1.5K)atST1mile(1.5K)easy1mile(1.5K)atST1mile(1.5K)easy1mile(1.5K)atST

6miles(10K)atLT

6 10x400(90secRI) 4miles(6.5K)atMT 8miles(13K)atLT

5 6x800(90secRI)2miles(3K)atST1mile(1.5K)easy2miles(3K)atST

7miles(11K)atLT


3 5x1000(400RI)

2miles(3K)atST1mile(1.5K)easy1mile(1.5K)atST1mile(1.5K)easy2miles(3K)atST

7miles(11K)atLT


1 6x400(60secRI)3miles(5K)easy

Noadditionalwarmuporcooldown

5KRace

Table5.210KTrainingProgram:TheThreeQualityRunsRI=Recovery Interval;whichmaybea timed recovery intervaloradistancethatyouwalk/jog.Paces:ST=ShortTempo;MT=Mid-Tempo;LT=LongTempo.SeeTable5.7.KeyRun #1 (TrackRepeats) beginswith 10-to 20-minutewarmup; endswith10-minutecooldown.SeeTable5.6fortargettimes.KeyRun#2(TempoRun)beginswith1-mile(1.5K)warmup;endswith1-mile(1.5K)cooldown.SeeTable5.7.Metricequivalentsappearinbolditalics.


KEYRUN#2(TEMPORUN)

KEYRUN#3(LONGRUN)


11 5x800(400RI)2miles(3K)atST1mile(1.5K)easy2miles(3K)atST

7miles(11K)atLT

10 2x1600(400RI);1x800(400RI) 4miles(6.5K)atMT 8miles(13K)atLT

9 400,600,800,800,600,400(400RI)

2miles(3K)atST1mile(1.5K)easy1mile(1.5K)atST1mile(1.5K)easy2miles(3K)atST

9miles(14K)atLT

8 4x1000(400RI) 4miles(6.5K)atST 10miles(16K)atLT7 1600,1200,800,400(400RI) 5miles(8K)atMT 8miles(13K)atLT6 10x400(90secRI) 3miles(6.5K)atST 10miles(16K)atLT

5 6x800(90secRI)

1mile(1.5K)atST1mile(1.5K)easy2miles(3K)atST1mile(1.5K)easy1mile(1.5K)atST

8miles(13K)atLT

4 4x1200(400RI) 3miles(5K)atST 10miles(16K)atLT3 5x1000(400RI) 6miles(10K)atMT 8miles(13K)atLT2 3x1600(400RI) 3miles(5K)atST 7miles(11K)atLT

1 6x400(60secRI)3miles(5K)easy


10KRace

Table5.3Half-MarathonTrainingProgram:TheThreeQualityRunsRI=Recovery Interval;whichmaybea timed recovery intervaloradistancethatyouwalk/jog.Paces:HMP=HalfMarathonPace;ST=ShortTempo;MT=Mid-Tempo;LT=LongTempo.Aplussign(+)followedbyafigureindicatessecondspermileorkilometer.SeeTables5.7–5.8.KeyRun #1 (TrackRepeats) beginswith 10-to 20-minutewarmup; endswith10-minutecooldown.SeeTable5.6fortargettimes.Metricequivalentsappearinbolditalics.


KEYRUN#2(TEMPORUN)

KEYRUN#3(LONGRUN)

16 12x400(90secRI)2miles(3K)easy3miles(5K)atST1mile(1.5K)easy

8milesatHMP+2012.5KatHMP+13

15 400,600,800,1200,800,600,400(400RI)

1mile(1.5K)easy5miles(8K)atMT1mile(1.5K)easy

9milesatHMP+2014KatHMP+13

14 6x800(90secRI)2miles(3K)easy3miles(5K)atST1mile(1.5K)easy

10mileseasy16Keasy

13 5x1000(400RI)1mile(1.5K)easy3miles(5K)atST1mile(1.5K)easy


12 3x1600(60secRI)1mile(1.5K)easy6miles(10K)atLT1mile(1.5K)easy


11 2x1200(2minRI);4x800(2minRI)

1mile(1.5K)easy2miles(3K)atMT1mile(1.5K)easy2miles(3K)atMT1mile(1.5K)easy


10 6x800(90secRI) 1mile(1.5K)easy5miles(8K)atMT1mile(1.5K)easy


9 2x(6x400)(90secRI);(2min30secRIbetweensets)

1mile(1.5K)easy2miles(3K)atMT1mile(1.5K)easy2miles(3K)atMT1mile(1.5K)easy


8 2x1600(60secRI);2x800(60secRI)



7 4x1200(2minRI)1mile(1.5K)easy6miles(10K)atMT1mile(1.5K)easy


6 1000,2000,1000,1000(400RI)



5 3x1600(400RI) 6miles(10K)easy 10milesatHMP+2016KatHMP+13

4 10x400(400RI)1mile(1.5K)easy5miles(8K)atMT1mile(1.5K)easy


3 2x1200(2minRI);4x800(2minRI)



2 5x1000(400RI)2miles(3K)easy3miles(5K)atST1mile(1.5K)easy


1 6x400(400RI)3miles(5K)easy


Half-Marathon13.1miles(21.1K)

Table5.4NoviceMarathonTrainingProgram:TheThreeQualityRunsRI=Recovery Interval;whichmaybea timed recovery intervaloradistancethatyouwalk/jog.Paces:HMP=Half-MarathonPace;ST=ShortTempo;MT=Mid-Tempo;LT=LongTempo.Aplussign(+)followedbyafigureindicatessecondspermileorkilometer.SeeTables5.7–5.8.KeyRun #1 (TrackRepeats) beginswith 10-to 20-minutewarmup; endswith10-minutecooldown.SeeTable5.6fortargettimes.Metricequivalentsappearinbolditalics.


KEYRUN#2(TEMPORUN)

KEYRUN#3(LONGRUN)

16 3x1600(400RI)2miles(3K)easy2miles(3K)atST2miles(3K)easy

8milesatMP+3013KatMP+19

15 4x800(2minRI)1mile(1.5K)easy5miles(8K)atMP1mile(1.5K)easy


14 1200,1000,800,600,400(200RI)

1mile(1.5K)easy5miles(8K)atLT1mile(1.5K)easy


13 5x1000(400RI)1mile(1.5K)easy4miles(6.5K)atMT1mile(1.5K)easy




11 2x1200(2minRI);4x800(2minRI)





9 2x(6x400)(90secRI);(2min30secRIbetweensets)

2miles(3K)easy3miles(5K)atST1mile(1.5K)easy


8 2x1600(60secRI);2x800(60secRI)

1mile(1.5K)easy4miles(6.5K)atMT1mile(1.5K)easy


7 4x1200(2minRI) 10miles(16K)atMP 12milesatMP+2024KatMP+12

6 1000,2000,1000,1000(400RI)

1mile(1.5K)easy5miles(8K)atMP1mile(1.5K)easy


5 3x1600(400RI) 10miles(16K)atMP 13milesatMP+1521KatMP+9

4 10x400(400RI)10-minutewarmup8miles(13K)atMP10-minutecooldown


3 8x800(90secRI)1mile(1.5K)easy5miles(8K)atMT1mile(1.5K)easy

13milesatMP21KatMP


8milesatMP13KatMP

1 6x400(400RI)10minwarmup

3miles(5K)atMP10mincooldown

Marathon26.2miles(42.2K)

Table5.5MarathonTrainingProgram:TheThreeQualityRunsRI=Recovery Interval;whichmaybea timed recovery intervaloradistancethatyouwalk/jog.Paces:HMP=Half-MarathonPace;ST=ShortTempo;MT=Mid-Tempo;LT=LongTempo.Aplussign(+)followedbyafigureindicatessecondspermileorkilometer.SeeTables5.7–5.8.Key Run #1 begins with 10-to 20-minute warmup; ends with 10-minutecooldown.SeeTable5.6fortargettimes.Metricequivalentsappearinbolditalics.


KEYRUN#2(TEMPORUN)

KEYRUN#3(LONGRUN)

16 3x1600(400RI)2miles(3K)easy2miles(3K)atST2miles(3K)easy


15 4x800(2minRI)1mile(1.5K)easy5miles(8K)atMP1mile(1.5K)easy


14 1200,1000,800,600,400(200RI)

1mile(1.5K)easy5miles(8K)atLT1mile(1.5K)easy


13 5x1000(400RI)1mile(1.5K)easy4miles(6.5K)atMT1mile(1.5K)easy




11 2x1200(2minRI);4x800(2minRI)





92x(6x400)(90secRI)

(2min30secRIbetweensets)

2miles(3K)easy3miles(5K)atST1mile(1.5K)easy


8 2x1600(60secRI);2x800(60secRI)

1mile(1.5K)easy4miles(6.5K)atMT1mile(1.5K)easy


7 4x1200(2minRI) 10miles(16K)atMP 15milesatMP+2024KatMP+12

6 1000,2000,1000,1000(400RI)

1mile(1.5K)easy5miles(8K)atMP1mile(1.5K)easy


5 3x1600(400RI) 10miles(16K)atMP 15milesatMP+1524KatMP+9


8miles(13K)atMP10mincooldown


3 8x800(90secRI)1mile(1.5K)easy5miles(8K)atMT1mile(1.5K)easy

13milesatMP21KatMP


10milesatMP16KatMP


3miles(5K)atMP10minutecooldown

Marathon26.2miles(42.2K)

Table5.6KeyRun#1(TrackRepeats)TargetTimes(improveseconomy,runningspeed,andVO2max)

Table5.7KeyRun#2(TempoRun)Paces(improveslactatetolerance)

Table5.8KeyRun#3(LongRun)Paces(improvesskeletalandcardiacmuscleadaptation)

TRAININGWITHPURPOSE:QANDAQ.WhencanIstarttheFIRSTtrainingprogram?A.Werecommendabasetrainingof15milesperweekfor3monthspriortobeginninganyoftheFIRSTprograms;thebasetrainingforthemarathontrainingprogramshouldbecloserto25milesperweek.Inadditiontotherequisiteweeklymiles,runnersmustbecapableoflongruns of 5miles for the 5Kprogram, 6miles for the 10K, 8miles for the half-marathon andnovice marathon, and 15 miles for the marathon training program. If you are a beginningrunner,seeChapter3.

Q.Ihaveneverdonethistypeoftraining.HowdoIgetstarted?A.Duringthebasetraining,graduallybecomefamiliarwiththetrackrepeatsandtemporuns.By introducing just one of the faster-paced workouts at a time, you can avoid too great atraining overload at one time.During the base training, these faster-pacedworkouts do nothavetoberunatapaceasfastasprescribedbyFIRSTforthetrainingprogram.Usethe3-monthbasetrainingtograduallyworkuptoyourFIRSTtrainingpaces.

Q.CanIusemygoalracetimestodeterminemytrainingpaces?A.Itisimportantthattrainingpacesbedeterminedfromactualracetimeperformances,whichrepresenttherunner’scurrentfitnesslevel.Itneedstobeemphasizedthatyoushouldrunthepacesbasedonyourcurrentfitnesslevelandnotyourgoalracetimes.Todootherwisemayincreaseyourriskofarunning-relatedinjury.

Wehavecoachedrunnerswhoinsistontryingtoruntrainingpacesconsistentwiththeirgoalrace times rather than those determined from recent race performances,which reflect yourfitness level. When runners try to maintain their ambitious training paces over severalworkouts, they run intoproblems.Theymaybeable todo it forKeyRun#1and, perhaps,evenKeyRun#2,butthenfallapartinKeyRun#3.InChapter10,weaddressrunning-relatedinjuriesduetooverlyambitioustrainingpaces.

Q.Howimportantisittosticktotheprescribedpaces?A. Very important. Running more slowly will not provide the stimulation necessary foradaptation; running fasterwill jeopardize your chancesof successful completionof thenextkeyworkout.Furthermore,toofastapacecanleadtoovertrainingandpossibleinjury.

Q.WhenshouldIadjustthepacesforfasterworkouts?A.Youcanadjustafterrunningaracethatproducesanewstandardorafteryoucompleteallthreeweeklyworkoutsatthespecifiedpacesandfeellessthanchallenged.Ifeithertheracetime indicatesa faster trainingpaceor ifall threeweeklyworkout timesareeasilyachieved,thenafasterpaceshouldbeattemptedforthenextweek’sworkouts.

Q.Whyaretheredifferentrecoveryintervals?A.Theworkoutsaredesignedtohaveavarietyofdistancesandpaces.Similarly,therecoverytimes for repeatsare varied.The reason for trainingat different distancesand intensities is

thatthebodyadaptswhenitispressedtorespondtoanoverload.Differenttypesofoverloadelicit different physiological responses. The workouts are designed to stimulate the keyphysiologicalmechanismsneeded for improved runningperformance.Recoveryperiodscanincreaseordecrease thestressof theworkouts.Varying thestressors—distance,pace,andrecovery period—is a mechanism for producing changes in the workload and stimulatingphysiologicaladaptations.

Q.Howimportantisawarmupandcooldown?A.Your likelihood forachievingyour targetpaces inyourworkoutswill beenhancedwithaproperwarmup.Theidealwarmupincludessomedynamicstretchingandagradual intensityincreaseinyourwarmuprunning.Acooldownwillhelptokeepyoufrombeingstiffandsorelater.

Q.WhatifIdon’thaveatrackforKeyRun#1?A.Runnerswhodon’t havea track for the repeatsdesignated inKeyRun#1haveseveraloptions. Find a flat section of road or path that has good footing and is safe for intenserunning.Measureandmark400meters.Thatwillenableyoutodomostoftheworkouts.Thepaved areas around the perimeters of superstore parking lots often provide the neededdistance.AnotheroptionistouseaGPStomeasurethedistancerun.Itcanbeprogrammedfordistanceortime.(See“HowtoUseaGPSWatchforFIRSTTraining”laterinthischapter.)

Q.CanIrunmorethanthreetimesperweek?A. We have conducted training studies that permitted runners to supplement our basicprogramwithadditionalrunsiftheywished.Whatwefoundisthatmostrunnerschosenottodoextrarunsafter thefirst fewweeksbecausetheyfoundthat theycouldperformthethreekeyworkoutsbetterwithadayof recoverybetweenworkouts.Therewerenodifferences inthe improvement of those who ran only three days per week compared to those who didsupplementaleasyruns.Forthatreason,wedesignedthe3plus2programtoincludethethreequality runs and two cross-training workouts. An optional cross-training workout is alsopermitted.

Mostprogramsincluderunning5to7daysperweekandrunningmorethanthreetimesperweek.Butforreasonsstatedthroughoutthisbook,wefindthatmuchcanbeaccomplishedbyrunningthreetimesperweekwithouttheaccompanyingrisksofinjury.

The FIRST training program doesn’t restrict runners to only three runs per week, but anyadditional runsmustnot interferewithachieving the targetpacesof the threekey runs.WehavehadrunnersreportthattheyweresuccessfulbycouplingoneortwoadditionalrunswiththethreekeyrunsprescribedbyFIRST.Asstatedbefore,FIRSTrecommendscouplingcross-training workouts with the three Key Runs so as to reduce the likelihood of injury and toprovidemorequalitycardiorespiratorytraining.

Q.Isn’ttheFIRST3plus2trainingprogramlowontotaltrainingmiles?A. There are many differences in individuals’ abilities to tolerate training mileage. Thesedifferences are influenced by physiology, anatomy, biomechanics, and years of runningexperience.Typically, smaller, lighter, and younger runnersareable to toleratemoremiles.These runners become the elite performers who can run hard, run often, and run long.However, many runners, in particular, aging runners, find that they cannot tolerate high

mileageweeksbuilton5to7daysofrunning.Forthem,reducingthenumberofrunningdaysperweekisappealingandeffective.Runnerswhohavelimitedtimefortraining,areinjured,orwhoarejustlookingforafreshapproachtotrainingmayfindthatourprogramcanhelpthemachieve fasterperformanceswhile fitting their training intoabalanced lifestyle.Because theFIRST program is lower on training miles than other traditional running programs, it isattractive to those in the aforementioned categories. However, the FIRST 3plus2 trainingprogramisNOT lowerontrainingvolume.Aportionof theweekly totalofaerobic training isachievedfromaerobicmodesoftrainingotherthanrunning.

Foraballparkestimateofthenumberofequivalentmilesyouaddtoyourtrainingvolumewithcross-training, divide your total number of cross-training minutes by the average pace—number of minutes per mile or kilometer—you would normally maintain on a run for thenumberofrun-equivalentmilesorkilometers.Forexample,younormallydoa5-milerunatan8:00/mile pace, but today you did 40minutes of stationary biking at a comparable level ofperceived exertion, then those 40minutes of bikingwould equal 5 equivalentmiles towardyourweeklytotaltrainingvolume.

Q.Willthelowmileageprogramenablemetomeetmyrunninggoals?A.Notonly is itourbelief,butalso it isborneoutbyourownexperiencesand thoseof therunnerswehavetrainedandthemanyrunnerswhohavefollowedtheFIRSTtrainingprogramthat byTrainingwith Purpose runners can achieve the high level of fitness necessary toimprove runningperformances.These three runswill requiredevotingonly3 to5hoursperweektorunning.Thethreesessionsperweekofhighqualityrunningstillprovidetherunnerwith the fitness benefits of high intensity training and the stimulation, physiological andpsychological,associatedwithhardefforts.

Q.Willmyfitnessimprovemorewithdistanceorintensity(speed)?A.Trainingvolumeand intensityarebothcritical factors in improving fitness.Runnersoftenfind it challenging to find the rightbalanceof volumeand intensity. If you runa lot ofmileseachweek, it becomes difficult to run at a pace fast enough to stimulate the physiologicaladaptationsneededtogetfaster.Ifyourunveryfastforeachrun,itisdifficulttogetthetotalmileagenecessaryforbuildingendurance.That’swhyFIRSThasdesignedandincorporatesthreekeyrunworkoutswithdifferentdistancesandpacestodevelopabalanceofenduranceandspeed.

Q.Howdoeshilltrainingfitintothe3plus2trainingprogram?A.TheFIRSTtrainingprogramemphasizestheimportanceofmaintainingtheproperpaceforallkeyworkouts.Weunderstandthatthepaceforatemporunandlongrunwillbeaffectedbyhills.Moretimewillbelostontheuphillsthangainedonthedownhills,butthetwoshouldevenoutroughlyonanout-and-backorloopcourse.Thereisnoeasyruleforadjustingpacetimesforhillssincethesteepness,totalelevationgain,etc.,wouldhavetobecalculated.

Trytosimulateracecourseterrainwithyourtrainingcourse,ifpossible.Ifyourplannedraceisonahillycourse,thentrainbyusinghillsinlongerrunsaswellastemporuns.Ifyouliveinaflat area you can treat bridges, overpasses, and parking decks as hills to incorporate hilltrainingintoyourtraining.Hillscertainlyaddstresstoyourtraining.Thatstresscanmakeyouastrongerrunner.

Learningtorunhillseconomicallytakespractice.Obviously,itistoughtorunyourtargetpacesover rolling,hillycourses.Whileyouraveragepaceover thedistanceofyour runshouldbeneartoyourtargetpace,youwon’tberunningaconstantpace,butyoushouldberunningataconstant effort.Youreffort upanddownhills shouldbe the same.Thatmeans youwill runslowerthantargetpaceupandfasterthantargetpacedown.Youneedtoremainfocusedonthedownhillsectionsofyourrunning,whichiswhererunnerstendtorelax.Stayingfocusedonyoureffortforthedurationanddistanceofyourtempoandlongrunswilltranslatewelltoraceday.

Stressfromhillsnotonlytaxesthecardiorespiratorysystem,italsostressesthemusclesandconnective tissue. Plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinitis can develop from excessive hillrunning.Besuretostretchthecalvesbeforeandafterhillrunning.Iflikealotofrunnersyouhavetightcalves,youmightneedtolimittheamountoftimespentgoingupanddown.

If youareheaded toBoston inApril, be sure to includehill training in your preparation.Bepreparedtorunseveralmilesuphillaftermilesoflong,gradualdownhillrunningthatfatiguesthequads.

Q.Whyisthelongestmarathontrainingrunonly20miles?A.Thereisnodefinitivestudyortheoryfordeterminingtheoptimaldistanceforthemarathonlongtrainingrun.Iknowrunnerswhohaverunverygoodmarathonswithnorunlongerthan15miles and runnerswho like to do at least one over distance (>26miles) long run.Mostmarathonprogramsrecommendlongrunsof20miles.Runningfartherthan20milesmakesitdifficulttorecover,thusinterruptingone’strainingprogram.Wherethethresholdislocatedthatstimulatesadaptationandimprovementversusthethresholdthatleadstoprolongedfatigueisa mystery. I am sure that it differs by individual, especially with the training pace of theindividual.Considerthata2:40marathonerwillcompletea20-miletrainingruninalittleover2hourswhile a 5:00marathonerwill take4hours.Their recoveries from thoseeffortswill bequitedifferent.

Weknow thatmostmarathoners stick to the20-miledistanceandareable to runexcellentraceswiththatpreparation.FIRSTrecommends20milesasthelongesttrainingrunbecauseitisdifficulttohaveahighqualitytrainingrun(meaningitisdifficulttomaintainapaceclosetomarathonpace)atadistancegreaterthan20miles.Sotorunfartherthan20milesmostlikelywillmeanthatyouarerunningmoreslowly.

Q.Isitbettertorun20milesnearmarathonpaceorrunfartherataslowerpace?A. The FIRST training program is based on pace, and our training philosophy is based onintensity. Intensity is thevariablethatcontributesmost tofitness.Thus,weprefera longrunthatisfasterthanwhatmostotherprogramsrecommend.Thatisthemostdistinctivefeatureinourtrainingprogram,alongwithrunningfewerdaysperweekwithpotentialadditionalrunsreplacedwithcross-training.

Q.WhydoesFIRSTrecommendfivelongtrainingrunsof20miles?A.Manyrunnersask,“Whysomany?”Others,“Whysofew?”There’snothingmagicalaboutfiveoranyothernumber.Wehavehadrunnersqualify forBostonwithonlyone20-milerunusing our novice marathon program. There is no one training program that is ideal foreveryone.However, in general, our experience in both runningand coaching is that it’s the

longrunsthatbestprepareyouforthemarathon.Toomanylongrunsandyourlegsbecomefatigued,toofewandyouaren’ttrainedtohandletheracedaypaceforthedistance.Wethinkfive20-milerunsover15weeksprovideagoodpreparation.

Q.Isitokaytoenteraraceanddomytrainingrun?A.Runnersenjoytakingpartinraces,andsotheyoftenaskifit’sokaytorunoneatthetargettrainingpace. If theracedistance isshorter thantheirdesignated trainingrundistance, theysaythattheywillrunsomeadditionalmilesbeforeoraftertherace.Iftheraceislongerthantheirdesignatedtrainingrundistance,theysaythattheywilldropoutoncethatdistancehasbeen completed. In theory, these strategies should work. In practice, they frequently fail tohappenasproposed.Toooften therunnerswriteafter therace that theywere feelinggood,thepacefelteasy,andthattheywerepulledalongbythecrowdandfinishedtheracemuchfaster than the targeted training pace or, in the case of the race being longer than theirdesignated trainingdistance, theywere feelinggoodanddecidednot todropout.Toooftenthetargetedraceandthepreparationforitareunderminedbyusingaracefortraining.

Q.Ihadabadtrainingrun.Whathappened?A.Runnerswhoare following theFIRST trainingprogram typicallysee their fitness improveand their training timesget faster.Afterseveralweeksof improvement, theywriteus franticoverapoortrainingrun—muchslowerthanusual,orperhapstheyweren’tabletocompleteit.It iscommontohaveabadrun,asit iscommontohaveabadday.Why?Wedon’talwaysknow,butwork,sleep,nutrition,cumulativefatigue,weather,andtheunknownareamongthefactors.Acceptitaspartofthetrainingcycleanddon’tworryaboutit.Ithappenstoeveryone.

Q.WhatamItodoifImissaworkout?Awholeweek?Multipleweeks?A.Donotbeconcernedaboutamissedworkout,norshouldyoutrytosqueezeitinlater.Stayon schedule with the next workout and don’t risk interfering with it. In particular, it’s not aproblem if you missed the workout because of your personal schedule. It becomes morecomplicated if youmissed aworkout because of injury. That’s addressed in a later chapteraboutinjuries.

If youmissaweekof training, it’s typicallynotaproblem,either.Over16weeksyouaren’tgoingtoloseyourfitnesswithmissingaweek.Again,continuewiththescheduleasifyouhadcompletedthatmissedweek’straining.

If you miss 2 or more weeks of training, you need to reconsider your targeted race anddetermine if yourgoal shouldbe redirected toanother race. It somewhatdependsonwhenthose2weeksweremissedandwhy.Iftheyweremissedinthefirst4weeksofthetrainingprogram,andyouwerereasonablyfitwhenyoubeganit,youcanmostlikelycontinuewiththeprogramwithoutconcern. Ifyoumissedthe2weeks in themiddleornear thecompletionofthe trainingprogram,youwill need toassesshowmuch fitnesswas lost.More important iswhat you were doing those 2 weeks. That is, if you were doing serious cross-training andstaying fit that’sone thing,but if youwereonacruise just chillin’and likely tohavegainedseveralpounds,that’saverydifferentsituation.Ihaveheardfromfolkswhoreportedbothofthelasttwoscenariosandmyadvicewasquitedifferent.Theformerwastoldtocontinuewiththetrainingprogramandthelatterwastoldtopickanotherraceasagoal.

Q.DoesFIRSTrecommendtrainingwithaheart-ratemonitor?

A. FIRSTdoesnot useheart rate asa gaugeof intensity for its key runningworkouts.Wepreferusingpaceasadeterminantofintensity.Heartratefluctuationsarecausedbyavarietyofvariablesanddonotreflectrunningspeed.Afewofthosevariables,butnotanexhaustivelist, include body position, core temperature, hydration, emotions, time of day, amount ofsleep,recoverystatus,nutritionalstatus,andmedications.

Duringalongrunatasteadypace,yourheartratewillincreaseinitiallyandthenleveloffasthe oxygen requirement of the activity is met. However, prolonged exercise at a constantintensity places an increasing load on the heart. Although the metabolic demands of theexercise do not increase, there is a progressive decrease in venous return of blood to theheart.Soifvenousreturndrops,thereislessbloodintheheartandstrokevolume(thevolumeofbloodpumpedfromoneventricleof theheartwitheachbeat) thereforedrops.Yourheartrateincreasestocompensateforthereducedstrokevolume.Theresultingdecreasedstrokevolumeand theaccompanying increase inheart rateare referred toas cardiovascular drift.Thisdrift isgenerallyduetodecreasedplasmavolumecausedbysweating.Thus,ifyouaremaintaining a constant heart rate during that long run, you will gradually run more slowlythroughouttherun.Thatwon’tprepareyoutorunaconstantpaceinyournextrace.

Q.CanFIRSTKeyRunsbeperformedonatreadmill?A.Yes.ManyrunnersdoKeyRuns#1and#2onthetreadmill.Mostreportdoingsobecausetheyneedtorunearlyinthemorningorlateatnightandprefernottoruninthedark.Runninginthedarkincreasesthelikelihoodofanaccidentalinjury,especiallyifthegroundiscoveredwith snow and ice. Beyond reducing the likelihood of an accidental injury, running on thetreadmillprobablyprovidesabettercardiorespiratoryworkoutthanaslower,cautiousrunonaslickoutsidesurface. Insummer, runners from theSouth reportdoing theirworkoutson thetreadmillinanair-conditionedspaceratherthanrunningslowlyinextremeheatandhumidity.

Ourresearchshowsthattheoxygenandenergycostsforrunningatthesamespeedarethesame running on the treadmill as compared to running on the road.The treadmill does notneed to be adjusted with elevation as long as the treadmill is calibrated accurately. Thatcannotbeassumed.Wefindthatbeltsontreadmillsbecomelooseanddonotalwaystravelatthe speed that is displayedon themonitor.Runners often contact us for help in translatingspeed in miles-per-hour to minutes-per-mile. For that reason, we have provided a table inAppendixAthatprovidesthoseequivalencies.

Q.HowdoIchoosemyracepace?A. For the half-marathon andmarathon, your training program designates your HMP (half-marathonpace)andMP(marathonpace)fromTable5.8.That’syourracepace.Ifduringthe16-weektrainingprogramyouareabletodoallthreekeyrunswithoutpushingyourself,youshoulduseafaster5KreferencetimeforselectingyourtrainingtargetsandpacesfromTables5.6,5.7and5.8.Thatwill result ina fasterHMPandMP,whichdetermineyour targethalf-marathonandmarathontargetfinishtimes.Forthe5Kschedules,yourtargetracefinishtimeisdeterminedbyyour5Kreferencetimeusedforselectingtrainingtargetsandpaces.Forthe10K target race finish time, refer toTable2.1and find the10K timecomparable toyour5Kreferencetime.

Q.Whattrainingpaceadjustmentsneedtobemadeatelevation?A.Whiletheoxygencontentoftheatmosphereisataconstantpercentage(20.9percent),at

higher elevations the atmospheric pressure decreases, reducing the partial pressure ofoxygen,whichmakeslessoxygenavailablefortherunner.Enduranceactivitiesarehamperedathigherelevationsbeginningataround3,000feet.Theextentoftheperformancereductiondependsonthedistanceoftheeventandtotheextentthattheindividualisacclimatized.Theeffects of elevation are greater on longer distances. At 5,000 feet, expect a 3.5 percentreduction in performance in a 10K; at 7,500 feet, expect a 6.3 percent reduction inperformanceina10K.

Wereceivedamessage fromthreewomen inSantaFe,NewMexico,anelevationof7,000feet,askinghowtheycouldusetheFIRSTtrainingprogramfora3:30marathon.Iknewthatthey could not expect to run FIRST’s target paces designated for the 3:30marathon, so Isuggested that they use the training paces for a 3:38marathon and that having trained atthose paces at elevation, they could run a 3:30 at sea level. All three achieved their 3:30goals.

HOWTOUSEAGPSWATCHFORFIRSTTRAININGGPS-enabled watches are replacing the traditional chronograph long worn byrunners. Runners have been asking us for several years if the FIRST trainingprogram is available for their Garmin, the most popular GPS for runners.Fortunatelyforthem,thereisDr.ButchHill,anelectricalengineeringprofessorat Ohio University. Butch is a longtime FIRST training program user. Hegenerously offered to respond to FIRST requests for sharing the GarminprogrammingfortheFIRSTkeyruns.Forseveralyears,wehaveforwardedhimthoserequests.Heagreedtoprovide thefollowinginstructionsfor thisedition,sothattheyarewidelyavailable:

Runnersof almost anyability canuse aGarminForerunner effectively forthekeyruns,becauseexplicitpacesanddistances foreveryworkoutareset inthe workout plans and pace tables. The design of the Forerunner employs asimilar approach: paces are set in customized “speed zones,” and separatelyenteredworkoutsusethosespeedzones.Whenyouentertheworkoutsyoucanspecifythelengthofeachworkoutelement,thetargetzoneforthatelement,andtherest intervals.Thereareotherworkoutdevicesofferingsimilarcapabilities,butmyfamiliarityiswiththeForerunner.

