If you haven't already reviewed my previous blog on the 5 Step Process of Injuries, now would be a good time, as it relates specifically to this topic, muscles.
There's plenty of people with information that can go into depth on the physiological aspects of working out, I am not one of them, so I'll keep it simple here.
1. Athletes lose somewhere between 1-2% of muscle mass per year after the age of 30. In addition, bone density weakens, and we process less oxygen as we age.
2. We store, FULLY TAPERED, rested, and with proper nutrition, about 2200-2600 calories of stored Glycogen in our muscles.
3. Glycogen needs to be present to burn FAT. No Glycogen, no fat burning.
4. When we run out of Glycogen and therefore can't burn fat, our bodies then burn Protein.
5. Protein is muscle mass. IF YOU RUN OUT OF GLYCOGEN and continue to put metabolic demands on your body, you will eat your own muscles to continue the activity.
Marathon runners intuitively know this. Each mile consumes about 80-120 calories of stored glycogen. Do the math. With the other demands of running, most of us run out of glycogen at about the 20 mile mark. The body kicks over to protein. We hit "the wall". That's why we often comment the marathon is TWO races. The one to twenty, and the death zone 10k to get in! It's not uncommon for runners to notice days or weeks later that after rehydration, the've still LOST inches on their thighs and arms. You sacrificed muscle mass down the stretch to get across the finish line. It's ok, and it's a willing sacrifice we make to achieve our goal.
But RACING is not the real issue of this blog.
Let's discuss TRAINING, whether it be for a 10k, half, full or whatever.
Since MAXIMAL glycogen storage is around 2200-2600 calories with full rest, and all of us train and crosstrain constantly, there's little chance of achieving such storage amounts. Rather, our weekly long run often exceeds the Glycogen storage limits. This means that
MOST ATHLETES OVER 30 YEARS OF AGE WHO TRAIN USING MOST RUNNING BOOKS ARE SLOWLY LOSING MUSCLE MASS EVERY TIME THEY RUN LONG!
Eventually, you become very fit, very thin, and without muscle mass, very slow! Ergo the quote at beginning of the last blog, my runners may not be as fit, they'll just be at the finish line first!
So, what to do? I am not saying no long runs, but rather less of them and under more exacting conditions so as to preserve muscle mass. Also, no "pre-test" long runs close to your goal event. Rather, peak on your race day. OC's (Obsessive compulsives) are unable to do this, or any other delayed gratification behavior. No matter how well they run, it could have been better. So avoid their pace on long runs.
General "Train Faster" Rules:
1. Speed work is at least, if not more important than the long run. Speed CREATES muscle!!! Long runs EAT muscle.
2. If you run too long or too fast on long runs, you can't be recovered for proper speed training days later. You WILL get slower over time! Slow down on long runs, run less of them, and concentrate on speed workouts. Intervals on Tuesdays, Tempo on Thursdays, Long Runs on Saturdays is a good schedule for regular working folks.
3. Preserve Glycogen on long runs by eating, and by slowing down the pace to allow more fat to burn with glycogen. Remember, you run out of Glycogen, you start eating your own muscle.
4. Rather than always running longer, concentrate on 1 1/2 to 2 hour runs at progressively faster paces. MASTER the half marathon distance if you can do it under 2 hours.
5. Always eat within 1/2 hour after you finish your long run, and don't be shy. Bananas, P and J sandwiches on whole wheat, and chocolate milk, salads, chicken, even beef for amino acids, etc. Your body absorbs way more calories right after running than later in the day. Go figure, but it works! this will help you rebuild and recharge for the speed workouts.
6. Consider running a lot LESS miles every week, but at HIGHER INTENSITY. On race day, you will be able to run your current pace at a much lower heart rate, and as a result, save yourself for final pushes to hold race pace.
7.Weight training. I will specifically blog this after this series of blogs on speed training. But basically, in season, you lift lighter and less. Off season, increase loads and sets. You can MACRO taper weights in the off season to dramatically increase leg speed using this technique.
8. Long runs can be stretched at times to one in every 3 weeks. You can crosstrain with biking to fill in on other weeks. Biking OUT OF SADDLE ON INTERVAL TRAINING can also substitute for speed work.
Example:
In my late 40's, with a bad knee and big frame, I trained 16 weeks, averaged 32.5 miles a week, crosstrained weights and bike, and ran about 3:10 marathon speed, using the above techniques! In this schedule, I ran only two or three runs over 16 miles, and no long runs over 14 within the final 8 weeks.
