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RUNNING TRAINING – SPRINTS,

MIDDLE AND LONG DISTANCES

Running training is an integral part of almost any sport. Most people only think ofendurance training, but there are many other types and disciplines in which athletesall over the world compete – be they ball sport athletes, swimmers, cyclists or Free

Athletes.

Running is an integral part of every sport because it trains all athletic abilities directlyand indirectly. Basically, running is all about shifting the anaerobic threshold upwards toincrease the resistance of muscles to fatigue. The result: You can exercise for longer at the

edge of your load limit, while at the same time it takes longer for your load limit to bereached. The efficiency of your cardiovascular  and muscular system increaseenormously, blood circulation and nutrient supply improve, training sessions may be

longer and regeneration breaks shorter. Thus running training helps indirectly – evenover long distances – in building muscle because it optimizes many processes and systems

in the body.

The best way to train the anaerobic threshold or to expand the anaerobic-aerobic rangeis to exhaust different load levels. Specifically, this means alternating between sprints,

middle distances and longer routes and completing each at maximum exertion.

In the following, we outline the most important distances and why running for variedperiods and intensities can have a positive effect on the body.

Sprints – short and effectiveSprints improve your physical performance on many levels, but crucially, they trainspeed and explosive strength. With sprints, it’s all about covering a relatively shortdistance with maximum possible speed, i.e. to go to the limit of performance. As for theireffect on the body, sprints come as a shock in a positive way, as they trigger a high

afterburn effect and the release of growth hormones. These are incredibly important forfat burning, muscle building and performance enhancement.

We therefore distinguish between short sprints (40 and 100 meters) and long sprints (200

and 400 meters). These distances are set because the body is in its anaerobic zone, which

can not be sustained for long. Even well-trained athletes can only run for a maximum of40 to 60 seconds at their limit. It is therefore extremely difficult to complete the wholedistance under maximum load – especially the long sprint. In addition to an extremelyhigh heart rate, this is because of the strong accumulation of lactate and hydrogen ions,

which are waste products of anaerobic energy production. If they are not removedquickly enough from the muscle, they inhibit further muscle contraction. Regularexercise, however, can train muscles to work for longer at a higher workload, so delaying

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the point at which they become too acidic and fatigue towards decline. Over time,endurance and speed will improve.

For explosive strength, technique plays an especially crucial role: acceleration should takeplace over the first 15 meters. A forward leaning posture and quick, fast, powerful stepswith minimum ground contact are beneficial here.

Middle distances – intensive and efficientWe distinguish between short (800m) and long middle distance (1500m). Middle distancesare also covered at a moderately high speed, which leads to respiratory distress relativelysoon during the middle distance. If an athlete begins to gasp for breath, his body mustrely on anaerobic energy supply, i.e. he reaches the anaerobic threshold. However as the

body can’t be trained for long above this threshold, medium-haul aerobic and anaerobicenergy supply stay relatively in balance. This means that lactate and hydrogen ions areremoved in time, but the pressure on muscles and the heart are nevertheless continuouslyvery high. For this reason, running over middle-distance is perceived as particularly

unpleasant. But these distances are incredibly effective to train both the anaerobic andaerobic energy provision, as well as the considered threshold and speed endurance. Themain reason for this is the psychological effect: You know that it will be over soon andbring more out of yourself than you would expect over longer distances.

Since even well-trained athletes can run just a few seconds at maximum speed, you mustbe economical with your power to prevent a sudden drop in performance during the run.These routes should always start with an average intensity. Even well-trained people arelimited to a period of 40 to 60 seconds when running at their maximum speed becausethe muscles become too acidic.

The advantage is that middle distance runs near to the anaerobic threshold are best suitedto burn a lot of energy in a relative short time and achieve good results.

Long-distance running – an affair of the heart

Longer distances from 5000 meters train mainly the aerobic energy supply and basicendurance, which is extremely important from a sports and health perspective. As theword “basic” implies, these runs are therefore essential, even if the aversion to suchroutes is very strong. Routes of up to 5000 meters are relatively similar to middle

distances, however, the athlete must still better economize his strength and pace the run.

Distances of 10 km or more scare many off before they have even tried. Since for mostpeople even a 5 km run is already a huge challenge, many can not imagine running thesame distance (or even more) again. The best solution is to switch your brain off! With

walking breaks and moderate speed every athlete can manage these distances – it justmay take a little longer initially.

If you decide to face these routes, do not pay much attention to your running time, but

only the covered distance. Also, it should not be started too fast, since this risks the

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musculature depleting too quickly. Just as the aversion to such a distance is strong, thepride when you have completed it will be great. If this is done once, the motivation tomanage it in a shorter time comes from within.

The improvement of  basic endurance and aerobic energy production are clear prioritiesin long distance running, as they are beneficial for any sporting activity. Even those whoexperience respiratory distress during strength training can improve performance by

running training. Another advantage is of course the support for effective fat loss.Whether weight loss or muscle definition – long distance races remain a classic!

It is very important for every Free Athlete to know his limitations and to handle his

strength in an economical sense, so that he can exercise in a smart and comprehensiveway. Running training that incorporates the above components is ideally suited for this,as it challenges body and mind in many different ways.

Those who train sprint, middle and long distance runs regularly create the best conditions

for an athletic body. In relation to the abilities of strength, speed, mobility and endurance,running training is a factor that should not be underestimated. There are very few otherways to improve as effectively as you can during running training.

Click here and here to learn more about running training and its benefits.

 Running training – Sprints, middle and long distances [en inglés]. Consultada el 02/14/2015,en https://knowledge.freeletics.com/en/running-training-sprints-middle-long-distances/.