ItisfairlystraightforwardtosetuptheFIRSTkeyrunsusingaForerunner,together with Garmin’s Training Center software. Set your speed zones asspecifiedinTable5.9,thenprogramtheappropriaterestandworkoutdistances.

There aremultiple benefits to using a Forerunner for yourworkouts. Youdon’t need a track to do the workouts, and all your running data areautomaticallyrecorded.Onceyoulearnwhichbeepingtonemeans“speedup,”“slowdown,”and“stop,”youdon’thavetoevenlookatthedeviceduringyour

workout. But there are minor drawbacks, too. There’s the temptation to keeplookingat thedisplay toseehowwellyou’redoing(therebyassuring thatyouwillnotdoaswellasyoucould,asrunningwithyourwristinfrontofyourfacedoesn’thelpyourform).Batteriescandieinthemiddleofaworkout(forthosewhoforgettorecharge),ortheForerunnercansuddenlyloseitsGPSfix.Losingthe fix can be especially irritating because the device will then assume thatyou’renotmovingandhoundyou to speedup, even ifyou’regoingallout! IhaveanoldermodelandunderstandthatthenewermodelsarelesslikelytolosetheGPSfix.

HOWTOSETYOURFORERUNNERTable 5.9 gives an overview of the appropriate “My Activities” settings inGarminTrainingCenter forusewith thekey runs.Make sure thatyou set theactivity to “Running” for Key Run #1 and to “Biking” or “Other” for half-marathonormarathon training, respectively.Youarestronglyurged tochangethe names of the paces from theGarmin defaults to the key run names (e.g.,change“Snail,”“Turtle,”etc.,to“Easy,”“MP+60,”etc.).ForKeyRuns#2and#3,youwillhavetoaddafewsecondstothepacesgiveninTables5.7and5.8for the “Lower Limit,” and add a few seconds to those paces for the “UpperLimit.”

KeyRun#1paceswillrequireoneadditionalstep:thetimesgiveninTable5.6areforthegivendistances,notpacesinminutes/mileorminutes/kilometer.For example, if your 400M time is 0:01:30 in this table, your pace permile,whichis1609meters,wouldbe(1609meters÷400m)times1:30,or6:02/mile.You could therefore set your lower limit for SpeedZone 10 to 6:05 and yourupper limit to 6:00. Some of your speed zones may overlap, particularly ifyou’reafastrunner:theForerunnerdoesn’tseemtocare.IfyouareusingyourForerunner inmetricmode, thenyou simplyneed toadjust thepace to thatof1000M.Forexample,the400Mtimewouldconvertto(1000÷400)times1:30or2.5x1:30=3:45perkilometer.

Thespeedzoneshavebeenchosensothatspeedincreaseswithzonenumber.ThiscanbeusefulforthoseoccasionswhenyourGarminkeepssignalingyoutospeeduporslowdown.Asyourun,theForerunnerwilldisplaythenameofthespeedzonethatyou’rein.Assumingthatyou’vefollowedoursuggestiontogivethe speed zonesmeaningful names, if you’re supposed to be running at 1600-meterpace,butthedisplaysays“400M,”youknowthatyou’regoingmuchtoohard.

Ifyouprogramthedistancesandrestintervalsmanually,ratherthanusetheprograms available online, you’ll need to follow the directions in theGarminTrainingCenterprogram;see“CreatingaNewWorkout.”

Table5.9GarminSpeedZoneSettingsforKeyRuns

GARMINSPEEDZONE

KEYRUN#1(ALL)&#2&#3(5K&10K)

ACTIVITY:RUNNING

KEYRUN#2&#3(HALF-MARATHON)ACTIVITY:BIKING

KEYRUN#2&#3(MARATHON)ACTIVITY:BIKING

1 LT* Easy2 MT* MP+603 ST* MP+454 2000M Easy MP+305 1600M HMP+30 MP+206 1200M HMP+20 MP+157 1000M HMP LT8 800M LT MP9 600M MT MT10 400M ST ST

*Marathonersandhalf-marathonersdonotneedtoentertheLT(LongTempo),MT(Mid-Tempo)andST(ShortTempo)paceshereunlesstheywouldalsosometimesfollowthe5Kor10Ktrainingplans.

REALRUNNERREPORT

DearFIRSTteam,

Iwantedtowritetothankyoufortheresearchthatyou’veputintotheRunLess,RunFastertraining plan and to let you know that I had a very successfulmarathon following the plan.Yesterday,IranaPRof2:57:49intheMilwaukeeLakefrontMarathon.ThatbestsmypreviousPR (3:02:55) bymore than 5minutes (in 2003) when I was 27 years old. I’m now 36 andhadn’trunamarathoninalmost5years,butIreallywantedtobreakthe3-hourbarrieratleastonceinmylife.Ifollowedthetrainingregimenlaidoutinthebook,missingonlyafewkeyrunsbecauseoffatigueoraminorinjury.Iusedmybicyclecommutetoworkasthecross-trainingexercisebymodifyingmycommutingroutesoIcouldminimizestoppingandmatchthetemposuggestedinthecross-trainingworkouts.

I think the strengthening exercises and drills were a critical element in this program that Ihaven’tincorporatedinthepast.IheldupbetterinthetrainingandthelastmilesoftheracethanIhavepreviouslybecauseIwasastrongerrunner.

Thankyouagainfordoingthisresearchandwritingthebook.

Sincerely,JustinMarthaler

NetworkAdministratorMadison,Wisconsin

REALRUNNERREPORT

DearSirs,

Justaquicknoteto letyouknowhowdelightedIamwithyourmarathontrainingprogram.Ihavebeen following itsince thebeginningof thisyearwith theaimofqualifying forBoston.Thatmeantachievingatimeofunder3:35giventhatIamnow50.Mypreviousbesttimewas3:42 in Athens inNovember 2009 (admittedly that was uphill all theway).Other than that,mostofmymarathonswerecompletedinaboutorjustunder4hours.

Myplanwas togetaqualifying time forBoston todayat theRotterdamMarathon,which isoveraflatcourseandhasareputationforbeingquitefast.Infact,Igotmyqualifyingtime12weeks into the program in Barcelona with a 3:33, but went ahead and did Rotterdam in3:30:54!

So,thankyouverymuchfordesigningawonderfullysuccessfultrainingprogram.

XavierLewisDirector,LegalandExecutiveAffairs,EFTASurveillanceAuthority

Brussels,Belgium

Chapter6ESSENTIALCROSS-TRAINING

The“2”ofthe3plus2TrainingProgram

The FIRST training approach recommends 3 days of running and 2 days ofcross-training. Although this approach has fewer days of running than manyotherrunningprograms,theamountofexerciseissimilar.Whilewesuggestthatrunnersactuallyrunless,ourprogramdoesnotsuggestthattheyexerciseless.

We have received many messages from users of the FIRST programdescribinghow the cross-training component has providedwelcomevariety totheirworkouts.Many say theywere surprised that adding cross-trainingmadethetrainingweekmoreenjoyable.Inaddition,theyagreedthatitenabledthemtotrainharderthangoingforaneasyrunandthatithelpedthemrecoverfromthequalitykeyruns.

From our FIRST Learning and Running Retreats held on the FurmanUniversity campus, we have observed that most runners previously had notcompletedthecross-trainingworkoutsattherecommendedintensity.Typically,eachgroupofRetreatparticipantsfindsthatthecross-trainingworkoutscanalsobefatiguing.Theylearnthatthebikeandrowingergometercanbetaxingwhentheyareusedinafocusedworkout.Theyfindthesametobetrueofthepool.

CoauthorScottMurrlikestosaythatheisafitpersonwhoruns,ratherthanarunnerwhoisfit.Isupposethat,asphysicaleducators,wearenotassingularlyfocusedasaremanyrunningcoachesandauthors.Weareconcernedabouttotalfitness. We have found that cross-training not only contributes to improvedrunningbutalsoenhancestotalfitness.

Total fitness is an important concept for runners who want to run for alifetime. Cross-training provides not only the cardiorespiratory endurancenecessary for running success, but also the muscular strength, muscularendurance,andflexibilityneededtobeastrongandenduringrunnerovermanyyears. Cross-training also contributes to total fitness by developing the bodycomposition,coordination,andbalancethatreducethelikelihoodofinjury.

FIRSTprefersnon-weight-bearingactivitiessuchasswimming,biking,and

rowing as cross-training activities to complement the three key runs. In thischapter there isadescriptionof thecross-trainingactivities thatarecommonlyusedbyourreaders.ScottMurrdescribeshowtogetthemostbenefitfromeachcross-training mode. Capitalizing on his knowledge as a 12-time finisher ofIronmanTriathlons,sixinKona,Hawaii,weprovideacross-trainingprogramtoaccompanythethreekeyruns.CombiningthesetwotrainingschedulesprovidesacompleteFIRST3plus2trainingprogram.

CROSS-TRAINING:THEESSENTIALS•Cross-trainingistypicallydefinedasanexerciseprogramthatusesseveralmodesoftrainingtodevelopaspecificcomponentoffitness.IntheFIRSTprogram,cross-trainingisintendedtoenhanceaerobicfitness.

•Yoga,Pilates,Cross-Fit,andP90XareNOTconsideredpartofthe3plus2cross-trainingapproach.Weaddresswhylaterinthechapter.

•Cross-trainingreplaceseasyrundays(junkmileage).

•Cross-traininghelpsreducetheriskofinjuries.

• Cross-training allows for a tremendous volume of central circulatorytrainingwithoutoveruseofaparticularmusclegroup.

•Cross-trainingallowsforagreaterdailytrainingintensity.Eventhoughthesamemusclegroupsareutilized,theyarebeinguseddifferently.

• Non-weight-bearing cross-training activities give the legs and runningmusclesawell-deservedbreak,promotingrecovery.

•Cross-trainingprovidesvarietytothetrainingregimen.

•Cross-trainingworkoutscanbebasedontimeratherthandistance.

MODESOFCROSS-TRAINING

Cycling

Cycling is a non-weight-bearing, low-impact exercise that develops aerobicfitness while allowing recovery for the legs from the demands of running. Ithelps develop the quadriceps, which can balance the strengthening of thehamstrings andcalves that results from running.Cyclingcanalso increasehip

and knee joint flexibility. Because there is no poundingwith cycling, runnersoftenrecoverquicklyanditdoesnotinterferetoomuchwiththedemandsofthekey runs. Performing intervals on a bike can also help increase leg turnoverwhile runningandcancontribute to improvedrunningspeed.High-powerbikeintervalsworkthelegmusclesevenharderthanuphillrunning,butwithouttheimpactofhardrunning.

Cadenceisimportant.Mostrunnerswhocycletendto“pushabiggear”withalowcadencewhencycling.Cyclingismorebeneficialwhenrunnersworkonquickpedalingatacadenceof80to100pedalrevolutionsperminute.

If you choose to bike outdoors as ameans of cross-training, youwill findthatcyclingismuchmoreexpensivethanrunning.Whilerunningintherainorcoldmay not be themost fun,most runners are able to run regardless of theweather.Cycling in the rain is no fun and canbe quite risky.Cycling outsiderequiresmuchmoretimethanacomparablestationarybikeworkout.Althoughcyclistsgenerallyhavefeweroveruseinjuriesthanrunners,whenacyclisthasawreck,theinjuriescanbeserious.

Indoor bikeworkouts are safer than cycling outside. Indoor bikeworkoutscanbesocialandfunanddonotrequireexpensiveequipment.Withan indoorbikeworkout,runnersareabletogoattheirowneffortlevelswhilestilldoingagroupworkout.Weatherisnotafactor.

However, thereareacoupleofdrawbackstoindoorbikeworkouts.Notallstationary bikes have the necessary adjustments to provide a good fit. Also,becauseof thevarietyof indoorbikes,youmaynotbeable toduplicateexactworkloadsandworkoutsfromonebrandtoanother.

SwimmingMany runners who begin swimming do so as the result of a running injury.Swimming is an excellent way to improve overall fitness. It increases upper-body strength and endurance while taking much of the stress off the legs. Itstretches thehamstringsandincreasesankleflexibility,whichmayaidrunningperformance. Swimming also allows the body to stay active while recoveringfromahardrun.

Swimming requires much more technique than running. An unfit skilledswimmercantypicallyoutswimafitrunnerlackingtechnique.Runnersneedtolearn how to swim in a streamlined fashion. Once runners feel comfortablemoving through thewater, theycan then startbuildingendurance.There isnodoubtthatswimmingwellrequirestime,commitment,andfocusedpractice,but

swimmingisachievableformostrunners.Whileformandtechniqueareimportantforrunning,theyaremuchmoreso

forswimming.Withoutgoodswimtechnique,runnersoftentirebeforetheyareabletogetagoodcardioworkoutfromswimming.Forthisreasontheydonotswimregularly.Swimmingcanbeagreatcross-trainingworkoutforrunnersiftheywillbepatientandstickwithit.

If you want to incorporate swimming as part of your training, FIRSTsuggests that, just as with the run, you have a plan for the swimworkout. Areasonablegoal for a runnerwouldbe to stay in thewater for30minutesandmoveasmuchaspossible.Forexample,swimonelap,rest15seconds,kickonelapusingakickboard,rest15seconds,andrepeatthissequencefor30minutes.Youcouldlookatthisasanintervalworkoutinthewater.

Mostrunnershatekickingbecausetheyfeelliketheyareworkinghardwhilemakinglittleprogressdownthepool.Commityourselftothekicking.Youwillgetbetterandsowillyourlowerlegandankleflexibility.

Ifyoudonotgiveuponswimming,youwillmakequickgains.Justaswithyourrunning,setagoalforeachworkout.Forexample,thefirstshortrangegoalmightbe to swim400yards/metersnonstop,gradually increasingyourgoal to1500yards/meters.

TIPSFORSWIMMING

(thesearetipsforrunnerswhoswim,ratherthanforcompetitiveswimmers)

• Rather than swim with a fast arm turnover, strive to keep the strokes long and relaxed.Distance per stroke is more important than the number of strokes per minute. Count thenumberofstrokesyoutakeforonelengthofthepool;trytogetyourstrokecountcloseto20(fora25-yardpool).

• Develop good breathing technique—remember to exhale completelywith your face in thewater before rolling your head to the side tobreathe. If you find that youaregettingout ofbreathquickly,askaswiminstructortooffersometipsonyourswimstroke.

•Sincerunnersareaccustomedtousingtheir legsforpropulsion,manywhostartswimmingkicktoohard.Swimmingisprimarilyanupper-bodyactivitysincekickingprovidesonlyabout10percentoftheforwardpropulsion.Manyrunnerskickhardbecausetheirkickisinefficient.That’sbecausetheyhavetightandinflexibleankles.Consequently,mostrunnersdonot likekicksets.However,kicksetsnotonlyhelpwithaerobicfitnessbutalsohelpimproveankleandlowerlegflexibility.Scottinsiststhattheimprovedankleflexibilityachievedthroughkickinghashelpedhisrunning.

TIPSFORDEEPWATERRUNNING

•Trytosimulatenormalrunningstyle.

•Raisethekneesuptoabouthipheight,thenpushdownandslightlybackwardwiththefoot.

•Bendthearmsina90-degreeangleandswingthemfromtheshoulder.

•Avoidleaningforwardfromthewaist.Keepthehipsinlineundertheshoulders.

•Keepalooselyclosedfistandletthelegsmoveyouforward.

•Keeptheabstighttosupporttheback.

DeepWaterRunningDeepwaterrunning(DWR)meansrunningwhilesubmergedneckdeepwithoutbeingabletotouchthebottomofthepool.DWRsimulatesrunningonlandbutwith no impact and no weight on the joints. DWR is probably the mostrecommendedactivityfortheinjuredrunner.

Aflotationdevice,suchasawater-joggingbelt,canbeworn;however,useofaflotationbeltalsoreducestheworkintensity.DWRusesthesamemotionasrunningonlandandisthemostbiomechanicallyspecificformofcross-trainingfortherunner.

Becausewaterismoreresistantthanair,DWRresultsinalowerlegturnoverorstridecadence.ThismaybeadisadvantageofDWR.SinceDWRmay“train”aslowerneuromuscularfiringpatternthantypicalrunning,FIRSTsuggeststhatDWRbeusedasacross-trainingmodeonlywhentherunnerisinjured.

RowingRowing is a good cross-training choice for runners.Most runners are able toquicklylearnthemotionrequired.

Rowingisatotal-body,non-weight-bearingexercise.Itworksboththeupperand lower body, taking the major muscles through a wide range of motion,whichpromotesgoodflexibility.

Becauseitisanindooractivity,rowingcanbedoneanytime.Finally,rowingisself-paced,sorunnersofallabilitiescanuseittodevelopfitness.

CROSS-TRAINING:QANDA

Q.HowoftenshouldIcross-train?A.Withthethreekeyrunningworkouts,includeaminimumoftwocross-trainingworkoutsperweek.thenumberofcross-trainingsessionsisdependentonthetotaltrainingvolumethatisreasonable for your fitness level and available time for training, as well as the amount ofrunningthatyouaredoing.Somerunnersareable to tolerateandbenefit fromfourormorecross-trainingworkoutsperweek.

Q.Howlongshouldcross-trainingsessionsbe?A.Rather thantakea30-to45-minuteeasyrun,youcancross-trainatahigher intensity forthesameduration.Whencross-training,baseworkoutsontimeratherthandistance.Justaswithrunning,youcanhaveshort,intensecross-trainingworkoutsmadeofshort,high-intensitywork intervals interspersedwith rest bouts.Ormirror tempoworkoutswith ahard20-to25-minuteeffort.Orimitatethelongrunwitha2-to3-hourmoderate-intensityworkout.

Q.HowdoImeasuretheintensityofcross-trainingworkouts?A.Manyaerobic fitnessmachineshavesomebuilt-inmeasureofworkoutputorspeed thatyou can use to judge your effort. Perceived exertion is also a valid measure of exerciseintensity.Inotherwords,a45-minutespinworkoutatamoderatecadencewithlittleresistancemay be an “easy” workout, while a 30-minute spin workout with a faster cadence andmoderateresistancemaybea“hard”workout.

For cross-training workouts, we ask runners to use perceived exertion for determining theintensity. It would be very difficult, without knowing an individual’s fitness for a specificexercise mode or piece of equipment, to recommend a specific workload—leg strengthinfluences your workload on the bike and swimming technique greatly influences your laptimes in thepool.Becauseheart ratesvary for thesameperceivedeffort fromonemode toanother,wedonotuseheartratesfordeterminingexerciseintensity.

Q.CanIcross-trainandrunonthesameday?A.Yes.Eventhoughthe3plus2programdesignatesrunningandcross-trainingworkoutsonseparate days, an individual seeking a high volume training regimen can supplement the3plus2 training program with additional cross-training workouts on running workout days.Althoughmost runners will not be eager to add extra training after the intense FIRST runworkouts,cyclingorswimmingcanbegoodcooldownrecoveryactivitiesafterarun.Theycanalso extend a run workout without extending the time of running-related muscular andconnectivetissuestresses.Sothatadditionalcross-trainingdoesnotinterferewiththekeyrun,werecommendthatthosewhowanttocross-trainandrunonthesamedaycompletetheirkeyrunfirst.

Q.Whatarethebestcross-trainingactivitiesforrunners?A. It is important tochooseactivities thatcomplementyour running.Apriority is togive therunning muscles a break. Activities such as swimming, rowing, and biking all give goodcardiovascularbenefitswithoutstressingyourlowerlegsandrunningmusculature.Thesearenon-weight-bearing activities that help give the legs and running muscles a well-deservedbreak,promotingrecovery.

Cross-trainingisanintegralpartoftheFIRSTtrainingapproach.Itisimportantthatyouavoid

all-or-nothing thinking.Newactivities require timebeforeoneacquiresa feel for theactivity.Finally, as with running, it is important to learn the sense of proper pacing for the variousmodesofcross-training.

Q.CanCross-Fit,P90X,orsimilartypesofactivitiesbeusedforcross-training?A.Cross-Fit,P90X,andotherapproaches toexercisecanbe intenseworkouts that canbebeneficial for overall fitness. Some of the exercises used in fitness programs are verytechnique-dependent,andifyourform/techniqueisnotgood,youareaskingforinjury.

Intense,shortworkoutsmaynotbecompatiblewitharunner’sdesiretogetfasteroveralongdistance.These intenseworkoutsareoftenshorter than20minutes,with the focusprimarilyontheanaerobiccomponentratherthantheaerobiccomponent.Shortandintenseworkoutsmay not be the best approach for helping a runner get faster for a 10K, halfmarathon, ormarathon.TheFIRSTcross-trainingworkoutsareintendedtofurtherdevelopaerobicfitness.

Cross-Fit and P90X-type workouts are not optimal cross-training workouts in the FIRST3plus2program;however,theymaycontributetoarunner’smuscularstrengthandendurance(seeChapter12onstrengthtrainingforrunners)aslongastheyarenotsomuscularlyintensethattheyhaveadetrimentalimpactonthenextrunworkout.

Q.Canjumpropebeusedforcross-training?A.Jumpingropeisagreatexerciseandisconsideredamodeofcardiovascularexercise.ButFIRSTrecommendsnon-weight-bearingactivitiesforcross-training.Jumpingropeisnotjustaweight-bearing exercise; it also tends to stress the lower legs. Runners often need to becautiousabouttheamountofstresstheyputontheirAchillestendons,andthegastrocnemiusandsoleusmuscles.Jumpingropeisnotanacceptablemodeofcross-trainingintheFIRSTprogram.

Q.Isspinningclassacceptableforcross-training?A.Spinclassescanbequitechallenging.Theycanbegoodworkoutseverynowand then.Most spin classes vary considerably in effort during the workout as a result of changes inresistanceandspin rate.Spinclassesaregoodbecause theycan forceyou toworkharderthanyoumightotherwise.

Q.Canellipticalmachinesandstairclimbersbeusedforcross-training?A.Becausetheyareweight-bearingmodesthatsimulaterunning(withoutthepounding),thismode is not recommended for cross-training in theFIRST 3plus2 training program. FIRSTpromotes cross-training in non-weight-bearing modes in an attempt to give the runningmusclesarecoveryopportunity.Ellipticalmachinesareaviablesubstituteforrunningduringrecoveryfromcertaintypesofinjuries.

Ifyouchooseanellipticalcross-trainerorstairclimber,forproperuseoftheequipmentandahigher-intensityworkout,avoidholdingontothehandrails.

Q.ShouldItaperthecross-trainingbeforearace?Howmuch?A.Thegoalforarunneristoarriveatthestartlineofaracehealthy,fit,rested,andreadytorace.Duringtheweekleadinguptotherace,werecommendthatrunnersreducetheirtraining

volumeandskipthecross-training.

Q.Doesyogacountascross-training?A. Yoga does not provide the steady, rhythmic activity that provides the cardiorespiratorytraining needed for improving aerobic fitness. It definitely offers other benefits, such asflexibility, strength, and core training; however, it is not a substitute for the cross-trainingrecommendedinour3plus2program.

Q.Doesweighttrainingcountascross-training?A.No.FIRSTconsiderscross-traininganaerobicworkoutwithoutthepoundingofthelegs,anactivitydesignedtocomplementhigh-qualityruntraining.

THEPRINCIPLEOFVARIATIONThevariationprinciplehasseveralmeanings.Afterqualityruntraining,runnersshould cross-train to give their running muscles a chance to recover. Thevariationprinciplealsoreferstoutilizingtrainingcyclestovarytheintensityandvolumeoftrainingtohelpathletesachievepeaklevelsoffitness.Thevariationprinciple also means that athletes should change their exercises or activitiesperiodicallysothattheydonotoverstressapartofthebody.Changingactivitiesalsohelpsrunnersmaintaintheirinterestinrunning.

It may appear that the specificity principle and variation principle areincompatible.Thespecificityprinciplestatesthattrainingmustbespecifictothedesired adaptation and the variation principle seemingly asserts the opposite:train by using a variety of activities. The incompatibility is resolved by thedegreetowhicheachprincipleisfollowed.Morespecifictrainingisbettertotheextent that itcanbetolerated,but itcanbecomeexceedinglyboringandrisky.Thus,somevarietythatinvolvesthesamemusclegroupsisausefulchange.

FIRSTCROSS-TRAININGWORKOUTSBelow are descriptions of cross-training workouts that will enhance yourrunning.ScottMurrhascoachedmanytriathletesandhelpedmanyrunnersusecross-trainingtocomplementtheirtraining.Hehasdrawnonhisownexperienceas a competitive triathlete from sprint triathlons to the Ironman distance todevelopeffectivetrainingworkouts.Aswehavestressedthroughoutthisbook,substitutingdifferentmodesofaerobic training for runningworkoutscanhavemultiple benefits—reduced likelihoodof anoveruse injury, increased recoverytime for running muscles, variety in training, and even increased trainingintensity.Scott’ssuggestedcross-trainingworkoutsareinTables6.1–6.4.

Weprovide a progressive cross-training program that accompanies the 5Kand 10K running schedules and one that accompanies the halfmarathon andmarathon running schedules. The cross-training programs give two bikeworkouts,arowingworkout,andaswimmingworkout inconjunctionwiththe16-weekruntrainingprograms.

Runners should select two cross-training workouts for the correspondingweekoftheirruntraining.TheseworkoutscomplementthethreekeyrunningworkoutsandareanintegralpartoftheFIRSTprogram.

Youcanrepeataworkouttwiceoryoucandoaworkoutofadifferentmode.Scott recommends that you choosedifferentworkouts anddifferentmodes forvariety.Ithelpstokeeptheworkoutsfresh.

Most runnersusecyclingas theirprimarychoice for cross-training.Tables6.1 and6.3 include twocycling cross-trainingworkouts for eachweek for the5K and 10K running schedules and halfmarathon and marathon runningschedules, respectively. The cross-training workouts for the longer racedistancesarelengthier.

Tables6.2and6.4 includerowingandswimmingworkouts foreachof thetraining weeks for the 5K and 10K and halfmarathon and marathon runningschedules,respectively.

Because there is not a comparable measure of intensity among differenttypesofequipment,wesuggestthatrunnersuseperceivedeffortasareferenceforcross-trainingeffortlevelorintensity.Theeffortlevelsforthecross-trainingworkoutsaredescribedintermsrelatedtoyourkeyrunefforts.

Forexample,across-trainingworkoutlabeledas“tempo”wouldbesimilarto the perceived effort of aKeyRun#2 tempo run.A “hard” effortwould besimilartotheperceivedeffortofaKeyRun#1trackrepeat.An“easy”workoutiscomparableinefforttoawarmup,cooldown,orrecoveryinterval.

Table6.1CyclingWorkoutsfor5Kand10KTrainingEasy=effortsimilartowarmupandcooldown;Tempo=effortsimilartoKeyRun#2;Hard=effortsimilartoKeyRun#1.

WEEK CYCLINGWORKOUT#1 CYCLINGWORKOUT#2

1210mineasy8mintempo7mineasy


1110mineasy

2x(2minhard,2mineasy)5mineasy


1020mintempograduallyincreasingtheeffortastheworkoutprogressesfrom5-

20min


9 10mineasy;2x(1minhard,3mineasy);5mineasy

10mineasy5mintempo5mineasy5minhard5mineasy

88mineasy

15mintempo7mineasy

10mineasy;5x(1minhard,4mineasy);5mineasy

7


10mintempo5mineasy

10mineasy8minhard5mineasy7minhard5mineasy

610mineasy

2x(10mintempo½mileatMP)5mineasy

25mintempograduallyincreasingtheeffortastheworkoutprogressesfrom5-

20min

510mineasy



410mineasy

30mintempofollowedimmediatelyby10mineasyrunning

30mineasy


10mineasy;2x(2mintempo,2mineasy);5mineasy


30mineasy

10mineasy

RaceWeek Duringtheweekleadinguptoyourrace,youmayskipthecross-training.Theprimarygoalistogettothestartline,feelingrestedandreadytorunyourbest.

Table6.2RowingandSwimmingWorkoutsfor5Kand10KTrainingEasy=effortsimilartowarmupandcooldown;Tempo=effortsimilartoKeyRun#2;Hard=effortsimilartoKeyRun#1.

WEEK ROWINGWORKOUTS SWIMMINGWORKOUTS


20x(kick1length,rest30sec),usingakickboard


12x(swim1length,rest15sec,kick1rest20sec)



9 5mineasy;2x(3mintempo,1mineasy);5mineasy

Swim(anystroke)andkickfor20minnonstop

85mineasy

12mintempo3mineasy

5x(kick2lengths,rest15sec,swim2lengths,rest30sec)


3x(1lengthfast,1lengtheasy;2lengthsfast,2lengthseasy;3lengthsfast,3lengthseasy;2lengthsfast,2lengthseasy;

1lengthfast,1lengtheasy)with1minrestbetweensets

6

5mineasy2minhard,1mineasy3minhard,1mineasy4minhard,1mineasy3minhard,1mineasy2minhard,3mineasy

5x(swim8lengthsimmediatelyfollowedbykicking2lengths)

Rest1minbetweensets

5


10mintempo5mineasy


4 5mineasy;4x(3minhard,Cycle2mineasy);5mineasy

10x(swim2lengths,rest15sec);kick4lengths;10x(swim2lengths,rest15sec)

3

5mineasywarmup;1x(4minhard,1mineasy);4x(1minhard,1mineasy);2x(3minhard,1mineasy);4x(1minhard,1mineasy);

4mineasycooldown

Swim4lengthseasy3x(2lengthseasy,2lengthsfast;30secrest);6x(1length

easy,1lengthfast,15secrest)

5mineasy Kick4lengths

25mineasy

20mintempo5mineasy

Kick4lengthsSwim20minKick4lengths

RaceWeek Duringtheweekleadinguptoyourrace,youmayskipthecross-training.Theprimarygoalistogettothestartline,feelingrestedreadytorunyourbest.

Table6.3CyclingWorkoutsforHalfMarathonandMarathonTrainingEasy=effortsimilartowarmupandcooldown;Tempo=effortsimilartoKeyRun#2;Hard=effortsimilartoKeyRun#1.

WEEK CYCLINGWORKOUT#1 CYCLINGWORKOUT#2



15





13

10mineasy8minhard2mineasy8minhard10mineasy

30mineasy

12 10mineasy30mintempo


11


10mintempo5mineasy

35mineasy

10


10mintempo5mineasy

5mineasy1minhard,1mineasy2minhard,1mineasy3minhard,1mineasy4minhard,1mineasy3minhard,1mineasy2minhard,1mineasy

4mineasy



8

10mineasy1minhard,1mineasy2minhard,1mineasy3minhard,1mineasy3minhard,1mineasy


3minhard,1mineasy2minhard,1mineasy

4mineasy

15mineasy

7


10mintempo5mineasy




5


10mintempo10mineasy






2

15mineasy15mintempo5minhard10mineasy



Table6.4RowingandSwimmingWorkoutsforHalfMarathonandMarathonTrainingEasy=effortsimilartowarmupandcooldown;Tempo=effortsimilartoKeyRun#2;Hard=effortsimilartoKeyRun#1.

