The question: I know how important it is to incorporate speed workouts into my training plans for races. (The first time I did, I broke my PR in the half marathon by 15 minutes!) But here's the issue: While I have no problem maintaining the paces the workouts call for, I do have trouble determining whether I'm actually running that pace when doing these drills off the treadmill. Essentially, my GPS watch doesn't "get up to speed" fast enough, so to speak, when I'm doing shorter speed drills. For example, when I'm trying to run a quarter-mile at an 8-minute/mile pace, my watch takes a while to figure out that I've rapidly picked up my pace; it doesn't reach 8 minutes/mile until I’m almost done with the interval, even though I know that I'm running that fast or faster.
Now that I'm training for the Chicago Marathon—and aiming to beat my previous marathon PR by 23 minutes—speed work is more important to me than ever. So should I only do speed workouts on the treadmill to be sure I’m hitting the right speeds, take it to a local track and use a stop watch, or get a new watch?
The expert: Greg McMillan, runner, exercise scientist, coach, and founder of McMillan Running Company
The answer: First off, let's talk about that GPS watch issue. Yes: It's completely likely that a watch wouldn't be able to "get up to speed" as quickly as a runner's body is moving, says McMillan. There's typically some lag time between when you pick up your pace and when the watch "catches up" to you. Plus, that pace is going to bounce up and down just due to the fact that you’re out in nature battling various terrain changes (versus when you're on a treadmill and the pace stays exactly on what you set it to). Another thing: Constantly looking at your watch to make sure your pace isn't wavering can be distracting, says McMillan.
So while GPS watches are practically a mandatory—and amazing—accessory for serious runners, you're better off using them to log distance and monitor your average pace rather than to monitor your pace minute to minute, or second to second. Speaking of which, if you do choose to use a GPS watch to monitor your pace during speed workouts, be sure your pace setting is on real-time pace, rather than average pace (most watches will have both settings—check your manual). The average option kind of "smoothes out" your pace over the course of your run, and real time is exactly what it sounds like: your pace in real time. It shows you how fast you're going right then and there.
The treadmill is also fine for doing speed work—but keep in mind that it takes longer to slow down and speed up since you have to push the buttons and run through all the paces in between your recovery pace and fast pace, so you end up exerting more effort, says McMillan.
Going to a track or a marked course with a "good old-fashioned stopwatch" totally works, says McMillan. But your best bet when it comes to speed drills is to base your speed on perceived effort, he says. In other words, aim to do the speed intervals of your workouts at 85 to 90 percent of your max effort (100 percent being an all-out sprint during which you're pushing to your absolute limits). That way, you're not relying on technology, and you can really begin to connect with your own effort level—and test the limits of your running abilities, says McMillan. That's important because when you get into a race or training run where it’s hillier or particularly hot and humid, your pace might be compromised, but you'll still be working just as hard, effort-wise. "In those cases," says McMillan, "if you just look at the technology—you'd think, 'Oh, I suck. I'm terrible. I'm not good as a runner.' But if you look at it from the sense of, 'Did I giv e my best effort for the conditions of today?' then you might be pleased with your run."
With that in mind, one of the best speed workouts—whether you're new to running or a seasoned pro—is strides, says McMillan. "That's anything where you're speeding up for 10 to 20 seconds at a pace that is not all-out sprinting, but it's faster than your normal running pace and faster than your 5-K running pace," says McMillan. If you run the same pace all the time, your body gets really efficient at that particular pace. While efficiency is typically a good thing, to get faster and burn more calories, you need to go faster—even if it's only for short lengths of time. "Strides don’t take much out of you because you’re not running fast for very long," says McMillan. "But boy, they really help."
Try it: After warming up for at least a mile with walking or easy running, speed up for 10 to 20 seconds, slow down for a minute to recover (aim for an easy jog), and repeat. Beginners can start by doing five to 10 repetitions, and you can build up to 15 to 20 reps. Add them to one or two runs per week.
--
Run the Women's Health RUN 10 FEED 10 Race in New York City on September 21—or take part in one of our other runs around the country, or even sign up to run your own 10-K! You'll feed 10 hungry people in your neighborhood just by signing up.
Powered by WPeMatico
No comments:
Post a Comment