Faster Road Racing by Pete Pfitzinger
Chapter 1
Four primary types of training:
- long runs for endurance: maintaining of faster pace for a longer time, needed to handle the other stuff
- tempo runs for LT pace
- long intervals for VO2max
- short intervals for speed and running form
With two extra:
- general aerobic, increases overall fitness
- recovery to get ready again for the workouts
Lactate Threshold
LT pace is the pace at which you produce the exact amount of lactate that your body manages to clear. Once you go past it, you will end up with too much lactate acid in your body. It is the pace you can race at for an hour when properly rested. LT workouts should be comfortably hard.
To train it, he considers four different types of workouts. Common wisdom used to be to train at LT pace. More recent studies say slightly faster than LT pace.
- Classic Tempo Run. LT pace to 6s/km faster than LT pace. Steady block of 20 to 40 minutes.
- LT intervals (also called cruise intervals). LT pace to 6s/km faster than LT pace. Several smaller blocks in order to get in some more time at the effort. Recovery length does not seem to be defined in the book.
- LT hills. LT effort based on HR. (80-91% of max heart rate or 75-88% of heart rate reserve)
- Change-of-Pace Tempo Run. Alternating between slightly harder (3-9s/km) than LT and slightly lower (6s/km) than LT for 20 to 45 minutes. First fast one should be ~4 minutes, subsequent ones 1-4 minutes. Slow ones should be at least 4 minutes. Also possible when terrain goes up and down: hard uphill, back off a bit downhill.
V̇O₂max
Maximal amount of oxygen that your heart can pump (heartrate × stroke volume) and your muscles can use (extraction from blood). The maximal rate at which you can produce energy aerobically. The more you produce, the faster a pace you can maintain. Most important from 1500 to 5000. While still relevant for longer, lactate becomes the important one there. Combo of training (stroke volume, oxygen extraction) and genetics (heartrate). Unit: ml/kg/min. Higher is better.
Well trained can run at V̇O₂max for ~8 minutes, at 95% for ~15 minutes. Can also estimate with 94-98% of max HR or 92-97% of HR reserve.
Best trained at 95-100% intensity of current V̇O₂max. Best done in such a way as to maximise time at that intensity. Intervals of 2 to 6 minutes. It takes a little to get up to the right range. Run shorter intervals towards faster end of your range, longer intervals towards slower end. Total of 5000 to 8000 (15 to 25 minutes?) is good enough for training and hopefully does not wreck you. Once per week tends to be plenty. Recovery jog between reps takes 50-90% of rep time, but then he has a table that leans more to 50-75% once reps are 4 minutes and longer. Too short recovery = you will not get through the workout. Too long = need to build up to V̇O₂max again for too long.
Chapter 3: Supplementary Training (p55)
Optimize training with supplementary workouts (strength, flexibility, other cardio). Uses different muscles. Helps at mileage ceiling. Helps injury prone people. Injury is more than true/false. Big grey zone and things inthere can be annoying without stopping you + may mean worse is to come.
Four types:
- Flexibility (dynamic, static, and “proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation” (PNF))
- Strength training
- Running drills for effective form and posture
- Aerobic cross-training like water running, swimming, and cycling
Flexibility (p56)
Nobody likes tight/stiff muscles. PNF stretching is for the extreme tightnesses.
Dynamic Flexibility
Emphasis on repeatedly moving joint through its range of motion. Most effective when done before running. Possibly extra useful for the morning runner to shake off the night. Not a substitute for a warmup before workout/race!
Their routine “should take no more than five minutes”. Page 58-60 has photos and in depth explanation.
- Arm cross: 10 reps
- Leg swing: 15 reps per leg
- Side swing: 15 reps per leg
- Hip circle: 10 reps in each direction
- Knee circle: 10 reps in each direction
- Side skip: 10 reps in each direction
Static Flexibility
Lengthen muscle fibres and the connective tissue surrounding them. Isolate muscle group and stretch. Perform when muscles are warm and blood flow high (i.e., after exercise, even as moderate as walking). Do not cause discomfort: ease off or check technique.
Their routine targets things typical for runners. Stretch symmetrically! Page 62 onwards has images.
- Back twist: IT band, upper back, lower back
- Leg over: piriformis, lower back
- Butterfly: groin
- Single-leg hamstring reach: hamstring
- Lifted hamstring: hamstring
- Standing quadriceps: quadriceps
- Straight-leg and bent-leg calf: gastrocnemius, soleus
- Arm crossover: upper back, deltoids
PNF Stretching
Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation. For particularly tight muscle. Requires a partner. Two examples given on page 67-68: hamstring stretch and hip flexor stretch.