WEEK ROWINGWORKOUTS SWIMMINGWORKOUTS

168mineasy

10mintempo5mineasy


15

7mineasy1minhard,1mineasy2minhard,1mineasy2minhard,1mineasy

5mineasy

12x(swim1length,rest15sec,kick1length,rest20sec)



1310mineasy5minhard5mineasy


12

10mineasy5mintempo5minhard5mineasy

5x(kick2lengths,rest15sec,swim2lengths,rest30sec)


5x(swim8lengthsimmediatelyfollowedbykicking2lengths)Rest1

minutebetweensets

10

5mineasy1minhard,1mineasy2minhard,1mineasy3minhard,1mineasy4minhard,1mineasy3minhard,1mineasy2minhard,1mineasy

4mineasy



9


10mintempo5mineasy

25minmovingnonstopinthewater;useacombinationofswimmingandkicking

85mineasy


10x(swim2lengths,rest15sec);kick4lengths;10x(swim2lengths,rest15

sec)5mineasy Swim4lengthseasy;3x(2lengthseasy,

75mineasy


Swim4lengthseasy;3x(2lengthseasy,2lengthsfast,30secrest);6x(1length

easy,1lengthfast,15secrest)

65mineasy

6x(3minhard,1mineasy);5mineasy


55mineasy

15mintempo5mineasy


Swim20lengthsnonstop

4

5mineasy5mintempo5mineasy5mintempo5mineasy


3

5mineasywarmup;1x(4minhard,1mineasy);4x(1minhard,1mineasy);3x(2minhard,1mineasy);2x(3min

hard,1mineasy);4x(1minhard,1mineasy);5mineasycooldown




10x(kick1lengththepool;rest15sec),usingakickboardSwim20lengths

nonstop


REALRUNNERREPORT

I signed up to do the Lakefront Marathon in Milwaukee. The program I was using wasn’tworking formeandmy trainer turnedmeon to theFIRST training program.Most first-timemarathontrainingprogramsassumeyouhavenorunningexperience.Ihadlotsofexperience,itwasjustlongago.

AfterreadingyourbookIstartedtoseethateverythingwasclicking.Theprogramwasjustliketrackandcross-countrypractice.NotonlydidIhavetorunaspecificworkout,butIhadtodoitinaspecifictimewithacertainamountofrecovery.Theworkoutswereintense.Especiallyinthebeginning.TowardsthemiddleofthetrainingIfeltlikeIownedtheworkout.

Howdid I do? I ran the firstmarathonofmy life, feelinggreat,with thepacerat 7:38pacethroughthe24thmileandonly30yardsbehindthrough25.ThenIhitthewallandfinishedin3:21:06.MissedqualifyingforBostonby7seconds.I’llgetitnexttime.

Thankyouforallowingmetorun28minutesand19secondsfasterthanmyracepredictiontimebasedoffofahalfmarathonthatwasrunjust2weekspriortostartingwithyourmethod.Itreallyworksandwasfunandchallengingatthesametime.Mixingupthecross-trainingalsoreallyhelped tokeepmemotivated. Ihavebought threemorecopiesof thebookandgavethemtomytrainer,mybrother,andmybestfriend.IalsocontinuetosharetheinformationonyourWebsitewithanyoneIcancatch,andthankstoyourprogram,thatnumberkeepsgettingbigger.

Keepupthegoodworkandthanksagain!

BobSage,DPMPodiatrist

Beloit,Wisconsin

Chapter7RESTANDRECOVERY

Abasicprincipleof training isoverload.Overload isaplannedsystematicandprogressive increase in training stress in order to improve fitness and/orperformance. In other words, train hard and become fatigued, then rest andrecover while the body accommodates the need to adapt to an increasedworkload. Repeating this cycle of overload, fatigue, recovery, and adaptationleadstoafitterandfasterrunner.However,thereisalimittoone’scapacitytoendureandadapt.Theprogressiveoverloadmustbedonegradually.

Anoverloadforrunnerscanmeanrunningfarther,moreoften,orfaster.Itisimportantthatthesestressorsbegraduallyincreasedseparatelyandcaremustbetakennottoincreasemultiplestressorssimultaneously.Inotherwords,overloadonlyonevariableatatime.

Other nontraining stressors can add to your overload. These nontrainingstressors include elevation, colds and allergies, poor dietary habits,environmental extremes, travel, stressful work situations, and personalrelationships.Payattentiontooutsidestressorsandrecognizewhenitmightnotbeagoodtimetoincreaseyourtrainingload.

Most runners tend to think thatmore trainingwillmake them faster. To acertain extent, that is true.However, crossing one’s threshold of tolerance forincreased stress will result in fatigue that exceeds the body’s ability foradaptation.Highlycompetitive,goal-orientedrunnersarevulnerabletothelureof dedicating themselves to incessant training with the expectations ofsignificantperformanceimprovements.Thosededicatedeffortscanprovetobeunproductive.

The key to getting faster is to combine the appropriate amount of qualitytrainingwithadequate rest and recovery. Increasing theoverloadat a rate thatexceedsthebody’sadaptationabilitycausesstalenessandevenexhaustion.Thisconditionofovertrainingresultsinanimpairedabilitytotrainandperform.Ifany component of the training program-frequency, intensity, and duration—isincreasedtoorapidlyoriftheprogramdoesnotprovideadequaterecoveryfromthe increased demands, the runner will suffer from the inability to adapt.

Recoveryandrestareessentialcomponentsofatrainingprogram.Runners are told to listen to their bodies. It is important to recognize the

signs and symptoms of overtraining early and intervene in the cycle withincreasedrestbeforefatiguebecomeschronic.Symptomsofovertrainingincludemood disturbances, irritability, sleep disturbances, increased susceptibility tocolds, appetite changes, and a struggle to maintain standard trainingperformances.

We have received hundreds of messages from runners who followed theFIRSTtrainingprogramfor16weeksexactlyasitwasintendedwithremarkableresults. They comment that they are now “believers” even though they wereskepticalwhen they adopted theprogram.Usually, they add that their runningfriends told them that they would never improve while running less. Prior tohavingadopted theFIRSTprogram, the runners report that theyhad runmorefrequently,butwithlessintensityandlessvariationintheirpaces.

Their success exemplifies the importance of balancing quality training andquality recovery.Manyrunnershavemade thecommonerrorof trying togainextra fitness,which upsets the ideal balance of training and recovery.Havingmadeandobservedtheseerrorsourselvescontributedtoourcreatingthe3plus2trainingprogram.

RESTANDRECOVERY:THEESSENTIALS•Qualitytraining+qualitynutrition+qualityrest=qualityresults.

•Recoveryisimportantandhasaplaceineverytrainingschedule.

• Rest and recovery should be defined in a training program just as theworkoutsaredescribed.

•Successfulrunnersarethosewhohaverecoveredthebest.

• The rate of recovery is influenced by many factors, which include age,fitnesslevel,lifestressors,healthlevel,diet,sleep,andexercisebackground/experience.

•Apreracerestperiodneedstobeplannedandmustbestructuredinordertobeeffective.

•Recoveryisvitalafterakeyworkoutorarace.

•Justasrunnerstaperpriortoracing,theyshouldreturngraduallytoquality

trainingduringpostracerecovery.

•Daily physical activities should be recorded, including rest and recoveryactivities.

RESTANDRECOVERY:QANDAQ.Whenisitimportanttorestandrecover?A. Once you have completed a key workout or a race, it is important to recover from thattraining stimulus. The FIRST training approach balances rest and recovery with the qualityruns.Thedayfollowingakeyrunworkoutisintendedtobearestdayfortheweight-bearingrunningmuscles.Theideaistoallowthelegsachancetorecoversothatthenextkeyruncanbeaqualityandproductiverun.

Q.Whatcanbedonetoenhancerecovery?A. We mentioned in Chapter 5 that a cooldown after the key runs will aid in preventingsorenessandstiffness.Wealsorecommendpostworkoutstaticstretching.ManyrunnerssaythatdoingyogaorPilateshelpsthemrecover.Trygettingamassageorusingafoamrollerforrelieffrommusculartightness.

Q.Howshouldrecoverybestructuredbeforearace?A.Ifyouaretrainingforanimportantrace,youmustallowyourbodytorecoverbeforehand.YoucannotmaintainyournormaltrainingandthengostraightintoaraceandexpecttorunaPR.

Prerace restdoesnotnecessarilymean just1or2dayswithout runningorexercisebeforerace day.A prerace rest periodmust be significant andmust be structured. in a structuredtraining schedule, training builds up gradually (with built-in recovery periods) until somespecified period before the target race when the training load usually peaks. Then a taperbeginswithareducedtrainingload,usually2weeksbeforeamarathonand1weekbeforea5Kor10K.Thistaperallowsthebodytorecovercompletely.Thentheathleteisfullypreparedto raceandcan reasonablyexpect toperformatornearhisorherbest.AllFIRST trainingprogramsincludeataperpriortoarace.

Q.Howshouldpostracerecoverybestructured?A.Onceyouhavecompletedarace,it isimportanttorecoverfromthatstress.Improvementoccursduringtherecoveryphaseandnottheworkoutitself.Therateofrecoveryisinfluencedbymany factors.Onekey recovery factor ispostrunhydration/nutrition. (SeeChapter11onnutritionforpostexercise/racerecommendations.)

Afterarace,takeacompleterestfromrunning(anythingfrom2or3daysfora10Ktoaweekormoreforamarathon).Thisisagoodtimetocross-train.Youcanstayactiveyetminimizeanyadditionalstresstotheprimaryrunningmuscles.thereturntotrainingshouldbegradual.

POSTRACERECOVERYGUIDELINES

5KRace:SubstituteaneasyrunforKeyRun#1(TrackRepeats)thefollowingweek. If your energy levels have returned to normal, then resume normaltraining with Key Run #2 (Tempo Run). Continue with your normal cross-training.Reducetheintensityifyouareexperiencingpostracefatigue.

10KRace:Sameaspost-5Krace.Inaddition,reducetheintensityofKeyRun#2to90percentofyournormaleffort.

Half-Marathon:Ifyouracedanall-outeffort,thenreducetheintensityofyourworkoutsforthenext2weeks.Restthedayaftertherace.Resumecross-trainingbut substitute easy runs forKeyRuns#1 and#2 theweek after the race.Oneweek later,make the long runhalfofyournormaldistanceand runataneasypace.The secondweekafter thehalf-marathon, resume regular training if youfeelrestedandhavenolingeringmuscleorjointaches.

Marathon:Afteramarathon,youneedtotakeaweekofffromrunning.YES,wemean it! Follow theweek off with a week of easy running, and the thirdweekbegindoingyourworkouts,butatnomorethan90percenteffort.Ifyouhavenoachesandpainsafter3weeks,thenyoucanreturntoregularworkouts.

REALRUNNERREPORT

DearBillandScott,

I justwantedto tellyouthat I justranamarathonPRandqualifiedforBostonthanksto theFIRSTprogram. In January, some friendsconvincedme to run theLincolnMarathon. I hadswornIwouldneverrunthisparticularmarathonagain…buttheheadofourrunninggroup—TeamLizzie—wantedsomeofus torun themarathon inhonorofherdaughter (Lizzie)whowouldhavegraduatedfromhighschoolthisyear.

My friend Laura insisted that we use your FIRST program, which we found in a Runner’sWorldarticle.

Anyway, Icouldn’t turnthisofferdownandIhad5 leftoverbabypoundsto lose.But I reallydidn’tthinkIcouldtouchthesuccessstoriesdescribedinthearticle.

Thiswasmy fourthmarathon—myprevious timeswere 4:20 (2006), 4:15 (2007), and 4:16(2008).Twoweeksbefore the2008marathon, Iwasattackedbyahomelessmanduringatrainingrun,sothissortofderailedanyhopesofaPRforthatrace.AndthenIhadababylastsummer.

Thispastweekend,notquite10monthsafterhavingmythirdchild,IrantheLincolnMarathonwithatimeof3:37:38!!!Whatajoy:aPR,asub-4:00,andaBostonqualifyingtime(at35)!!!Sothankyou,thankyou,thankyou!!!Ilovedeveryminuteofthetrainingandwilldefinitelyuseitagainforfuturemarathons!

NancyFoster,Ph.D.AssistantProfessor

LicensedPsychologistMunroe-MeyerInstitute/UniversityofNebraskaMedicalCenter

Omaha,Nebraska

FOLLOW-UPMESSAGE:

HiBill-

I lookforwardtocontinuingtouseyourtrainingplans.I justranBostonlastweekandhadaPR of 3:36:04—using your training program for the second time! I just adjusted the timesbased on my new faster base. My next goal is a 3:30 marathon. I am certain that I canaccomplish thiswithyour trainingprogram. Icontinue toenjoy the three (very)harddaysofrunning—it fits neatly intomybusy life andmakes racingmoreexciting!At least five ofmyfriendshavealsoconvertedtousingoneofyourplans!

Chapter8YEAR-ROUNDTRAINING

Wegetalotofemailsfromrunnersasking:

1. HowdoItrainbetweenmarathonsthatarelessthan8weeksapart?2. Isitokaytorunahalf-marathon3weeksbeforeamarathon?3. Cana10Kbesubstitutedforalongtrainingrun?

Clearly,manyrunnerswanttoraceoften,evenwhenit jeopardizesoptimalperformances.Asrunners,weunderstandtheinterestinracingoften.However,itisdifficulttoachievepeakperformancewhenyouracefrequently.

At our public lectures, runners bemoan their poor race performances andwanttoknowwhy.Whenquestioned,theybeginlistingalloftheirrecentraces.Iaskthemwhytheyrunsomanyraces.It’softenbecausetheyhaveafavoriterace theydoeveryyear; theywant toaccompany friends toa race; theyhadabadraceandwanttovindicatetheirrecentpoorperformance;ortheythinktheycanwinanage-groupaward. I find itdifficult topersuaderunners tochoosearaceschedulefortheyear—onethatpermitsserioustrainingforjustafewkeyraces.Ifyoucareaboutoptimizingperformance,beingselectiveabouttheracesyourunissmart.

Ifindthatspringisagoodtimetofocusonacoupleof5Ksand/or10Ksandincorporate shorter track repeats and faster tempo runs. Maybe even a half-marathon.Fallprovideslotsofchoicesformarathonsandusuallyidealweatherfor long training runs.Similarly, there aremarathons in the springand shorterracesinthefall.Thepointisthateachseasonneedsaparticularfocus.

Youneedtobeflexible.Wesuggestthatyouidentifytwotofourkeyracesayearandthenfocusontrainingforthem.Low-priorityracestypicallydonotfitwellintoaplannedtrainingschedule.Ihaverunnerstellmethattheyaregoingtoruntheirfavorite10KinApril,eventhoughtheyaretrainingforBoston.ByracingaweekortwobeforeBoston,theyjeopardizetheirBostonperformance,or by racing the following weekend, they invite injury. Year-round trainingneedsyear-roundplanning.

Marathon training is stressful, even with our method that emphasizesrecovery, so be cautious about jumping right back into the next marathontraining cycle.After the postmarathon recoverymonth,we recommend 1 to 2monthsoflightertrainingbeforebeginningthenext16-weekmarathontrainingpreparation. Beginning the marathon preparation too soon after an all-outmarathoneffortispushingthelimitsofwhatwebelievetobeprudentandideal.The time off provides a break from the mental stress associated with themarathonpreparation.Itisalsoagoodtimetorunashorterraceandcapitalizeonthestrongbasebuiltforthemarathon.

We receive a lot of inquiries about how much time is needed betweenmarathons. This question is one of the toughest to answer because there aremanyfactorsthatenterintotheequation.Someindividualsrecovermorerapidlythan others. The differences in recovery are influenced by the intensity of theeffort and theweather conditions—running inwarm conditionswhen a lot offluidswerelostslowsrecovery.

Weareawareofindividualswhohaverunmarathonseveryweekoftheyear.One runner who contacted us had run marathons for more than 50 monthsconsecutively. In all sports, there are individuals who have special abilities.These individuals may have special recovery capabilities. However, theirconstantracingmaypreventtheirattaininganoptimalperformance.

Formostindividuals,webelievethatrunningmorethantwomarathonsperyear risks their being overtrained and injured; it also jeopardizes the properpreparationneededforasolidperformance.Werealize thatsometimesrunnersenter a marathon with the attitude that it is a long training run. However, amarathonisstill26.2milesofrunning.Evenifyoudon’trunasfastasyouarecapableof,you’llstillneedtorecoverfromthebiomechanicalstress.

YEAR-ROUNDTRAINING:THEESSENTIALS•Foroptimalperformances,developayear-roundtrainingandracingplan.

•Chooseracesinadvanceanddevelopatrainingscheduleforeachrace.

•Includeavarietyofracingdistances.

•Developaplanthatincludesavarietyoftrainingperiods.

•Followa12-weektrainingschedulefor5Ksand10Ks.

•Followa16-weektrainingscheduleforhalf-marathonsandmarathons.

•Buildinrecoveryperiodsafterraces.

•Targetnomorethantwomarathonsperyear.

YEAR-ROUNDTRAINING:QANDAQ.ShouldItrainthesamewayallyearlong?A.Highschool,collegiate,andelite runnershavedistinct runningseasons.Highschoolandcollegiatecompetitorsruncross-countryinthefall,indoortrackinthewinter,outdoortrackinthe spring, and base training in the summer. Elite runners do the summer European trackcircuit and often a fall or spring road race, which means a major marathon for the long-distance runners. Thus, these competitors have specific training schedules geared towardthreeorfourannualpeakperformances.Conventionalwisdomfromexercisephysiologistsandelite coaches over the past 50 years suggests that training for these peak performancesshouldbedividedintodistincttrainingperiods,typicallyreferredtoasperiodization.

Q.Howcantheage-grouprunnerhavetrainingphasescompatiblewithracinggoals?A.Theyearcanbedividedintocyclesforonekeyraceoruptofourkeyraces,oneineachseason.Racedistances shouldallowample time for recoverybefore thenext cyclebegins.FIRST does not recommend a four-race year that would include all marathons or even acombinationofmarathonsandhalf-marathons.

Q.What isanexampleofayear-roundracingplanthat incorporatesdifferent trainingphases?A. A training plan that includes a winter 5K, spring 10K, a late summer or early fall half-marathon and a fall marathon provides different types of training that stimulate thephysiological adaptations that determine running performance. Training programs mustproducetheappropriatestimulationtoproduceworkloadadaptation.Thatis,forthe5Ktheremust be more emphasis on intensity for shorter distances and for the marathon moreemphasisonendurance.

Ifamarathonisinyouryear-longplan,considerthata16-weektrainingplan,inadditionto2to4weeksofrecovery,covers5months.

Q. How can the FIRST three-quality-runs per week model be used for a year-roundracingplan?A.Thethreebasicworkouts—trackrepeats,tempoandlongruns—canbeusedyear-roundasthebasictrainingplan.YouwillnoticethatthetrainingplansoutlinedinChapter5aresimilarinstructure,but the trainingdistancesaremodifiedaccording to the racedistance.Runningthetrackrepeatsandtemporunsataslightlyfasterpaceismoreusefulifyouarepreparingfora5Kand/or10K;runningthelongrunsataslightlyfasterpaceiskeyforhalf-marathonandmarathontraining.

Q.HowshouldItrainwhenIamnotfollowingoneoftheFIRSTtrainingprograms?A.We use the3plus2 training program year-round. In between the 12-or 16-week trainingprograms,westillrecommenddoinganintervalworkout(KeyRun#1),atemporun(KeyRun

#2) and a long run (Key Run #3) to maintain fitness and to prepare for the next focusedprogram.Forvariety,buttokeepyourtrainingstructured,youcandothefollowing:

1. ForKeyRun#1,gotoTables5.1–5.5andchoose“trackrepeats”workouts.Youcanmakeupamixtureofthese.AnotheroptionistogotoourWebsite(www.furmanfirst.com)anddotheworkoutsthatarepostedunderTuesdayTrackWorkouts.

2. ForKeyRun#2,doa30-to45-minuterunwithat least15to35minutesatacomfortablyhardpace.

3. ForKeyRun#3,runbetween10and15milesifyouareahalf-orfullmarathoneror6to8miles if you are a 5K or 10K racer, so that you maintain your endurance and will bepreparedtobeginanyofthetrainingprograms.

Whileyouaredoingsimilarworkouts towhatyouwillbedoing inoneof theFIRST trainingprograms,theoff-seasontrainingdoesnotneedtobeasfocusedonpacing.Youshouldrelymoreonperceivedexertion.Youcanleavethewatchathome.That is,youwillgiveagoodeffort,butyouwon’thavetoworryabouthittingthetargetpacesthatareanintegralpartoftheFIRST training programs. The same advice can be applied to the cross-training. Choosedifferentmodesandenjoythevarietyofworkouts.

Q.Whatarethebenefitsofatrainingplan?A.A trainingplanmakes iteasier toselectyourworkouts.Nomatterwhat trainingscheduleyouarefollowing,yourplanwilldetailyourworkout.Youwillnothavetothinkaboutplanningaworkoutwhenyousteponthetrackorpavement,sinceyouwillalreadyhaveaplan.Havingastructured plan has been one of the aspects of the FIRST Training Programs that runnershavemostenjoyed.

Just as in any planning, adjustmentsmay be needed at times due to injury, illness, fitnesslevel,orotheruncontrollablevariables.Theoccasionaladjustment toaplan,however, is farsimplerthanthedecidingabouteachtrainingsessionwhenyoudon’thaveaplan.

Q.Isiteveracceptabletodomarathonsbacktoback?A.Frequently,wegetmessagesorcallsfromrunnersaskinghowtotrainforamarathon4to8 weeks after a marathon that they just finished. As noted above, we don’t recommendrunningmarathonssoclosetogetherbecauseyouaren’tgoingtogetfitter,youareincreasingtheriskforinjury,andyouwon’trecoverenoughfromthemarathonjustcompleted.Thatsaid,therearetimesthatitmightbereasonabletotrytogettwomarathonsforthetrainingofone.IworryaboutsayingthatbecauseIdon’twantreaderstotakethatasanendorsementfortryingtopiggybackmarathons.

When is it okay to try a second marathon a short time after the first one? Perhaps, forwhatever reason,youweren’t feeling right,soyouranat trainingpaceormoreslowly.Asaresult, even thoughyourperformancewassubpar, your recovery from the less taxingeffortwasimmediate,similartoatrainingrun.Thesamecouldhappenifrace-dayconditionsweredifficult (think the heat and humidity at Chicago 2007) and you were smart, didn’t run atplannedmarathonpace,butinsteadranprudentlyaroundthecityandcollectedyourfinisher’smedal. Ineachof thosecases, itwouldbe reasonable to consideranothermarathon in thenexttwomonths.

http://www.furmanfirst.com

Depending on the level of stress and/or fatigue the marathon caused, you could resumetraining in a couple of days, and if there is anothermarathonwithin the next 4weeks, youcouldplanonemorelongrunof15milesandthenfollowthelastfewweeksofthemarathontrainingplaninTable5.5.Yes,youwouldhavetwotapersforyourtrainingplan.Butyouhaveto figure that the26.2-mile race, even if itwas runat slower than racepace,wasprobablymorestressful thanwhatyouarewillingtoadmit. Itwouldbewisenottotrytosqueezeanyextrahardworkinforthatnextmarathon.

Ifyoursecondmarathonis2monthsaway,thenyoucouldresumethemarathontrainingplanstartingatweek7or6andfollowittotheend.

Note: If you ran a hard effort that ended with a disappointing finish time, we do NOTrecommendyou runanothermarathon rightaway.Even though there isanurge to redeemyourself immediately, your disappointment in almost every case becomes greater. Take amonth to recover and then target anothermarathon severalmonths away.Withmarathonsfillingsofast,planningformanyofthemmustbedonemonthsinadvance.

COMMENTSONSHORT-ANDLONG-TERMPLANNINGRunnersbenefit froma trainingplan,both short-termand long-term.Havingaplanthatoutlinestrainingandracingforthecomingyearincreasesthelikelihoodthatatrainingschedulewithdifferentemphasesisincluded.Avarietyoftrainingisnecessarytostimulatethephysiologicalresponsesneededforadaptations.

A training plan helps ensure that a runner follows a structured program.Breaking the training process into phases with specified workouts over well-definedperiodsprovidesidentifiedtargets.Thesetargetsserveastraininggoals.Thesetraininggoalscanbeusedtogivetherunnerameasureofaccountability.

REALRUNNERREPORT

HelloDr.Pierce,

Iboughtyourbook inthespringandusedtheFIRSTprogramtotrainformyfirstmarathon,thePrinceEdwardCountyMarathon.Acoupleofmonthsago,youverykindlyandpromptlygavemesomeemailadviceabout taperingwithcyclingandstrength training.Yourprogrammadesomuchsense tome that, trainingcompletelyonmyown, I followed itascloselyaspossible. Ineverhad theslightesthintof injury. Iespecially took toheartyouradviceaboutevenpacing.

Iam56, female. I needed to finish in4:15 toqualify forBoston.Mychip timewas4:09:52,pace5:55/K.Iranthefirst21Kin1:25:38,apaceof5:59/K.Iranthenext21.195Kin1:24:15,pace5:52. Iranthe last5.195Kin5:40,andthe last1.195Kin5:24…itwasgreat tofinishfeelingsostrong.

Thankstoyourprogram,IplantovisitBostoninthespring!

Mercibeaucoup!

ShirleyDonald,M.D.Anesthesiologist

Orillia,Ontario,Canada

FOLLOW-UPMESSAGE:

YouwillbegladtoknowIdidrunBostonlastyearandhadafabuloustime.Iranitinnegativesplitsandrequalified.However,Idecidedtomakeitaonce-in-a-lifetimeevent.Iactually justtook your bookoff the shelf thisweek, in viewof seeingwhether I canqualify for theNYCMarathon.

SECTIONIIIPerformanceFactors

Chapter9RUNNINGHOTANDCOLD

As any experienced runner knows, the weather is a critical race performancefactor. Months of excellent training can easily be undermined by hightemperatures or humidity, a chilling headwind, or subfreezing temperatures.Beforeselectingarace,Icheckthe10-yearweatherhistoryfortheracecity.Asanyrunnersoonfindsout,averagescanindicateonlythelikelytemperatureforaspecificday.Youmakeyourracechoiceandhopethatplayingthepercentagespaysoff.

Whatdoyoudoonthosedaysthattheunexpectedoccursandtheconditionsareextreme?Youhavethechoiceofnotrunningtheraceandchoosinganotherwithinthenextcoupleofweeks.Thatchoicewillgiveyouachancetoperformin conditions that are more conducive to achieving the goal finish timerepresentative of your months of training. Another choice is to run the racebecauseitisonethatyouparticularlywanttoexperience.Itmayalsobelikelythatyouhave incurred travel expenses andmadearrangementswith friends tosharetheraceexperience.Forwhateverthereason,youmustmodifyyourgoalfinishtimeandyourplannedracepace,realizingthattheconditionsdictatethemodification. Theworst choice is to believe that you can defy conditions andsuccessfullyruntoyourpotentialagainsttheheat,wind,orextremecold.

WereceivemanymessagesfromrunnersinthesoutheasternUnitedStatesorSoutheastAsiaaskinghowtotraininheatandhumidity.Inthewesternpartofthe country, the low humidity and large daily range of temperature providecooler timesofday forworkouts.However, in the regionsof thecountrywithhighhumidity, it isnotpossible to runas fast in the summermonths.Sohowshouldrunnersintheseregionsadjusttheirsummerrunning?

There’snoquestionthatheatandhumiditywillslowyourpace.Thisposesaproblem for the runnerwho is using the summermonths to prepare for a fallrace. Because you will most likely not be running your fall marathon in theextremeheatandhumidity thatyouwill experience in the summer, training inveryhigh temperatures that causeyou to run30 secondspermile slower thanyournormal trainingpacewill notprovide thepreparationneeded for that fallrace.

Tocombatthisproblem,weprepareduringthesummerforfallmarathonsbyrunningearlyinthemorningwhenthetemperaturesaretypicallyinthelow70swith little radiant heat, even though thehumidity is high.Therewill still be aperformancedecrement,buttheneuromuscularandbiomechanicaltrainingwillnotbemuchdifferentfromfalltrainingandracing.Youcanexpecttorunalittleslowerthanyournormaltargetedpace.Aslongasyoureffortischallengingbutdoable, you will be getting the benefits you are seeking. Running in theafternoons with a 90+ degree heat index does not permit the faster runningneededfortrainingspecificity,atleastnotsafely.

WerecognizethatourlocationinthewesternpartoftheCarolinasprovidescoolertemperaturesthanthosenearthecoastorthoseintheDeepSouth,wheretemperaturescanbeinthe80soreven90sinearlymorning.Forthoserunners,itmakes sense to choose a late fall race so that there is time to perform longtrainingruns inearlyfallwithcooler temperatures. InChapter5,wediscussedusing a treadmill for performing runs at a faster pace than what is possibleoutside. The lower temperature and humidity of the indoor environment willenableyou to runat a fasterpace than theoutdoorheatwouldpermit.Mixingoutdoor running for acclimatization with indoor running for speed may be agoodracepreparationstrategy.Considerthespecificityprinciple.Trytotraininconditionssimilartothoseyouwillberacingin.

THEESSENTIALS:RUNNINGHOTANDCOLD• Idealconditionsfor runningperformance is40° to60°F(5° to16°C)andlowhumidity.

•Heatandcoldaboveandbelowtheidealhaveadverseeffectsonrunningtimes.

•Heat is themostdangerousandmostdifficultenvironmentalcondition tocombat.

•Properlyhydratebefore,during,andafterworkoutsinhotconditions.

•Avoidcomparingtrainingandracingtimesrunintheheattotimesruninidealconditions.

•Reduceexerciseintensityinveryhotconditions.

•Duringhotweather, train in theearlymorningwhenthe temperaturesarecoolest.

•Acclimatizetoheatfor7to14dayswhenwarmweatherbegins.

• The adverse effects of cold can be minimized with proper clothing andapparelaccessories.

RUNNINGHOTANDCOLD:Q&AQ.Whatisahotenvironment?A.Whenthetemperaturebeginstoclimbover60°F(16°C),youcanexpectthetemperaturetoinfluenceyourrunning,i.e.,1to2percentlossofrunningeconomyforeach1.5°Fincreaseintemperature. This performance decrement becomesmore pronounced as the race distanceincreases.Add increasedhumidity to analreadywarmdayand the impact is evengreater.Yourexpectedperformancegoalsmustbeadjustedwhenyouencounterhigh temperaturesandhumidity.