Now go enjoy the day! :>)
There's plenty of people with information that can go into depth on the physiological aspects of working out, I am not one of them, so I'll keep it simple here.
1. Athletes lose somewhere between 1-2% of muscle mass per year after the age of 30. In addition, bone density weakens, and we process less oxygen as we age.
2. We store, FULLY TAPERED, rested, and with proper nutrition, about 2200-2600 calories of stored Glycogen in our muscles.
3. Glycogen needs to be present to burn FAT. No Glycogen, no fat burning.
4. When we run out of Glycogen and therefore can't burn fat, our bodies then burn Protein.
5. Protein is muscle mass. IF YOU RUN OUT OF GLYCOGEN and continue to put metabolic demands on your body, you will eat your own muscles to continue the activity.
Marathon runners intuitively know this. Each mile consumes about 80-120 calories of stored glycogen. Do the math. With the other demands of running, most of us run out of glycogen at about the 20 mile mark. The body kicks over to protein. We hit "the wall". That's why we often comment the marathon is TWO races. The one to twenty, and the death zone 10k to get in! It's not uncommon for runners to notice days or weeks later that after rehydration, the've still LOST inches on their thighs and arms. You sacrificed muscle mass down the stretch to get across the finish line. It's ok, and it's a willing sacrifice we make to achieve our goal.
But RACING is not the real issue of this blog.
Let's discuss TRAINING, whether it be for a 10k, half, full or whatever.
Since MAXIMAL glycogen storage is around 2200-2600 calories with full rest, and all of us train and crosstrain constantly, there's little chance of achieving such storage amounts. Rather, our weekly long run often exceeds the Glycogen storage limits. This means that
MOST ATHLETES OVER 30 YEARS OF AGE WHO TRAIN USING MOST RUNNING BOOKS ARE SLOWLY LOSING MUSCLE MASS EVERY TIME THEY RUN LONG!
Eventually, you become very fit, very thin, and without muscle mass, very slow! Ergo the quote at beginning of the last blog, my runners may not be as fit, they'll just be at the finish line first!
So, what to do? I am not saying no long runs, but rather less of them and under more exacting conditions so as to preserve muscle mass. Also, no "pre-test" long runs close to your goal event. Rather, peak on your race day. OC's (Obsessive compulsives) are unable to do this, or any other delayed gratification behavior. No matter how well they run, it could have been better. So avoid their pace on long runs.
General "Train Faster" Rules:
1. Speed work is at least, if not more important than the long run. Speed CREATES muscle!!! Long runs EAT muscle.
2. If you run too long or too fast on long runs, you can't be recovered for proper speed training days later. You WILL get slower over time! Slow down on long runs, run less of them, and concentrate on speed workouts. Intervals on Tuesdays, Tempo on Thursdays, Long Runs on Saturdays is a good schedule for regular working folks.
3. Preserve Glycogen on long runs by eating, and by slowing down the pace to allow more fat to burn with glycogen. Remember, you run out of Glycogen, you start eating your own muscle.
4. Rather than always running longer, concentrate on 1 1/2 to 2 hour runs at progressively faster paces. MASTER the half marathon distance if you can do it under 2 hours.
5. Always eat within 1/2 hour after you finish your long run, and don't be shy. Bananas, P and J sandwiches on whole wheat, and chocolate milk, salads, chicken, even beef for amino acids, etc. Your body absorbs way more calories right after running than later in the day. Go figure, but it works! this will help you rebuild and recharge for the speed workouts.
6. Consider running a lot LESS miles every week, but at HIGHER INTENSITY. On race day, you will be able to run your current pace at a much lower heart rate, and as a result, save yourself for final pushes to hold race pace.
7.Weight training. I will specifically blog this after this series of blogs on speed training. But basically, in season, you lift lighter and less. Off season, increase loads and sets. You can MACRO taper weights in the off season to dramatically increase leg speed using this technique.
8. Long runs can be stretched at times to one in every 3 weeks. You can crosstrain with biking to fill in on other weeks. Biking OUT OF SADDLE ON INTERVAL TRAINING can also substitute for speed work.
Example:
In my late 40's, with a bad knee and big frame, I trained 16 weeks, averaged 32.5 miles a week, crosstrained weights and bike, and ran about 3:10 marathon speed, using the above techniques! In this schedule, I ran only two or three runs over 16 miles, and no long runs over 14 within the final 8 weeks.
Now go enjoy the day! :>)
I'm a recent convert to this general technic and I can vouch for the results. Well written Ed!
ReplyDelete