Strength Training (p69)
Do it correctly to not get unwanted (for a runner) side effects. May help running economy, corrects muscle imbalances, core strength helps your form. Should do this 2-3 times a week. Lift shortly after or later in the day of a hard workout. Intensity grouping improves stimulus and gives you more recovery till next one. Plyometrics are for recovery or GA days, don’t want muscles fatigued. Do not weightlift 24-36 hrs before hard running workout, the fatigue risks injury.
Weight Training
Goals: strengthen muscles and connective tissue, increase muscle stiffness and injury resilience, correct muscle imbalance, improve running economy.
Two categories:
- isolation exercises: moving only one joint, isolates muscle groups. Many require machines. Safe. Corrects muscle imbalance. Does not translate to running as easily as rest.
- compound exercises: multiple joints, multiple muscle groups. Uses dumbbells, barbells, weight plates. Slightly higher risk of injury. Directer benefits for distance runner, especially running economy.
Goal: maximize functional strength, improve running economy, correct muscle imbalance.
Avoid low weight, high volume. If lifting makes you too tired to run, scale back the lifting.
They provide a routine for beginners (enables form practice) on page 70 and the more advanced lifters on page 72.
TODO Actually summarise the routines and when to use which.
Core Training
Core = abdominal, lower-back, pelvic, buttocks, oblique muscles. Stabilises and balances the body. More efficient running. Weak may mean poor posture and weaker stride. Strong may reduce lower-leg injuries and enable longer race pace.
They provide basic and advanced routines. Can switch basic ones out for advanced ones individually. Perform exercises sequentially, 10-20s break between each. Do the routine twice. Can also increase reps/time for more challenge.
Basic:
- Abdominal crunch: 20 reps
- Superman hold: 30 secs
- Fire hydrant: 30 secs (sic, wonder if they accidentally copy pasted, time seems weird here)
- Donkey kick: 10 reps per leg
Advanced:
- Plank: 60s
- Side plank: 30s per side
- Superman crunch: 20 reps
- Supine plank: 45s
Pages 79 to 83 provide explanations on each.
Plyometrics
“For runners, no form of strength training has been proven to be more effective.”
Plyometrics = explosive jumping exercises. Increase running economy and racing performance. When getting into it, don’t start at high effort before you learned all the exercises properly. Doing it right avoids injury. Aim for soft level surfaces (e.g., grass, track). Keep ground contact minimal. Do it on fresh days (e.g., GA day), never on or after hard workout day.
Warm up with 1.5-2km running and dynamic stretches. Again they provide a basic and advanced routine.
Running Form Drills (p87)
Exaggerate elements of your running stride, isolates, makes more efficient. Best done after the warm up of an intense workout or race. Strides afterwards.
Basic and advanced routine, do the basic for several weeks as a start. Each drill to be done twice. FORM MATTERS. Whole routine is about 5 minutes.
Basic:
- A skip: 2×20m
- Butt kick: 2×20m
- High knee: 2×20m
- Quick feet: 2×10m
Advanced:
- B skip: 2×20m
- Backward running: 2×30m
- Carioca: 2×20m each direction
Pictures on p89 onwards.
Chapter 7
p160: Adjusting training after injury or illness. This is about adjustments when preparing for a race.
| Training weeks lost | Cross train yes | Cross train no |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1 | Resume schedule | Resume schedule |
| 1-2 | Resume schedule | Revise race goal, start back with 1 week of base training, then resume schedule |
| 2-3 | Resume schedule, adjust workout paces for 1-2 weeks | Revise race goal, start back with 2 weeks of base training, then resume schedule, and adjust workout paces |
| >3 | Revise race goal. Start back with base training, then resume schedule and adjust workout paces | Find a new goal race |
Chapter 9: 5k
Notes to find common denominators:
Lowest plan, per week. Endurance is implied. Usually first workout on Tue, second on Fri.
- strides, LT intervals
- strides, VO2max
- Speed, LT intervals
- (rec) Speed
- strides, VO2max
- LT, VO2max
- strides, VO2max
- (rec) slightly harder stride, not really speed yet (150m)? 5k tune up race
- strides, VO2max
- 150m stride-speed, 5k tune up (or 3k TT)
- strides, VO2max
- strides, race
Mid and high plan, per week. Endurance is implied. Usually first workout on wednesday, second workout on Saturday, day before the long run.
- LT intervals, strides
- VO2max, strides
- LT intervals, speed
- (rec) speed
- VO2max, strides
- LT, VO2max
- VO2max, strides
- (rec) 150m stride-speed, 5k tune up
- VO2max, strides
- 150m stride-speed, 5k tune up (or 3k TT)
- VO2max, strides
- strides, race
Quick take: lowest switches order around, putting the harder workout as the second. That’s why it is on Friday instead of Saturday. Avoiding the hard workout the day before the long run. LT only in the first half. Strides is his speedwork bread and butter. If you count 5k as VO2max workout, then basically continuous VO2max from week 5 onwards.