Q.Howimportantishydrationincounteringtheeffectsofheat?A.Veryimportant.Theanswertothisquestioncouldeasilybeanentirechapter.Youmustbeaware thathydrationbecomesakey factor in runningperformance in thosesessions lastingmore than 1 hour. A 2 to 3 percent water loss will result in a significant performancedecrement.

Q.Howcanyoubesureyouaredrinkingenoughbutnottoomuch?A.Makesurethatyoururineoutput isplentifulandthecolorclearorpaleyellowbeforeyoubeginrunning.Ifyoulosemorethan2percentofyourbodyweightduringarun,youneedtodrinktoavertacompromisedperformance.

Q.Howdoyouacclimatizetotheheat?A.Heatacclimatizationrequiresexercisingintheheat.Sittinginahotenvironment,evenforextendedperiodsoftime,willnotresultintheadaptationsnecessaryforexercisingintheheat.Thebodylearnstosweatmoreeffectivelyandtotolerateliquidreplacementasittrainsinhotenvironments. The body requires 10 to 14 days for complete acclimatization to elevatedenvironmental temperatures, although initial adaptations occur in the first 5 days ofacclimatization.

Q.What’sarunnertodowhenit’shot?A.Youwillnotbeabletosustainasfastapaceasnormal in theheat,evenafteradequateacclimatization. In Key Run #1, you may substitute short repeats (400s, 800s) for longerrepeats (1200s, 1600s). Another strategy is to take longer recoveries between repeats andhydratethroughouttheworkout.InKeyRuns#2and#3,youmaynotbeabletomaintaintheprescribedpaceforthespecifieddistance.Runataneffortyouperceiveasmoderatetohard.Whenrunninginhot,humidconditions,besmartandlistentoyourbody.

Q.HowdoIknowifIamencounteringaheatdisorderandwhatshouldIdo?A. There are three major categories of heat injury: heat cramps, heat exhaustion, andheatstroke. Heat exhaustion is the most common type of heat injury experienced during

runningcompetitions.Alloftheseconditionscanbepreventedwithproperfluidintakeandbypaying appropriate attention to the symptoms associated with heat disorders—headaches,excessive sweating or cessation of sweating,muscle spasms, irritability, and disorientation.Heat injuries can be serious. It is important to stay hydrated, listen to your body, and trainsmart. It’s not necessary to risk your health to complete a run just because it’s on yourschedule.

Q.Whataretherisksassociatedwithexercisinginthecold?A. Exercise in cold environments presents few risks to the runner who makes properpreparation. The runner must pay close attention to dress, hydration, length of race, andenergy sources. As long as you generate more heat than you lose, exercising in the coldshouldnotpresenttheproblemsthatexercisingintheheatdoes.

Q.Howshouldtherunnerdressforcoldweather?A.Wewishwecouldcreateeasy-to-usetablesforchoosingracinggearforevery10-degreeinterval. However, while many runners are comfortable in a short-sleeved T-shirt at 40degrees,somewantalong-sleevedshirtanytimethetemperaturedropsbelow50degrees.

Even with the wide variation in individuals’ toleration of cold, there are some generalguidelineswe finduseful. Themost important is to remain drywhile keepingwarm.Addinglayers of clothing as the temperature drops and/or the wind picks up is usually the mosteffectivewaytokeepmoistureawayfromyourbody.Thelayernexttoyourbodyshouldbeamaterialthatwicksmoisturefromyourskin.Silkwillaccomplishthat,aswillanumberofhigh-techsyntheticmaterials.EvenwhenyouarewearingonlyaT-shirt, it’sagood idea tokeepthe moisture away from your skin. Remember—you perspire constantly and the rate ofsweatingincreasesasyouexerciseharder.

Youmayneedtoaddasecondlayerofinsulatingmaterialsuchaswool,down,orfleeceifyouneedtokeepbodyheat in.Finally, ifyouarerunning insevereconditions,youmayneedtoaddawind-andwater-resistantshell toprotect you from theelements.This layershouldbecapableoflettingmoisturepassoutward.Theadvantagetousinglayeringisthatyoucanpeeloffunneededclothingifconditionsimproveorifyourbodyprovidessufficientheattokeepyoufeelingwarm.

Once the temperature isbelow freezingandespecially if it’swindy,youmustguardagainstfrostbite. Gloves are fine, butmittens conservemore heat. Remember to cover your head,sinceagreatdealofheatislostthroughthehead.Finally,socksthatwickmoisturearejustasimportant for cold-weather running as they are for hot-weather running. Your feet producegreatamountsofmoisturethatneedtobeeliminated.Breathableshoeswillcomplementhigh-techwickingsocks.

Q.Ishydrationimportantincoldweather?A.Mostindividualstendtotakeinlessliquidinthecold,evenwhenexercising.Justasintheheat, thirst is a very poor measure of your need for fluids. Fluid replacement in a coldenvironmentisimportant,buttheneedtypicallyisnotasobvioustotherunnerasitisinwarmconditions.

Q.What’sarunnertodowhenitiscold?

A. Follow the guidelines above and be prepared to be uncomfortably cold for the first 10minutesofyourrun.Ifyouarecomfortablewhenyoustartyourruninthecold,youwillbetoohot once you begin producing heat. It is well worth the expense of purchasing technicalclothingthatwicksawaymoisture.Youcanremainremarkablydrywhilerunning.Havingdryclothesmakesallthedifferenceforstayingwarmandenjoyingawinterrun.

Whenchecking the temperature todeterminehowmany layers towear,payattention to thewindchillfactor.Windcanreducetheeffectivetemperatureconsiderably.Itisnicetohaveanouterlayerthatcanbezippedandunzippedasyoumoveintoaheadwindoratailwind.Anddon’tforgetthesunscreenjustbecauseit’scold!

REALRUNNERREPORT

DearFIRSTprogram,

I am 31 years old and have been running since 2004. I started out walking, and thencompleted my first marathon in October of 2004 with a time of 4:58. Since then, I havecompleted seven more, most recently, the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon, which I didyesterday. I hadbeenoneof the runnersyoudiscuss in yourbook,RunLess,RunFaster,whorantogetinmiles,buthadnorealpurposeforWHYIwasrunningthedistancesorpacesthatIdid.

QualifyingforBostonisagoalforme,butmyfastestmarathonwasin2006at4:10.Myage-grouprequiresa3:40toqualify,whichuntilyesterdayseemedoutoftherealmofpossibility.Itookalookatyourprogramforacoupleofreasons.First,Ihadalways“heard”ofspeedwork,buthadnoideawhatitentailed;howfasttogo,forhowlong,withwhatrecovery?Secondly,beingpartofanewlyblendedfamilywiththreechildreninsteadofone,Ineededtobehomewithmyfamilymore.Yourprogramallowedthat.

Usingyourprogram, Ihad trained to runa3:53marathonwhich Ichosebasedoffa recent24:005Ktime.Ihadruna1:51half-marathoninMayofthisyear,buttobehonest,Ifeltthatthe3:53marathonwaspushingit.TheFIRSTprogramwasgreat.Igotallmyworkoutsinandfeltrefreshed,notexhaustedatthebeginningofeach.Ididn’tdreadtheruns,likeItypicallydowhenIwasrunning40+junkmilesaweek just toget in “mymileage.” I lostover10poundsandamsignificantlyquickernowthanbefore.

Yesterday,attheTwinCitiesMarathon,IranaPRchiptimeof3:49.Iwasonpacetoqualifyfor Boston until mile 21, where I hit some large hills and felt my entire energy supplydisappear.WhileIampleasedthatIcut21minutesoffmypriorfastesttime,Iamunsureofhowtotrainforthoselast5miles,orwhatIcouldhave/shouldhavedonedifferently.I’mhappyto provide any additional information about myself if it would be helpful. I’ll make a solidattemptataBQtimenextfallonafast,flatcourseandIwillusetheFIRSTplan.IrecommendittoeveryoneIknow,andIwillneverbea“junkmileage”runneragain.Thankyou!

EmilyJ.BlommeQualityAssuranceDirector

Horizons,AFamilyServiceAllianceCedarRapids,Iowa

Chapter10RUNNINGINJURIES

It is common forFIRST to receivemessages from runnersdescribinga recentinjuryandaskingwhattodoabouttheirtrainingforanupcomingrace.Idon’thesitate,basedonmyexperiencesbothasarunnerandcoach,tourgerunnerstostop running and get an evaluation of the injury from a health professional,preferably a physical therapist who is familiar with running injury treatment.Treatingsorenessorinjurysymptomsearlydiminishesthelengthoftherecoveryand the time missed from running. Early intervention can also reduce thelikelihoodofaninjurybecomingserious.

Unfortunately, runners are often in denial about an injury. Or they mayrecognizeitandhopethattheycan“runthroughit.”Sometimesyoucan,butit’srare.Continuing to trainwithan irritationusuallymeans that the inflammationworsens.Morethanonerunnerhaswrittenmestatingthattheyarenearingtheendofalongpreparationforanimportantraceandthat“takingtimeoffnowisnot an option.”More likely than not, that runnerwillwriteme severalweekslatersaying thatheorshecanno longerrunandthat ithurtseven towalk.Atsomepointduringtheirrunninglives,mostpeoplewillhavetofaceadecisionofwhethertocontinuetrainingortostopandheal.

Like many runners, I have suffered miserably with plantar fasciitis andAchilles tendinitisbecause Ikept training through the soreness andpain.Bothinjuries are devilish to eliminate, especially when you continue training afterdetectingthesymptoms.Themoreinflamedthetissue,thelongertherecovery.NowItakepreventiveandrehabilitativemeasuresatthefirsthintofanirritation.Withanappropriatetrainingprogramandaconservativeapproachtoirritations,downtimefromrunningcanbekepttoaminimum.

Pay close attention to your body and keep it in good shape. A physicaltherapist or chiropractor would recommend stretches and strength training toaddress poor flexibility and muscular weaknesses after you are injured. Weadvocatedoingstretchesandstrengthtrainingasprehabratherthanrehab.Theflexibilityandstrengthtrainingexercisesandformdrillsthatweincludeinthisbook can be done in a reasonable amount of time and not only will improveperformancebutwillprovideagooddefenseagainstinjury.

Manyrunnershavereportedthatreducingthenumberofdaysandmileshasbeen the answer to addressing their injuries.By eliminating the injuries, theserunnersareable to trainwith the intensityneeded to improve their fitness andrunningperformance.ItisgratifyingthattheFIRSTprogramisenablingrunnersto pursue and achieve running goals that, because of previous injuries, theythoughtnolongerattainable.

Wehavefounditdifficulttoconvincepeopletoreducetheirrunningassoonastheyincuranirritation,regardlessofthestatisticalevidencewepresent.Whenrunners contact us about an injury andwe ask how long they’ve been havingproblems,theanswerisoften“months.”Weinsistthatrunnerswecoachinformusassoonastheyrecognizeanysymptomofinjury.Weimmediatelyhavethemreduce their distance andpace. If that doesn’t help to relieve the problem,wereducethefrequencyofrunning.Wealsosuggestotherconservativetreatments,suchasice,massage,ultrasound,stretchingandstrengthening,andnonsteroidalanti-inflammatories. By insisting that these guidelines be followed, we havebeenabletohelprunnerscontinuetheirtrainingwithonlyminormodifications,ratherthanasignificanttraininginterruption.

Belowweanswercommonlyaskedquestionsaboutinjuriesanddescribeinsome detail the most common running injuries, the causes, the signs andsymptoms,andthetreatments.

RUNNINGINJURIES:THEESSENTIALS•Mostrunnerswillincuraninjuryatsomepointthatwillinterferewiththeirtraining.

• Themajority of these injurieswill be associatedwith the anatomy at orbelowtheknee.

•Themajorityofrunninginjuriesarerelatedtodoingtoomuchtoofastortoosoon.

•Trainingshouldbemodifieduntiltheinjurieshavemended.

•Thesoonerandmoreaggressivelyinjuriesaretreated,thesoonertheywillberepaired.

RUNNINGINJURIES:QANDAQ.Whatareacuteinjuries?

A. Strains, partial tears of muscle and sprains, partial tears of ligaments and tendons areclassified as acute injuries and usually occur as a result of a fall, twistingmovement, or aforceful, explosivemovement, such as jumping and sprinting. The immediate application ofcompression,ice,andelevationoftheinjuredareawillreducetheinflammationandswelling.Seek medical help, if the pain or swelling is severe. Rest the affected part until pain andswellingaregreatlyreducedorabsent.Beginareturntoactivitybystrengtheningtheinjuredarea,followedbyagradualreturntofullactivity.

An injurydoesnotnecessarilyprecludeactivityaltogether.Youmaybeabletobikeorswimdependingonthespecificlocationoftheinjury.

Q.Whatareoveruseinjuries?A.Overuseinjuriesarechronicorthopedicirritationsresultingfromrepetitivestrainonabodypart. Running contributes to repetitive stress on muscles, tendons, and bones. Withoutadequate recovery, overuse injuries can develop. The body can recover frommost of thisstress,butonly if ithasadequate time for the tissue toadapt,compensate,andstrengthen.Just how fast the adaptation occurs is related to age, overall condition, and the gradualprogressionofincreasedtraining.

Q.Howmuchrunningistoomuch?A.Thisquestionisnoteasilyanswered.Thereisawiderangeamongindividualsastotheirtolerance for running frequency and duration—two primary factors that determine overallstress. Adding days of runningmust be balanced against the increased likelihood of injury.Thelengthofrunsmustbegraduallyincreased.Toomuch,toooften,leadstoinjury.

Q.Istrainingintensityassociatedwithinjuries?A.IntensetrainingisafundamentalpartoftheFIRSTapproach.Intensitybringsthegreatestgainsinperformance,butpresentstheriskofinjury.Howtobalancetheuseofintensitywiththepreventionofoveruseinjuriesisoneofthechallengesthatallrunnersface.Theintensity(pace)mustbegradually increased.Justbecauseyouarecapableof running fasterdoesn’tmeanthatyoushouldbedoingsoineachworkout.

Increasedintensityorrunningfasterfortheworkoutshouldnotbeaddedwhilealsoincreasingdistance.Manipulateonlyoneofthethreeprimarytrainingvariables—frequency,duration,andintensity—atatime.

Inparticular,becarefulwith track repeats if youarenotaccustomed to that typeof intensetraining.Running fast providesmany cardiorespiratory benefits, but it also changes runningform,andforsomethatcanmeantransferringthestresstoadifferentsetofmuscles.

Q.Howcanoveruseinjuriesbeprevented?A.Topreventoveruse injuries therunnerneedsaprudent,well-definedprogramofrunning.The design of FIRST’s three-days-a-week program is ideal for runners whomay be injury-prone.Eliterunnerswhoarewillingtobeartherisksofinjuryassociatedwithgreaterintensity,frequency,anddurationofeffortarenotlikelytofindourapproachappealing.Fortheaveragecompetitiverunner,thecostsofpushingtothelimits,asmeasuredininjuriesandlosttrainingdays,arenotlikelytobeworththemarginalimprovements.

Q.HowdoIknowifIhaveabiomechanicaloranatomicalproblem?A.Thesetwocategoriesarenotmutuallyexclusive,andonecanleadtotheother.Aspecialistmayneedtoexaminebothyourstrideandthebiomechanicalstructureofthelowerhalfofyourbody.Gaitanalysisusinghigh-speedvideoordigitaltechniquesiseffective,butcanbecostly.Talktoyoursportsmedicinephysicianaboutwhat isavailable inyourarea.Theremaybeaclinicforrunnersthatcanassistyouinthisendeavor.

At the FIRST running retreats held on the Furman University campus, a gait analysis isperformedon each runner. All of the retreat participants receive aCDwith a video of theirrunning with accompanying remarks about their running form. In addition, we recommendspecific stretchesand strength trainingexercises that addressanyweaknesses identified intheirrunning.

Q.Whatabouttakingnonsteroidalanti-inflammatoriestotreat/preventrunninginjuries?A. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) are very useful in reducing the inflammationassociated with different types of running injuries. Their use is often indicated during therecovery from overuse injuries, but should not be used to permit training by masking theinflammation.YoushouldtreatNSAIDsasmedicine,notasperformanceboosters.Doingsomayleadtogreaterinjuryandothercomplications.

Q.DoIneedorthotics?A.Orthoticsareinsertsplacedintheshoetocorrectcertainbiomechanicalproblems,suchasoverpronation or flat feet. Orthotics may be helpful to a runner with bad alignment who issuffering from pain and repeated injuries. A sports medicine doctor can evaluate whetherorthoticswillbebeneficial.

Q.Howdoesexcessbodyweightaffectrunninginjuries?A.Carrying toomuchbodyweight puts significant additional strain on the joints, ligaments,andmuscles.At our FIRST running retreats,we find thatmost runners are disciplinedwiththeir training, but they often lack discipline with their food choices and consumption. Twoproblemsresult fromtheirpoordietaryhabits-beingmalnourishedandoverweightforoptimaltrainingandracing.

THEMOSTCOMMONRUNNINGINJURIESTheAmericanAcademyofPhysicalMedicineandRehabilitationestimatesthat70percentofrunnerswillbecomeinjured.Herearethemostcommontypesofinjurieswesee,abit about theirassociatedsignsandsymptoms,and themostcommonformsoftreatment.

Runner’sKneeRunner’s knee is a term that refers to several conditions associatedwith painaround the frontof theknee.Thispain isoftena resultofamisalignment thatcausesirritationtotheundersideofthekneecap.

SignsandSymptoms:Generally,mildirritationatthejointitselfwilloccur.Theremaybelocalizedswellingandredness.Ifleftuntreated,theinflammationcan become painful to the point that any running or walking downhill orclimbingstairsresultsinstrongpaininthejoint.

Treatment: Since this condition is due to overuse, reducing the currenttrainingregimenisusuallywarranted.Therunnerdoesn’tneedtostopactivity,but he or she may need to substitute other forms of exercise until theinflammation is cured. Any activity that puts strain on the knee will slowhealing. Running hills may have to be greatly reduced or eliminated. Low-impact activities such as running on an elliptical trainer, pool running, orswimmingcanbe substituted.Absolute restmaybe required inextremecases,butthisisuncommon.

Strengthening the quadriceps (thigh muscles) is an important goal.Hamstring stretching, alongwith calfmuscle stretching,may permit completestraighteningofthekneeinanormalfashion.

Ice is still one of the best ways to deal with inflammation. After yourworkout,doa10-minutecooldownstretchof the lateral thigh,hamstrings,andgastrocnemius.Immediatelybeginicingtheknee.Fillaplasticbagwithiceandapplyitdirectlytothepatellararea;holdinplacewithanelasticwrap.Keeptheiceonfor20minutesandfollowthisroutineaftereveryworkout.

IliotibialBandSyndromeIliotibialbandsyndrome(ITBS)isthemostcommoncauseforpainlocatedonthesideof theknee.Likemanyrunning injuries, ITBS takesweeks to reachalevel that begins to affect training. Sometimes a runner has had no signs orsymptoms,but is struckwith lateralkneepainwhile runningona roadwithaslopedshoulder.

Overpronationcanresultinstressontheiliotibialband.Weakthighmuscles,hamstrings, andquadricepsoften are related to the risk for ITBS, as areweakglutealmuscles.

Signs and Symptoms: The most common complaint will be a sharp orburning pain on the lateral aspect of the knee. Typically, pain begins afterrunningacertaindistanceandislikelytoworsenastheruncontinues.Followingtherun,thepainmaydisappearbutwillreturnduringthenexttrainingsession.Astheconditionworsens,thepainmaybecomeprominentearlierduringtherunandeventuallyevenduringwalking,particularlywhenclimbingstairs.Rednessandswellingoverthelateralaspectofthekneedevelopoccasionally.

Treatment: Rest, ice massage, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories canaddress the acute symptoms.After the pain subsides, the runner should beginstretching the iliotibialband (seeChapter13).Thequadriceps,hamstrings andhip muscles will need strengthening to prevent a recurrence (see Chapter 12exercises).

Inseverecases,aphysicianmightprescribeasteroidinjection.

ShinSplintsWhen the connective tissue, tendons, and ligaments of the lower leg becomeinflamed,theconditioniscalledshinsplints.

Beginning runners aremost likely to be affected. Several factors thatmaylead to shin splints include hard running surfaces, worn-out shoes, unevenrunningsurfaces,flatfeet,andexcessivehillrunning.Allofthesecancontributetomicrotearsintheconnectivetissuethatdevelopintoinflammationbecauseofinadequaterecoveryfromexcessivestress.

SignsandSymptoms:Thepainofshinsplintsisseeminglyminorinitiallyand not easy to locate, although it is generally in the lower third of the tibiawhere the muscles attach to the bone. The pain usually arises at the samedistance into every run. It may improve or get worse as the run continues.Usually itwill disappear severalminutes to hours after the run is over. If leftuntreated,thepainislikelytoincreaseovertimeandbecomeconstant,triggeredeven by slowwalking. If the runner can point to a particular point on the legwherethepainistriggeredbytouch,heorshemayhaveastressfracture,whichrequiresmedicalattention.

Treatment:Sinceshinsplintsareprimarilyanoveruseinjury,thetreatmentis similar to that for the other overuse injuries already described—rest fromrunning,icemassage,nonsteroidalanti-inflammatories,andstretchingthelower-legmuscles.

Well-conditioned muscle fatigues more slowly; therefore, the more youstrengthen the muscles of the legs, the better your chances of avoiding shinsplints.

StressFracturesTheheavyforcesonthefeetandlegsfromrunningmaketheseareasextremelysusceptible tomicroscopic injuries to the bone that do not have time to heal.Eventually thebonebegins to failandsmallcrackscanbeseenwithx-raysorother images. Increases in mileage, particularly sudden increases, can bring

aboutbonedamagethat thebodycan’trepairquicklyenough,leadingtostressfractures. The muscles get fatigued with training, absorb shock more poorly,requiringthebonestobearmoreoftheshockofimpact.Hardersurfaces,suchasconcrete, also increase the likelihood of injury. Runners who do not take inenough calcium or have other conditions that might weaken bones are moresusceptibletostressfractures.Femalesareatgreaterriskofstressfracturesthanmalesdueinparttotheirsmallermusclemassandinadequatecalciumintake.

Signs andSymptoms: The pain associatedwith stress fractures is usuallymorelocalizedthanthatinshinsplints.Tendernessandswellingmaybepresentat the fracture site. Your doctor may use a bone scan, or other diagnosticimaging,todiagnoseastressfracture.

Treatment: Rest may take care of the problem. If the injury is not tooserious,typically4to8weekswithoutrunning,duringwhichtimeyou’llhavetousecross-training,shouldbesufficient.

AchillesTendinitisInflammationoftheAchillestendonisprimarilyduetooveruse,complicatedbyanatomicalorbiomechanicalproblems.Muscleinflexibility,overpronation,andweak lower leg muscles can all be factors in Achilles tendinitis. A singleextremestressmayalsoresultininjuryandpain.

SignsandSymptoms:Thesuddenappearanceofacutetendinitisisdefinedbytherapidonsetofasharporburningpain.Squeezingthetendonresultsinasharppain.Asthetissuewarmsup,painmaydecrease.Itmaybepossibletorubthe tendonbetweenyour thumband index finger and feel agritty sensation, asignofinflammation.

Achillestendinitisisoneofthemajorcausesofheelpain.Alumpmayforminthebellyofthetendonorjusttothesideofwherethetendonattachestotheheel bone.Earlymorningwalkingmaybe extremelypainful for several steps,butsubsideswithmorewalking.

Treatment: Rest is the key to healing Achilles tendon problems. Reducetraining volumeby 50 percent until the pain is completely gone.Nonsteroidalanti-inflammatoriesmay be taken for 7 to 10 days. Icemassage three to fourtimesadayfor20minutesisalsoagreatwaytoreducetheinflammation.Whenthepainhasdisappeared,beginincreasingyourtrainingby5to10percenteachweek,untilyouhavereturnedtoyournormalvolume.

A ¼-inch-thick heel pad may be placed in the shoe of the injured side.Additionof theheelpad reduces the tensionon theAchilles tendon.Youmay

needtokeepitinyourshoeforseveralmonths.Inspectyourshoesforexcessivewear.Seektheadviceofapersontrainedin

the selection of running shoes based on foot mechanics. Consider the use oforthotics,too.

Achillestendinitisrespondswelltoconservativestretching(seeChapter13).If conservative treatment does not improve the pain significantly, then moreaggressiveformsoftherapymaybenecessary,evencastsandphysicaltherapy.Youmustbepatient.SeverecasesofAchillestendinitiscantakemanymonthstoresolve.

Iftreatmentfortheinjuryisignoredoryoucontinuetorunthroughthepain,damage to the tendon canweaken the connective tissue so that it is unable towithstandtheadditionalforcesofjumping,running,orclimbingstairs,makingarupturepossible.Arupturedtendonrequiressurgeryandcastingfor12months,followedbyseveralmonthsofphysicaltherapy.

PlantarFasciitisOne of the most common running injuries is plantar fasciitis. Inflammationoccurswheretheplantarfascia,abundleofconnectivetissueinthesoleofthefoot,attachestotheheelbone,eventuallycausingheelpain.

Repeatedstressesduringfootstrikeresultinplantarfasciastrain.Thisstrainis exaggerated by running fast and up hills. Both cause the fascia to stretch.Running on soft sand can inflame the fascia. If the volume of training—inparticular,thetypeoftrainingdescribedabove—istoogreatfortherecuperativepowersofthetissues,acycleofplantarfasciitismaybegin.

SignsandSymptoms:Theuniversalsymptomforplantarfasciitisisasharppainintheheelandarchduringthefirstfewstepsinthemorning.Theplantarfasciacontractduring thenight’s rest,and the first fewstepsbegin thepainfulprocessof stretching theplantar fascia.Sitting for longperiodsduring thedaymayresultinthesamepaininthearch.

Thepainofplantar fasciitismaygetbetterduringawarmup for a trainingsessionandmayremainatareducedlevelthroughoutthesession.Astherunnerbeginscoolingdown,thepainbeginstoincreaseandmaybequitesevereoverthenextfewhours.

Treatment:Thefirstleveloftreatmentisconservativeandconsistsofrest,icing, stretching, heel pads, store-bought orthotics, massage, and nonsteroidalanti-inflammatories.Massage can help to stretch the fascia.Commonmethods

formassagingthebottomof thefoot includerollingthefootoveracan,roundstick,orball.Earlytreatmentshouldresolvetheinflammationformostrunners.

Moreaggressivelevelsoftreatmentmightincludesteroidinjections,customorthotics, night splints, and physical therapy. Steroids can have an immediatepositive effect on the pain of plantar fasciitis. However, the pain is likely toreturn if appropriate follow-up treatment is not maintained. Orthotics may benecessarytocontrolfootmotionandsupportthearchduringfootstrikeandtoe-off.Nightsplintswillkeeptheplantarfasciafromcontractingovernight.

ChronicCalfTearsAcommoninjuryamongrunnersischroniccalfmuscletears.Thesetearsresultinknotsinthecalf,andscartissuedevelops.

Signs and Symptoms:While the knots probably develop over time, theytendtoappearsuddenlytotherunnerwhenasharptightnessoccursinthecalf.Thistightnesscanstoptherunnerinhistracks.Runnersoftendescribethisonsetasviselikepressureinthecalf.

Treatment:Cross-frictionmassagemust be applied to theknots to stretchthedamagedfibersandtorelievethepressureexertedonthemuscle.Stretchingboththesoleusandthegastrocnemiusmustbedoneregularly(seeChapter13).These stretches are recommended before and after running. It is important tobeginallworkoutswith10to15minutesofeasyrunning,graduallyincreasingthepacebeforeanyintensiverunning.

SUMMARYOneoftheprimarygoalsoftheFIRSTprogramistopromotelifelongrunningenjoyment.Injurypreventioniscriticalinmeetingthisgoal.Overuseinjuriesarethe major culprit in ending many runners’ careers. Therefore, reducing totalvolumeoftrainingbyeliminatingunnecessarymilespreventsinjuries.

Ourprogramrequireshigher-intensitytrainingtopermittherunnertoreachhisorhergoals.This training is tailored to the individual’sabilitiesasdefinedbycurrentperformance levels,whileallowingfor4dayswithout runningeachweek. These off-days permit recovery from previous workouts, leaving therunnerfreshforthenexttrainingrunandreducingoveruseproblems.However,every runner must carefully monitor his or her body, particularly the knees,ankles,andfeet,forsignsandsymptomsofoveruseinjuriesandbepreparedtotakeimmediateactiontopreventprogressionofaninjurytomoreseverelevels.

REALRUNNERREPORT

DearFIRST,

Justwantedtosendabigthankyouforthedetailedmarathontrainingplanfromyourbook.Ipickeditupafterhavingrealized(throughthreestressfractures)thattraditionaltrainingplansthatsimplyrampupmileagedonotworkforme.Atage36,Iwasattheendofmyropeaftersufferingmy third fracture, this time inmy pelvis. After taking almost 6months off, I finallystartedbackslowly,butknewthatIneededtotrysomethingcompletelydifferent.

IfoundyouthroughaRunner’sWorldadandtherestishistory.IhadBQ’dthepreviousspringanddecidedtogobackformore.Iusedyourprogramandfoundnotonlythatiteliminatedtheboredomfactorbut thespeed/tempoworkmadeHeartbreakHillnotsoheartbreaking!Beinganinjury-pronerunner,thisprovidedtheconditioningIneededwithoutplacingextratraumatomybody.Intheend,IBQ’dagainwithaPRof3:33:57andwillgobacknextyear…withyourhelpofcourse!

CathyMeierPharmacistandMother

Findlay,Ohio

FOLLOW-UPMESSAGE:

SinceIwroteyouthatemail,Ihaveusedyourprogramthreetimes(twoofthemforBoston!)foraNEWPRof3:26:09. Iprettymuchpointallnewandstrugglingrunners to theprogramand allmymom-runner friends now swear by it as it offers somuch flexibility in a trainingweek.

REALRUNNERREPORT

FIRSTTeam,

IjustthoughtI’ddropaquickemailtothankyouforyourgreattrainingprogram.Asanactivedutymarine pilot,my days are very chaotic, and I seldomever havea “routine”workday. Ieasilyincorporatedyourprogramintomybusyschedule,andIenjoyedconsiderablesuccesswhilerunningthe2008MarineCorpsMarathon.Ifinishedwitha3:07,whichbeatmyprevioustimebyover23minutes!Frommile20tothefinishIfeltrelaxedandincompletecontroloftheraceunlikemypreviousattempts inwhich I felt like Iwas in “survival”mode.Additionally,2daysafterthemarathonIfeelgreatandcanresumerunningagainthisweek,whichwasnotthecaseinyearspast.

I’mspreadingthegoodword.

