Back to Basics for 2010

By Pete Rea/ZAP Fitness/Running Journal/January 2010

I have enjoyed penning Learning from the Young Guns now for almost five years, and I am even more excited about the next half decade. I receive countless e-mails each month from loyal Running Journal readers with positive feedback, constructive criticism, and suggestions for future columns or research. I appreciate all of the correspondence. Recently I received an e-mail asking me to do a simple review of many of the basic principles of healthy training and adaptation for improvement we have been talking about the last 41 months.

Count from the Goal Backwards -- The late Villanova Coach Jumbo Elliott used to call the winter the “season of dreams.” Elliot, arguably the greatest collegiate distance running coach in history, noted that winter training was the key to spring and summer success. For most seasoned runners this should come as no surprise. Rarely do we see athletes devoid of healthy training for long periods in the winter who run their best in the spring. Now is the time for each of you to set your goals (put them on paper to see them and be accountable to them) and set your training up by counting backwards from your goal with a Base Phase to begin, strength and tempo to follow, and economy for icing on your training cake. Do not simply train haphazardly and hope breakthroughs come: plan their arrival.

Little Things/Process Goals -- Sport Psychologist and friend Dr. Bob Swoap of Asheville, NC, is fond of stressing that most of the goals we seek are outcome or performance based goals (personal bests, victories etc). These outcome based goals are important to have, yet in some ways they are out of our control – i.e. we cannot control how well our competitors run. What we can control, however, in pursuing our outcome goals is focusing on the day to day.

When in Doubt Train Aerobically -- As coach Elliott said, winter is indeed the time to set yourself up for success for your year. Conversely, many athletes set their year up for failure by doing too much intensity too soon. Looking for an excellent warm weather season in 2010? This Winter spend a disproportionate amount of your running time running aerobically, or for those who are slaves to the heart rate monitor remember to keep the vast majority of your training running under roughly 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. I am not advising your program to be devoid of harder running, but rather to emphasize aerobic development first and foremost. In terms of maintaining economy and continuing to elevate that oh-so important anaerobic threshold, toss in a moderate run one-two times each 10 days where you run the final 30:00-40:00 at 90 percent of your maximum heart rate. Also finish two-three runs each 10 with 8 x 100m accelerations (strides).

A Run of the Little Things – Here at ZAP fitness we discuss and remind each other of the little things quite often. What are our “little things?” Hydrate – suggestions vary, but for an individual training upwards of 40-50 miles per week or more eight-10 12-ounce glasses of water are considered the minimum, and during warmer periods even more. Focus on fluid intake folks, particularly during the winter when cold temperatures make people feel like they do not need fluids. Rest – be sure to be getting a minimum (I emphasize minimum) of 7.5 hours of sleep per night and up to nine if you can work it out. Try a 20-minute nap mid-day for some additional recovery.

Soft Running Surfaces -- Having spent more time on this issue than I care to I will be brief here - - run off the pavement when possible. You will be far less likely to get injured.

Keep Your Body’s Center Powerful – In my day the coaches told us to “do some abs.” The standard term during the last decade has been core. Today coaches are even more specific in working the area between our sternum and surrounding our pubic bone – a.k.a. The body's center. From upper and lower abdominals to the external obliques, keeping your mid-section powerful will improve running posture and help thwart deficiencies and weaknesses across other key areas.

Massage/Osteo/Chiro/Acupuncture -- Running long distances can take a toll on the body. Staying injury free is of great importance to most of us. How can you increase your odds of healthy running? See a massage therapist regularly. You will be amazed at the effects of increased blood flow and range of motion provided by a good sports-based therapist. Osteopaths and Chiropractors, though trained differently and with different focus, can both be very effective in terms of keeping the body in line with all the major muscle groups firing as they should. Additionally, acupuncture as a means of both pain relief and injury prevention is finally becoming known to the mainstream.

Use non-running exercise for supplementation and injury prevention. As I have been saying for years, cycling, elliptical machine, pool running, lap swimming, and even cross country skiing can all be very effective means of improving your running performances if applied correctly within your training program. While nothing replaces running like running.

Get your blood tested for iron regularly. Low iron levels are a huge problem amongst long distance runners, particularly women. Here at ZAP at least twice per year we have our blood drawn to look at readings (#s) for both your hemoglobin and ferritin iron stores. While each individual varies, numbers under 14 for hemoglobin and 30 for ferritin are on the “edge of concern.” Numbers under 13 and 20 are reason for concern. Keeping track of your iron levels can mean the difference between a good year and a bad one.

ZAP Fitness is a Reebok Sponsored non-profit facility that supports post collegiate distance runners in Blowing Rock, NC. ZAP puts on adult running camps during the summer and is available for retreats all year. The facility has a state of the art weight room, exercise science lab for testing and a 24-bed lodge. Coaches at the facility include two-time Olympic Trials Qualifiers Zika Rea and Randy Ashley as well as head coach Pete Rea. For more information go to www.zapfitness.com or call 828-295-6198.