Thanks,

WillGrant

WillGrantMajor,UnitedStatesMarineCorps

Chapter11RUNNINGNUTRITION

When runners submit their applications for FIRST email coaching or to be aparticipantatoneofourRunningRetreats,theyareaskedtolistanareaoftheirrunning that needs improvement.Most cite a need to improve dietary habits.Before the retreat, participants complete a 3-day food diary. Thenwe analyzetheirfoodconsumptionandprovidedetailedinformationabouttheirmacro-andmicronutrients, as well as their daily caloric intake.What we observe is thatrunners, like most Americans, fail to eat a balanced diet that is composedprimarily of fruits, vegetables, and grains.We are particularly struck by howmanyrunnersrelyonenergybarsformanyoftheirdailycalories.

Runnerswhotrainvigorouslyandassiduouslyareoftennotwillingtobeasdisciplinedwiththeireatinghabits.Weareconvincedthattheyfailtoreachtheirpotentialbecause theyarenotproperly fueled for their training.Wehaveseenrunnersinourtrainingstudiesimprovedramaticallywithimprovednutritionasmuchaswithdedicatedandsmarttraining.

Mostof the runners attendingour lectures andparticipating inour trainingstudiessaytheyareconfusedaboutdietaryguidelinesorhavedifficultyadheringtothem.Unfortunately,theavalancheofbookstoutingunsounddietaryschemeshasnotmadeiteasierforrunnerstobewellinformedaboutpropernutrition.

“PortionDistortion”hasmadeitdifficultforAmericanstorecognizewhatisa reasonable amount of food to consume.Larger servings, plates, cartons, andbottles havemade it a challenge to understandwhat a normal serving size is.Maintaininganidealweightisamatterofbalancingcaloricintake(thefoodyoueat)withcaloricexpenditure(dailymetabolismandcaloriesburnedbyexercise.)Sorry, there is nomagicweight-loss diet. Just as it takesmonths of dedicatedtraining toprepare for amarathon, that samediscipline isnecessary for losingweight.

NUTRITION:THEESSENTIALS•Awell-balanceddiet is recommended for all healthy adults; just becauseyouexercisedoesn’tmeanyoucaneatanythingyouwant.

• A runner’s diet should be based primarily on complex (unrefined)carbohydrates,whichincludeswholegrains,fruits,andvegetables.

• Sixty to 70 percent of your calories should come from carbohydratesources,withonly10percentfromsimplecarbohydrates.

• Protein should account for 15 percent of total calories, and should beselectedfromvegetablesandleancutsofmeat.Vegetableproteinis justasnutritiousasanimalprotein,buthaslesssaturatedfat.

•Fatcaloriesshouldaccountfor15to25percentofyourtotalcaloricintake.

• Trans-fatty acids (common in snack and processed foods) should beavoidedduetotheirsignificantnegativeimpactonbloodcholesterol.

•Healthyeatingwillmeetalloftheneedsoftherunner,withonlyminimalchangesneededpriortocompetition.

•Thedietmustprovide theenergyneeded for successfulparticipation inavigoroustrainingprogram.

• Once their optimal weight for training has been obtained, runners mustfine-tunecaloricintaketomaintaintheirdesiredtargetweight.

•NoteatingenoughwillmakeyouunabletocompletethequalityworkoutsintheFIRSTTrainingProgramandmayresultinlossofleanbodyweight.

•Itisbesttoeatvariousfoodsthatprovideavarietyofnutrients.

NUTRITION:QANDAQ.WhyshouldIconsumesomanycarbohydrates?A. Carbohydrates supply the body’s immediate energy needs and are themajor source forglycogen,which is the storage formof carbohydrates in the body.A high-carbohydrate dietensurestherunnerafullglycogenloadfortrainingandcompetition.

Minimizing the consumption of simple sugarswill help avoid a roller-coaster effect in bloodglucose levels.Choosing fruits for dessert is a healthier option than refined-sugar desserts.Fruits,likeotherunrefinedcarbohydrates,addlotsofimportantvitaminsandmineralsand,insomecases,fiber.

Intensetrainingrequiresthatcarbohydratesbereplaceddaily.SinceFIRSTtrainingisbasedonhigh-qualityrunning,itisimportantthatyourdailydietbebasedpredominantlyoncomplex(unrefined)carbohydrates.

Q.WhatistheglycemicindexandshouldIconcernmyselfwithit?A.Theglycemic index isameasureofhowacarbohydratesourceaffectsyourbloodsugarlevel.Somecarbohydratesraiseyourbloodsugarlevelmorethanothers.

Foodswithahighglycemicindexreleasesugarintothebloodstreamfasterthanfoodswithalowerglycemicindex.Thequickriseinbloodsugartriggersaninsulinresponse.Theresultinghyperglycemic condition is associated with long-term weight gain, diabetes, and coronaryheartdisease.Athleteswant toconsumemealswitha lowglycemic indexso thatenergy isreleasedsteadilythroughouttheircompetition.Also,alow-glycemic-indexdietreduceshungerandhelpsyoufeelfullerlonger,whichisvaluableforweightmanagement.

Ingeneral,refinedcarbohydratesandsimplecarbohydrates(sugars)haveahigherglycemicindexthancomplexcarbohydrates(starches).Unrefinedgrainssuchasbrownriceandwhole-grain breads and cereals tend to have a lower glycemic index than refined carbohydrates.Fruitsandvegetablesalsohavealowglycemicindex.Otherexamplesofcarbohydrateswithlower glycemic index values are whole wheat pastas, whole-grain breads, bran cereals,grapes,freshanddriedapricots,apples,grapefruit,oranges,bakedbeans,lentils,corn,peas,chickpeas,greenbeans,andlow-fatyogurt.

Afteranintenseworkoutorrace,however,youmightchoosetoconsumehighglycemicfoods,forexample,acandybar,pretzels,whitebread,bakedpotato,orsportsdrink,togetthebloodglucoselevelupquicklysoastoassistinreplenishingmuscleglycogenandaidrecovery.

Q.Willconsumingmoreproteinincreasemyrunningperformance?A.Proteindoesnotprovideasignificantamountofenergywhenyourunorworkout.Proteinisthemajorbuildingmaterialofthebodyandisessentialfortissuegrowthandrepair.Adietbasedon15percentproteinwillmeetbothoftheseneeds.Thebodycannotstoreprotein;anyextra isconverted intocarbohydratesor fat,with littlebeingused foryour immediateenergyneeds.

Q.Istheproteinfrommeatbetterthanproteinsfromplantsources?A. Protein is protein regardless of the source. Animal protein has been called high-qualityproteinbecauseitcontainsall20aminoacidsneededbyhumans.Soyistheonlyplantsourcethat contains all 20 amino acids. Therefore, vegetarians must mix and match their foodselections to ensure they receive all 20 amino acids from their diet. For example, acombinationofbeansandrice,sometimescalledcomplementaryproteinsources,willsupplyalloftheessentialaminoacids.Forhealth,moreofyourproteinshouldbederivedfromplantsourcessoastoreducefatintake.Whilewearenotnecessarilyadvocatingavegetariandiet,wearesuggestingthatenduranceathletesandrunnersadoptaplant-baseddiet.

Q.Whyarepolyunsaturatedfatspreferredtosaturatedfats?A. There are numerous studies linking saturated fatwith chronic diseases, especially heartdisease. Polyunsaturated fats have been associated with a decrease in the risk for thesediseases.By combiningunsaturated fats anda low-fat diet, the runnerwill haveanoptimaldisease-fightingmenu.Ahealthyrunneristypicallyafasterrunner.

Q.Whataretrans-fattyacids(TFAs),andwhyaretheyconsideredsobad?

A.Trans-fattyacidsarecreatedbyahydrogenationprocessofcornorotheroilsto increaseshelf life and meet consumer tastes. Trans-fatty acids are known to reduce the goodcholesterol,HDL,while increasing thebadcholesterol,LDL.TFAshavealsobeenshown todamagethebloodvessels,increasingtheriskofatherosclerosisandheartdisease.

Q.Howmuchfluiddoestherunnerneedtoconsume?A.Itisimportanttostayadequatelyhydrated.Drinkenoughduringthedaytokeepyoururineclear.Twohoursbeforeaworkout,drink16ouncesofyourpreferredsportsdrinkorwater.Twohours isample time for the fluid tobecleared fromthestomachand for thekidneys toremovetheexcess.Thirstisnotareliablewayofdeterminingyourhydrationneeds.

You should consume a quantity of fluid that is equal to your fluid loss from sweating andbreathingduringexercise.Weighingyourselfbeforeandafterarunisagoodwaytodetermineyoursweat lossduringexercise. Ingeneral,youneed todrink1pintof fluid foreachpoundlostduringexercise.Sweatratesvaryfromrunnertorunnerandwithweatherconditions.

You need to practice drinking during your training, both to train your body to handle fluidsduringexerciseandtolearnwhatisacomfortableamountforyoutodrinkwhileworkingout.Thisisespeciallyimportantduringlongerevents,whenfluidlossfromsweatingmightexceedtheabilityofyourbodytoprocessaddedfluids.

Q.Whatfluidisbesttodrink?A. Well before race day, contact the event promoters to find out what types of fluidreplacementareavailable.Duringyourlongruns,practicewiththerace-daydrinktogetusedtoit.Ifyoucan’ttoleratetheeventdrink,bepreparedtodrinkwaterorcarryyourowndrink.Youdonotwanttofindoutonracedaythatyourstomachcan’thandletheeventdrink.

Q.CanIdrinktoomuchwater?A.Yes,especiallyduringprolongedexercise.Forthelastseveralyears,runnershaveheard“hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.” Hydration is good and important, but during long runs somerunnersdrinktoomuchfluid.Thepopularityofthemarathonhasresultedintheparticipationofrunnerswithavastdivergenceoftalent.Marathontimeshaveincreasedtoanaverageofover4hours,withmanyrunnersstillontheroad5to6hoursafterthestart.Manyoftheserunnershavetrainedwithgroupsthatstresstheimportanceoffluidintakethroughoutthecourseoftherace.Duetothelowworkloadrelatedtotheirpace,theserunnersactuallygainwaterweightasa resultofconsumingmorewater thanwhat they losebysweating.This results in lowersodiumconcentrations in theirbloodandcan lead tohyponatremia.Because thesymptomsmay resemble those of dehydration, hyponatremia victims are often given liquids, onlyworsening their condition. Hyponatremia is a life-threatening condition that has beenresponsibleforseveralmarathoners’deathsoverthepastyears.Useyourweightlossduringexerciseasaguideforfluidreplacement.

Q.ShouldItakeamineral/vitaminsupplement?A. Ingeneral,abalanceddietwillmeettheneedsofmostrunners.Duetothestressonthebodyfromhigh-qualitytraining,takingamultiplevitaminwithmineralsonceadayisfineandhas not been shown to pose any health risks as long as “mega” vitamins are avoided.Becauseyouaregettingvitaminsandmineralsfromthefoodsyoueat,trytofindavitaminthathasnomorethan100percentoftheRDAvalues.

Supplements, unlike drugs, do not have to be shown to be effective by the manufacturer.Consultwithyourhealthcareproviderbeforetakingsupplements,especiallywhencombiningorsubstitutingthemwithothermedicine.

Q.HowmanycaloriesdoIneedtoconsumedaily?A.Thequickansweris“asmanyasyouburndaily.”Acompleteanswerisnotsoeasy.Bodysize andactivity level play a significant factor in the determination of daily caloric needs.Asimple estimate of daily caloric needs is tomultiple your body weight (in pounds) by 11.3.Thenaddanadditional100caloriesforeachmileofrunning.

Forexample,a135-poundrunnerwhoran5mileswouldneedapproximately:

135x11.3=1,525+500(for5miles)=2,025calories

A61.5-kilogramrunnerwhoran8kilometerswouldneedapproximately:

61.5x2.2(conversiontolbs.)x11.3=1,529+500(for8kilometers)=2,029calories

Theseareestimatesandwillrequirefine-tuningbyeachindividual.

Q.Whatisanidealbodyweightforarunner?A.Therunnershouldbemoreconcernedaboutbodycompositionthanbodyweight.Forlong-distance running, extra body weight puts significant stress on the legs. Extra weight alsoincreases theoverallworkloadon thebody, therebydecreasing runningeconomy.Formostmalerunners,abodycompositionof8 to15percent fatwouldbeanachievablegoal,whilefemalerunnersshouldaimforarangeof16to25percentbodyfat.

Q.DoIneedspecialnutritionforcompetition?Howaboutcarbohydrateloading?A. Exercise increases theenergy requirements of the bodyup to 25 times thoseof normalexpenditure.Thebodyconvertsallcarbohydratestoglucose,whichmaybeusedimmediatelyasfuelorstoredforlateruse.Glycogenisthestorageformofglucoseinthebody,mostlyintheskeletalmusclesand liver.Thebodyhasa limitedstoragecapacity forglycogen,whichmayberapidlydepletedduringstrenuousexercise.

Duringexercise that feelseasy,overhalfof thecaloriesusedforenergycomesfromstoredbody fat.Asexercise intensity increases tomoderate, thebodybegins to burn less fat andutilize more glycogen-stored carbohydrates. Long runs tend to deplete glycogen. The term“hittingthewall”isusedtodescribetheeffectthatglycogendepletionhasonarunner.

Once your stored glycogen is depleted, your body shifts back to burning fat. Becauseconvertingfattoenergycannotbedoneasefficientlyasusingglycogenforenergy,yourpacedecreases.

Oneaimof training is to increase thepaceatwhichyoucan runwhileburning fat. Inotherwords,youreasypacebecomesafasterpace.Byburningfatratherthanglycogen,youputoffglycogendepletionlongerandputoffhittingthewall.Appropriatetrainingincreasesthepaceyou can maintain before your crossover from fat burning to carbohydrate burning occurs,helpingtosaveglycogenthatwillbeneededfartherdowntheroad.

Ifyoumaintainadietthatishighincomplexcarbohydrates,itisnotnecessarytocarbo-load.As you begin a taper, your activity level will decline; thus you will burn fewer of yourcarbohydrate stores. Your normal high carbohydrate diet (60 to 70 percent of total caloriescomingfromcarbohydrates),combinedwithadecreaseinactivity(foryourtaper),willresultincarbo-loading.Thedayprior to your race should alsobehigh in carbohydrates, but refinedcarbohydratesmaymakeabetterchoicebecauseoftheirreducedfibercontent.

Themostefficientenergyyieldfromstoredglycogenoccurswithanevenrunningpace.Afastpaceearlyintheracespeedsthedepletionofglycogenandleadstohittingthewall.

Q.Whatshouldtherunnereatpriortocompetition?A. Individualsmustdetermine the typeandquantityof food toeatbeforea race,aswellaswhentheywillconsumethemeal.Toworkoutyourpersonalplan,beginwiththeinformationbelow. Through trial and error on long-distance training days, vary the type, quantity, andtimingofmeals.Maintainanaccuratelogofthesevariablesandyourlongrunperformancestodetermineyourmosteffectiveandagreeablepreracemealplan.

Forasimplewayofestimatingyourcaloricneedsonracemorning,usethisformula:

(hoursbeforerace)x(bodyweightinpounds)=(numberofcaloriestoeat)

(hoursbeforerace)x(bodyweightinkilogramsx2.2)=(numberofcaloriestoeat)

Forexample,ifyouwakeupat6:00a.m.andyourraceisat8:00a.m.,that’s2hours.Sofora150-poundrunnerthat’s2x150=300calories.

Typically,consuming300to500calories3hoursbeforeahalf-marathonormarathonfollowedby100to150caloriesofsportsdrinkanhourpriortotheraceshouldsupplyadequatepreracefuel.

Forshorter races(5Kand10K) lasting less thananhour, fewer, ifany,preracecaloriesarenecessary.

Q.Doestherunnerneedtoingestcaloriesduringtherace?A.Runningamarathonorhalf-marathonmaydepleteyourglycogenstores,resultinginyourhittingthewall.Topreventit,youneedtoconsumecarbohydratesduringtherace,notonlytoreplaceglycogenstoresinthemusclebutalsotomaintainthelevelofbloodglucoseneededbytheactivemuscles.Thegoalcanbemetwith6to8ouncesofsportsdrinkevery30to35minutesandonwarmerdaysevery20to30minutes.Somerunners like touseenergygelsduringmarathons. Consuming an energy gel with water every hour can also helpmaintainadequatebloodglucoselevels.

Even thoughyoumayhave90ormoreminutesofstoredcarbohydrates,youneed tobegintakingsportsdrinkearlyintheraceinordertospareyourstoresofglycogen.

Q.Whatshouldtherunnerconsumeafteraworkoutorrace?A. Sports drinks are a good option. The body is a carbohydrate sponge immediately afterintense and exhausting exercise.Glycogen resynthesis from carbohydrates consumed after

exercisetakesplacemostrapidlyduringthefirst30minutes.Foodswithahighglycemicindexmay speed up the replenishment of glycogen in skeletal muscle due to the rapid rise inglucoseand insulin.Duringthefirst2hoursfollowingexercise, try totake insolid foodsthatarehighincarbohydrates,suchasbagels,bananas,pudding,etc.

Research indicates that the maximum human carbohydrate synthesis is 225 grams (900calories)ofglucose followingexercise.Thisamountofcarbohydrateshouldbeconsumed insmallportionsoverthe2-hourwindow.Ifyouconsumetoomuchcarbohydrate,theexcessisstoredasfat.

RUNNINGNUTRITION:CONCLUSIONRunning,aswithallphysicalactivities,requiresenergy.Ifthereareseveralwaystomeet theenergyneedsof thebody, thequestionbecomes,“What is thebestdiet?”Theshelvesofbookstoresarefilledwithvolumes,allclaimingtoofferthe“best” diet.Thismanual is not a sports nutritionmanual, nor is there room toexplore the biochemistry of nutrition. Only basic nutritional information isprovided. For more specific dietary information, FIRST recommendsconsultationwithasportsnutritionist.

REALRUNNERREPORT

HiGuys,

Pleasebearwithmynovel-lengthemail; I reallywant to tellyou thewholestory. Iama42-year-oldmale.I’veneverinmylifebeenmedicallyobese,butnorhaveIeverbeenwhatyou’dcall“veryfit.”Likemostpeople,exerciseebbedandflowedinmylife.SomeyearsIexercisedregularly,otheryearsnotsomuch.Asforrunning,Ineverevenconsideredenteringanykindofcompetitiveevent,andneverran formore than15 to30minutesata timeandonlyonatreadmill.

Things took a turn for theworse forme—healthwise—betweenMarch 2007 andNovember2009. During those years, my wife and I had two beautiful little girls. We both continuedworkingfull-time,andanyshredofhealthyeatingorexercisewentcompletelyoutthewindow.Webegantorelyoneatingalotoftake-outfood(canyousaypizzaandChinese?)andlotsofunhealthy “snacks.” My poor eating habits, combined with no exercise, resulted in anexpandingwaistline.Overtwoyears,Iputonanextra30poundsandwentfroma32toa36waist. I knew Iwasn’t living a healthy lifestyle, but I figured that since Iwasonly 41, I hadplentyoftimetochangemyhabitsandloseweight.ThenIgotareally,reallybigwake-upcall.

InNovember2009 Iwas inmybackyardraking leaveswhen I feltasharppain inmychestfollowed by tingling in my hands. A short ambulance ride later, I arrived in the ER wheredoctorsperformedanangioplastyandputastentinmyrightcoronaryarterytosavemylife.Attheripeoldageof41,Ihadsufferedaheartattack!Doctorswarnedmethattwootherarteriesweremorethan40percentclogged,andthatifIdidn’tmakedrasticchangesinmylife,thingswerenotgoing togetbetter.Tobeperfectlyhonest, Igot lucky thatday. Iveryeasilycouldhavemademywifeawidowandleftmytwolittlegirls(then2½and8monthsold)withoutadad.Neitherofthemwouldhaveanymemoriesofmeastheygotolderandwouldhaveonlypicturesandstoriesof their father.The thoughtof thatwasabsolutelycrushing tomeand Iwasreleasedfromthehospitalwithadeterminationnevertoletthathappen.

I spentDecember2009 toMarch2010 in “cardiac rehabilitation.”Under thewatchfuleyeofRN/personal trainers who monitored my heart on an EKG, I built up a solid base level offitness.Ilostall30poundsandbegantofeelhealthierthanI’deverfeltinmylife.IcompletedrehabinlateMarch,passedanuclearstresstestwithflyingcolors,andreceivedfullmedicalclearanceto“exercisevigorously.”

DuringrehabIreallystartedtodevelopaloveforrunning.AttheendofApril,Iranmyfirst5K(in 26:45) and was absolutely hooked on competitive running. At about that same time, Idiscoveredyourbook.Ihadbeenlookingatotherrunningbooksandtrainingplansbut,asyouknow,mostofthemwantedmetorun4ormoredaysaweek.AndwhileIloverunning,Ialsowanted tohave time tobike,swim,and liftweights.Your3-day-a-weekplanwasabsolutelyperfectforme.Inmid-May2010,IdecidedthatIwoulduseyourtrainingplanstotrainforafallhalf-marathon.Overthespringandsummeryourbookandtrainingplansbecameapartofmylife.IbegangettingupveryearlyonSundaymorningformylongruns.Istartedoutwith9:36asmytargetHMpace,butrevisedthetimedownwardtwiceoverthesummerastheworkoutsbeganfeelingtooeasyforme(IwasalsocarefullymonitoringmyHRwithaHRmonitorandcheckinginwithmydoctor,don’tworry!).

Onraceday(fortheParksHalf-Marathon,Rockville,Maryland),mytargetHMpacewas9:01.Asyouallwiselycounsel,IheldbackatmyplannedHMpaceforthefirsthalfoftheraceasotherrunnerswhohadalsolinedupinthe9:00-9:30queuespedpastatblazingspeed.Inthesecondhalfof therace,still feelingverystrong,Isteppedonthegasandultimatelycrossedthefinishlinein1:55:52(8:51pace;93/178inmyagegroup),farfasterthanIeverimaginedIcouldrunthatrace.Thankstoyourphenomenalbookandtrainingplans,only10monthsafteralmostlosingmylifeIhadjustrunmyfirstHMinunder2hours.Mywifeandkidswerewaitingformeatthefinishline,andIhadneverfeltsogoodinmylife.

IcarryyourbookwithmejustabouteverywhereIgo,readingandrereadingvariouschaptersfrom time to timeandpickingupon things Imayhavemissedonearlier readings. Inshort,yourbookandtrainingplansarenowpartofmylife.Iplantorunanotherhalf-marathoninthespringandthenmayconsiderafullmarathonfornextfall(withalmost2solidyearsofrunningundermybelt).

I’m sorry for the length of this email, but I really wanted to tell you the whole story andenthusiasticallythankyouforyourexcellentbook.Thankyouforplayingapartinhelpingmeturnmylifearound.Idohopetothankyouall inpersonatafutureFurmanInstituterunningretreat.Untilthen,Ieagerlyawaitanyfuturepublicationsfromyouall.

RodVieiraEnvironmentalAttorneyfortheNationalOceanicandAtmospheric

AdministrationChevyChase,Maryland

SECTIONIVSupplementalTraining

Chapter12STRENGTHTRAININGFORRUNNERS

Nowhere is the adage “Use it or lose it” more relevant than with muscles.Running tends to employ one set of muscles over and over while neglectingothers.Runnersmustalsocombatthelossofmusclemassthatisanaturalpartofthe aging process. It is imperative thatwe do strength exercises aswe age todiminishthelossofmuscletissue.

For your overall fitness and good health, you should exercise the majormuscle groups in the back, chest, shoulders, arms, torso, and legs. For theenhancementofyourrunning,wehaveprovidedstrengthtrainingexercisesthatcanbeperformedinarelativelyshortperiodoftimeandwillcontributetobetterrunningandinjuryprevention.

Runnersattendingourretreatsaresurprisedbyhowdifficultitisforthemtoperformsomeofour strengthexercises.That’sbecause theyhaveneglected todo functional strength training—exercises specific to the movements of theirsport.Itisasimportanttotraintheneuromuscularcomponentofthemovementas it is the individualmuscles.Exercises that isolatemuscles anddon’tmimicthemovementoftheactivityresultinlessfunctionalimprovement.Forexample,squatswillhaveagreatertransfereffectonimprovinganindividual’sabilitytorunthankneeextensions.AsScottMurroftenpointsouttorunners,runningisdone one leg at a time. For that reason, one-legged squats will have an evengreatertransfereffectonyourrunningthantwo-leggedsquats.Wehaveselectedexercisesthatarespecifictorunningmovements.

I like feeling stronger not only for sports but also for everyday activities.Two or three times per week for about 20 to 30 minutes, I do a circuit ofexercises thatworks the largemusclegroups.Typically these strength trainingsessionsarenotonkeyrundays.TrainingpartnerandcoauthorScottMurrlikestodohisstrengthtrainingonthesamedaysheruns.Irecommendestablishingastrengthtrainingroutinethatfitsyourweeklyschedule.Consistencyisthekey.

STRENGTHTRAINING:THEESSENTIALS•Strengtheningthecoremusclesisimportantformaintaininggoodrunning

form.

•Strengtheningmuscles that stabilize thehips andknees isvery importantforinjuryprevention.

•Muscularimbalancesareoftenassociatedwithrunning-specificinjuries.

•Strengtheningaweakmusclecaneliminateimbalancesbetweenopposingmusclegroups.

•Manyrunnersavoidorneglectstrengthtraining.

STRENGTHTRAINING:QANDAQ.Whyshouldarunnerstrengthtrain?A. When you become fatigued, your form deteriorates (poor running economy). Thedeteriorationcomesnotonlyfromtired legs,butalsofromtiredarms,atiredback,andtiredabdominalmuscles.Havingastrongtorsohelpsholdyourformtogetherinthelaterstagesofaworkoutorarace.Strengthtrainingimprovesrunningeconomy(oneofthekeydeterminantsof running performance), permitting faster running over the same distance with lessconsumption of oxygen. Improved running economy means you can run for a longer timebeforeexhaustionsetsin.

Q. What are the potential liabilities associated with weight training? What should arunneravoidinhisorherweighttrainingprogram?A. Liabilities include injury due to poor form and additional bulk (muscle and weight gain)followinganunnecessarilyextensiveweighttrainingprogram.

Ouradviceistotrainthemusclegroupsthatwillbeofgreatestbenefitinrunning.Ifyoufollowabodybuilder’sweight trainingroutine,youwillprobably findminimal ifany improvement inyourrunningperformance.Infact, it ispossiblethatastandardweighttrainingroutinewouldresultindiminishedrunningperformances.

Q.Whatexercisesshouldbeincludedinstrengthtrainingforrunners?A. There is no singlemethod of strength training that has been shown to be unequivocallysuperior for runners.Manyof our recommendedexercises are core exercise andmulti-jointexercises(thosewhichusemanybodyparts).Coreexercisesandmulti-jointexercisestendtobemorespecific tonormalbodymovement.With theFIRSTstrengthtrainingexercises,youwon’tisolateasinglemusclegroup,thetypicalapproachofmanyweighttrainingroutines.

TheAmericanCollegeofSportsMedicinerecommends8to10exercisesthatworkthemajormuscle groups.While we endorse the ACSM position statement, we have selected 11 keystrength training exercises that will enhance running performance. These strength trainingrecommendationsaredesignedsothatarunnercandotheminatimelymannerwithminimalequipment.

Q.DoIreallyneedtodolower-bodystrengthexercises?A.Manyrunnersthink,“Idon’tneedtoworkmylegsbecauseIusethemallthetimerunning.”During running, your legs are being worked, but primarily they are being trained solely forendurance,notstrength.Strengthtrainingwillhelpimproveyourlegstrength,sothatyoucangeneratemore forcewith each stride. Strength trainingwill also help balance themuscularfitnessofallofthemajormusclesofthelowerbody.

Q.InwhatordershouldIdomyexercises?A.Typically,youshouldtrainthelargerandstrongermusclegroupsfirstandthenthesmallermuscle groups.Why? Your smallermuscles act as supportingmuscleswhen you train thelargermusclegroups.Ifyoufatiguethesmallermusclegroupsfirst,theywon’thelpmuchasyoustress the largermusclegroups.Thisputsyouatan increased risk for injury.Wehavelistedourstrengthtrainingexercisesintheorderwethinktheyshouldbeperformed.

Q.HowshouldIbreathewhendoingstrengthtrainingexercises?A.Avoidthetemptationtoholdyourbreathwhenstrengthtraining.Evenveteranathletesfailtobreathewhenexertingeffortandareoftenunawareofit.Youshouldbreathecontinuouslyand should exhale on the exertion or liftingmovement and inhale on the return or loweringmovement.

Q.ShouldIstrengthtrainyear-round?A.Varyingyour routineperiodically is important tostimulateadaptation.FIRSTbelieves thatyear-roundstrengthtraining is fineas longasyoureduceyourstrengthtrainingprogramthefinal2weeksbeforeakeyrace.

For each of the following key strength training exercises, we recommend doing 10 to 15repetitions.

KEYSTRENGTHTRAININGEXERCISES

SQUAT

WORKSGLUTESANDQUADRICEPS

Standwithyourfeetshoulder-widthapart.

Keeping your feet flat on the floor, your back straight, and your abdominalstight,squatuntilyourthighsareparalleltothefloor.

Keepyourweightonyourheelsratherthanyourtoes.Donotallowyourkneestomove beyond the point of your toes. Your knees should point in the samedirectionasyourfeetthroughouttheexercise.

Yourhandscanbeplacedonyourhipsoryoucanholdyourarmsoutinfronttohelpmaintainbalance.

Returntostartingposition.

SINGLELEGSQUATWORKSGLUTES,QUADRICEPS,HIPEXTERNALROTATORS,HIPABDUCTORS(ADVANCED)

Standuprightwithfeetshoulder-widthapart.

Bendyourrightkneeliftingyourcalfupuntilyourshinisparalleltothefloor.

Keepingyourleftfootflatonthefloor,yourbackstraightandyourheadupright,squatdownasfarasyoucanwhilemaintainingbalance.

Straightenyourleftlegandreturntothestartingposition.

Keepyourabdominalstightthroughouttheentireexercise.

Donotallowkneeorhiptocollapsetowardthemidlineofyourbody.

Repeatwiththeleftleg,thencontinuewiththerightleg.

LUNGESWORKSHAMSTRINGS,QUADRICEPS,GLUTES

Standwithyourfeetshoulder-widthapart.

Step forwardwithyour right legand loweryourbodyuntilyour right thigh isparalleltothefloorandyourleftkneeisalmosttouchingthefloor.

Thehip,knee,andankleofyourrightlegshouldforma90-degreeangleinthedownor forward position.Avoid stepping so far forward that your front kneeextendsbeyondyourtoes.

The forward knee should point in the same direction as the forward footthroughouttheexercise.

Besuretokeepyourbodyuprightandyourabdominalstightduringthelunge.

Return to the startingpositionbydrivingyourweightbackupwithyour rightleg.

Repeatwithyourleftleg.

Youhavenowdone1rep.

BOXSTEP-UPSWORKSGLUTES,QUADRICEPS,HAMSTRINGS

Findaboxthatis8to18incheshigh.

Placeyourrightfootentirelyupontopoftheboxwithyourarmsinarunningposition.

Withyourweightfocusedonyourrightheel,ratherthanyourforefoot,useyourrightlegtoliftyourselftoanuprightpositiononthebox.Yourrightkneeshouldpointinthesamedirectionasyourrightfootthroughouttheexercise.

This exercise is most effective when you lift from the upper leg and avoidpushingupwiththefootontheground.

Asyoustepup,raiseyourleftthighuptowaistheight.

Yourarmsshouldswitchpositionasyouraiseyourselfup.

Usingyourrightlegtoloweryourselfbacktotheground,stepdownwithyourleftlegandreturntothestartingposition.Placeyourrightfootonthefloor.

Keepyourtorsouprightduringthisexercise.Repeatwithyourleftleguponthebox.

MONSTER(SUMOWRESTLER)WALKWORKSHIPEXTERNALROTATORS,HIPABDUCTORSPlaceamini-bandaroundyourkneesor lower legs tomake theexercisemorechallenging.Standwithyourfeetslightlymorethanshoulder-widthapart.Keepingyourabdominalstight,bendatthehipsandloweryourtorsosoyouarestandinginahalf-squatstance.Maintaining yourwide stance, step forwardwith your left leg, thenwith yourrightleg.Repeattheexercisesteppingbackward.Asyoumoveforwardandbackward,keepawidestance.Youcanplaceyourhandsonyourwaistoroutinfrontofyou.Make sure that you do not allow your knees to turn in (or collapse inwards)duringthisexercise.Keepkneesbentthroughtheentireexercise.

ONE-ARM,ONE-LEGBENT-OVERROWWORKSTRICEPS,SHOULDERS,BACK

Startbystandinguprightandholdadumbbellinyourrighthand,keepingyourrightelbowclosetoyourside.

Standonyourleftlegandbendatthewaisttoapproximatelya90-degreeangle.Stabilizeyourupperbodywithyourlefthandonastabilityball.

Bendyourleftkneeslightlytoreducepressureonyourback.Thenliftyourrightlegtocreatea“T”withyourbody.

Pull the dumbbell up toward your shoulder; your elbow will come up justbeyondyourback.Initiatetherowwithyourshoulderratherthanwithyourarm.

Keepyourshouldersandbackparalleltofloor;avoidrotatingatthehipsasyoulifttheweightup.

Slowlyextend(straighten)yourarmandlowerthedumbbelltowardthefloor.

Besuretokeepyourbackstraightthroughoutthisexercise.

Dotheexercisewithyourrightarm,thenswitchtoyourleftarmandrepeat.

CURLTOPRESSWORKSBICEPS,SHOULDERS

Standwithyourfeetaboutshoulder-widthapartbehindastabilityballandwithyourabdominalstightasyouholdapairofdumbbellsbyyourside.

Turnyourhandssothatyourpalmsfaceeachother.

Propyourrightfootuponthestabilityball.

Curl thedumbbells towardyourshouldersperforming thebicepcurlwithbotharmsatthesametime.

Continuethemotionandliftandpressthedumbbellsoverhead,extendingyourarmsstraightuptowardtheceiling.

Slowlyloweryourelbowstoyoursides,thenlowerthedumbbellstothestartingposition.

Afterhalfofyourrepsarecompleted,puttheotherlegonthestabilityball.

BIRDDOGWORKSCORE,HAMSTRINGS,SHOULDERS

Begin on your hands and knees on all fours. Your hands should be directlybelowyourshoulders;holdyourheadinlinewithyourback.

Tightenyourabdominalmuscles.

Simultaneously,raiseyourrightlegstraightoutbehindyouandliftyourleftarmoutinfrontofyou(eachisoutstretchedhorizontally).

Hold this raised position for 3 seconds before slowly returning to startingposition.

Repeatwithyourleftlegandrightarm.

Youhavecompleted1rep.

ADVANCEDBIRDDOGWORKSCORE,HAMSTRINGS,SHOULDERS

Begin in a push-up position (on toes)with arms/elbows at full extension (the“up”positionofapush-up).

Tightenyourabdominalmuscles.

Simultaneously lift your left arm and right leg from the floor to a horizontalposition.

Maintain full extension for 3 seconds before slowly returning to startingposition.

Repeatwithyourleftlegandrightarm.

Make sure your avoid bending at the hips: try to keep your back straight theentireexercise.

Alternatearmsandlegs.

SINGLE-LEGBRIDGESWORKSGLUTES,CORE

Lieon the floor onyourbackwithyourkneesbent, feet flat on the floor andarmsatyoursides.

Straightenyourrightlegandholditsothatyourkneesareatthesameheight.

Keepingyour left foot flaton theground, raiseyourhipsupoff theground tocreateastraightlinefromyourkneestoshoulders.Keepyourrightlegextendedstraightout.

Keepabdominalsengagedtosupportthelowerback.

Holdfor3seconds.

Slowlyloweryourselfandreturntothestartingposition.

Repeatwiththeotherleg.

CLAMSHELLWORKSABDUCTORS

Lieonyour sidewithyourknees and ankles together, yourhipsbent at a 45-degreeangleandyourkneesbentata90-degreeangle.Yourheelsshouldbeinlinewithyourbutt.

Raiseyourtopkneetowardtheceilingashighasyoucan(topkneemovesawayfromthebottomknee)andthenreturntothestartingposition.

Keep your feet together and avoid rotating your pelvis or back; do not allowyourhipstorollback(makesurethatyourtophipstaysfacingtheceiling);keepyourspinestraight.

Holdforonebreath,thenslowlyloweryourkneetothestartingposition.

Placeamini-bandaroundyourkneestomaketheexercisemorechallenging.

Repeatonbothsides.

STRENGTHTRAINING:THESCIENCEMostadultsloseabouthalfapercentoftheirmusclemasseachyearaftertheageof25.Thislossacceleratesaftertheageof60.Musclemassisassociatedwith

metabolism.Muscle burns calories at a higher rate than fat. Strength trainingbuilds muscle and improves metabolism—a key to maintaining your desiredweight.

Studieshave shown that as fewas6weeksofproper strength trainingcansignificantly reduce or completely relieve kneecap pain or “runner’s knee.”Strength training also reduces the recurrence ofmany other common injuries,including hip and lower back pain (prehab for injury prevention). Bystrengtheningmuscle, aswell as bone and connective tissue (ligaments attachbonetobone;tendonsattachmuscletobone),strengthtrainingnotonlyhelpstopreventinjurybutalsohelpstoreducetheseverityofinjurywhenitdoesoccur.Runninginjuriesarearunner’sworstnightmare!

In addition to injury prevention, strength training improves performance.Studies show that with as little as 10 weeks of strength training, 10K timesdecreasebyanaverageof2to3percent.Researchhasalsoshownthatrunningeconomywillbeimprovedasaresultofstrengthtraining.

REALRUNNERREPORT

Hi,

Justwant to letyouknow that IboughtRunLess,RunFasterand followed theprogramforyesterday’sNYCMarathon(myfifthinNYC,sixthoverall).IwasintentonqualifyingforBostonthisyear—turned40inMarchandmyPRwas3:56:22,morethan5minutesoverthe3:50:59thatIneededtoqualify.IamTHRILLEDtoreportthatIgottothestartlineinjury-free(firsttimeI can remember doing that) and easily qualified with a time of 3:48:34, knocking almost 8minutesoffofmyPR.Iattributemysuccesstoyourgreat,greatplan.SoI’llbeusingitagainformynextbigraceonPatriots’Day…

Thankyou!

StaceySkoleNewYork,NewYork

FOLLOW-UPMESSAGE:

HiBillandScott,

Just an update—I ran my first Boston Marathon yesterday, after having used your FIRSTprogramtoqualifyinNYCinNovember2009.IusedFIRSTagaintotrainforBoston—andhadanother PR, despite the fact that I had to re-tie my shoe at mile 24! Finished in 3:47:52,beatingmyNYCtimebyover40seconds,andpacedmyselfonmyown(I ranwithapaceteaminNYC),soI’mreally,reallythrilled.Itoldanewfriendaboutyourphenomenalprogramaswell—soI’msureyou’llhaveanewconvertsoon.

Thanksagainforeverything!

Chapter13FLEXIBILITYANDFORM

Whostretches?Twokindsofrunners:(1)thosewithinjurieswho’vebeengivenspecificstretchesfromatherapistor(2)thosewhoarenaturallyflexibleandforwhomstretchingisrelaxingandeasy.Runnerswhoaren’tflexibletendtoavoidstretchingbecauseitisn’tcomfortableoreasy.Andwe’retheoneswhoneeditmost.

Several years ago, after incurring injuries that were serious enough topreventmefromrunning,Ilearnedfromaphysicaltherapistthatmyankleshavetightly spaced bones and connective tissue that hinder flexibility. The leg is akinetic chain and tightness in one joint will cause unnatural forces on othermuscles and joints. Running form is directly influenced by range of motion(flexibility).

Itwas only by doing a stretching regimen directed by a physical therapistthatIcouldreturntorunning.IfIdon’tstretchmylowercalvesandworkonmyankle flexibility, I get knots inmy calves. If I don’t stretchmy hip flexors, Idevelop hamstring problems because the muscles improperly bear stress thatshouldbeputontheglutealmuscles.

Maybe scientific studies do not definitively confirm that stretching helpspreventinjuries;however,thefirsttestaphysicaltherapistorchiropractorgivesan injured runner is an assessment of flexibility. Similarly, the first step inrehabilitation is stretching. Just as with strength training, we recommendstretchingasprehab,ratherthanrehab.

Still, there ismuch disagreement about the value of stretching. Part of thereason is because it’s difficult to design research to determine the effects ofstretching.Relyingonsurveydataaboutstretchingisquestionable.

Thosewhohavebeeninjuredwillbeginstretchingtocureaproblem.Thosewho have never been injured see no reason to begin stretching. If you surveyrunners,theresultswillshowthatthosewhostretchhaveinjuriesandthosewhodon’tstretchareinjuryfree.Youcanseehowthisleadstoafalseconclusion.

Maybethereisnostrongdatatosupportaspecificrecommendation,butit’swell recognizedby sport scientists and athletes that flexibility is important for

athletic performance. In particular for runners, flexibility of the ankles,hamstrings,andhipflexorsaffects formandperformance.A lackof flexibilityoftenleadstostrainedmusclesorconnectivetissue.Properformalsoimprovesefficiencyandthuseconomy.Andithelpsrunnersavoidinjuries.

Good formrequirespracticeandgood flexibility.Many factors influenceajoint’sflexibilityandpeoplevarygreatlyintheirflexibility.Youshouldnottrytocompetewithyourtrainingpartnerwhenitcomestoflexibilityorstretching.Runners need to monitor their form to make sure that they stay relaxed andaren’t losingefficiencydue toneedlessmuscular tension.Fatigueoftencausesrunnerstotightentheirupperbodies,whichreducesefficiency.Goingthroughamentalchecklistperiodicallywhiletrainingandracingcanhelpremindyouthatthehands,arms,neck,etc.,needtoberelaxed.Inparticular,runnerstendtoleanforwardandpushtheirhipsbackwhenfatigued,abodypositionnotconducivetoeconomicalandeffectiverunning.

We recommend that runners take time to incorporate two key drills andnine key stretches into their training. These drills and stretches can becompletedinashortamountoftime,butwillpaybigdividends.Thedrillscanbecombinedwithyourwarmupstriderunning.Inkeepingwithourapproachofdevelopingaprogramthatisrealisticandalsoeffective,wehavenotprovidedacomprehensive set of stretches or drills. Our experience is that most runnersdon’t have the time to devote to extensive stretching and drilling, as docollegiateteamsandeliterunners.Thoserunnersoftendevoteseveralhoursperday to training.We strive to assist runnerswith limited time to attain optimalresults.Incorporatingthetwodrillsandninestretchesalongwithstridesdoesnottakemuchtime,butthebenefitsareconsiderable.

FLEXIBILITY:THEESSENTIALS•Mostrunnersstretchaftertheyhavebecomeinjured.

•Inflexiblerunnersdon’tliketostretchbecauseitisdifficultforthem.

•Definitivestudiesshowthebenefitsofstretchingfor injurypreventionorperformanceenhancement.

• Most runners develop tight hamstring and calf muscles; stretching canimproveflexibility.

•Tighthamstringandcalfmusclescanreducestridelength.

•Stretchingcanreducemuscularstiffness.

•Flexibility improvesonlyafterweeksormonthsofregularandconsistentstretching.

•Stretchesshouldbeginslowlyandheldforapproximately30seconds.

GoodRunningForm

Keepyourtrunkerect.Keepyourheadlevel.Keepyourupperbodyrelaxed.Keepyourhipstall.Keeparmsandfistsrelaxed.Keepelbowanglesfrom60to140degrees.Imitatelegactionwithyourarms.Don’tletyourarmscrossthemidlineofyourbody.Useyourarmsforbalance.Moveyourlegsforward,notupanddown.Avoidexaggeratedkneelift.Flexkneeofrecoverylegsoshinisparalleltoground.Trytobequickandlightonyourfeet.Don’t overstride. Your leading foot should not land too far beyond yourcenterofgravity.

FLEXIBILITYANDFORM:QANDAQ.Whatisflexibilityandwhatarethebenefitsassociatedwithit?A.Flexibilityistypicallydefinedastheabilityofajointtomovefreelythroughitsfullrangeofmotion. Flexibility is joint-specific and is not a general trait.What a cyclist needs to do forflexibilitymaybeverydifferentfromwhatarunnerneedstodo.Stretchingforflexibility:

improvesrangeofmotion

mayimproveperformance

maydecreasetheriskofmusculo-skeletalinjury

maydecreasemusculartension(stretchingdoesnotreducesoreness)

mayimprovebodyalignment

mayhelpstabilizejoints

canpromoterelaxation

Q.Whatarethepotentialproblemsassociatedwithlimitedflexibility?A. You are only as strong as your weakest link; limited flexibility may have a detrimentalimpact on one’s running. Some running-related problems associated with limited flexibilityinclude lower back dysfunction, postural problems, shortened stride, and muscular strains(e.g.,apulledhamstring).

Q.Howcanflexibilitybeimproved?A.To improve the flexibilityofa joint,several fitnessprinciplescome intoplay; inparticular,muscleelongationisrequired(overloadprinciple).Inotherwords,musclesmustbestretchedbeyondtheirnormalrangeofmotion.Severalmethodshelpaccomplishthis.Seekeydrillsandkeystretcheslaterinthischapter.

Q.Whenshouldonestretch?A.Forflexibilityandrunningpreparation,followthissequence:

Warmupwith10to20minutesofeasyjogging

Performtwokeydrills

Performkeyworkout

Doacooldownrecoveryrun

Performkeystretchesaftertheworkout

Q.ShouldIrunbarefoot?A.Therearen’tmanypeoplewhoarewillingtorunbarefootbecauseofthefoot’sexposuretorocks,glass,nails,etc.,thatwillresultincuts,abrasions,andbruises.Popularinterestinthebarefootconceptledshoemanufacturerstodevelopandpromoteminimalistshoesthatmimicrunningbarefoot.Thoserecommendingaswitchfromacushionedshoetoaminimalistshoeclaimthatcushioningleadsrunnerstoheelstrike,whichincreasesstressatthekneejoint,themostcommonsiteforrunninginjuries.

Eventhoughthereareclaimsthatbarefootrunningreducesinjuriesandthatcushionedshoescauseinjuries,therearenostudiestoverifythoseclaims.Goodrunningform,asdescribedinthischapter,willhelptoreducethelikelihoodofinjury,regardlessoftheshoesyouwear.

Therealissueiswhetherrunnersshouldberearfootormidfootstrikers.Rearfootstrikershaveincreaseddemandontheknee,especiallyiftheirheelstrikesthegroundinfrontoftheknee.Midfoot strikers put more pressure on the calf muscles and Achilles tendon. The choicebetween cushioned shoes and minimalist shoes or rearfoot strike and midfoot strike isdependentontherunner’sanatomicalstructuresaswellastherunner’sform.

If you choose to transition from cushioned shoes to minimalist shoes, you should do sogradually. Start with 5 minutes once or twice a week wearing the minimalist shoe andgradually add an additional 5minutes to your training sessions in subsequent weeks. Thistransitioncouldinterruptyourtraininguntilyouhavesuccessfullymadetheswitch.

TWOKEYDRILLSTOIMPROVEYOURRUNNINGFORMDynamicmobilityexercises raise thebody temperature, increasebloodflowtothemuscles,activatethenervoussystem,andprepareyouforrunning.

Perform twokeydrills,dynamicmobilityexercises,afterabrief10-to20-minutewarmupandpriortotheplannedworkout.

Stridesaregreatdrills.Theyarerunsof80to100meters,fastbutrelaxed.Youshouldaccelerategraduallyover thefirst three-fourthsof thedistanceandthen decelerate to the end. Use strides to practice good form and relaxedrunning. Strides work fast-twitch fibers in a nonstressful way. Recovercompletelybetweenrepetitions.Twentysecondsisusuallyenoughrecoverytimefor100meters.Strides,whichshouldbedoneonagrassfieldorflatarea,canbeincluded as part of a warmup or after an easy-day run. Strides will helprejuvenateyourlegs,whichmayfeelsluggishfromslowrunning.

Runningdrillsemphasizegoodform.Theyalsohelpstrengthenthemusclesneededforstrong,efficientrunning.Thehipsandanklesareexercisedthroughagreater range ofmotionmore so during drills than during normal runs.Whiletherearemanyrunningdrills,we’veincludedtwotobeusedduringyourstrides.Doingstrideswithbuttkicksandhighkneescanenhanceyourrunningform.

BUTTKICKS

Primarilyahamstringdrill,buttkicksinvolvetryingtokickyourownbuttwitheachstep.Leanslightlyforward,takeshortsteps,andkickyourheelsbackandupashighasyoucan.

Buttkicksimprovelegturnoverandheelrecovery.Heelrecoveryisthepartoftherunningmotionwhereyourlegrisesupandcoilsforthenextforwardstride.Since one aim of this drill is to increase leg turnover, not stride length, yourstepsshouldbequick.Focusonasmoothbutquickaction.

Performbuttkicksfor20meters,thengraduallystride/acceleratefor60metersbeforedeceleratingforthelast20metersofthestride.

HIGHKNEES

The aimof high knees is to increase leg turnover and improve your knee lift.Thisdrillstrengthensthecalvesandhipflexors,andemphasizesproperrunningpostureandthelift-offphaseofrunning.

Highkneesinvolvestakingshortstepsandliftingyourkneesupashighastheycango.Thinkofyourselfas“prancing.”Theideaistostay“tall”whilerapidlyliftinganddrivingdowntheknees.Youshouldbebringingyourlegsupinfrontofyouandmaintaininganiceuprightposture.

Turnoverisrapidsoyoutakeasmanystepsaspossibleover20meters.Theaimisnottomoveforwardquicklybuttotakequickstepswhileliftingyourkneeshigh.Likebuttkicks,thisdrillisaboutlegturnover,notstridelength.

Youwillfeelthisoneinthefrontofyourhipsandthighs(hipflexors),astheywillbeworkinghardtoliftyourlegsuphighinfrontofyou.

Performthisdrillfor20metersandthengraduallystride/acceleratefor60metersbeforedeceleratingforthelast20metersofthestride.

NINEKEYSTRETCHESTOENHANCEFLEXIBILITYFORRUNNINGAfter a workout (run or cross-training) and cooldown, static stretching isrecommended.Dothekeystretchesaftertheworkoutorlaterthatday.

KEYSTRETCH1:STANDINGCALF

Standonthetopofasteporcurb.

Slideyourrightfootbacksothattheballofyourfootremainsonthestep.

Keepyourrightkneestraight,shiftyourbodyweighttoyourrightleg,anddropyourrightheeltowardtheground.

Keep your upper body upright. Use a handrail or wall to help maintain yourbalance.

Keepyourrightkneestraighttomaximizethestretchofyourcalf.

Holdthestretchfor30seconds.

Now,bendtherightkneetofeelastretchinthebackofyourcalfandAchillestendon.


KEYSTRETCH2:QUADRICEPS/HIPFLEXOR

Stepforwardwithyourleftfootintoarunner’slunge.

Dropyourrightkneetothefloor.

Keepyourtrunkupright,yourshouldersback,andpressyourhipsforward.

Your feet should be far enough apart to keep your left knee from extendingbeyondthetoesofyourleftfoot.

Holdthisstretchfor30seconds.

Repeatwithyourrightlegforward.

KEYSTRETCH3:LYINGHAMSTRING

Lieontheflooronyourbackwithyourleftkneebentandrightlegstraight.

Placeastraparoundyourrightfootorplaceyourhandsbehindyourrightthighnearyourknee.

Liftyourrightlegtowardtheceiling,keepingyourlegstraight.

Pullyourrightlegtowardyourchestwhilekeepingyourrightlegstraight.

Holdfor30seconds.


Dothisstretchtwiceaday.

KEYSTRETCH4:GLUTES/PIRIFORMIS

Lieontheflooronyourbackwithyourkneesbentandfeetonthefloor.

Crossyourrightankleoveryourleftknee.

Claspyourhandsbehindyour left legandpull slowly towardyourchest.Youmayfeelthestretchinyourrighthip.

Ifyouareunabletoreachorgrabyourthigh,lassoatowelorstraparoundyourthighandslowlypullthetowelorstraptowardyourchest.


Repeatwithyourleftanklecrossedinfrontofyourrightknee.


KEYSTRETCH5:HIPFLEXORS

Stepforwardwithyourleftfootintoarunner’slunge.

Dropyourrightkneetothefloor.

Nowrotateyourleftleg90degreestothelefttoopenyourhips.

Keepyourtrunkupright,yourshouldersback,andpressyourhipsforward.

Holdthisstretchfor30seconds.

Repeatwithyourrightlegforward.

KEYSTRETCH6:ILIOTIBIALBAND(ITB)(FOAMROLLER)

Lie on your left side, use your left forearm and elbow to support your upperbody.

Placeyourrightfootonthefloorinfrontofyourleftknee.

Placeafoamrollerunderyourlefthipandrollyourbodyoverthefoamrolleralongyourouterthigh(betweenyourhipandyourknee).

Rollbackupsothatthefoamrollercomesbacktowardyourlefthip.

Youcanincreasetheresistancebystackingyourrightlegontopofyourleftleg.

Rollbackandforthfor30seconds.

Repeatonyourleftside.

KEYSTRETCH7:SPINALROTATION

Lieontheflooronyourbackwithyourkneesbent.

Extendyourarmsoutatshoulderlevel.

Keepingyourkneestogether,dropyourkneestoyourleftside.

Holdthispositionfor30seconds.

Bringyourkneesbackuptothestartingposition.

Dropyourkneestogethertoyourrightside.

Holdfor30seconds.


KEYSTRETCH8:LOWBACK


Bringyourkneestowardyourchest.

Placeyourhandsbehindyourthighstoholdyourkneesclosetoyourchest.

Holdfor30seconds.


KEYSTRETCH9:HIPABDUCTIQN/ILIOTIBIALBAND(ITB)


Extendyourarmsoutatshoulderlevelandlooktowardyourrighthand.

Keepingyourkneestogether,dropyourkneestoyourleftside.

Extend your right leg so that your straight leg is perpendicular to your torso.Placeyourlefthandunderyourrightlegforsupport.


Bringyourkneesbackuptothestartingposition.

Extendyourarmsoutatshoulderlevelandlooktowardyourlefthand.

Keepingyourkneestogether,dropyourkneestoyourrightside.

Extendyourleftlegsothatyourstraightlegisperpendiculartoyourtorso.Placeyourrighthandunderyourleftlegforsupport.



FLEXIBILITYANDFORM:FINALCOMMENTSStretchingisimportantforhealthyflexibilityandshouldnotbeoverlooked.Butbeawarethatpoortechniquecanresultinineffectivestretching.It’simportanttohave someone with a trained eye correct your inefficient and potentiallyinjurious form.Find a running coachwhowill eitherwatch or videotape yourrunning and stretching. You must practice good form just as you practicerunning fasterand farther.Therearehundredsofmovements thatcan improveflexibility.A flexibility program should include exercises andmovements that

workallthemajorjointsofthebody.Acomprehensivereviewofthephysiologyandbiomechanicsassociatedwithstretchingisbeyondthescopeofthisbook.

REALRUNNERREPORT

DearFIRST,

I am a 50-year-old male, veteran marathon runner (98 marathons) who wants to be moreefficientandextendmymarathoningcareer.Ihadbeenonmyownprogram,designedbyme,baseda lot onwhat youhavedone in yourFIRSTprogram.Myownscheduleof 3daysaweekwithlongruns,speedwork(Ididonlymilerepeats),andtemporunsservedmewellformany years. However, your FIRST program zeroed in on what my program was missing:activerestviacross-training.

I firstusedyourprogramto train for the2009BostonMarathon. I trained fora3:30andran3:25.Iran2minutesfasteronFIRSTthanthepreviousyear,butitwasalsomyfastestBostoninthepreviousfiveBostons.ThisissignificantbecauseIam5yearsoldernow.

MysecondtimetryingFIRSTwasforthe2009TwinCitiesMarathon.ThereIranmyfastestmarathonsince2001.Again,now8yearsolder,and faster. Iused the3:30program(doingmostofthespeedworkfaster)andrana3:22.

Ican’tsayenoughabouthowmuchIappreciateyoureffortsindesigningthisprogram!IwillbestartingupmythirdFIRSTprogramtrainingscheduleonMarch1,2010,asIprepareformy100thmarathonatGrandma’sinJune.Ihavetoldseveralfriendsaboutyourbookandhavemadebelieversoutofmostofthem.MyfriendDan,after20yearsofdoingithisway,traininghard,butneverqualifying,heranFIRSTandnowwe’reheadedouttoBostoninApril.

Thankyouverymuch!!

Sincerely,

MarkJohnsrudFieldOperationsSergeant

WisconsinDepartmentofCorrectionsRichlandCenter,Wisconsin

FOLLOW-UPMESSAGE:

LastSaturdayIranGrandma’sMarathon,my100thmarathonoverall,startingona63-degreemorningwith81percenthumidity,partycloudyskiesandabouta14mphheadwind.Iwentoutalittlefast,butitfeltgood.IfinallysettledinandjustputitoncruisecontrolandracedlikeItrained,feelingverycomfortableandwelltrained.Ibelievetheconfidenceduringtheprogramgave my racing a boost because I just felt good. Regardless, I crossed the finish line in3:19:32,provingyourightonceagain!Thankyou,thankyou,thankyou!!!

SECTIONVBostonandBeyond

Chapter14TRIATHLONS,TRAILS,ANDULTRAS

Runningisusuallythegatewaysport toparticipationintriathlonsandtrailandultra races. That’s to be expected since running is the most popular of theindividualendurancesports.FIRSThasreceivedcountlessrequestsfortrainingadvice from runners who wish to venture into new endurance competitions.RunnerswanttoknowifwehavecreatedaFIRSTcounterparttrainingprogramformultisportactivitiesandlonger-than-marathonrunningcompetitions.

Wehaven’t,primarilybecausewehaven’tconductedresearchinthesesportsand wouldn’t have proof for what we would be recommending. However,becauseofthemanyrequests,weareprovidingachapterwithadviceforrunnerswhowishtobranchouttotheseothersports.

Wehaveextensivetriathlonexperiencebutlittleandnoexperiencewithtrailandultra running.Foradviceon those twosports,we reachedout toourgoodfriend Hal Koerner, two-time winner of Western States 100 and a nationalchampion at 50 miles. Hal owns and manages Rogue Valley Runners, anindependent running store in Ashland, Oregon. Hal has run over 100ultramarathons and finished in the top three in 75 percent of them. Hal isfamiliarwiththeFIRSTtrainingprogramandansweredourquestionsabouthowtoadviseFIRSTrunnerswhowanttoraceontrailsandgobeyondthe26.2-miledistance.

TRAILSANDULTRASPreparingtoruna50K(31.06miles)racedoesnotrequiremuchalterationtotheFIRSTmarathontrainingprogram.Addingalittleextradistance(3to5miles,5to8kilometers)toafewofthe20-mile(32K)trainingrunswillprepareyouforrunninganadditional5milesbeyondthetraditionalmarathondistance.

Moving up in distance from a 50K to a 50-miler is significant.WhenweaskedHal if theFIRSTprogramwasappropriate for the50-mile race,he saidsimplytoaddafourthrunperweek.Headvocatesback-to-backweekendlongruns. You may begin with adding a 10-mile run on Sunday after havingcompleted the FIRSTmarathon key run #3 on Saturday. The combination of

weekendrunswouldinitiallyincludea15-milerunfollowedthenextdaywitha10-mile run. Through the 16-week training this progression would graduallyincreasefrom15+10to15+15to20+10to20+15to20+20toperhaps25+20.Halsuggestedthat30mileswasthemaximumthathewouldrecommendfor a training run. Even for his 100-mile races, his longest training run is 30miles.Buthealsoenters50-mileracestopreparefor100-mileraces.

Whiletheadditionalmileageofultrasisachallenge,thegreaterchallengeisthat almost all ultras are run on trails. Trail running requires strength. Therunningpace ismuchslower,making theoverall timeof runningconsiderablygreater.Trailstypicallyrequirealotofrunningupanddown—longclimbsanddownhills.This typeof running requirespractice.Youcannot relyonpace fordetermining intensity,because the terrain—dependingonelevationchangeandtheconditionofthetrail—influenceshowfastyoucanrun.Maintaininganeveneffort and learning to rely on perceived exertion for measuring intensity arenecessary. Hal warns against trying to go hard up hills, which can lead toexhaustion.Headvisesmakingupfortheslowclimbsontheflatsanddownhills.

Besidesthescrapesandcutsfromfalling,rollinganankleisthetrailrunner’smostcommoninjury.Trailrunnersmuststrengthentheirankles.Ankleexercisesare imperative. Use a wobble board, Bosu, etc., for developing balance andstability.Balancingononelegwillhelpwithdevelopingthestabilityneededforthe uneven terrain and precarious footing. Additional exercises that areimportant for trail runners include quadriceps, core, and hip exercises (seeChapter12).

Bicyclingisgreatcross-trainingfortrailrunning.Thebikewillincreaseyourfitness,endurance,andlegstrength.

Howmuchtrainingontrails isnecessary inpreparationfor trail races?Halsaid that when he lived in Colorado he was doing about 20 percent of histrainingontrailsandtherestonroads.MovingtoOregonreversedthatandhenowdoes90percentofhistrainingontrails.Halsaysthemorethebetter.Thatadviceisconsistentwiththeprincipleofspecificity.Heagreedthattrackrepeatsandlongtemporunsarebeneficialandcanbedoneonthetrackandroads,whiledoinglongrunsonthetrails.Hesaysthat’sagoodcombinationformaintainingfitness and trail endurance.This combination is especiallygoodbecausemanyrunnerswanttocontinuedoingroadracesaswellastrailruns.Halalsolikestodofartleks—fastrunningsegmentsforanunspecifiedtimeordistance—onthetrails.

Halhighlyrecommendswearingtrailshoes.Hepointsoutthattheyprovide

bettertraction,protectionwithtoebumpers,andstabilityforlateralmovements.Alsotheshoeuppersarebuilttolastlongeragainstthebeatingtheytakeonthetrails.

Thesofterimpactoftrailsiseasieronthelowerbody,butthelikelihoodoffallingismuchgreaterthanwithroadrunning.Theinjuriesaremorefrequentlyacute,ratherthanchronic.Trailrunnersmuststayfocusedandlookabout5feetaheadatall times. Ifyourelaxordivertyourattentionfromthe trail,youfall.Fallingisapartoftrailrunning.

At FIRST, we are discovering that runners today are seeking variedexperiences.Wearenotopposedtoparticipationinawidevarietyofactivities,but runners must know that they may not be able to obtain their optimalperformanceswithactivitiesthatdon’tnecessarilycomplementeachother.

TRIATHLONTRAININGScottMurr has competed in more than a hundred triathlons and has coachedmanytriathletes,includingFurmanUniversity’striathlonteam.Hehasprovidedadvice and recommendations for how to adapt the FIRST 3plus2 trainingprogramfortriathlons.BelowareScott’srecommendationsinhiswords:

IthinktheFIRSTtrainingapproachcanbeeffectivefortriathletes.Idonotknowofatriathlonorcycletrainingprogramthattargetsthekeyphysiologicalvariables byworkout, although it certainlymakes sense that triathletes shouldconfiguretheirtrainingthatway.

Ithasbeenmyexperiencethatrunnerswhoareconsideringatriathlonwantto maintain their running while simply adding swimming and cycling. Theserunnersdonotwant to sacrifice their run training as they train for a triathlon.Bill and I discovered in the mid-’80s that our running performance did notdecline as we shifted our training toward less running and more triathlon-specifictraining,eventuallyleadingtothisbook.

Becausetherearesomanyvariables,wehavenotcreatedmodifiedtrainingtablesfortriathletes;techniqueand5Killlevelareanissuewithswimming,andmeasuring effort on the bike is problematic. Although, with the increasedpopularityofpowermeters,thatcouldchangesoon.

Whiletheswimmingcomponentofthetriathlonisoftenthehardest,becauseit is the most technique-oriented activity of the three activities, it is also theshortestinbothdistanceandtime,andluckilycomesfirstwhenyouarefreshest.Back in the ‘80swhen I started in the sport,myswimmingwasweakandmy

strategywas“survivetheswim,thenracelikehell.”For runners interested in completing a sprint-distance triathlon, I would

suggest that theyswimtwiceaweek.Mostrunnerswhowant todoa triathlontypically have a good aerobic fitness base but may not be skilled swimmers.Consequently, I think runnerswho are training for a triathlonneed to spend athird of their time in thewater performing drills to help improve their stroketechnique. There are numerous resources that offer good descriptions of thebasicswimdrills.Runnersneedtopracticethesedrills.Theywillhelpyourformimprovequicklyifdoneregularly.

Frommy20-yearexperience in thesport, I feel that theability torunafterthe bike leg is asmuch a function of cycling training as it is of run training.Therefore, I think a runner interested in completing a sprint-distance triathlonwouldneedtocompletethreebikeworkoutsaweek.

For runners interested in doing triathlons, Iwould suggest that they buy aroadbike,ratherthanatriathlonbike.Aroadbikenotonlyworkswellwiththe3plus2cross-trainingbutcaneasilybeconfiguredfora triathlonbythesimpleadditionofaero-bars.

I tend to think runners and triathletes should train for their eventbasedontheir current run fitness, not their triathlon run timeor pace.As a runnerwhotransitionedto the triathlon,Ihavefoundthatmytriathlonrun timesareabout10percentslowerthanmyopenroadracetimes.

Typically,most triathlons take place fromMay throughOctober. I tend tofocusonmyrunningOctoberthroughFebruary.IstartgettingmorefocusedonmycyclingandswimminginMarch.

Here is my basic training schedule from October through February as Iprepareforaspringrunningrace.

RUN-FOCUSEDTRAINING

MONDAY 30-45minuteseasyswimmingoreasycyclingTUESDAY Run(trackrepeats),strengthtraining,30minuteseasyspinning

WEDNESDAY 45-60minutesbike(moderate-hardeffort)THURSDAY Run(tempoeffort),30minuteseasyspinning,strengthtrainingFRIDAY Swim(long)

SATURDAY Run(long)SUNDAY 60minuteseasyspinning

This sequencing helps make the shift to a triathlon-training focus prettymanageable.Ialsorealizethatthisschedulemeansexercisingeveryday.WhileIdo exercise most days, inevitably life interrupts and I miss a day. I feel thatconsistencyintrainingisthekeytocompletingatriathlon.YetIalsothinkthatmissingaworkouteverynowandthenisnotgoingtosabotagemytraining.SoIdon’tplanadayoff,butifImissone,I’mokaywiththat.

Here is the basic training schedule I use as I change gears for triathlonpreparation.

TRIATHLON-BASED(POSTRUN-FOCUSED)TRAINING

MONDAY Swim(shortandfastrepeats)TUESDAY Run(trackrepeats),strengthtraining,bike(easy)

WEDNESDAY Swim(mid-distance,tempoeffort)orbike(moderate-hardeffort)THURSDAY Run(tempoeffort),bike(easy-moderateeffort)FRIDAY Swim(long)orbike(easy),strengthtraining

SATURDAY Bike(long)SUNDAY Run(long)

AsFIRSTsuggestsinthetrainingplansforarunningrace,Imayfocusononeortwotriathlonsayear.SohereishowIsequencemytrainingduringthe8weeksleadinguptoatriathlon.

TRIATHLONPEAK(FINAL8WEEKS)TRAINING

MONDAY Swim(shortandfastrepeats),strengthtrainingTUESDAY Bike(moderate-hardeffortwithrepeats),easytransitionrun(~20minutes)

WEDNESDAY Swim(mid-distance,tempoeffort),bike(easybutlonger)THURSDAY Run(tempoeffort),bike(~20min.tempoeffort)FRIDAY Swim(long),strengthtraining(optional)

SATURDAY Bike(long),easytransitionrun(~30minutes)SUNDAY Run(long)

Of course strength training is important. I do strength training year-round(exceptthe2weeksleadinguptoarace).TheexercisesinthisbookaretheonesthatIincludeinmytrainingprogram.Ihavedone12Ironmanraces(6inKona)andtheaboveschedulesarebasicallytheonesIhavefollowed.

ANoteonTrainingforanIronman-DistanceTriathlon

An Ironman-distance triathlon is a real challenge but can be managed with asmart and consistent trainingprogram. Is this something Iwould recommend?Onlyifyouaregenuinelymotivatedtodoit.Analternativetothefulldistanceofthe140.6-mileIronmanisthepopular70.3-milehalf-Ironman,whichcanbemorereadilyaccomplished.

Justasyoucanapproximatelypredictsomeone’smarathontimefromhisorher5K,10K,orhalf-marathontimes,youcanmakethesameapproximationforsomeone’s Ironman time from his or her half-Ironman times and Olympic-distancetime.

To get an idea of your Ironman-distance triathlon time, take your half-Ironman time and multiply it by 2.2 to 2.4 to predict your Ironman time.Althoughahalf-Ironmanisthebetterpredictor,youcanalsotakeyourOlympic-distance timeandmultiply it by4.7 to5.0.Thisgivesyoua rangewhereyoumightfinishanIronmanwiththeappropriatetrainingtogothedistance.

REALRUNNERREPORT

Iwantedtotakethetimetothankyoufordesigningandpublishingthemost importantbookI’vereadinthepast10yearsofracing.TheFIRSTtrainingprogramchangedthewayItrainformarathonsandisnowgivingmearealisticopportunitytoqualifyforBoston.

I’m41yearsoldandhavebeenacompetitivebikeracerfor14yearsanddidn’tstartrunningmarathonsuntil3yearsago.IfolloweddifferentplansforthefourmarathonsI’verunandhadlimitedsuccess.

Before the INGNewYorkCityMarathon onNovember 7myPRwas a 3:53 at theMarineCorpsMarathoninDC.ButthankstothefocusandthesciencebehindyourplanIwasabletoPRatoneofthemoredifficultmarathonsformanyreasons.Thelongrunsatgiventimegoalswasthekeyforme.TheeasewithwhichIranNewYorkandmyresultswereastoundingtome.MytimeinNewYorkwasa3:35,aPRby17minutes!!IalreadyhavemyplanlaidoutformynextmarathonwhereIhopetogetclosertomyBQtime

KeithSlymanSystemIntegrationSpecialist

UnitedBusinessSystemsFairfield,NewJersey

REALRUNNERREPORT

Towhomitmayconcern,

InSeptember2009IrantheLouisvilleCityofParksMarathonin3:09:23,whichqualifiedmeforBoston.AfterqualifyingIwantedtochangemytrainingapproach.Afriendofminehadyourbooksittinginthebackseatofhiscar.WhiledrivingtoourdestinationIskimmedthroughthebookandwasintrigued.LaterthatweekIpurchasedyourbookandreaditcovertocover.

Following your schedule for the 3:10 qualifying time, I not only felt better throughout mytrainingbut I rana3:03:23 inBoston!!!Yourbook isabsolutelyamazing. I have toldallmyfriendsaboutthistrainingscheduleandwillcontinuetouseitforallotherfuturemarathons.IwasabitofaskepticatfirstbecauseIfeltIwasn’trunningenoughthroughouttheweek.ButIstuckwiththeschedule.Onmyoff-daysIrodeabikefor45to60minutes.

Icannotthankyouenoughforthisamazingtool.Mynewgoal/challengeistobreakthe3-hourmark.ThoughthehillsatBostonarenolaughingmatter,Ibelievethisisveryobtainable.

EricHarshmanAssistantGroundskeeperfortheLouisvilleBats,

TripleAaffiliateoftheCincinnatiRedsLouisville,Kentucky

Chapter15THEROADTOBOSTONISSTEEPER

We receive many messages from runners asking us to help them qualify forBoston, theoldestandmostprestigiousAmericanmarathon.Afterall, runningthroughacorridorofadoringfansfor26.2miles isanexhilaratingexperience.FIRSThasreceivedhundredsofappreciativemessagesfromBostonqualifiers.

The road to Boston has become a little steeper with the more stringentqualifyingstandardssetfor2013.ThuswehavedevelopednewBostontrainingplansforeachmaleandfemaleagegroup.Eachplanbeginswithourcriteriaforhelping you determine if you have a realistic chance ofmeeting the standard,whicharespecifictoyourageandsex.Youmustqualifyinacertifiedmarathon.

Trying to qualify for Boston probably causes more poor marathonperformancesandinjuriesthananyothergoalsetbyrunners.Youmighttrainfora too-ambitious finish timeor you’ll run too fast at the beginningof the race.Invariably,you’llsufferthroughthelasthalfoftherace,slowingconsiderably,andfinishinatimeslowerthanwhatyourtrainingpredicted.

However, we believe that there is nothing more thrilling in the sport ofrunningthantheBostonMarathon.Forthatreason,weunderstandwhyrunnersarewillingtoriskapoormarathonexperienceandeveninjurytoqualify.Withthat inmind, belowyou’ll find a program thatwill let you know ifBoston isrealistic and a detailed training program that will lead to a Boston bib onPatriots’Day.

How do marathoners know if their Boston qualifying times are realisticgoals?Meeting the timestandard, likemeetingyourpersonalgoal time inanymarathon,requiresbeingproperlytrainedforthe26.2-miledistanceandhavinga lot of factors—personal and external—favorable on race day. Fortunately,therearesomecriteria thatmarathonerscanuse todeterminewhether theyarereadyforaqualifyingattempt.

Judgewhether your goal is realistic by taking your finish times from 5K,10K, or half-marathon races and see if youmeet our criteria for your Bostonqualifying time. Note: The half-marathon is the best predictor. FIRSTprovidesanothermethodfordetermining ifyourgoal is realistic—canyourun

allthreespecifiedworkoutsforyourBostontargettimeinthesameweek?Beginning on page 210, there are 16 sets of criteria and 16 training

programs,onetomatcheachBostonqualifyingtime.Youngandold,maleandfemale, you’ll find a program for you. Meet the criteria (metric equivalentsappear in parentheses), follow the program, and look for us in Hopkinton,Massachusetts!MygoalofcompletingBostonineachdecadeofmylife—20s,30s, 40s, 50s, 60s—is still on course. The once-a-decade exhilaration issufficienttokeepmemotivatedtocontinuetrainingthroughthenext10years.

THOUGHTSONMARATHONTRAININGMarathonsprovideuswithanopportunitytochallengeourselveswithadifficultgoal that requires a dedication of time and effort spanningmonths.Wemustremembertoenjoythejourney.Themarathonitselflastsonlyafewhours,butthe anticipation is spread over severalmonths. The enjoyment that I get fromhavingafocusfor4monthsleadsmetosubmitamarathonentryyearafteryear.Theweekendlongrunsgiverunnersconcreteevidenceofhowtheyaregettingstrongerweek afterweek as the distance of the long runs increases.Having agoal that can be visualized during those 16 weeks provides an incentive forfocusedtrainingaswellasanticipationandtrepidationastheracedrawsnear.

Marathonersoftensharemarathontrainingwithafriendorfriends.Trainingpartners develop deep friendships, one of the benefits of running. Meeting achallenge with a friend makes it even more special. The social aspect ofmarathoning clearly has contributed to the tremendous growth in marathonparticipation.

Ihaverun38marathons,27ofthemwithmybrother,Don.Wehavetrainedand raced together formore than35years.Our race timesarenearly identicalandweneverknowwhichofusisgoingtocrossthefinishlinefirst.Weusuallyrunsidebysideuntiloneofuspullsawayneartheend.Wetrulyracewitheachother asmuch aswe race against each other.We develop our racing strategytogetherandhelppaceeachother in races.However,wealso try topusheachother. It’s ideal to have a running partner who pulls you along withencouragementuntilthefinishlineisinsightwhenit’severymanforhimself.

Ofcourse,Iamdoublyblessedwithgoodtrainingpartners.CoauthorScottMurr and I have sharedmore than 4,000 training runs together. In fact, Don,Scott, and I have trained together formany years.Many of the ideas for thisbookanditsearliereditionweredevelopedbythethreeofusontrainingruns.

Marathonersseekspecialdestinations.Onlyinamarathoncanyoutourthemonuments ofWashington, DC, by running down the middle of ConstitutionAvenue,tourthefiveboroughsofNewYorkCityandexperiencethecheersonFirst Avenue, or circle the city of Chicago running up themiddle of LaSalleStreet.Thesetrulyarespecialexperiencesthatattractthousandsofrunners.

Marathonersmaynotalwaysappreciatewhattheyhaveaccomplishedwhenthey see the finish clocK at the end. Unfortunately, some runners let racingbecomejustonemoresourceofstressintheirlives.Ourfocusneedstobeontheprocessandnottheoutcome.Thevitalitythattrainingproducesiswhatweneedto appreciate and enjoy.Of course,we like tohave racinggoals, butwemustrememberthatourracetimesdonotdefineus.Trainingseriouslyandacceptingtheresultswithoutbecomingdespondentprovideapositive,healthyexperience.Sometimeseverythingseemsperfectandapoorperformanceisinexplicable.It’sthisuncertaintythatkeepsmanyrunnersreturningtothemarathonseekingthatoptimalperformance.Becausetherearen’tthatmanyopportunitiestorunagreatmarathon—idealweather combinedwith excellent training—marathoners keepreturning to the roads for that race where all elements come together for theperformance that meets their dream expectations. And when it happens, thefinishlinebecomesadreamcometrue.

Runningamarathonisanimmenselygratifyingaccomplishment.Manyrunnershave written to us at FIRST expressing their appreciation for providing themwithtrainingprogramsthatenabledthemtorealizetheirgoalsofcompletingamarathonorqualifyingforBoston.Wehopeyoucanusethisbooktomeetyourdream challenge. Most of all, enjoy the entire marathoning process—thepreparation, the runnersexpo, the race-dayexcitement, the long run itself, andthepostraceeuphoria.Treatitlikeabigrecessandplayhard.

BQforMen18to34:3:05QualifyingforBostonisrealisticifyoucan:

Runa5Kin19:00;a10Kin39:45;ahalf-marathonin1:28.

Ifyoucancompleteoneofeachofthethreekeyrunsinthesameweek:

KEYRUN#1:TRACKREPEATS(completeoneoftheworkoutslistedbelow)

6x800@2:47with400recoveryjogbetweenrepeats




KEYRUN#2:TEMPORUN(completeoneofthetemporuns)

Aftera1-milewarmup,completea3-milerunin19:15(1.5Kwarmup;5Krunin19:50)Aftera1-milewarmup,completea5-milerunin33:15(1.5Kwarmup;8Krunin33:05)Aftera1-milewarmup,completean8-milerunin56:12(1.5Kwarmup;13Krunin55:40)

KEYRUN#3:LONGRUNComplete a 15-to 20-mile run @ 7:28/mile pace (24K to 32K run @4:38/kilometerpace)3:05BostonMarathonTrainingPlan

RI=RestInterval;whichmaybeatimedrest/recoveryintervaloradistancethatyouwalk/jog.KeyRun#1alwaysbeginswitha10-to20-minutewarmupandendswitha10-minutecooldown.Metricworkoutequivalentsappearinbolditalics.

WEEK KEYRUN#1 KEYRUN#2 KEYRUN#316 3x1600in5:51(400RI) 2miles(3K)easy

2milesat6:24(3Kat3:58)2miles(3K)easy

13milesat7:33(21Kat4:42)

15 4x800in2:47(2minRI) 1mile(1.5K)easy5milesat7:03(8Kat4:23)1mile(1.5K)easy


14 1200in4:17(200RI)

14 1200in4:17(200RI)1000in3:31(200RI)800in2:47(200RI)600in2:05(200RI)400in1:22(200RI)

1mile(1.5K)easy5milesat6:54(8Kat4:17)1mile(1.5K)easy


13 5x1000in3:31(400RI) 1mile(1.5K)easy4milesat6:39(6.5Kat4:08)1mile(1.5K)easy


12 3x1600in5:51(400RI) 2miles(3K)easy3milesat6:24(5Kat3:58)1mile(1.5K)easy


11 2x1200in4:17(2minRI);4x800in2:47(2minRI)



10 6x800in2:47(90secRI) 1mile(1.5K)easy6milesat6:54(10Kat4:17)1mile(1.5K)easy


9 2x(6x400in1:22)(90secRI)(2min30secRIbetweensets)

2miles(3K)easy3milesat6:24(5Kat3:58)1mile(1.5K)easy


8 2x1600in5:51(60secRI)2x800in2:47(60secRI)

1mile(1.5K)easy4milesat6:39(6.5Kat4:08)1mile(1.5K)easy


7 3x(2x1200in4:17)(2minRI)(4minRIbetweensets)

10minwarmup10milesat7:03(16Kat4:23)10mincooldown


6 1000in3:31;2000in7:24;1000in3:31;1000in3:31(400RI)



5 3x1600in5:51(400RI) 10minwarmup10milesat7:03(16Kat4:23)10mincooldown








1 6x400in1:22(400RI) 10minwarmup3milesat7:03(5Kat4:23)10-minutecooldown

MARATHON26.2milesat7:03(42.2Kat4:23)


Runa5Kin19:30;a10Kin40:50;ahalf-marathonin1:30:25.









KEYRUN#3:LONGRUNComplete a 15-to 20-mile run @ 7:40/mile pace (24K to 32K @4:45/kilometerpace)3:10BostonMarathonTrainingPlan





15 4x800in2:52(2minRI) 1mile(1.5K)easy5milesat7:14(8Kat4:30)


1mile(1.5K)easy14 1200in4:24(200RI)

1000in3:37(200RI)800in2:52(200RI)600in2:08(200RI)400in1:24(200RI)







11 2x1200in4:24(2minRI)4x800in2:52(2minRI)














6 1000in3:37;2000in7:36;1000in3:37;1000in3:37(400RI)






























14 1200in4:33(200RI)






















6 1000in3:44;2000in7:50;1000in3:44;1000in3:44(400RI)





















KEYWORKOUT#2:TEMPORUN(completeoneofthetemporuns)

Aftera1-milewarmup,completea3-milerunin21:15(1.5Kwarmup:5Krunin21:55)Aftera1-milewarmup,completea5-milerunin36:30(1.5Kwarmup;8Krunin36:24)Aftera1-milewarmup,completean8-milerunin60:24(1.5Kwarmup;13Krunin61:06)

KEYWORKOUT#3:LONGRUNComplete a 15-to 20-mile run @ 8:15/mile pace (24K to 32K run @5:07/kilometerpace)3:25BostonMarathonTrainingPlan

RI=RestInterval;whichmaybeatimedrest/recoveryintervaloradistancethatyouwalk/jogKeyRun #1 always beginswith a 10-to 20-minutewarmup andends with a 10-minute cooldown Metric workout equivalents appear in bolditalics.






14 1200in4:47(200RI)






















6 1000in3:56;2000in8:14;1000in3:56;1000in3:56(400RI)






























14 1200in4:54(200RI);

14 1200in4:54(200RI);1000in4:02(200RI);800in3:13(200RI);600in2:24(200RI);400in1:34(200RI)







11 2x1200in4:54(2minRI);,4x800in3:13(2minRI)



10 6x800in3:13(90secRI)






8 2x1600in6:41(60secRI);2x800in3:13(60secRI)






6 1000in4:02;2000in8:26;1000in4:02;1000in4:02(400RI)













BQforWomen18to34:3:35QualifyingforBostonisrealisticifyoucan:











RI=RestInterval;whichmaybeatimedrest/recoveryintervaloradistancethatyouwalk/jog.KeyRun#1alwaysbeginswitha10-to20-minwarmupandendswitha10-minutecooldown.Metricworkoutequivalentsappearinbolditalics.






14 1200in5:02(200RI);






















6 1000in4:09;2000in8:37;1000in4:09;1000in4:09(400RI)







3 8x800in3.l7(90secRI) 1mile(1.5K)easy5milesat7:38(8Kat4:45)1mile(1.5K)easy






BQforMen55to59andWomen35to39:3:40QualifyingforBostonisrealisticifyoucan:

















14 1200in5:10(200RI);






















6 1000in4:16;2000in8:52;1000in4:16;1000in4:16(400RI)













BQWomen40to44:3:45QualifyingforBostonisrealisticifyoucan:










KEY#3:LONGRUNComplete a 15-to 20-mile run @ 9:00/mile pace (24K to 32K at 5:36/kilometerpace)3:45BostonMarathonTrainingPlan







14 1200in5:18(200RI);






















6 1000in4:22;2000in9:04;1000in4:22;1000in4:22(400RI)
























RI=RestInterval;whichmaybeatimedrest/recoveryintervaloradistancethatyouwalk/jog.KeyRun#1alwaysbeginswitha10-to20minutewarmupandends with a 10-minute cooldown Metric workout equivalents appear in bolditalics.






14 1200in5:32(200RI);






















6 1000in4:34;2000in9:28;1000in4:34;1000in4:34(400RI)



















4x1200M@5:39with400recoveryjogbetweenrepeats



Aftera1-milewarmup,completea3-milerunin24:39(1.5Kwarmup;5Krunin25:30)Aftera1-milewarmup,completea5-milerunin42:20(1.5Kwarmup; 8K run in 42:08) After a 1-mile warmup, complete an 8-miletrainingrunin69:34(1.5Kwarmup;13Krunin70:25)


RI=RestInterval;whichmaybeatimedrest/recoveryintervaloradistancethatyouwalk/jog.KeyRun#1alwaysbeginswitha10-to20-minutewarmupandends with a 10-minute cooldown Metric workout equivalents appear in bolditalics.






14 1200in5:39(200RI);






















6 1000in4:40;2000in9:40;1000in4:40;1000in4:40(400RI)






























14 1200in5:54(200RI);






















6 1000in4:52;2000in10:05;1000in4:52;1000in4:52(400RI)













1mile(1.5K)easy14 1200in6:17(200RI);

1000in5:11(200RI);800in4:07(200RI);600in3:04(200RI);400in2:02(200RI)





















6 1000in5:11;2000in10:43;1000in5:11;1000in5:11(400RI)











1 6x400in2:02(400RI) 10minutewarmup3milesat10:06(5Kat6:17)


10mincooldown

1mile(1.5K)easy14 1200in6:38(200RI);






















6 1000in5:29;2000in11:19;1000in5:29;1000in5:29(400RI)











1 6x400in2:09(400RI) 10minwarmup3milesat10:40(5Kat6:38)


10mincooldown

BQforMen80andoverandWomen70to74:4:55QualifyingforBostonisrealisticifyoucan:







3x1600@9:29witha400recoveryjogbetweenrepeats










1mile(1.5K)easy14 1200in7:01(200RI);






















6 1000in5:48;2000in11:57;1000in5:48;1000in5:48(400RI)













10mincooldown


Runa5Kin31:50;a10Kin1:06:30;ahalf-marathonin2:27:30.






3x1600@9:58with400Mrecoveryjogbetweenrepeats



KEYRUN#3:LONGRUNComplete a 15-to 20-mile run @ 12:15/mile pace (24K to 32K @ 7:37/kilometerpace)5:10BostonMarathonTrainingPlan





15 4x800in4:52(2minRI)
























6 1000in6:06;2000in12:33;1000in6:06;1000in6:06(400RI)











1 6x400in2:23(400RI)

BQforWomen80andover:5:25QualifyingforBostonisrealisticifyoucan:









Aftera1-milewarmup,completea3-milerunin33:12(1.5Kwarmup;5Krunin34:18)Aftera1-milewarmup,completea5-milerunin56:40(1.5Kwarmup;8Krunin56:08)Aftera1-milewarmup,completean8-milerunin92:00(1.5Kwarmup,13Krunin93:10)








1mile(1.5K)easy14 1200in7:46(200RI);






















6 1000in6:25;2000in13:12;1000in6:25;1000in6:25(400RI)









2 5x1000in6:25(400RI) 2miles(3K)easy3milesat11:02(5Kat6:S1)1mile(1.5K)easy




10mincooldown

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSFormorethan25yearsIhavehadthepleasureandbenefitofcollaboratingwithScott Murr and Ray Moss. Our unending conversations have enriched myunderstandingofhumanperformance.Fifteenyearsafter the threeofusbegandiscussing running and how to develop training programs that would beefficient, accessible, and effective, we proposed to the Furman Universityadministration that a Running Institute be established.After our proposalwasapproved,webeganoffering lectures to the community andcollectingdataonrunners.Thedemandforourlectures,coachingandtestingbecamemuchgreaterinthesecondyear.Thoseannuallyincreasingdemandshavecontinuedthroughthe 8 years that FIRST has existed. Scott and Ray have continued to worktoward meeting those requests for services with the same enthusiasm theydemonstratedinourinauguralyear.ThatcontagiousenergydevelopedasynergythathasenabledFIRSTtoberecognizedaroundtheglobe.Myprofessionallifehasbeenbrightenedbymycuriousandtrustycoauthors.

Formore than60years Ihave reliedonmybigbrother,Don. Iwouldnothaveconsideredarevisionofthisbookwithouthiswillingnesstopartneragainin itsdevelopment.As in thefirstedition,hiseditingandpreparationof tableswerean immensecontribution.Don is really thebook’s fourthauthor.Hewasinvolvedindiscussionsofeveryconceptandideaandcarefullyreviewedeverywordofthebookmultipletimes.

AmbyBurfoothasnotonlybeeninvaluabletoFIRSTforhisguidanceandwisdom, he has been a personal inspiration. Amby is among the mostknowledgeablepeople in theworldaboutrunning.It’sa treat tovisitwithhimandlearnaboutthemanyfacetsofrunning.Asanyseriousrunnerknows,Ambyis incredibly talented, but youwould absolutely never know that from talkingwithhim.Heisanintellectualwhocommunicateswellwiththecommonman.His contributions to the runningworld are surpassed by no one.We are trulygrateful to be his friend.We are also grateful to our editorShannonWelch atRodaleBooks.

Muchofwhatwehave learnedfor this revisionhascomefromourFIRSTrunning retreats. Those retreats have been enhanced by several FIRST retreatfaculty.MickeyMcCauley,thedirectoroftheFIRSThighschoolcross-countrycamp, has beenwithFIRST since its inception.He is aUSATrack andFieldcertifiedcoachandprovidese-coachingtoFIRSTclients.

Dr.BlaiseWilliams,professorandchairofthephysicaltherapydepartmentat East Carolina University, brings to our retreats the knowledge of abiomechanistwhoisanexpertatgaitanalysisandtheexperienceofaphysicaltherapist who is an expert with lower limb injuries. That extraordinarycombination of knowledge and experience provides every retreat participantwithaspecialanalysis.

AsasenioratFurmanUniversity,JillLucasdidanindependentstudyprojectunder my supervision that led to the creation of the FIRST running retreat.During her independent study, I recognized her organizational 5Kills andenthusiasmforrunning.FiveyearslaterJillisstillasignificantcontributortotheretreats while earning a master’s degree and working toward a doctorate inexercisephysiology.

Werelyonourdependableandever-pleasantadministrativeassistant,LonitaStegall,forcommunicationswithFIRSTclientsandthepreparationofmaterialsforourpresentationsandclinics.

FIRSTisindebtedtoStanfordJenningsandNewBalance.Stanfordhasbeena longtime supporter of our programsby providingNewBalance products forour staff, races, and retreats.NewBalancealsogavea copyofRunLess,RunFastertoalltheparticipantsatTheRunningEvent,aconventionforownersandmanagersofrunningspecialtystores.

We have been fortunate to interact with runners from all six inhabitedcontinents. It’sbeena joy to learnabout theirchallengesandsuccesses.Thoseinteractionshave shapedour ideasandourprograms.Wecontinue to strive todevelopprogramsandofferservicestopromoterunningasahealthy,safe,andfunactivity.

BillPierce

APPENDIXA

HOWTOCALCULATEPACES

Runners’ lives are complicated by the intersection ofmetric and English racedistances and a Babylonian-era base-60 time system. Use these methods tosimplifycalculatingyouraverageracepace.

Changingracetimeintopaceinminutesandsecondspermile:Takeyourracetimeandconvertittototalseconds.How?Multiplythenumberofhours(ifany)by3,600.Multiplyminutesby60.Addthese twofiguresandthen add the race-time seconds to that total. Examples: A marathon run in3:47:23equals10,800(3X3,600)+2,820(47X60)+23=13,643seconds.A5-mileracerunin33:15=1,980(33X60)+15=1,995seconds.

Divide the totalnumberofsecondsbythedistancefor therace inmiles. Iftheraceisametricdistance,youmustfindthemileequivalentforthedistance.(See the chart below.) Examples from above: Marathon pace = 13,643seconds/26.22miles=520.3secondspermile.Five-milepace=1,995seconds/5miles=399secondspermile.

Convert the seconds per mile pace to minutes and seconds per mile bydividingby60andnotingtheremainderseconds.Forthemarathonpace:520.3secondspermile/60=8minutes40.3secondspermile.Forthe5-milepace:399secondspermile/60=6minutes39secondspermile.

Changingracetimeintopaceinminutesandsecondsperkilometer:Takeyourracetimeandconvertittototalseconds.How?Multiplythenumberofhours(ifany)by3,600.Multiplyminutesby60.Addthese twofiguresandthen add the race-time seconds to that total. Examples: A marathon run in3:47:23equals10,800(3X3,600)+2,820(47X60)+23=13,643seconds.An8Kracerunin33:15=1980(33X60)+15=1,995seconds.

Dividethetotalnumberofsecondsbythedistancefortheraceinkilometers.If the race is anEnglish distance, youmust find themetric equivalent for thedistance.(Seethechartbelow.)Examplesfromabove:Marathonpace=13,643

seconds/42.2 kilometers = 323.3 seconds per kilometer. 8K pace = 1995seconds/8kilometers=249.4secondsperkilometer.

Convertthesecondsperkilometerpacetominutesandsecondsperkilometerby dividing by 60 and noting the remainder seconds. For themarathon pace:323.3secondsperkilometer/60=5minutes23.3secondsperkilometer.Forthe8Kpace:249.4secondsperkilometer/60=4minutes9.4secondsperkilometer.DistanceEquivalentsforCommonRaceDistances

MILES KILOMETERS KILOMETERS MILES1 1.609 1 .62145 8.045 5 3.1078 12.872 8 4.97110 16.090 10 6.214

13.109 21.095 15 9.32115 24.135 20 12.42720 32.180 Half-Marathon(21.095) 13.095

26.219 42.190 Marathon(42.190) 26.219

CALCULATIONSFORTREADMILLANDGARMINUSERS

Changingpaceinmilesperhourtopaceinminutesandsecondspermile:

Divide your pace in miles per hour into 60 to get pace in minutes. Convertfractionalparttoseconds.

Example:Youarerunningonatreadmillandthepaceisgivenas8.9mph.Divide60by8.9toyield6.742minutespermile.Multiply.742by60toyield44seconds.Yourpaceis6minutes44secondspermile.

Changingpaceinminutesandsecondspermiletopaceinmilesperhour:Changesecondstodecimalpartofaminuteandaddtominutes.Thendivide60bytotal.

Thekeyrunworkoutistoberunat8:45pace.Yourtreadmilldisplaysonlymilesperhour.Divide45secondsby60seconds toyield .75.Add to8 toget8.75.Divide60by8.75toyield6.9mph.

Changingpaceinkilometersperhourtopaceinminutesandsecondsperkilometer:Divideyourpaceinkilometersperhourinto60togetpaceinminutes.Convertfractionalparttoseconds.

Example:Youarerunningonatreadmillandthepaceisgivenas14.5kph.Divide 60 by 14.5 to yield 4.14minutes per kilometer.Multiply .14 by 60 toyield8seconds.Yourpaceis4minutes8secondsperkilometer.

Changingpaceinminutesandsecondsperkilometertopaceinkilometersperhour:Changesecondstodecimalpartofaminuteandaddtominutes.Thendivide60bytotal.

Thekeyrunworkoutistoberunat5:23pace.Yourtreadmilldisplaysonlykilometersperhour.Divide23secondsby60secondstoyield.383.Addto5toget5.383.Divide60by5.383toyield11.1kph.

APPENDIXB

ROADAGESTANDARDSWMA2010RoadAgeStandardsinH:MM:SSWMA2010

APPENDIXC

ROADAGEFACTORSWMA2010RoadAgeFactorsWMA2010*

APPENDIXD

PACETABLESRaceTimesforaGivenPaceperMile

RaceTimesforaGivenPaceperKilometer

INDEXUnderscoredpagereferencesindicatechartsandtables.

AAcclimatization,128,130Achillestendinitis,84,134,140–41ACSM,159Acuteinjuries,135Adaptations,physiological,12,82Adrenaline,23Aerobicenergy,7Aerobicfitness,53,94AgderCollege’sInstituteforSport,23Age

FIRSTtrainingprogramand,24–25goalfinishtimesand,21injuriesand,24marathonand,25men’sBQtrainingplan

18to34,209,210–1135to39,212,213–1440to44,215,216–1745to49,218,219–2050to54,221,222–2355to59,227,228–2960to64,233,234–3565to69,239,240–4170to74,242,243–4475to79,245,246–4780andover,248,249–50

performanceand,21–22timepredictiontablesand,19,263–64,265–66trainingphasesand,120women’sBQtrainingplan

18to34,224,225–2635to39,227,228–2940to44,230,231–3245to49,233,234–3550to54,236,237–3855to59,239,240–4160to64,242,243–4465to69,245,246–4770to74,248,249–5075to79,251,252–53

80andover,254,255–56Alder,Thomas,30AmericanAcademyofPhysicalMedicineandRehabilitation,137AmericanCollegeofSportsMedicine(ACSM),159Aminoacids,148Anaerobicmetabolism,53Anatomicalproblem,136–37Ankle,rolled,199

BBarefootrunning,179Beginnerrunners.SeeNewrunnersBicycling.SeeCyclingBiomechanicalproblem,136–37Blomme,EmilyJ.,132Bodyweight,idealrunner’s,150BostonMarathon

adviceonqualifyingfor,205–6goalsfor,realistic,206hilltrainingfor,84men’sBQtrainingplan

3:05,209,210–113:10,212,213–143:15,215,216–173:25,218,219–203:30,221,222–233:40,227,228–293:55,233,234–354:10,239,240–414:25,242,243–444:40,245,246–474:55,248,249–50

timepredictionfor,206women’sBQtrainingplan

3:35,224,225–263:40,227,228–293:45,230,231–323:55,233,234–354:00,236,237–384:10,239,240–414:25,242,243–444:40,245,246–474:55,248,249–505:10,251,252–535:25,254,255–56

Breathingduringstrengthtrainingexercises,160Burfoot,Amby,3

CCadence

cycling,95stride,98

Calftears,chronic,142–43Caloricintake,150–52Carbohydrateloading,151–52Carbohydrates,146–47,152Carbohydratesynthesis,152Cardiovascularfitness,53,94Clothingforcoldweather,131Clubs,running,5,35Coach’sReport,33Colangelo,Aaron,3–4Coldweatherissues

acclimatization,128clothing,131cycling,95–96essentials,129hydration,131performance,20,127–28QandA,129–32risksofrunningincold,87,130runningstrategies,131–32

Competition.SeespecificraceComplexcarbohydrates,146Connectivetissue,24,84Consistencyintraining,25Cooldown

importanceof,82longrun,57temporun,56trackrepeats,55

Courseprofile,20Cross-Fit,100Cross-training.Seealsospecificmode

benefitsof,8,44,95essentials,94–95FIRSTtrainingprogramand,93–94frequencyof,98–99ininjuryprevention,95intensityof,99lengthofsessions,99modes

bestforrunners,99–100cycling,95–96,199deepwaterrunning,97–98,98ellipticalmachines,101

jumpingrope,100spinningclasses,100strengthtraining,101swimming,96–97,97yoga,101

QandA,98–101runningonsamedayand,99taperingand,1013plus2trainingprogramand,43–44,94fortrailraces,199variationprincipleand,101–2workouts

cycling,104,104,106,106–7overview,102–3rowing,105,105,108,108–9swimming,105,105,108,108–9

Cyclingbenefitsof,95cadence,95incoldweather,95–96indoor,96formarathon,106,106–7asmodeofcross-training,95–96,199outdoor,95–96spinningclasses,100astriathloncomponent,201workouts

for5K,104,104forhalf-marathon,106,106–7for10K,104,104

DDeepwaterrunning(DWR)

asmodeofcross-training,97–98,98tips,98

Diet.SeeNutritionDifferences,individual,12,14Diminishingreturns,lawof,14Distance

fitnessimprovementand,83–84goalfinishtimesand,19marathontrainingprogramand,85

Donald,Shirley,123DWR.SeeDeepwaterrunning

E

Economy,running,53,84Elevation,20,88Ellipticalmachines,101Enduranceperformance,44Energy,7–8,152Environmentalconditions,20.SeealsoColdweatherissues;Elevation;Hotweatherissues;WindEssentials

coldweatherissues,129cross-training,94–95defining,5FIRSTtrainingprogram,45flexibility,177goalfinishtimes,18hotweatherissues,129injuries,135nutrition,146–47restandrecovery,113strengthtraining,158threequalityruns,54year-roundtraining,119

ExercisesinFIRSTtrainingprogram,benefitsof,5formdrills

ButtKicks,181,181HighKnees,182,182overview,54,176,179–80

strengthtrainingAdvancedBirdDog,169,169BirdDog,168,168BoxStep-Ups,164,164breathingduring,160Clamshell,171,171CurltoPress,167,167lower-body,159Lunges,163,163Monster(SumoWrestler)Walk,165,165One-Arm,One-LegBent-OverRow,166,166orderof,159recommended,159Single-LegBridges,170,170SingleLegSquat,162,162Squat,161,161

stretchingGlutes/Piriformis,186,186HipAbduction/IliotibialBand,191,191HipFlexors,187,187IliotibialBand(FoamRoller),188,188LowBack,190,190LyingHamstring,185,185overview,176,183Quadriceps/HipFlexor,184,184

SpinalRotation,189,189StandingCalf,183,183

FFatcalories,146Fatenergy,8Fatigue,muscular,7,32,53Finishtimes.SeeGoalsFIRST(FurmanInstituteofRunningandScientificTraining)trainingprogram.Seealso3plus2training

programageand,24–25Burfootand,3cross-trainingand,93–94designof,5,43effectivenessof,9–10essentials,45exercisesin,benefitsof,5GPSwatchesand,82,88–89heart-ratemonitorsand,86–87improvedperformanceand,10injurypreventionand,5–6,143–44newrunnersand,31–32,34–35nutritionin,benefitsof,5paceand,43philosophyof,6–7,44plan,121–22principlesof

diminishingreturnslaw,14individualdifferences,4,12,14progressiveoverload,12reversibility,14specificity,12

runningclubsand,5runninglessand,7,44starting,80–81strengthtrainingin,157–58studieson,10,11successof,4–5,11212-weekschedulesof,34typicalrunningprogramversus,7–8weightlossand,34year-round,14

Fitnessaerobic/cardiovascular,53,94distanceandimproved,83–845Kand,determining,46intensityandimproved,83–84metabolic,53,87swimmingand,96

5Kcyclingworkoutfor,104,104fitnesslevel,determining,46Garminspeedzonesettingsfor,90goalfinishtimes,45–46newrunnersand

intermediatetrainingprogramfor,37,37novicetrainingprogramfor,36,36recommendationsforrunning,32,35

pace,determining,87–88pacetables,267–87racetime,importanceof,47RoadAgeFactors(WMA2010)and,265–66RoadAgeStandards(WMA2010)and,263–64rowingworkoutfor,105,105swimmingworkoutfor,105,105timepredictiontables,26,26–29,36timeofyeartofocuson,118trainingprogram

summaryfor,48threequalityruns,59,59

Flexibility.SeealsoStretchingbenefitsof,178defining,178essentials,177formand,175–76improving,178kneejoint,95limited,178program,developing,193QandA,178–79stretchingand,178,193

Fluidintake,129–31,148–49Fooddiary,145Form,running

correcting,193drills

ButtKicks,181,181HighKnees,182,182overview,54,176,179–80

flexibilityand,175–76good,176–77,193QandA,178–79rangeofmotionand,175

Foster,Nancy,115–16Fractures,stress,140Frequencyofrunning,82–83FurmanInstituteofRunningandScientificTraining.SeeFIRSTtrainingprogram

GGarminForerunnerwatch,88–90,90,260–61Gatowski,Maura,38Glover,Bob,22Glycemicindex,147–48,152Glycogenresynthesis,152Glycogenstores,7–8,22–23,151Goals.SeealsoTimeprediction

forBostonMarathon,realistic,206finishtimes

ageand,21courseprofileand,20determining,17–18,45disappointmentswith,16–17distanceand,19elevationand,20environmentalconditionsand,20essentials,185K,45–46marathon,16,18metricequivalentsof,45performanceand,18QandA,18–22redefining,1810K,45–46trainingpaceand,81unrealistic,17

lowtrainingmileageand,83scienceof,22–243plus2trainingprogramand,6

GPSwatches,82,88–89Grant,Will,144Groups,running,5,35

HHalf-marathoncyclingworkoutfor,106,106–7Garminspeedzonesettingsfor,90pace,determining,87pacetables,267–87postracerestandrecoveryguidelines,114–15aspredictorofmarathonperformance,206RoadAgeFactors(WMA2010)and,265–66RoadAgeStandards(WMA2010)and,263–64

rowingworkoutfor,108,108–9swimmingworkoutfor,108,108–9

timepredictiontables,26,26–29trainingprogram

summaryfor,48threequalityruns,61,61–62

Harshman,Eric,204Hawkins,Steven,25Heart-ratemonitors,86–87Heartrate,53,86–87Heat.SeeHotweatherissuesHeatcramps,130Heatdisorders,130Heatexhaustion,130Heatstroke,130Heelpads,141–42Hill,Butch,88Hilltraining,84“Hittingthewall,”22–23Hotweatherissues

acclimatization,128,130essentials,129heatdisorders,130hotenvironmentand,defining,129humidity,128hydration,129–30longrun,130pace,127performance,20,127–28QandA,129–32runningstrategies,130temporun,130trackrepeats,130

Humidity.SeeHotweatherissuesHydration,129–31,148–49Hyponatremia,149

IIcetreatment

foriliotibialbandsyndrome,139forplantarfasciitis,142forrunner’sknee,138forshinsplints,139

Idealbodyweightforrunner,150Iliotibialbandsyndrome(ITBS),138–39Individualdifferences,4,12,14Infanger,Scott,3–4Injuries

acute,135ageand,24

ankle,rolled,199barefootrunningand,179biomechanicalversusanatomicalproblem,136–37common

Achillestendinitis,140–41calftears,chronic,142–43iliotibialbandsyndrome,138–39plantarfasciitis,141–42rolledankle,199runner’sknee,137–38shinsplints,139stressfractures,140

cross-traininginpreventing,95denialof,133essentials,135excessiverunningand,136FIRSTtrainingprograminpreventing,5–6,143–44hilltrainingand,84limitedflexibilityand,178listeningtobodyand,134motivationand,lossof,24nonsteroidalanti-inflammatoriesand,137,139orthoticsand,137,141–42overuse,135–36overweightand,137prehabversusrehaband,134preventing,5–6,95,134,143–44,175QandA,135–37runninglessand,134“runningthrough,”133trailracesand,199trainingintensityand,136

InstituteforSport(AgderCollege),23Intensity

ofcross-training,99fitnessimprovementand,83–84injuriesandtraining,136performanceand,25,51ofthreequalityruns,53–54trainingatappropriate,47

Ironman-distancetriathlon,203–4ITBS,138–39

JJohnsrud,Mark,192Jumpingrope,100

KKasture,Vaishali,49KeyRun#1.SeeTrackrepeatsKeyRun#2.SeeTemporunKeyRun#3.SeeLongrunKoerner,Hal,197–99Kolata,Gina,25Kostouros,Christina,13

LLactate,53Lactatemetabolism,7Lactatethreshold(LT),6,10,53Lewis,Xavier,91Lipp,Daniel,50Listeningtobody,112,134Long-termtrainingplan,122Longrun

cooldown,57examples,57–58Garminspeedzonesettingsfor,90inhotweather,130men’sBQtrainingplan

3:05,209,210–113:10,212,213–143:15,215,216–173:25,218,219–203:30,221,222–233:40,227,228–293:55,233,234–354:10,239,240–414:25,242,243–444:40,245,246–474:55,248,249–50

overview,57paces,76–80threequalityrunstrainingprogram

5K,59,59half-marathon,61,61–62marathon,64,64–65novicemarathon,62,62–6310K,60,60

warmup,57women’sBQtrainingplan

3:35,224,225–263:40,227,228–29

3:45,230,231–323:55,233,234–354:00,236,237–384:10,239,240–414:25,242,243–444:40,245,246–474:55,248,249–505:10,251,252–535:25,254,255–56

Loperfido,Dennis,39LoreofRunning,The(Noakes),22LT,6,10,53

MMarathon.SeealsoBostonMarathon

ageand,25allureof,15–16backtoback,120–21cyclingworkoutfor,106,106–7Garminspeedzonesettingsfor,90goalfinishtimesand,16,18half-marathonaspredictorofperformancein,206newrunnersand,31–32pace,determining,87pacetables,267–87performancein,variablesaffecting,16postracerestandrecoveryguidelines,115racingscheduleand,118–19restandrecoverybetween,118RoadAgeFactors(WMA2010)and,265–66RoadAgeStandards(WMA2010)and,263–64rowingworkoutfor,108,108–9swimmingworkoutfor,108,108–9timeprediction,15timepredictiontables,26,26–29timeofyeartofocuson,118trainingprogram

distanceversuspace,85novice,62,62–63summaryfor,48thoughtson,206–8threequalityruns,62,62–63,64,64–65trainingrun,longest,84–85

Marthaler,Justin,91Massage

forcalftears,chronic,142forplantarfasciitis,142

Maximaloxygenconsumption(VO2),10,52–53Meatsourcesofprotein,148Meier,Cathy,143Metabolicfitness,53,87Metabolism,53Metricequivalents,45Midfootstrikers,179Mineralsupplements,149–50MolnarHumanPerformanceLaboratory,3Moss,Ray,22Motivation,injuriesandlossof,24Murr,Scott,94,200,207Muscularfatigue,7,32,53

NNewrunners

fatigueand,muscular,32FIRSTtrainingprogramand,31–32,34–355Kand

intermediatetrainingprogram,37,37novicetrainingprogram,36,36recommendationsforrunning,32,35

marathonand,31–32overweightand,32,34placeforrunningand,best,34QandA,33–35shoesfor,34stepsfor,first,32–333plus2programand,35thresholdoftrainingand,32timeforrunningand,best,34

Nightsplints,142Noakes,Tim,22Nonsteroidalanti-inflammatories,137,139Novicemarathontrainingprogram,62,62–63Novicerunners.SeeNewrunnersNutrition

caloricintakeand,daily,150carbohydrateloadingand,151–52carbohydratesand,146–47competitionand,151–52energyand,152essentials,146–47fatcaloriesand,146inFIRSTtrainingprogram,benefitsof,5fluidintakeand,148–49fooddiaryand,145

glycemicindexand,147–48,152idealbodyweightforrunnerand,150informationabout,145–46,152mineralsupplementsand,149–50optimalweightfortrainingand,146performanceand,145,148polyunsaturatedfatsand,148“portiondistortion”and,146postrace,152prerace,151–52proteinand,146,148QandA,147–52duringrace,152saturatedfatsand,148servingsizes,146trans-fattyacidsand,146,148varietyand,157vitaminsupplementsand,149–50

OOptimalweightfortraining,146Orthotics,137,141–42Overload

progressive,12training,111–12

Overtraining,112,119Overuseinjuries,135–36Overweight

injuriesand,137newrunnersand,32,34

PP90X,100Pace.SeealsoSpeed

adjusting,81,88adrenalineand,23calculating,259–61earlyfast,22–23FIRSTtrainingprogramand,435K,determining,87–88withGarminForerunnerwatch,260–61goalfinishtimesandtraining,81“hittingthewall”and,22–23hotweatherand,127longrun,76–80marathon,determining,87

marathontrainingprogramand,85milestometricconversion,259–60,260race,determining,87–88stickingtoprescribed,81tables,267–87temporun,71–75treadmill,260–61

Painter,Frankie,33Partner,running/training,35,207PeakVO2,10Performance

ageand,21–22coldweatherand,20,127–28endurance,44firsthalfversussecondhalfofrace,23–24FIRSTtrainingprogramandimproved,10goalfinishtimesand,18hotweatherand,20,127–28intensityand,25,51inmarathon,variablesaffecting,16nutritionand,145,148paceand,earlyfast,22proteinand,148racescheduleand,117trainingandimproved,18–19underminingown,17variablesaffectingrace,15–16volumeand,25,51weatherissuesand,127–28windand,20

PhysicaltherapyforAchillestendinitis,141forplantarfasciitis,142

Placesforrunning,best,34,82Plantarfasciitis,84,134,141–42Plantsourcesofprotein,148Polyunsaturatedfats,148“Portiondistortion,”146Postracestrategies

nutrition,152restandrecovery,114–15

Predictiontables.SeeTimepredictionPrehab,134Preracestrategies

caloricintake,151–52nutrition,151–52restandrecovery,114

Progressiveoverload,12Protein,146,148

QQandAs

coldweatherissues,129–32cross-training,98–101flexibility,178–79form,running,178–79goalfinishtimes,18–22hotweatherissues,129–32injuries,135–37newrunners,33–35nutrition,147–52restandrecovery,113–15strengthtraining,158–603plus2trainingprogram,80–88TrainingwithPurposeprogram,80–88year-roundtraining,119–22

RRacing.SeespecificraceRacingschedule,117–19Rangeofmotion,175.SeealsoFlexibilityRealRunnerReports

Alder,Thomas,30Blomme,EmilyJ.,132Donald,Shirley,123Foster,Nancy,115–16Gatowski,Maura,38Grant,Will,144Harshman,Eric,204Johnsrud,Mark,192Kasture,Vaishali,49Kostouros,Christina,13Lewis,Xavier,91Lipp,Daniel,50Loperfido,Dennis,39Marthaler,Justin,91Meier,Cathy,143Sage,Bob,110Skole,Stacey,173Slyman,Keith,203Vieira,Rod,153–54

Rearfootstrikers,179Recovery.SeeRestandrecoveryRehab,134Restandrecovery

enhancing,113essentials,113importanceof,113ininjurytreatment

ininjurytreatmentAchillestendinitis,141iliotibialbandsyndrome,139plantarfasciitis,142stressfractures,140

intervals,81–82listeningtobodyand,112betweenmarathons,118overloadand,training,111–12overtrainingand,112postrace,114–15prerace,114QandA,113–15

Reversibility,14RoadAgeFactors(WMA2010),21–22,25,265–66RoadAgeStandards(WMA2010),21,25,263–64Rolledankle,199Rowing

asmodeofcross-training,98workouts

for5K,105,105forhalf-marathon,108,108–9formarathon,108,108–9for10K,105,105

Runner’sknee,137–38Runningclubs,5Runningeconomy,53,84Runningform.SeeFormRunninggroups,5,35Runningpartners,35,207“Runningthrough”injuries,133

SSage,Bob,110Saturatedfats,148Schuder,Pete,22Science

ofgoals,22–24ofstrengthtraining,172ofthreequalityruns,52–53

Servingsizes,146Shinsplints,139Shoes

Achillestendinitisand,141midfootstrikersand,179fornewrunners,34orthoticsand,137,141–42rearfootstrikersand,179

fortrailraces,199Short-termtrainingplan,122Skole,Stacey,173Slyman,Keith,203Specificity,12,101Speed,10Spinningclasses,100Splints,night,142Steroidinjections,142Strengthtraining

cautionabout,159essentials,158exercises

AdvancedBirdDog,169,169BirdDog,168,168BoxStep-Ups,164,164breathingduring,160Clamshell,171,171CurltoPress,167,167lower-body,159Lunges,163,163Monster(SumoWrestler)Walk,165,165One-Arm,One-LegBent-OverRow,166,166orderof,159recommended,159Single-LegBridges,170,171SingleLegSquat,162,162Squat,161,161

inFIRSTtrainingprogram,157–58liabilitiesof,159asmodeofcross-training,101QandA,158–60reasonsfor,158–59scienceof,172year-round,160

Stressfractures,140Stresstolerance,crossing,111–12Stretching.SeealsoFlexibility

benefitsof,175,178debateabout,176exercises

Glutes/Piriformis,186,186HipAbduction/IliotibialBand,191,191HipFlexors,187,187IliotibialBand(FoamRoller),188,188LowBack,190,190LyingHamstring,185,185overview,176,183Quadriceps/HipFlexor,184,184SpinalRotation,189,189

StandingCalf,183,183flexibilityand,178,193ininjuryprevention,175ininjurytreatment

calftears,chronic,142plantarfasciitis,142runner’sknee,138shinsplints,139

runnerswhoperform,175sequenceof,178

Stridecadence,98Supplements,149–50SurgeryforAchillestendinitis,141Swimming

benefitsof,96fitnessand,96form,96asmodeofcross-training,96–97,97tips,97trainingplan,96–97astriathloncomponent,200workouts

for5K,105,105forhalf-marathon,108,108–9formarathon,108,108–9for10K,105,105

TTanaka,Hirofumi,24–25Tapering,101Temperatureforrunning,ideal,20.SeealsoColdweatherissues;HotweatherissuesTemporun

cooldown,56examples,56–57Garminspeedzonesettingsfor,90inhotweather,130men’sBQtrainingplan

3:05,209,210–113:10,212,213–143:15,215,216–173:25,218,219–203:30,221,222–233:40,227,228–293:55,233,234–354:10,239,240–414:25,242,243–444:40,245,246–474:55,248,249–50

overview,56

paces,71–75threequalityrunstrainingprogram

5K,59,59half-marathon,61,61–62marathon,64,64–65novicemarathon,62,62–63overview,5810K,60,60

treadmillsand,87warmup,56women’sBQtrainingplan

3:35,224,225–263:40,227,228–293:45,230,231–323:55,233,234–354:00,236,237–384:10,239,240–414:25,242,243–444:40,245,246–474:55,248,249–505:10,251,252–535:25,254,255–56

10Kcyclingworkoutfor,104,104Garminspeedzonesettingsfor,90goalfinishtimes,45–46pace,determining,88pacetables,267–87postracerestandrecoveryguidelines,114–15RoadAgeFactors(WMA2010)and,265–66RoadAgeStandards(WMA2010)and,263–64rowingworkoutfor,105,105swimmingworkoutfor,105,105timepredictiontables,26,26–29timeofyeartofocuson,118trainingprogram

summaryfor,48threequalityruns,60,60

Tendinitis,84,134,140–41TFAs,146,1483plus2trainingprogram.SeealsoCross-training;FIRST(FurmanInstituteofRunningandScientific

Training)trainingprogram;Threequalityrunsbadtrainingrunand,86Colangeloand,3–4componentsof,6–8creationof,112cross-trainingand,43–44,94designof,82evaluating,8–10goalsand,6hilltrainingand,84

Infangerand,3–4mileage,total,83missingworkoutsand,86newrunnersand,35QandA,80–88racingwhiletrainingand,85–86runnerswhobenefitfrom,10,11skepticismabout,51smarttrainingand,44–45strategiestobenefitfrom,43studies,10,11successof,10trainingmileageand,83fortriathlon,200weeklyschedule,47,47year-roundtrainingand,120–21

Threequalityrunsbenefitsof,6essentials,54fitnessbaseand,51–52improvementand,fitnessandracetimes,51intensityof,53–54longrun,57–58overview,52scienceof,52–53temporun,56–57trackrepeats,54–56trainingprograms


year-roundtrainingand,120Thresholdoftraining,32Timeprediction.SeealsoGoals,finishtimes

forBostonMarathon,206marathon,15tables

accuracyof,19ageand,19,263–64,265–66elevationchangesand,205K,26,26–29,36genderdifferencesand,19half-marathon,26,26–29marathon,26,26–2910K,26,26–29varietyof,22

Timeforrunning,best,34

Trackrepeatscautionabout,55cooldown,55examples,55–56Garminspeedzonesettingsfor,90inhotweather,130men’sBQtrainingplan

3:05,209,210–113:10,212,213–143:15,215,216–173:25,218,219–203:30,221,222–233:40,227,228–293:55,233,234–354:10,239,240–414:25,242,243–444:40,245,246–474:55,248,249–50

overview,55placesfor,82targettimes,52,66–70threequalityrunstrainingprogram


treadmillsand,87warmup,54women’sBQtrainingplan

3:35,224,225–263:40,227,228–293:45,230,231–323:55,233,234–354:00,236,237–384:10,239,240–414:25,242,243–444:40,245,246–474:55,248,249–505:10,251,252–535:25,254,255–56

Trailracescross-trainingfor,199injuriesand,199physicalrequirementsof,198shoesfor,199trainingadviceabout,197–98trainingprogramfor,198–99

Trainingplan,96–97,121–22

TrainingwithPurposeprogram.SeealsoFIRST(FurmanInstituteofRunningandScientificTraining)trainingprogrambasisof,4designof,4evaluating,8–10philosophyof,7QandA,80–88specifictargetsand,10

Trainingruns,84–86Trans-fattyacids(TFAs),146,148Treadmills,87,260–61Triathlon

cyclingcomponentof,201Ironman-distance,203–4swimmingcomponentof,2003plus2trainingprogramfor,200timeofyearfor,typical,201trainingadviceabout,197–98trainingprogramfor,200–204,201,202

Typicalrunningprogram,7–8

UUltraraces

trainingadviceabout,197–98trainingprogramfor,198–99

VVariation,principleof,101–2Vieira,Rod,153–54Vitaminsupplements,149–50VO2max,10,52–53Volume,performanceand,25,51

WWarmup

importanceof,82longrun,57temporun,56trackrepeats,54

Weatherissues.SeealsoColdweatherissues;Hotweatherissuesperformanceand,127–28wind,20

Weightlifting.SeeStrengthtrainingWind,20

WMA,21Workouts.SeealsoExercises

cycling,104,104,106,106–7overview,102–3rowing,105,105,108,108–9swimming,105,105,108,108–9

WorldMastersAthletics(WMA),21

YYear-roundtraining

essentials,119FIRSTtrainingprogramand,14phases,120QandA,119–22strategies,119strengthtraining,1603plus2trainingprogramand,120–21threequalityrunsand,120

Yoga,101

Theinformationinthisbookismeanttosupplement,notreplace,properexercisetraining.Allformsofexerciseposesomeinherentrisks.Theeditorsandpublisheradvisereaderstotakefullresponsibilityfortheirsafetyandknowtheirlimits.Beforepracticingtheexercisesinthisbook,besurethatyourequipmentiswell-maintained,anddonottakerisksbeyondyourlevelofexperience,aptitude,training,andfitness.Theexerciseanddietaryprogramsinthisbookarenotintendedasasubstituteforanyexerciseroutineordietaryregimenthatmayhavebeenprescribedbyyourdoctor.Aswithallexerciseanddietaryprograms,

youshouldgetyourdoctor’sapprovalbeforebeginning.

Mentionofspecificcompanies,organizations,orauthoritiesinthisbookdoesnotimplyendorsementbytheauthororpublisher,nordoesmentionofspecificcompanies,organizations,orauthoritiesimplythatthey

endorsethisbook,itsauthor,orthepublisher.

Internetaddressesandtelephonenumbersgiveninthisbookwereaccurateatthetimeitwenttopress.

RevisedDirectonlineandTradepaperbackeditionsarebeingpublishedsimultaneouslyin2012.

©2007,2012byRodaleInc.

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